St. Matthew the Apostle and Evangelist Parish - A Short History

Early Catholic Traces in the Susquehanna Valley

The first indications of a Catholic presence in the Susquehanna Valley date from the Jesuit missionary activity in the mid 1600’s. Jesuit missionaries, operating from the Diocese of Quebec, record regular travels down the Susquehanna River as they evangelized the Native American populations living there. Jesuit and Franciscan missionaries under the jurisdiction of the Diocese of London, England, traveled up the Susquehanna River. These old records are further supported by references to the frequent Jesuit presence in Native American villages by other European settlers and travelers. Place names dating to that era also reflect the unique references to Catholic missionaries, names such as Bald Friars Crossing and Priest’s Hill.

The earliest specific records for the Central Susquehanna territory, at present, come from the Jesuit mission at Conewago. Between 1741 and 1749 Father William Wappeler, based in Conewago, traveled a regular circuit that included the future Harrisburg area. Records note later that Father William Elling, from St. Mary’s in Lancaster, attended a mission station at Harris Ferry on a monthly basis, starting around 1791. In 1813 Father Michael Byrne, also from St. Mary’s in Lancaster, purchased 10 acres of land on Allison Hill in Harrisburg. Other contemporary notes show that a chapel was erected on the site for Catholic worship. In 1822 the land on Allison Hill was sold, and in 1824 Father Patrick Leavy, stationed in Lewistown, purchased the present site of St. Patrick Cathedral. This was done to locate the church near the gangs of Irish workers brought in to work on the Pennsylvania canal. The original St. Patrick Church was completed and blessed on October 21, 1827. In several places there were references to a number of mission stations attended from St. Patrick Church in Harrisburg.

A Mission Station in Stoney Creek Valley

A small reference in the diary of St. John Neumann, Bishop of Philadelphia (1852-1860) notes the following: “Stoney Creek, 25 miles from Harrisburg, attended from Harrisburg, March 30, 1858.” There are no other notations with this entry, but it may indicate a visit by the saintly Bishop to some of the old settlements along Stoney Creek that were active at the time. Our own recollections note an area in the upper valley called “St. Anthony’s Wilderness”, possibly giving a clue to the area visited by St. John Neumann.

Other information, unearthed by the Catholic Committee on Scouting a few years ago, provides a list of missions attended from the Church/Cathedral in Harrisburg during the pastorate of Rev. Pierce Maher (1837-1868). Included in the list is a mission station at Stoney Creek. At times this mission station was served from the parish in Lykens. Between 1904 and 1913 the older Catholic directories list a mission station named “St. Louis” in Dauphin, as a ministry of the Cathedral. During an interview of Msgr. Mulcahy, Chancellor of the Diocese of Harrisburg, with Father Heintzelman, Msgr. Mulcahy recalls Msgr. Hassett, former rector of the Cathedral, noting that in 1905 the station in Dauphin was located in a storeroom, and after that at a private home. By 1912, there was no further listing of a mission station at Dauphin in the directory.

A Mission Station in Dauphin

Dauphin again becomes the site of a Catholic community, when in 1955, Bishop George L. Leech approves the establishment of a Mission station in Dauphin. Priests, under the direction of Msgr. William Horrigan, serve the station from Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament Church in Harrisburg. January 5, 1956 Bishop Leech grants permission to celebrate an evening mass on Holy Days of Obligation at the mission. Mass at this time is celebrated at the Dauphin Fire

Hall on Erie Street. In 1961 the Mass is moved to a room in the Dauphin School on Allegheny Street. In that same year, there is an offer of 3 acres of land for the construction of a chapel, but this offer is declined by the Bishop as insufficient for a growing congregation. In 1963 there is an offer of 10 acres of land, 7 miles from Dauphin along Stoney Creek. A committee is formed of parishioners from the mission station to evaluate the offer. The committee is chaired by Maurice Charboneau, and included John Plasic, Eugene Elsavage, Charles McIntosh, Albert Smith, Sr. and Charles Becker. The committee recommends the purchase of the land. However, by early the next year, an alternate site of 15 acres closer to town becomes available, and Bishop Leech eventually gives permission for the purchase of this tract. After being informed by Msgr. McGovern, Chancellor of the Diocese of Harrisburg, that historically, the name of St. Louis was associated with the area, Bishop Leech writes the name of St. Philip the Apostle on his memo dealing with the issue of a name for the mission station. The deed is recorded in October of that year as land purchased for the mission station of St. Philip the Apostle. Also during the year, the school authorities inform the Pastor of Our Lady’s, Msgr. Horrigan, that the schoolroom they have been using for Mass will be needed with the start of the new school year in September. The community returns to the fire hall for Mass.

The next major change in the life of the mission station comes in 1968, when members of the congregation of the Dauphin Presbyterian Church inform Father Daniel Menniti, Pastor of Our Lady’s, that they are considering the sale of their church building to the parish. In March, members of the Dauphin Mission review the property and agree to seek the purchase of the Presbyterian Church building. Bishop Daley, Vicar General, grants permission to Father Menniti to purchase the church. In a letter dated March 8, 1968, Father Menniti writes to Bishop Leech about the name of the mission church. Father notes that Bishop Leech had recently named the new parish that was established in Millersville St. Philip the Apostle. Father Menniti suggests St. Matthew the Apostle or St. Matthew the Evangelist. While there are no documents to confirm this change, records in the official Catholic Directory note the mission in Dauphin as “St. Matthew the Apostle and Evangelist”. Bishop Leech celebrates the first Mass in the new church on March 31^st. Details of the sale of the church are completed in April.

In 1969 a lot next to the church becomes available, and the mission community moves to purchase that parcel, and convert it into parking for the church. In 1973 Father Joseph Kelly, O. Praem. is assigned to Our Lady’s in Harrisburg to work with the mission community in Dauphin. In December of that year, the Sacrament of Confirmation is administered for the first time at St. Matthew’s Church. In April of 1974, the mission observes its first Eucharistic devotions. The homilist is Father Sylvan Capitani. A Tabernacle is acquired through the generosity of Father Joseph Ceponis, Pastor of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Marion Heights. The Blessed Sacrament is now permanently reserved at St. Matthew’s Church.

Parish of St. Matthew the Apostle and Evangelist

In early February 1976, the Executive Board recommended to Father Kelly the creation of a building fund for the needs of the mission community. Father Kelly designated a monthly second collection for this purpose. On February 10, 1976 Bishop Joseph T. Daley, now Bishop of Harrisburg, decreed the establishment of the parish of St. Matthew the Apostle and Evangelist. Territory for the new parish is created out of the former bounds of Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament in Harrisburg. Father Kelly is appointed as the first Pastor.

In 1977 the life of the new parish becomes even more evident. The first parish retreat is held in March. In August the diocese issues a call for volunteers to serve as Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist, with the Pastor responding by appointing the first lay members designated to assist with the distribution of Holy Communion. A communal Penance Service is held in the parish in October. At that same time, Bishop Daley instructs Father Kelly to begin plans to build a Rectory for the parish. Prior to that time Father had lived in rented space near the Church. By November a contract is signed to build a Rectory on the property purchased earlier along Stoney Creek. In the spring of 1978 the fund drive for the Rectory starts, with building over the summer. On September 18, 1978 the Rectory is completed and ready for occupancy by Father Kelly. The Rectory will be the home for the Pastor as well as office space and classrooms for CCD instruction. Also in 1978 the first class of Permanent Deacons for the diocese is ordained. Deacon Richard Aull, a member of St. Matthew’s is ordained a Deacon on June 3, 1978. Deacon Aull is assigned to St. Matthew’s for ministry, until 1980 when he is reassigned to Our Lady’s in Harrisburg. With the second class of Permanent Deacons in the diocese, two additional members of St. Matthew’s parish are represented. Deacons Thomas Berg and Lee Beaston are ordained to the Diaconate on June 4, 1983. The Bishop assigned both men to ministry at St. Matthew’s.

In April of 1987 the parish first entertains a discussion of its physical plant needs, a discussion that will lead to the eventual building of the parish center on the tract of land along Stoney Creek. In March of 1989 Deacon Berg is transferred out of the area with his employment, and leaves the Diocese of Harrisburg for his new home in Ohio. In June of 1989 Father Kelly is transferred and the Rt. Rev. John Neitzel, O. Praem. retired Abbot of the Norbertine Abbey in Paoli, is assigned as the Pastor of St. Matthew’s. On October 2,1989 Deacon Lee Beaston passes away. In 1990 Deacon Aull returns to ministry at St. Matthew’s.

Father Neitzel quickly set in motion the process to build a center to meet the needs of the growing parish community. During the summer of 1989 Mr. Richard Angino pledged $250,000 towards the proposed parish center. In October of that year, Father Neitzel established a building committee to raise the needed funds and to see the project through. After review and discussion of the proposed plans by the College of Consultors, Bishop Nicholas Dattilo grants permission to proceed with the building of the parish center. December 6, 1992 sees the groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of the new center. On September 4, 1994 the new ParishCenter is blessed and opened for use. In the fall of 1995 a Nursery School program is opened with Mrs. Peggy Kuntz as coordinator, and will continue to operate until the spring of 2000. Father Neitzel, reaching the age of 75, retires from the pastorate of St. Matthew’s in September of 1997. Bishop Dattilo appoints Father David Lawlor, O. Praem, as the new Pastor.

Father Lawlor’s tenure as Pastor included the publishing of the most recent parish pictorial directory and the connection of the parish with the diocesan e-mail system. With a re-organization in the Norbertine Community, the community recalls Father Lawlor and Father Edward Quinlan, a priest of the diocese, is appointed Pastor in June 1999. On June 4, 2000, the parish held a reception at the parish center to celebrate the elimination of the debt from the construction of the center. The parish, as it prepares to observe the 25^th Anniversary of its founding, is poised to move boldly into the future.

[History compiled by Father Quinlan from material drawn from the centenary history – Diocese of Harrisburg 1868-1968, parish and diocesan archives, and parish outlines prepared by Mr. Charles McIntosh and Deacon Aull]. February 2001

2007 Father Quinlan contacts Bishop Kevin Rhoades for permission to begin a study for building a new church. He is granted permission, and a feasibility study is initiated.

2008 A Feasibility Committee is formed and parishioners are surveyed to determine if our parish has a well-founded justification as well as financial support for the construction of a new church.

2010 A Building Committee is formed, an architect is hired and the schematic designs process is begun. In November, 2010, Father Quinlan is appointed Pastor of Holy Name of Jesus Parish in Harrisburg. Father Paul Clark, JCL is appointed Administrator of St. Matthew Parish by Bishop Joseph McFadden.

2012 Father Clark is appointed Pastor of St. Matthew Parish. Permission is received from the Diocese to begin construction of a new church. July 15, 2012, the Groundbreaking Ceremony for the construction of the new church takes place. Most Reverend Joseph McFadden, 10th Bishop of Harrisburg was the celebrant. On September 21, 2012, the Feast of St. Matthew, Father Clark celebrated the last Mass in the Allegheny Street Church. The Church was sold to Grace Fellowship Church for $60,000 which was put toward the building of the new church. Mass was celebrated at the Parish Activity Center until the dedication of the new church.

2013 On April 21, 2013, the new church was dedicated by Bishop Joseph McFadden. Con-celebrants of the Mass were Pastor, Father Paul Clark, former Pastor, Father Edward Quinlan, and Father Daniel Menniti. Father Joshua Brommer was the Master of Ceremonies assisted by Deacon Richard Aull. The Altar in the new church came from Kutztown University Chapel, the Baptismal Font was from Our Lady of Mt. Carmel in Minersville, PA., the Pulpit was from St. Fidelis in Mahanoy City, the pews were from St. Margaret Mary Church in Harrisburg, and the Station of the Cross were from Holy Name of Jesus Parish in Harrisburg.

On June 15, 2015, Father Paul Clark was appointed Judicial Vicar of the Diocese of Harrisburg.

2018 Outdoor St. Matthew Statue was installed in the Bell Tower on July 18, 2018. The Statue was blessed after 5 p.m. Mass on September 23, 2018.