A Bridge Tradition on Sunset Drive
St. Matthew the Apostle Episcopal Church sits on Sunset Drive in South Miami, a small parish that calls itself a bridge tradition, rooted in both Catholic and Protestant streams of Christianity. The congregation is part of the worldwide Anglican Communion, joining roughly 85 million Anglicans across the globe, and it carries the Diocese of Southeast Florida affiliation. The welcome here is intentional and bilingual: the parish welcomes visitors in English and Spanish, and the message in both languages is the same: wherever a person is on the journey of faith, there is a place for them.
Sunday Worship at Ten
The week centers on a single Sunday gathering. At 10:00 AM the parish assembles in the sanctuary for the celebration of Holy Eucharist (Mass). The service is Episcopal through and through: liturgical, scripture-driven, centered on the sacrament. A cantor leads the singing of traditional hymns accompanied by organ, with the parish pianist Matias Cuevas and soloist Harrison Caplin rounding out the music team. Music, the church teaches, is one of the means by which the congregation enters into the beauty of holiness, listening to the Holy Spirit and experiencing the grandeur of God.
Children of every age are welcome. Youngsters who attend Sunday School during the liturgy return to the nave in time to receive Holy Communion. For parents who need a quieter space, a sound-proof room with a full view of the church lets them follow the service while tending to a little one. After the service, the Parish Hall fills with the chatter of the traditional coffee hour, where refreshments and desserts are laid out for adults and children alike.
For those unable to be in the sanctuary, the Sunday Eucharist is livestreamed on the Stmatthewmia YouTube channel, and special services, memorial services, and recorded services are posted to the same channel afterward.
A Voice That Lingers Beyond Sunday
Music is treated as a full ministry here. Along with weekly congregational singing, the parish has hosted evenings such as a Choral Evensong for the Feast of the Presentation, when the Anglican Chorale of Southeast Florida, directed by Christopher Harrell, came as guest musicians to sing the service. Evensong, a sung evening prayer from the Anglican tradition, is a peaceful and beautiful way to usher in a new week. During the seasons of Advent and Lent, the parish gathers online once a week for Evening Prayer (Book of Common Prayer, p. 117) or Compline (p. 127).
Children and the Sunday School Room
Sunday School runs through the school year for children from elementary through middle school. The program uses the Godly Play curriculum, rooted in the Montessori method, which invites students to actively participate in the stories and lessons of the Bible rather than simply receive them. Sessions are led by Bonnie Monticino, the parish's Church School coordinator. The Sunday School room is equipped with a monitoring camera, and parents who complete the annual registration form can request a link to view the room remotely. A WhatsApp chat for parents helps families plan together.
The Sacraments
The church's sacramental life is laid out plainly in the Book of Common Prayer tradition.
Holy Baptism
Baptism is the full initiation by water and the Holy Spirit into Christ's Body, the Church, and is open to all: children, youth, and adults. The water may be administered by pouring or immersion, the newly baptized is marked on the forehead with the sign of the cross, and the whole congregation joins in renewing the baptismal covenant. No fees are charged for the sacraments; a donation to the parish in the name of the candidate is welcome and supports the parish's outreach work. Parents who are not members of St. Matthew's but want their children baptized are asked to commit to an active connection with the community.
First Communion
Communion in the Episcopal Church is open to all baptized persons, including children, but St. Matthew's offers special preparation so that the sacrament is received with understanding. Children preparing for First Communion attend Sunday School on prescribed dates, and the parish celebrates First Communion once a year on the Third Sunday of Advent.
Reconciliation of a Penitent
The church teaches that the ministry of reconciliation has been committed by Christ to his Church and is exercised both through public worship and through private confession. Two forms from the Book of Common Prayer are available (pp. 447 and 449), and confessions may be heard anytime and anywhere a priest can be present.
Spanish-Language Sacramental Care
The parish does not currently celebrate a Sunday Mass in Spanish; the only Sunday liturgy, at 10 AM, is in English. What the church does offer is Spanish-language pastoral care, baptisms, and weddings through the Priest in Residence, the Rev. Mercedes Busto, who can be reached through the parish office. Mtr. Busto is bilingual, bicultural, and was born in Havana, Cuba. She was ordained to the priesthood at Trinity Cathedral in Miami in May 2014 and has served St. Matthew's since November 2020. Before entering ordained ministry she practiced law for more than thirty years, earning a B.A. from Florida International University in 1978, a J.D. from Columbia Law School in 1981, and a Master of Divinity from General Theological Seminary in 2013, and she continues to serve the wider church as Chancellor (past) and Process Officer for Title IV in the Diocese of Southeast Florida.
Outreach: The Food Pantry and Carenival
Two outward-facing ministries shape the parish's life beyond its walls.
The Food Pantry at St. Matthew's stocks non-perishable food for individuals and families who come by in need. The parish also partners with the Food Pantry Program of St. Andrew's Episcopal Church, contributing canned and dry goods to a ministry that has served more than 500 families in the area. Donations of non-perishable items are collected at the church throughout the year, and the parish has long supported Thanksgiving baskets as well.
Carenival is a newer ministry; the first Carenival Community Health Fair was held at St. Matthew's in 2026, and Carenival 2027: Thrive is scheduled for Saturday, February 6, 2027. The fair turns the campus into a community health fair for a day, with health-care vendors, community services, artisans, fitness and wellness practitioners, and food concessions filling the grounds. Vendors apply through a registration process, and the parish organizes the event as a service to the wider South Miami neighborhood.
Pastoral Care and the Son Bright Ministry
Pastoral visits with the priest are available in the parish office, on Zoom, or at home as needed. Hospital visits may sometimes be limited, and the parish asks that requests go through the parish administrator. A long-standing group called the Son Bright Ministry, a ladies' group whose name plays on Son and sunshine, provides pastoral care to elderly, homebound, and sick parishioners through visits and greeting cards. The parish welcomes hearing about anyone in the community who might benefit from that attention.
Hospitality, Festivals, and Intergenerational Life
The rhythm of the year at St. Matthew's is full of small, repeated celebrations. A traditional coffee hour follows every Sunday service. A monthly Lunch & Lecture brings the congregation back to the Parish Hall after the 10 AM liturgy for a light meal followed by a video or guest speaker on Christian formation. Seasonal touchstones include an Advent Lunch, a Children's Christmas Pageant, an Easter Egg Hunt, a Labor Day picnic, a Blessing of the Backpacks (and Students and Teachers), a Blessing of the Grandparents, and a Blessing of the Animals tied to the Feast of St. Francis. The Hospitality team runs an annual Ethnic Diversity Luncheon, church picnics, and seasonal parties, with volunteers signing up online through Sign-up Genius.
A Parish Hall Open to the Neighborhood
The Parish Hall is also home to programs that draw a wider circle than the Sunday congregation. A Tai Chi Practice Group meets Tuesdays and Thursdays at 10 AM, with a $10 cost per practice. Luz Yoga gathers Wednesday and some Saturday mornings from 9:30 to 11:00 AM. Kung Fu with Nigel runs Tuesday evenings from 8:00 to 10:00 PM. On the second Saturday of each month, the African Violet Club meets from 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM, with guests invited. A Memorial Garden on the grounds is maintained by a Garden Ministry that gathers twice a year for planting days, open to anyone with the time, not just those with a green thumb.
The People Who Keep the Parish Running
Senior Warden Louise Gleason, who also coordinates Buildings Maintenance, and Treasurer Canon Tom Huston anchor the lay leadership, alongside vestry members Joe Consolo, Mary Croswell, Cristina Gilson-Miranda, Tom Huston, JoAnn Pennerman, Michael Perez, and Thompson Sunderaj. Michael Perez also serves as Acolytes coordinator. Mara Tablada is the Church Secretary and the first point of contact during office hours (Monday through Thursday, 10 AM to 5 PM; Wednesday 9 AM to 4 PM; Friday 10 AM to 5 PM).
Visiting, Giving, and Staying in Touch
The church office can be reached at (305) 665-7333 or at stmatthewepis@bellsouth.net. Sunday services are streamed live on YouTube, and recorded services are posted on the same channel for anyone who wants to catch up. Offerings can be made by mail, by Zelle to 305-665-7333, or through PayPal, with the memo line used to identify the gift. A weekly e-newsletter sign-up is available for those who want to follow the life of the congregation from week to week.