The Parishioners of Saint Matthew represent the following countries:

American Samoa • Antigua • Aruba • Cameroon • Chile • Colombia • Cuba • Ecuador • England • Equatorial Guinea • Eritrea • Ethiopia • France • Germany • Ghana • Grenada • Haiti • India • Ireland • Italy • Ivory Coast • Jamaica • Japan • Jordan • Kenya • Liberia • Mexico • Montserrat • Nepal • Nigeria • Panama • Peru • Philippines • Portugal • Puerto Rico • Romania • Rwanda • Senegal • Sierra Leone • St. Lucia • Sudan • Swaziland • Switzerland • Tanzania • Togo • Trinidad and Tobago • United States of America • Zaire • Zambia

Immigration Outreach Service Center

(This is an expanded version of the story in our anniversary book.)

In 1999, as St. Matthew Church was approaching its Jubilee Year, the church held conversations with parishioners to find out how it should look in the future. “Those house gatherings and meetings with individuals revealed that immigrants from at least 30 different countries were attending St. Matthew,” states Owen Charles, IOSC chair. Because of this, immigration became one of five new ministries.

An Immigration Action Team consisting mostly of foreign-born parishioners, identified immigrant leaders who would determine how to implement the new ministry. These leaders and members of Faith Presbyterian and People’s Congregation at All Saints Lutheran formed the Immigration Action Committee and from their discussions came the recommendation for an immigration center.

The Immigration Outreach Service Center (IOSC) opened its doors in mid-2000 under the direction of Jean-Marie Holloway. It was a physical space where immigrants could obtain low-cost immigration services and gather to share their cultures. “More importantly, it was a forum for immigrants to tell their stories in a safe and secure environment,” says Owen.

No one could foresee then, the devastating events of 9/11 coming around the corner.

9/11 profoundly changed America’s view of immigrants and immigration and presented unexpected challenges for the IOSC. Friends of the IOSC were now unsure about their support and corporations were no longer eager to fund major immigration initiatives. This impacted greatly anticipated funding sources, yet the center continued servicing those who knocked on its door.

In 2005, the IOSC began experiencing a gradual increase in services to refugees and asylum seekers that forced an unexpected change in clients’ needs. The change quickly overwhelmed the center’s meager resources and led to the temporary closure of its doors in 2012. In response to the closure, the IOSC’s Board hosted a retreat including immigrants, grant funders, and donors, to rethink client’s needs. Owen shares, “From the retreat came the ‘re-visioning’ of a more volunteer-driven model of immigration service delivery and a rebranding of the IOSC.”

The IOSC re-opened its doors in late 2012 and with a volunteer director, it implemented a tutoring program and began community organizing with BUILD. In the last seven years, the IOSC expanded to five staff, six consultants, and 30+ volunteers. Services provided now include tutoring for youth (year-round) at St. Matthew and the Medfield Community Center, computer literacy for adult women (Fall and Spring sessions), interfaith gatherings and donor support from Jewish and Muslim communities, as well as other local churches. Services provided include housing, job, and legal referrals.

“We created and convened the Sanctuary Coalition of Central Maryland, a yearly gathering of all Immigration Service Providers in the region, and began community organizing in order to raise immigrant voices to local power,” states Pat Jones, director. Numerous City leaders including the Police Commissioner, the Mayor, and the City Council have supported the IOSC as it seeks to serve clients across the region. Senators Van Hollen and Cardin have both strongly supported IOSC clients.

This year, the IOSC embarked on a strategic and succession planning process that will push the organization into the future with plans for a change in leadership, even more fundraising, grant funding, and expanded space to serve our clients. 2020 plans include an ESOL program, financial literacy classes, expanded space, and a computer lab to provide a practice space for immigrants.

Owen’s hopes for the future of the IOSC, “We are there, to continue to walk the journey with immigrants, to help them come from the shadows into the light, and to have them change their lives to be productive and full contributors to their community.”

Sydney Joseph, Owen’s niece, interviewed him to gather background for this story. She says, “I learned a lot about the history of the IOSC and enjoyed being part of sharing their story.”

Ilona Diaz and Rhody Tumanon

(This is an expanded version of the story in our anniversary book.)

Ilona Diaz and Rhody Tumanon began attending St. Matthew Parish in the early 1970s, having come to Baltimore to work in the medical field, Rhody as a physician and Ilona as a nurse. They laugh as they recall  the large crowds and the packed Masses in those days, and both agree it was also hard to be known or get involved. Ilona describes it as an “in and out church.” You come for Mass and you go.

 “It’s not like now, when Fr. Joe says: Turn and say hello to your neighbor,” quips Ilona.

In her early years at St. Matthew, Ilona, recalls a painful experience after her mother, who had lived with her in Baltimore and attended St. Matthew, died in the Philippines and she asked to have a Mass said for her. An older volunteer in the rectory told her, “All the Masses are already taken.” So Ilona concluded that they don’t know me so I need to get involved. Thankfully, Fr. Isaac had assured Ilona, “Don’t worry, I’ll say Mass for your mother.” 

For both women, it was during the RENEW effort in the 1980s, especially the small groups that met in peoples’ homes, where they began to get to know other parishioners. Rhody notes the friendships that were built out of that experience. She was even encouraged to join the parish council.  Not long after Ilona started making casseroles for Our Daily Bread because she could do that while still working. Among the experiences Rhody names as especially important to her were those house meetings in which she first got to know immigrant parishioners and learn of “their perilous journeys to the United States.”

Rhody is full of praise for the ways that the St. Matthew community embodies the universal Catholic Church. “Having members from 47 different countries gives us so many opportunities to learn about other cultures and enriches the lives of St. Matthew’s parishioners,” she says.

Rhody remembers when Fr. Joe first traveled to Africa and brought back stories, which helped the parish to welcome the many immigrants who arrived from African countries. 

They recall the memorial mass for the members of Nathalie Piraino’s family, who perished in the Rwandan genocide. Rhody says, “Nathalie read the names of her family members, how they died, Fr. Joe mixed together Rwandan soil with soil from St. Matthew, the parishioners in attendance prayed for the family, then the mixed soil was spread in the Blessed Mother Prayer Garden. I’ve never experienced such an outpouring of emotions, prayer and culture sharing.” More recently with ecumenical openness, St. Matthew’s has welcomed a relationship with the local Muslim community.

Ilona performs her community service as a Eucharistic Minister by bringing Holy Communion to homebound parishioners. She jokes that she started bringing communion to the sick because one elderly parishioner, Dorothy Williams, got sick. “So I asked her, ‘do you want me to bring you communion?’ Now I am taking it every week to many people and it has become my ministry,” states Ilona.

Rhody remembers the time Fr. Joe said, “I’m only the priest, and I need your help.” The two women take seriously that “the lay people are the church,” and expressed pride at how visiting priests recognize that our parish is exceptional, especially in how we listen and respond to their message.

Rhody is hoping that someone, especially the youth will remember to unearth the Time Capsule on our 100th year, “We buried it in the Blessed Mother Prayer Garden when we celebrated our 50th Anniversary.” It contains photographs of parishioners, their families, and ministries the way we were. Ilona, hopes that St. Matthews parish of the future will be “every bit as welcoming as we are in our 70th year.”

Dave and Nathalie Piraino

In 2001, Dave and Nathalie Piraino decided it was time for a change, so they began to explore churches in and around Baltimore. They opened the doors to St. Matthew one Sunday morning in the middle of the 8:45 AM Mass. They saw Fr. Joe doing his thing, preaching the Gospel with his signature enthusiasm and gestures. Nathalie thought, “This is not a Catholic Church.” So they looked around, saw that it was, and came back for the 11 AM Mass. Dave calls it an accident with purpose.

“I was part of another church during the horrible slaughter [Rwandan genocide] in 1994 and I begged for a prayer request and they refused,” Nathalie remembers. Being from Rwanda, she lost her entire family in the genocide and in 2004, only three years after joining the St. Matthew community, the parish honored her family with a Memorial Mass on the 10^th Anniversary of the genocide. “That’s how you heal souls,” she says.

Parishioners lit candles and when they burned all the way down, everyone processed to the Mary Garden where Fr. Joe mixed soil from Rwanda with the soil in the garden. Again on April 7, 2019, 25 years later, St. Matthew honored those killed in the Genocide with a memorial at the Mary altar that stayed in place for 100 days. “For me it was Christ’s light,” says Nathalie.

On that day, “We could just feel the parishioners putting their arms around us. It was truly quite amazing! How the community came together so much that we could physically feel their support,” Dave added.

As our parish grows, Dave shared that he feels the essence of St. Matthew’s is to address the needs of the parishioner and the greater community by getting more involved in what is happening beyond our walls, especially the killings in the city and bringing awareness to them.

Peter Wanjihia Njaû and Family

Peter and Eva Njaû were among the first families of the now robust Kenyan community to arrive at St. Matthew. Says Peter, “I visited several parishes with a hope of finding one that I could call home. When I visited St. Matthew, I knew I had found such a place.” He recalls that it wasn’t a bed of roses at first for new arrivals, as there were some parishioners who were not quite as open to the idea of new cultures and worship styles.

Peter and Eva were married here 21 years ago. Eva values when Fr. Joe calls the whole church to pray for parishioners who are travelling, celebrating a birthday, anniversary, going for surgery, or relocating. “It is amazing to see everyone, including people you don’t even know, stretch out their hands and gather around to pray in unison,” she says.

As with many in the Kenyan community it’s a family affair. Eva is chairlady of the Catholic Women’s Association (CWA), Baltimore Chapter, Peter was the Wasafiri chairman for 20 years, and daughters Malaika and Naima have participated in youth mission trips and IOSC youth events.

Malaika’s earliest memory of St. Matthew is the processions with the Wasafiri Voices. She recalls, “I was the youngest member and usually the person who carried the Bible up to the priest while we sang and danced to the rhythms of the drum beating to Kikuyu and Swahili songs.”

She reflects, “There aren’t many places where so many people from different places gather together in Baltimore, it creates a synergy of sorts and makes you feel like you’re a part of something bigger than you.”

Malaika’s message to her sister and the next generation, “Keep spreading love, peace, and positivity. Work together and don’t work against one another. Shift your perspective and listen to one another.”

Thammy Etienne

Originally, we wrote a story about Thammy and her journey at St. Matthew. Shortly thereafter, she announced she was leaving for medical school. Below is the story about her and some words shared in the book from her farewell to the parish.

Thammy, originally from Haiti, has been in the United States for nine years, and a member of St. Matthew since 2015.

Finding St. Matthew was “pure coincidence” she says.  Thammy was working in caregiving seven days a week and had to find a church with Mass times that fit her schedule.  She called area Catholic churches, and found the St. Matthew 11 a.m. Mass.  When she first attended, she thought she had walked into the service of an evangelical denomination by mistake because the energy and spirit she saw was not like any other Catholic Mass she had attended in this area.  Those Masses were solemn and quiet, but St. Matthew was more like what she had known at home in Haiti. When a friend from Nigeria was searching for a parish, Thammy told her about St. Matthew and now she attends also.

Thammy immediately felt at home and has become very active in the parish.  She worked with fundraising, is a Eucharistic Minister, and assists the IOSC.  Thammy helped found GIFT, Growing In Faith Together, a ministry for young adults offering fellowship, bible study, and Masses hosted by GIFT, a multi-church ministry.

Although she has a 45-minute drive to attend Mass at St. Matthew, it is worth it because, she says, the church “has substance and challenge rather than someone reading to us.”  She especially thanks Father Joe for his openness and acceptance of new ideas, and for encouraging the formation of GIFT.  Thammy has found that all members of the church are supportive and welcoming to new ideas.

Thammy says “No matter where I go, St. Matthew will always be a home to me.”

(Thammy is attending medical school in Pennsylvania and shared these words before leaving).

“For five years I prayed to find a Church home. In 2014, I had given up hope of such a thing happening. I was a foreigner in a foreign land just going through the motions until a few years ago.

“I walked into the church and sat in the back pew not thinking anything of it. But my God had something in store for me that day, proving He is still in the miracle-making business of answering prayers. This service was different. It was animated, full of laughter, love, and hugs. For the first time in a very long time I felt His presence again and had my breath taken away. I left the church that day intending to come back and explore just a little deeper. Unfortunately, I forgot the church’s name, and I didn’t know the area, so it took me a few months to find it again.

“St. Matthew rekindled my drive, nourished my soul, and allowed me to use my talents to serve others. After five years in the U.S., where everything and everyone who I encountered reminded me that I was an outsider, I had finally found a place that felt like home. St. Matthew is one of the few places where I am able to be my authentic Haitian self without fear of judgment. That is by far, the greatest and most precious gift I could have ever asked and received.

“Merci St. Mathieu pour ta tendresse et ton amour. Merci de m’avoir adopter comme l’un des tiens.”

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The Woman with the Blue Head Tie

Ndi banyi, Chineke mu bu Eze!
(Our people, My God is King)
My path is not of my own,
He walks by my side, I am never alone

Brown skin, glowing in the sun
Enter the room, open to everyone

Colorfully painted flags in my path
1 flag, 2 flags, 3 flags, 4
Waving ever so boldly
All are welcome to the door

Standing out with her blue head tie
Eating from the same plate
Drinking from the same cup
His bread is my bread
His blood is my blood

We are many, extension of hands
Brothers and sisters
Crossing paths from different lands

We seek the same God
Cut from different cloths

My path is not of my own
He walks with us, we are never alone
She stands proud with her blue head tie
We are all His people,
Extension of hearts
Extension of hands
Brothers and sisters, different paths,
different lands
Ndi banyi, Chineke anyi bu Eze!
(Our people, Our God is King!)

Ijeoma Ekeocha