Father Joe Muth

Fr. Joseph Muth has been the pastor at St. Matthew for the past 29 years and at Blessed Sacrament for the past nine. Parishioners submitted questions for him to answer, from: “Why did you become a priest?” to “If you could meet with Pope Francis what would you want discuss?” This is an expanded version of his interview including some new and additional thoughts.

In the beginning

I’m what you call a “Lifer,” entering the seminary after 8th grade. Back then, the priest would visit the 8th graders and ask how many girls want to be sisters and how many boys want to be priests and everyone would raise their hands. In those days every family was expected to have a priest or sister in the family. My brothers have always said, “I’m glad it was you!”
The boarding seminary was so packed with boys interested in studying for the priesthood, they opened an experimental day seminary, St. Paul Latin High School, located at what is now St. Francis Xavier Church on Caroline Street. That is where I attended.
When in high school, I wanted to be a priest to help people, and I still do. During college so much was happening – the Vietnam War, civil rights movement, farmworkers movement – all changes revolving around social justice and changes in society. Then the church was changing through the Second Vatican Council. I watched so many priests and sisters become “change agents.” I felt that was something I wanted to do.

Parental influence

My Mom and Dad made sure that as a family we were always involved in church.  We either were helping out the sisters who taught us, or sang in the choirs, or served as altar “boys” (servers).  During Lent we prayed the rosary together as a family every night after dinner.   So the Catholic influence was very strong in our family life.  As I got older and went into the seminary my parents were cautious and supportive.  My parents loved their family life so much, that they did not want me to miss out on having a family.  They wanted to be sure that I knew what I was doing.

As I grew older, in college and graduate school, I appreciated their concern and was also touched by their example of living faith.  In all the parishes I served, they made sure they showed up for special events.  My mother continued this connection when I was assigned to St. Matthew and Blessed Sacrament, even after my father was sick and could not attend either of these parishes.  My mother’s involvement in social justice issues became more and more important to her and became more and more an example to me.  She became involved in VIVA House, LEAD, The Peace Movement, Prayer Vigils, The Benedictine Sisters, and other organizations that she thought made a difference in our church and our world.

I am fortunate to have been given the parents that I had because of their love and devotion to us as a family, and the example they gave for living a faithful, loving life.  My parents, Joseph Leo Muth, Sr, and Joan Sweeney Muth  were married on March 2, 1946 at St. Ignatius Church in Baltimore. My father died on March 14, 1999. My mother died on November 11, 2018.

Preaching style

When I went to St. Ann’s in 1982, it was my first time in a black community as their leader. I was dependent on the people there to teach me. Took me a while to figure out what I was doing. “Don’t worry Fr. Joe. All we’ve had are white pastors, so we know what to do with you.”

I had to learn to preach all over again. Black preaching is referred to as “Call and Response”, and I had to learn that method because it was not a part of my cultural or religious heritage.  I had to develop my own style because I could not pretend to be someone else.

St. Mary’s Seminary Ecumenical Institute offered a course, “Preaching and Ministry in the Black Church” taught by the Rev. Dr. Olin Moyd, the Pastor of Mt Lebanon Baptist Church, in West Baltimore. It took that class and practicing at the pulpit at St. Ann’s for about a year and a half for my style of preaching to change and develop.  I am forever grateful to the people of St. Ann’s for their patience with me and their encouragement while I went through these preaching changes.

Marriage and family

I don’t think I could have dedicated myself to family and priesthood – someone would have gotten the short end of the stick. So for me, I needed to be dedicated to one.  As a note, many priests have become foster parents, but I felt I would be pulled in too many directions if I took that path.

Biggest shift in thinking over the years

Dealing with the institutional church is one. Now I must think with a much broader perspective than when I was ordained. My mind has to expand, prayer life has to expand, spirituality has to expand, emotional life has to expand in order to welcome and take in who you are called to serve and respond to. All of this caused a gradual shifting of priorities in my life as a person and a priest.

I see the church has an opportunity to help people. The church really can be a positive influence on people’s lives. A lot of people are negative about the church today for a variety of reasons. But the church can be an opportunity for people to learn, and live, and love and even get their act together.

My ministry is on the edge. I deal with people on the edge of life helping them to hold on and become stronger. You have to go to the edge to help people on the edge. This shift in my ministry [focusing on helping those on the edge] has been a mental, emotional and spiritual difference as well as making a life-giving difference at the same time.

Long hours, many people, a day of rest

I don’t think anything drives me to be available when a parishioner or a stranger needs my help. That’s who I am. My experience is to be open to people who come to me. I think in some ways that is a message from God and the messages, or messengers, that He sends me, I need to be open to them.  And then try to figure out what I can do to help them.

I have a day off a week, or at least I try to take that day off.  Other things I do to relax and not burn out are visiting friends and traveling.  Sometimes I’ll attend a conference to restore my spirit or attend a retreat or days of prayer. All this helps to bring balance to my life.

At 63, I attended Fordham University. It was an online program, so I was able to stay at the parish. I graduated in 2014 with a Master of Arts from the School of Religion and Religious Education.

I then took a sabbatical a few years ago for several months that included attending a monthly retreat at the Trappist Monastery.

How I balance my schedule, so I don’t burn out, has worked so far.

Fighting for social justice

I don’t expect the things that we are fighting for now [gay rights, women leaders in the church, immigration.] to happen before I die, but they are worth fighting for.  I don’t do it because I will see it all happen in my lifetime, I do it because it’s important to be a part of it whether I see it accomplished or not.

There is a civil rights leader from the 1950s names Dr. Vernon Johns who once said, “If you see a good fight, get in it.” I think there are a lot of good fights in the church that I am in that I think more Catholics should be involved with.

Women in the church

The prayers we say every week in church call us to be in the image of Jesus, so if we are all called to be in His image, then there really isn’t a block to women being ordained accept in the historical nature of the church. We have lost some really good, smart, bright, pastoral women who have gone to the Episcopal and Lutheran churches to be pastors because they felt the call of God. It would be a great gift that we would benefit from to have women as church leaders.

The perfect church

If we are talking about the building, then I would design a physical church building in in the round, with statues of saints from different nationalities, and pictures from different cultures.

As for the perfect church community… the institutional worldwide church would look like St. Matthew –  many different cultures coming together, Caucasian, African American, 45+ different cultures, gay and lesbians, and the whole mix of God’s people coming together to pray together, eat together, learn together, and share life together. Church communities should be a mix of God’s people to be more of a perfect sign of what the Kingdom should look like.

Power to change

If I could change somethings in this world it would be the explosive nature of violence in the world and the welcoming of immigrants to their new homelands.

The acceptance of immigrants who are taking incredible risks to migrate her to a new homeland – here and across the Mediterranean to name two places. There are about 65 million people in migration at any given time.

Addressing the violent nature that seems to be unfolding in different nations around the world including our own and how devastating and heart wrenching that violence can be and is.

Meeting with Pope Francis

The first thing I would tell him would be about St. Matthew and Blessed Sacrament and what goes one here. What else would I talk about:

How churches and diocese can rearrange their financing to really support struggling, poorer churches. Yes, some should probably close or merge but there needs to be a new outreach to poorer churches. Help the poorer churches survive and thrive.

The importance of the women in church and their importance to the worldwide church.  Women reflect the image of God in their unique way and we need to honor that reality by inviting women to serve in all aspects of the church community.

Interfaith conversation, Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Sikhs, Buddhist and others sitting and conversing about the issues of importance because in some way even with different cultural expressions, many of the goals are similar.

We need to be open to the ordination of women and men (non-priests) around the world. The Second Vatican Council said that the Mass is the central part of parish communities. If that is true how do we justify the existence of communities in different parts of the world who only see a priest once every 3-4 months. They don’t have the Eucharist because of the shortage of priests.  If the Church is really serious about saying that the Eucharist is the central focus of what our communities are about, it seems to me that they [the Church] needs to acknowledge the movement of the Holy Spirit and ordain men and women to the priesthood.

Outreach to the gay and lesbian communities in the worldwide sense. He has said some words that make people think that he is more open to that. There has to be a stronger statement. Most of the gay and lesbian people I know who are Catholic, have received all the sacraments, want to pray in the church, be a part of the church community without the fear of a priest or deacon saying that you don’t belong here.  To have him give a worldwide address, though I realize that would be incredibly problematic. But a voice like his could possibly begin a discussion.

Most humbling experience

Walking with those who are dying. Sadness, sorrow and joy at the same time is beautiful and a touching thing that is humbling that you can’t comprehend. I am grateful for those moments.

I recall a time when a former parishioner called, asking me to come see their mother who was very ill. I got up Saturday morning and thought I should go see her today. As the daughter and her family went about their Saturday chores, I sat next to her bed. She had been sick for a long time with much anguish [stress on her and the family]. We prayed, asking Him to be ready for her, that she wanted to take away the anguish, that it [her illness] had gone on for too long. She died right there. I was stunned. Her daughter thanked me; she was glad I was there with her mother. She was so gracious about it. This stays with you forever.

St. Matthew and Blessed Sacrament working as one

We started that process a few years ago. A big step this year was during Holy Week, with Ash Wednesday services at St. Matthew, a beautiful Holy Thursday service at Blessed Sacrament, and the Easter Vigil at St. Matthew.

Some things we could do is move towards common Lector and Eucharistic Minister trainings to meet and learn together. I would like a common Lector and Eucharistic Minister pool so that on some Sundays you are at Blessed Sacrament and the others at St. Matthew seeing ourselves as one community. There are other ministries that can serve both parishes – common Pastoral Council, one common liturgy, finance committees. This is all an important part of what community is. Down the road, perhaps a common (church umbrella) name, like the newly named Epiphany Catholic Community of St. Anthony of Padua, St. Dominic and Most Precious Blood, while still keeping our individual identities and coming together for social and spiritual gatherings, and church activities.

Currently, many St. Matthew parishioners help with Share a Meal at Blessed Sacrament on Wednesday nights. Blessed Sacrament parishioners come to our social events, participate in the Friendship Club. It’s about sharing life, allowing both parishes to be connected. I’d like to see this more and more.

Greatest gifts received

The gift of welcoming. I’ve learned from people that “welcoming” is a precious gift and it stretches me to be wider in my approach, and how we as a community can stretch to become a rich mix of people.

The generosity of St. Matthew people – both financial giving and participation in church activities. Sharing in ways that are new. For example, the Green Team is teaching us to be more aware of the environment around us. And yes, I need to be more aware of that too.

For so long we were considered an older church community. The gift of children – over the past 10 years I’ve seen younger families making this their new home. Seeing them grow up. At my 45th Anniversary Mass one of the groups that sang was the children of the Kenyan. Well when I came here, none of them were even born yet. I feel like they’re my kids helping them to grow.

Being able to do those kinds of things [having a community that makes a difference in someone’s life] is really the gift the community gives to me allowing me to be more open, trusting and aware.

Legacy

If people remember my name that’s a good thing. But remembering things we have shared is more important than remembering something particular that I have done. Remembering me is like remembering St. Matthew. A common remembering of things we have shared. Not something particular that I’ve done.

Retirement

I’d like to help out at churches in the Archdiocese of Baltimore, travel more, attend more workshops, and give retreats or days of spiritual reflection. Everything I want to do is here in Baltimore. I want to stay around people I know and love. I’ll take time to travel, see things I haven’t see yet. I don’t see [retirement] as stopping work or as a place (like “retiring” to Florida). It’s about staying in the same place and having time to be with people I know and love. Maybe I’ll even go to the movies.