St. Matthew Church (Norwalk, Connecticut)

St. Matthew is a Roman Catholic church in Norwalk, Connecticut, part of the Diocese of Bridgeport.

History^[1]

Saint Matthew Parish was founded November 14, 1957. Rev. James F. McGrath was appointed the first Pastor. On September 18, 1960, Rev. Bishop Lawrence J. Sheehan officiated at the Blessing of the Cornerstone and Dedication of the completed Spiritual Center for Saint Matthew. This building served various parish needs.

Fr. Leo Suwinski was appointed as second Pastor of Saint Matthew in June of 1963 and served the parish for 23 years until August 1986. With his guidance, in 1982, the permanent renovation of the Spiritual Center into a church took place coinciding with the celebration of the Silver Jubilee of the Parish. Fr. Leo also served as Chaplain of the Norwalk Fire Department and was a member of the Diocesan Priests Council. In September 1986, Msgr. Joseph Kohut was assigned as the third Pastor of Saint Matthew Parish. Many renovations to the church and grounds occurred during his eight years as Pastor. He put a steeple on the church building, and developed "Mount Saint Matthew" into a shrine of devotion with a crucifixion scene, Stations of the Cross, and the Grotto to Our Lady.

In July 1994, the parish's fourth and present Pastor, Msgr. Walter C. Orlowski, KCHS. arrived at Saint Matthew. Under his leadership, on September 29, 1995, the groundbreaking for a new Parish Center became a reality with a Mass of Celebration officiated by Most Rev. Bishop Edward M. Egan. The dedication of the Parish Center took place on June 30, 1996. The Parish Center has classrooms for Religious Formation Programs, a Conference Room, Great Room for many meetings and parish celebrations, a large kitchen, nursery and the parish office—the hub of coordination for the many activities of the parish.

References

External links

• St. Matthew - website
• Diocese of Bridgeport

Diocese of Bridgeport
Ordinaries	Bishops Lawrence Shehan Walter William Curtis Edward Egan William E. Lori Frank Joseph Caggiano
Churches	Cathedral St. Augustine Cathedral Basilica Basilica of Saint John the Evangelist, Stamford Parishes St. Agnes, Greenwich St. Anthony of Padua, Fairfield St. Benedict-Our Lady of Montserrat, Stamford St. Bridget of Ireland, Stamford St. Catherine of Siena, Riverside St. Catherine of Siena, Trumbull St. Cecilia, Stamford St. Charles Borromeo, Bridgeport Christ the King, Trumbull St. Clement of Rome, Stamford SS. Cyril and Methodius, Bridgeport St. Gabriel, Stamford St. George, Bridgeport St. Gregory the Great Church, Danbury Holy Family, Fairfield Holy Name of Jesus, Stamford Holy Name of Jesus, Stratford Holy Spirit, Stamford Immaculate Heart of Mary, Danbury St. James, Stratford St. Jerome, Norwalk St. John, Darien St. Joseph, Brookfield St. Joseph, Danbury St. Joseph, South Norwalk St. Ladislaus, South Norwalk St. Lawrence, Shelton St. Marguerite Bourgeoys, Brookfield St. Mark, Stratford St. Mary, Bridgeport St. Mary, Greenwich St. Mary, Norwalk St. Mary, Stamford St. Matthew, Norwalk St. Maurice, Stamford St. Michael the Archangel, Bridgeport Notre Dame, Easton Our Lady of Grace, Stratford Our Lady of Guadalupe, Danbury Our Lady of Peace, Stratford Our Lady of the Assumption, Fairfield Our Lady of the Assumption, Westport Our Lady Star of the Sea, Stamford St. Paul, Greenwich St. Peter, Bridgeport St. Peter, Danbury St. Philip, Norwalk St. Pius X, Fairfield St. Roch, Greenwich St. Rose of Lima, Newtown Sacred Heart, Georgetown Sacred Heart, Greenwich Sacred Heart, Stamford Sacred Heart of Jesus, Danbury St. Stephen, Trumbull St. Theresa, Trumbull St. Thomas Aquinas, Fairfield St. Thomas the Apostle, Norwalk
Education	Seminary St. John Fisher Seminary Higher education Fairfield University Sacred Heart University St. Vincent's College, Bridgeport High schools Convent of the Sacred Heart, Greenwich Fairfield College Preparatory School, Fairfield Immaculate High School, Danbury Kolbe Cathedral High School, Bridgeport Notre Dame Catholic High School, Fairfield St. Joseph High School, Trumbull Trinity Catholic High School, Stamford
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Coordinates: 41°06′37.35″N 73°26′52.43″W / 41.1103750°N 73.4478972°W / 41.1103750; -73.4478972