Jane Vaeth

When St. Matthew first opened, it was to relieve overcrowding at Blessed Sacrament, St. Bernard, and St. Dominic. Jane and George Vaeth, who lived in Northwood and attended St. Bernard, did as good Catholics did in the 1950s – they changed churches and attended the one in their neighborhood. Or, at least, they tried. At that time, Mass was held in the school auditorium/ gym and in the cafeteria and Jane described it as “Awful! Much too crowded.” She and George returned to St. Bernard.

A few years later when her first child was almost school age, they returned to St. Matthew to get the family established before he started school there. In the late 50s, as school parents, Jane, Rita Zungailia, and Peggy Crowley organized the school bazaars. Today, Jane continues to volunteer for church fundraising events and for the IOSC Savor the World.

Jane and George were doers, not missing an opportunity to get involved. They attended the first BUILD meeting and were involved in many city issues. When asked who watched the kids when attending meetings, she replies “my mother, of course.” Jane was the biggest vote-getter for many years serving on Parish Council. They had seven children, all of whom attended and graduated from St. Matthew School. “One of my most vivid memories is my entire family sitting in the first row at church,” Jane says with a smile.

Jane has seen many priests come and go. She quips, “Some I liked, others I tolerated.” When Fr. Joe came in 1990, she was waiting for him to do somersaults as he ran up and down the aisle giving his homily. Her children were surprised she liked his way of preaching. She did and still does.

“It was so crowded in the beginning I didn’t even want to go to Mass here, now you can’t get rid of me.” And so the story began and continues today for Jane.

Joan Nugent

Joan and John Nugent joined St. Matthew in the early 1960s. Their children were baptized here and the children attended St. Matthew School. Joan fondly remembers when Masses were held in the school because the church was still being built, with woods all around.

The Northwood community was very heavily Catholic, and the residents were mostly white. Joan remembers, “The school had two shifts to accommodate all of the children, and all the parents were involved with the church and school activities.”

Joan and John participated in Christ Renews His Parish, a national effort in the late 1970s that included retreats for women and men. In the spirit of Vatican II it invited lay leaders to take part in all the ministries of the Church. Joan went on to serve as a cantor, Sodality leader and rectory volunteer. 

Joan recalls a series of pastors whose connections to parishioners and the community varied. As with many churches, Joan had her favorite priests, including Fathers Collopy and Funk. Then in 1990 came Fr. Joe, “who makes everyone welcomed.”

In recent years, Joan experienced the generosity of St. Matthew, when the parishioners and Fr. Joe were present during her husband John’s illness. Fr. Joe was at the hospital and her home with other church members to pray with her and console her family.

Today and tomorrow, Joan wishes that everyone carry with them the blessings and openness from this parish that cares, “There is always someone in the parish that you can go to who will listen to you. If you leave here know that you will always be welcomed back with open arms, because as the hymn tells us, All are welcomed in this place.”

Dominic and Teresa Brocato

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

Dominic and Teresa Brocato first became members of St. Matthew parish 60 years ago when they moved into the house on Wadsworth Way, where they raised their two daughters, and where they still live today. The had met in the Otterbein area of South Baltimore and married at St. Anthony of Padua after Dominic returned from World War II.

Dominic’s first memories of St. Matthew were of Msgr. Yingling, “He must have thought he was building a cathedral  with those high ceilings.” Teresa remembers people standing in the aisles especially on holidays and the additional Masses in the hall because there were so many people (and enough priests to say all those Masses).

Their daughters attended St. Matthew School and Theresa was a “milk mother” in the school cafeteria. Those young milk mothers became such close friends that for years they would get together and go out to lunch, even after some of them had moved out of the parish.

Both recall the special family occasions  ̶  First Holy Communion and Confirmation – as the times you really felt you were a part of the parish, and fondly remember the spaghetti dinners as a great opportunity to get to know neighbors and parishioners.

In the 1960s and 70s the neighborhood began to change; Dominic and Theresa stayed put. “Where would we go?” Teresa says. “And we have great neighbors.” They brag about how their neighbors, now mostly African American, have looked out for them as they got older. And there is still a St. Matthew parish presence on the block as “Owen and Joy Charles and the Kambics live right down the street.”

And the parish changed too. Teresa emphasizes, “It’s really more welcoming now.” She is appreciative that someone suggested her to become a Eucharistic Minister and she has faithfully served in that role at the 11:00 Mass for many years. She and Dominic recall a recent visit to their home by Pascal and Flora Udumukwu after Dominic was hospitalized. “Flora is a nurse at Good Sam and she had come to see him when he was in the hospital. Then they came by the house with this beautiful fruit basket. It was so kind of them.”

Teresa explained that in the early days, St. Matthew always had a lot going on, lots of activity, but says, “We’re more of a community now.”  As if on cue, there was a knock on the door and Ed Patey, who sits in the same front right section of church at the 11:00 Sunday Mass (as do the Udumukwu family), arrived to check in on Dominic. In a flash, Ed and Dominic are talking about World War II, and the casinos, and Ed’s time as a violinist in the BSO.

When asked what message they would like to send to those who may be in the pews 10 years from now, or to our young people, Dominic pipes up first. “They need to know they can stand up for their values and what they believe. They don’t need to go along with the crowd.” Theresa says simply, “This is a loving community. Keep welcoming the outsiders.”