St. Matthew Church is located on the east side of the city, at 6021 Whittier, just south of I–94. The parish was established in 1927. St. Matthew School opened in 1930 and was staffed by IHM Sisters. Within three years, the school grew to over 500 students. Enrollment continued to climb to nearly 1,000 in the 1950s and peaked at 1,214 students.
The current church was finished in 1954.
The Blessed Mother and St. Anthony of Padua stand to the left of the main altar.
St. Joseph and the Sacred Heart of Jesus to the right of the main altar.
Paintings of saints line the clerestory.
Saturday Vigil Mass is at 4:30pm and Sunday Mass is at 10:00am. Daily Mass is at 9:00am on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Holy Days see Mass at 9:00am & 7:00pm.
A plaque honoring former pastors hangs in the vestibule. Fr. Duanne Novelly has served as pastor for several years.
The communion rail remains largely intact.
Stations of the cross and custom lampshades are found along the side aisles.
The stained-glass windows are very colorful — featuring lots of purple and red.
The mosaic apse was restored in 2008 — much of the work done by volunteers and took 400 hours to complete. An inscription on the rim translates to "What I tell you in darkness, let you speak in the light — It is more blessed to give than to receive."
The church has repeatedly been the target of thieves. Last summer and fall, there was a string of copper theft and one person tried to steal a piece of machinery from the church.
Video tour of the church featuring audio of the choir:
