St. Matthew Catholic Community has stood at 2310 1st Avenue NE in Cedar Rapids, Iowa since 1922, the year Archbishop James J. Keane assigned Father Daniel P. Mulcahy to begin a new parish from almost nothing. A century later, the parish operates a Catholic school, an early childhood center, and one of the more linguistically diverse Sunday schedules in the Archdiocese of Dubuque, with weekly Mass in English, a monthly Mass in Spanish, and a twice-monthly Mass in Vietnamese.

The parish is led today by Father Loecke, who appears alongside the staff and volunteers at spaghetti dinners, hospital visits, and the parish school. He is supported by Deacon Rich Wallace, two pastoral associates, a faith formation coordinator, a youth minister, a sacred music director, and a custodian who keeps the building looking good.

A Hundred Years on First Avenue

St. Matthew Parish began in August 1922 when Archbishop James J. Keane of the Archdiocese of Dubuque sent Father Daniel P. Mulcahy from Vinton to Cedar Rapids. The young priest had no church and only a few parishioners. Four years later, in 1926, a combined brick church, school, and rectory was completed and dedicated on First Avenue NE. The Sisters of Mercy began staffing the school that year and have continued as part of the faculty ever since.

Under Father Behan, the parish grew from a dozen families to 240 in a single decade, and the school grew from 40 students in 1926 to 200 by 1939. Parishioners mark the centennial by looking both backward and forward: the parish has launched a Capital Campaign and a "Fully Alive in Christ" pastoral plan while continuing the rhythms of school, Mass, and outreach that have defined it for a century.

Mass in Three Languages

Sunday Mass at St. Matthew is offered at 8:30 AM and 10:30 AM in English, at 12:30 PM in Spanish, and at 2:00 PM in Vietnamese on the first and third Sundays of the month. The Saturday Vigil Mass is celebrated at 4:00 PM. Weekday Masses are held Tuesday at 5:30 PM and Thursday at 8:45 AM, when the parish school students attend.

Confession is heard thirty minutes before each Mass. Wednesday morning Adoration runs from 8:30 AM to 1:00 PM in the church. Masses are livestreamed on the parish YouTube channel so that those at home can worship along.

The parish is part of the Cedar Rapids Central Pastorate alongside St. Patrick, Immaculate Conception, and St. Wenceslaus, and the four parishes share the rest of the week's Mass coverage. Daily Mass is offered at Immaculate Conception on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday at 12:05 PM. St. Patrick hosts daily Mass on Wednesday and Friday mornings. St. Wenceslaus offers the Saturday morning Mass at 8:30 AM. The arrangement means that a Catholic in Cedar Rapids is rarely more than a few minutes from a weekday Mass.

The Seven Sacraments

Baptism classes meet on the fourth Monday of the month and are coordinated through Parish Associate and Youth Minister Isabelle Sampers. Children age seven and older who have not yet been baptized follow a separate path with Pastoral Associate Billie Burhite.

First Eucharist and First Reconciliation preparation for the entire Cedar Rapids Central Pastorate is held at St. Patrick Church. Public school students are required to attend weekly Religious Education at St. Matthew in addition to Sacramental Prep, and Sacramental Prep begins in the fall of 2026 for sacraments received in the spring of 2027.

Couples considering marriage are asked to begin by meeting with a priest, ideally more than a year before the wedding, so they can fully understand the sanctity of the sacrament and prepare together. The parish supplies lists of recommended hymns for both weddings and funerals, and Deacon Rich Wallace walks couples and families through funeral planning and legacy giving.

Confirmation preparation is run through Teen Ministries. Anointing of the Sick is available to anyone facing serious illness or surgery, either at the church, in the hospital, or at home, and the parish staff regularly visits those who cannot make it to Mass.

Faith Formation for Children, Teens, and Adults

Faith formation at St. Matthew is built around three audiences: children, teens, and adults.

Lynn Kloft, who has been part of the Religious Education program at St. Matthew since her oldest daughter needed First Communion instruction more than thirty years ago, coordinates K-5 Religious Education. Classes meet on Sundays from 9:40 to 10:20 AM, between the 8:30 and 10:30 AM Masses, with a fee of $125 per family. Lynn also coordinates a monthly family faith formation group on the second Wednesday and a week-long summer Vacation Bible School.

Teen Ministries, led by Isabelle Sampers, gathers middle and high school students for Confirmation prep, retreats, service projects, and the Youth Mass held on the first 10:30 AM Sunday of each month. A Lenten Retreat at the parish focused on Surrender, Suffering, and Uncertainty, and the parish has hosted talks on Catholicity with leaders from the Xavier Catholic Schools system.

Adults have two standing weekly offerings. Tuesday Bible Study meets at 9:00 AM in the Rosary Room, currently working through Dr. Brant Pitre's ten-part video series "The Case for Jesus." On Wednesday evenings from 6:00 to 7:00 PM, "Curious about Catholicism" welcomes anyone exploring the faith, returning to it after time away, or preparing to receive a missed Sacrament. The Wednesday session also includes OCIA, the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults, for those seeking to become Catholic. Classes pause in July. Billie Burhite, a Mount Mercy University Religious Studies graduate currently working on her master's degree, leads Faith Formation. She joined St. Matthew in 2016 and became Pastoral Associate in 2022.

Sacred Music in the Loft

Sacred Music Director Seth Lowman, a pianist since age four and an organist since fifteen, rehearses the parish choir on Wednesday evenings from 6:00 to 7:00 PM in the choir loft. The choir sings at a rotating Mass: the first weekend at 4:00 PM, the second at 8:00 AM, and the third at 10:30 AM. The parish also maintains online playlists of choral parts from the St. Michael Hymnal and the Ignatius Pew Missal so members can practice at home.

Cantors lead the congregation in song at Masses both with and without the choir. A small Schola of four to twelve vocalists sings chant and hymns at the 8:00 AM Christmas Mass and an Easter Mass, with practices starting in mid-November. Laetare, a new children's choir for grades 3 through 8, rehearses on the second and fourth Tuesdays of the month at 6:15 PM and sings at the Youth Mass, Christmas Eve, and First Communion Mass.

The parish is also seeking organists to fill in at funerals, weddings, and Sunday Masses, and welcomes flutists, violinists, and other orchestral string players into the loft.

Meals that Matter and the 2nd on 2nd Charity

Outreach at St. Matthew runs on two rhythms: meals and a monthly collection.

Meals that Matter gathers once a month to cook and deliver food to families in the parish and the wider Cedar Rapids community who are facing illness, the loss of a loved one, or the arrival of a new baby. Referrals come through the parish office.

The 2nd on 2nd collection, run by the Social Concerns Committee, gathers donations on the second of every month for a different Cedar Rapids nonprofit. The annual calendar reads like a tour of local Catholic and ecumenical outreach: Birthright in January, St. Vincent de Paul Cedar Rapids in February, Green Square Meals in March, Young Parents Network in April, Mt. Calvary Cemetery in May, Community Health Free Clinic in June, Catholic Charities Dubuque in July, Mission of Hope in August, Catholic Worker House in September, Meals that Matter in October, Metro Catholic Outreach in November, and Matthew 25 in December. The committee also maintains a long list of places that pick up donated furniture, appliances, and clothing, from the Cedar Valley Habitat for Humanity ReStore to the Salvation Army to Goodwill.

Women, Men, and a Senior Potluck

Two women's groups keep much of the parish's hospitality and service work moving. The St. Bernadette Circle serves funeral dinners and steps in wherever the parish needs an extra hand. The Archdiocesan Council of Catholic Women (ACCW) is led locally by Billie Burhite and has recently produced "Pies for Priests," served the priests and deacons of the deanery, supported the local March for Life, and hosted a Mental Health First Aid training in the Rosary Room.

Men's Holy Name meets on the second Sunday of every month from 9:00 to 10:30 AM in the Rosary Room, with Jacob Burhite as president, Verle Day as vice president, and Sean Williams as treasurer. Meetings are open to all interested men.

Adults 55 and older gather for a free Senior Potluck on the third Thursday of every month at noon in Kearn Hall, except in January and February when winter weather keeps people home. Participants bring a dish to share and stay for fellowship.

Liturgical Ministries

Altar Servers at St. Matthew can be adults or children in fourth grade and up. Sacristans prepare the altar and sanctuary before Mass. Lectors proclaim the readings, often spending extra time with the texts beforehand. Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion distribute the Eucharist during Mass, and a Hospitality team of greeters and ushers welcomes worshippers, helps them find seats, takes up the collection, and directs traffic during Communion.

The parish also runs a BeFriender ministry that visits parishioners who are homebound and a Plant Team that cares for the flowers and greenery throughout the liturgical year. A Cash Club offers a way for those with limited time to contribute financially.

Pastoral Care for Body and Soul

Pastoral Associate Billie Burhite visits the homebound, calls on those in the hospital, and walks alongside anyone who simply needs someone to listen. Deacon Rich Wallace, a retired insurance executive who volunteers three to five days a week, assists with marriages, funerals, legacy planning, and the Capital Campaign. He and his wife Nan have eight children and thirteen grandchildren.

Anointing of the Sick is offered to anyone facing surgery or serious illness. Walking With Moms in Need Iowa connects pregnant women and young families with pregnancy support and resources in the Cedar Rapids area, and the parish refers anyone struggling after abortion to Project Rachel, a toll-free post-abortion counseling line run by Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Dubuque.

The parish maintains an unusually thorough Senior Resources page with direct phone numbers and addresses for Horizons Meals on Wheels, Abbehealth Aging Services, the Family Caregivers Center of Mercy, Linn County Veterans Affairs, HACAP, Iowa Mortgage Help, Cedar Rapids Transit, LIFTS, and the Mental Health Access Center. Senior Potluck participants also learn about Bridge to Opportunities, a community activities program held across the street from the parish at the former Four Oaks building.

Journey in Faith and the Cedar Rapids Pastorate

St. Matthew is in the middle of the Archdiocese of Dubuque's "Journey in Faith" pastoral planning initiative, a process designed to renew discipleship, strengthen Catholic communities, and align parish structures for mission. The parish has published a Pastoral Priority Plan with SMART Goals and a Vitality Goal aimed at revitalizing the community, engaging parishioners, securing funding, and undertaking deferred maintenance.

The initiative is unfolding alongside a separate Cedar Rapids metro consolidation effort that brought the area's Catholic schools together under Xavier Catholic Schools, with Chris McCarville named the system's first president. St. Matthew Catholic School and its Early Childcare Center are part of the new system, with the school office open Monday through Friday from 7:30 AM to 4:00 PM and the Early Childcare Center open from 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM.

Online: App, Formed, and Livestreamed Mass

The parish offers online giving through PushPay and PayPal, livestreamed Mass on YouTube, and access to Formed and the Hallow App for faith content at home. The St. Matthew Catholic Community app carries the bulletin, calendar, and notifications. Bi-weekly newsletters and parish updates are available by signing up online, and the parish bulletin can be read on Parishes Online.