St. Matthew Cathedral (South Bend, Indiana) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St. Matthew Cathedral |
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St. Matthew Cathedral in 2023
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| 41°39′24″N 86°14′08″W / 41.6566°N 86.2355°W | |
| Location | 1701 Miami Street South Bend, Indiana |
| Country | United States |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic Church |
| History | |
| Founded | 1922 |
| Architecture | |
| Style | Modern |
| Groundbreaking | 1959 |
| Completed | 1960 |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | Brick |
| Administration | |
| Diocese | Fort Wayne-South Bend |
St. Matthew Cathedral is a large Catholic church in South Bend, Indiana, United States. It is one of two main churches for the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend. The other is the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Fort Wayne.
Contents
The Story of St. Matthew Cathedral
How the Parish Started
In 1921, a priest named Rev. John DeGroote bought 14 pieces of land in South Bend. The first idea was to build a church and school together. But this plan was too expensive. So, Bishop Herman Alerding suggested building a smaller, wooden church first. This church would be used for a short time.
Rev. Theodore Hammes became the first pastor, or leader, of the church. In May 1922, 22 men helped build the church for $10,000. It was finished quickly. The church opened on August 13, 1922. It had a hall in the basement. The church could hold 240 people. But soon, many more people joined. In October 1923, the church was made bigger to hold 600 people. In 1924, the church bought six more pieces of land. This land was used for a school built in 1929.
From 1942 to 1958, a group of nuns called the Missionary Sisters of Our Lady of Victory helped at St. Matthew. They taught religious classes to children. They also helped with other church duties. In 1954, a new house for the priests, called a rectory, was built. The old house was too small. In 1959, work began on the church building you see today. The old church was taken down. But its bells were saved to be used in the new church.
Becoming a Cathedral
In 1960, a very important leader, Pope John XXIII, changed the name of the Diocese of Fort Wayne. It became the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend. At this time, St. Matthew Church was still being built. It was chosen to be a Co-cathedral for the diocese. This means it shares the role of being the main church with the Cathedral in Fort Wayne.
Msgr. Joseph R. Crowley became the pastor of St. Matthew in 1969. In 1971, he was named an auxiliary bishop. This means he helped the main bishop. After becoming a bishop, he worked as the director for religious education. Two years later, he returned to St. Matthew as pastor. He was the first of three auxiliary bishops to lead the parish.
In 1989, the church choir was invited to sing at the Vatican in Rome. This was a very special honor! In 1992, the church campus grew again. A new building called the Cathedral Center opened. A day care center also opened in the old convent building. The day care grew and moved into another building bought in 1994. Bishop Daniel R. Jenky, who was pastor from 1997, left in 2002 to become the Bishop of Peoria.
St. Matthew's Schools
Work on St. Matthew School started on May 15, 1929. Bishop John F. Noll officially opened the school on October 13, 1929. It cost $167,000 to build. In its first year, 150 students attended. They were in five grades. Nuns called the Sisters of St. Joseph taught them. The school added one new grade each year until 1932.
In 1934, a group called the Brothers of the Holy Cross opened Central Catholic High School. It started with 18 students. The high school was on the second floor of the St. Matthew school building. As more students joined, the brothers added more classrooms and sports teams. In the early years, tuition was $40. More brothers joined the teaching staff. A lay person (someone not a priest or nun) also taught biology and coached sports. Teachers from the University of Notre Dame also taught there.
The high school's largest number of students was 237 boys. However, it closed in 1951. This happened because three Catholic schools joined together to create St. Joseph High School. After Central Catholic High School closed, St. Matthew School used the extra space. In 1955, a new gymnasium was added. The older school building was also greatly updated when Bishop Jenky was pastor.
Pastors and Rectors
These priests have led St. Matthew's parish. After 1960, they were called the cathedral rector:
- Rev. Theodore Hammes (1921–1933)
- Msgr. Arnold J. Wibbert (1933–1969)
- Bishop Joseph R. Crowley (1969–1991)
- Bishop John R. Sheets, SJ (1991–1997)
- Bishop Daniel R. Jenky, C.S.C. (1997–2002)
- Msgr. Michael Heintz (2002–2016)
- Rev. Terry Fisher (2016-2023)
- Rev. Andrew Budzinski (2023-present)
See also
In Spanish: Catedral de San Mateo (South Bend) para niños
