St. Matthew

Cathedral of St. Matthewthe Apostle
1725 Rhode Island Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20036






This distinguished church as been around since 1840. It is attended by the Supreme Court justices and members of Congress, the Cabinet, diplomatic corps, and other government departments – including former Presidents of the United States. It was actually the very place a funeral mass was given for President John F. Kennedy November 25, 1963.








The gritty brown brick structure of the outside talks up about a half of city block by itself. Masses are given three times daily and weekends. It is a wonderful place to celebrate mass especially if you lived in the neighborhood. I can see myself doing the daily morning mass at 7am on the way to work out at the YMCA. To me, that is my retirement dream.





Once you step inside, the Cathedral’s interior demands your attention almost immediately. Laden with mosaics found in Italy, statues of Saints and the blessed Mother, and of course the grand Baptistry that can be adorned for hours.



There are many relics to behold, learn, and enjoy, The Chapel of Saint Francis of Assisi holds the burial chamber for Washington’s second Bishop, Patrick Cardinal O’Boyle. The burial entrance is a beautiful arched marble façade that let’s you know this is a Holy Place.

I enjoyed my mass here – it was 8am on a Wednesday morning; there was no music or signing and the mass moved along to ensure we get to work in time. I was excited to see the 30 or 40 people attend a mass in the middle of a work week. As I left, I wondered how many of our leaders left this place after mass to deal with the greed, corruption, and politicking in a place such as Washington DC.