Update, May 13, 2022: We continue to monitor changes in the COVID data and observe all preventive measures that are recommended or required by public health authorities. At St. Matthew’s, wearing of masks at indoor worship services is preferred. We will continue to use a non-contact exchange of the Peace, and now provide single use communion cups when communion wine is offered. We would like to keep the row of spaces in the upper parking lot alongside the church building open for those who have mobility or equipment loading needs.
Update, October 5: Though the Governor of Maryland has authorized movement to Phase Three of reopening, Prince George’s County has not yet authorized relaxing the Phase two restrictions. We continue to be limited to no more than fifty persons at any indoor worship. The additional weekend services now bring us to six Eucharists in the church plus broadcasts on YouTube, Facebook live and Radio Episcopal San Mateo internet radio. Weddings, funerals and other life cycle events are going forward in the church with limited numbers in attendance, social distancing and masks required, and sanitizer provided in each row. The parish hall and kitchen are closed to all routine traffic at this phase, and we do not yet have an indication of when we can reopen those areas. The Parish Day School has reopened with school personnel only allowed on the lower floor.
Update, July 4: St. Matthew’s will hold services in the main church beginning tomorrow, Sunday, July 5, at 8:00 a.m., noon, 1:30 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. in Spanish and at 10:00 a.m. in English. The Spanish services will also be made available by video on Facebook Live. A pre-recorded service of Morning Prayer and Sermon in English will be available on YouTube from 10:00 a.m.
Update, June 22: A plan for reopening has been submitted by St. Matthew’s to the Bishop. We are awaiting her response and approval to reopen for Sunday worship. In the meanwhile, online offerings for each Sunday will be listed on the home page of this website.
Update, May 18: The stay at home order has been lifted by the Governor of Maryland but is still in place for Prince George’s County, where we are located, until June 1, and in the District of Columbia until June 8. The incidence of new COVID-19 cases has not yet peaked in these areas. We pray for the blessing of good health for all and a complete return to health for those in recovery.
Update, March 20: The Governor’s order restricting all gatherings of over ten persons applies to houses of worship as well as to all other types of public venues in the State of Maryland. In compliance, the Bishop has directed that no public services of worship be held in the Episcopal Diocese of Washington until May 16 or further notice.
The congregation will be advised each Saturday by e-mail of opportunities for worship online and for the worship programming in English as well as Spanish which will be broadcast on Radio San Mateo and via our Facebook page.
If you need a Book of Common Prayer to follow the services from your home, please telephone the parish office during business hours at 301-559-8686 and a runner will deliver one of our old copies to your front door.
We appreciate everyone’s cooperation and look forward to a robust season of prayer and service.
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The season of Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, February 26 and continues through Palm Sunday, April 5 and the Holy Week which follows, with Good Friday on April 10 and then Easter Day on April 12.
Those who might like to read a book as a Lenten discipline are encouraged to select from our Creation Care reading list on the home page of this website.
Other possible choices might include special daily times of prayer or reflection, a creative project, reading and learning a section of the Holy Bible or the Prayer Book which is less familiar to you, special time set aside to spend in works of charity or to share with loved ones — or both! — and special gifts to church, charity or other situations of need known to you. This year a popular choice is a fast from single-use plastics.
At church we will be reading through the book of Job in the Wednesday morning studies, each week at 9:15 A.M. in the Library-Chapel. All are invited to share in this discipline, whether or not you can attend on Wednesdays. We will be using the commentary of Hebrew Bible scholar Robert Alter, who writes that in his opinion, Job is the greatest poem ever written.