It was my third trip to Washington, D.C., but my first as a Catholic.
With several high-level meetings scheduled for later in the day, I was nervous. What better way to calm my nerves than to begin the day with Mass? I figured. Boarding the Metro early in the morning, I made my way for my first visit to St. Matthew the Apostle Cathedral.
Appropriately named after the patron saint of civil servants, the cathedral is located just a few blocks from the White House. It's a quiet place for meditation and prayer amid the frenetic cityscape of our nation's capital.
St. Matthew's plain brick-and-sandstone exterior is deceiving: It gives no hint of the rich adornments found within. The interior is decorated in unique rose and green marble, but what make this sanctuary truly special are the mosaics adorning its walls.
The cathedral has been undergoing an extension restoration since 2000; about half the $6.9 million needed for the work has been raised so far. During my visit, netting was visible above the pews to catch falling plaster, and scaffolding filled the entire sanctuary. The mosaics behind the altar were being cleaned of a century's worth of incense and candle residue. As I prayed, three workers stood 20 feet up, cleaning and restoring the mosaics and marble.
Established in 1840, the church was originally located at 15th and H streets. Construction of the present church began in 1893 under the direction of Msgr. Thomas Sim Lee. The first Mass was celebrated on June 2, 1895. The church was dedicated in 1913 and designated a cathedral in 1939 when the Archdiocese of Washington was established.
Designed by noted New York architect C. Grant La Farge, the cathedral bears the form of a Latin cross and is a hybrid of Romanesque and Byzantine styles.
Unfortunately, the prominent mosaics in the front of the church — St. Matthew and the Angel and the Angels of the Crucifixion — were entirely obscured by scaffolding. However, I was able to enjoy the remaining mosaics. I tried to put myself in the place of a parishioner 100 years ago — one who was unable to read but capable of understanding the stories from the mosaics.
History Happened Here
Prior to his retirement, Washington Cardinal James Hickey said of the cathedral in 2000: “My hope is to leave the cathedral in splendid shape so it can stand as a silent witness of faith to future events we can scarcely imagine from our vantage in history.”
He was prescient. During my own time spent in prayer inside St. Matthew's, I could not help but contemplate events I could scarcely imagine — the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the nearby Pentagon, the first anniversary of which we remember this week. With all of its inspirational artwork, I found St. Matthew's a very appropriate place to pray for our president, our Congress and our entire country — not knowing whether some of them might be in attendance at Mass along with me.
As you enter the church, to the right sits the small Chapel of St. Francis of Assisi. It contains a large crucifix, similar to the famous image at San Damiano that spoke to St. Francis, and frescoes depicting scenes from the life of St. Francis. It also serves as the burial chamber for Washington's archbishops.
Continuing further into the church along the right side, you come to the large, bright and colorful Chapel of St. Anthony of Padua. Vivid mosaics depicting the lives of St. Francis and his disciples in the Umbrian hill towns of Italy rim the chapel. The quiet interior space also contains a notable bust of Pope John Paul II commemorating the Holy Father's visit here to celebrate Mass on Oct. 6, 1979.
The east transept features a mural of the martyrdom of St. Matthew above a 5,045-pipe organ. The west transept features a mural of the calling of St. Matthew.
During my visit, the Wedding Chapel to the right of the sanctuary and the Blessed Sacrament Chapel to the left were concealed under plastic sheeting to protect the artwork during the restoration.
The high altar is dazzling. Made of white marble, it is encircled with semi-precious stones. Created by artists from India, the altar does not sit under the dome but rather sits at the head of the cross formed by the church's layout.
I was surprised when, during Mass, I went forward to receive the Eucharist here. In front of the sanctuary, beneath my feet, a marble marker read: “Here rested the remains of President Kennedy at the Requiem Mass, November 25, 1963, before their removal to Arlington where they lie in expectation of a Heavenly Resurrection.” As a lover of American history, I was moved by this unexpected discovery. I also learned that every president since Grover Cleveland has attended services at St. Matthew's, many during the cathedral's annual “Red Mass.”
The penditives, or pillars supporting the church's dome, are decorated with mosaics by Edwin Howland Blashfield. They feature the Four Evangelists.
Along the church's western edge, Our Lady's Chapel features six mosaics representing biblical passages referring to the Blessed Mother, her genealogy and the genealogy of Jesus. The chapel is also marked by a distinct Gordon S. Kray statue in which Mary is portrayed as a caring mother reaching down to fallen humanity while also pointing to her ascended son.
American Icons
My favorite mosaics were found in the baptistry. The brilliant mosaics, not nearly as old as those found in the church, feature an angel stirring the water and another of Matthew baptizing an Ethiopian woman. Here is also a statue of the Sacred Heart of Jesus by sculptor Thomas Hudson Jones, the artist who sculpted Arlington National Cemetery's Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
Finally, upon leaving the church, visitors will note a unique mural above the inside main entrance. Created by Blashfield and his assistant Vincent Aderente, it depicts “Saintly and Eminent Personages of the Americas,” including St. John Neumann, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, St. Katherine Drexel, Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha, St. Rose of Lima, St. Isaac Jogues and other figures important to Catholic life in the nation's capital. It is a fitting mural for the seat of the Archbishop of Washington.
I look forward to returning once the restorations are complete, when the cathedral will undoubtedly shine with the brilliance of its newly restored mosaics. No matter what happens in or with our nation by then, America will always need our prayers.
The first Sunday in October, St. Matthew's celebrates the “Red Mass,” where U.S. leaders ask for