Saint Matthew Catholic Church sits on Overlook Drive on the south side of Winter Haven, Florida, where twenty acres of citrus country once rolled toward Lake Ned. The parish is part of the Diocese of Orlando and carries the motto that orients every page of its online presence: A Family of Believers Called by God the Father to make Disciples of Christ. Since its founding in 1973, Saint Matthew has grown from a borrowed storefront and a cream-colored clapboard rectory into a community of worship, formation, outreach and care whose reach now extends to a downtown thrift shop, a cemetery-columbarium, a Hispanic parish mission called Centro Guadalupano, and a livestreamed Mass that carries the parish beyond Polk County.
From a Clapboard House to an Octagonal Sanctuary
The mission of Saint Matthew Catholic Church was born in humble circumstances. In the early 1970s, with the closest Catholic parish far from Winter Haven's growing south side, Sunday Masses were held in borrowed spaces around town. A small cream-colored clapboard house on Lake Ned Road served as rectory, office, meeting place and social hall, and parishioners drove from one temporary site to another.
On August 25, 1973, Bishop William Borders appointed Fr. William Keane to found a new parish of roughly six hundred families. Mr. and Mrs. Richard Pope, Sr. donated five acres on Carl Floyd Road, and in February of 1974 Fr. Gerard Granahan, a young priest with an Irish brogue, was named pastor. For nearly three years he celebrated Mass in spaces that were less than ideal; one memorable site was the second-floor lounge of the Sheraton (now the Econo Lodge on Cypress Gardens Boulevard), where falling cubes in an icemaker behind the bar competed with the liturgy.
The hardship ended on March 6, 1977, when Bishop Thomas Grady dedicated the first Saint Matthew church on Carl Floyd Road. The vestments he wore at that dedication were given to the parish in memory of Winter Haven resident Matthew Smith, who in earlier decades had begun his Sundays at three in the morning with a five-mile walk to Auburndale to catch a train to Tampa for Mass. Eleven years of growth followed. In 1988 the parish purchased twenty acres on Overlook Drive, and in December of 1993 Fr. Fred Ruse took over as pastor and launched the long planning process that would produce the present church.
A Growth Expansion Analysis in 1994 forecast a need for a worship facility able to seat 1,200 people at a single Mass. A "New Home Committee" of nearly thirty parishioners was formed in early 1996, and a series of design workshops involving more than a hundred members produced a Master Plan Roadmap. The plan called for a 1,200-seat worship space with a gathering narthex, a multi-purpose Social Hall, a gymnasium, and an administration and education building. On April 1, 1999 - Holy Thursday - the first Eucharist was celebrated in the new worship center. The old church on Carl Floyd Road was sold, completing what the parish describes as a fruitful and memorable chapter.
Successor pastors have included Fr. Charles Viviano (2005 to 2012), Fr. Matthew Mello (2012 to 2014), Fr. Peter Cordeno as parochial administrator (2014 to 2015), and Fr. Nicholas O'Brien, who has served as pastor since 2015. Parochial vicars over the years have included members of the Third Order Regular, the Society of Jesus, the Order of Discalced Carmelites, and the Society of the Divine Word, as well as Fr. Joseph Bui. Retired priests in residence have included Fr. Vincent Bechamps and Fr. Raymond Zeugner. Two deacons currently assist at the parish: Deacon Jim Brown and Deacon Roger Riesberg.
The Sanctuary and Its Symbolism
Saint Matthew's worship center is a modified octagon, and the number eight runs through its theology and architecture. Early Christian writers used the eighth day to image the new creation begun by Christ's resurrection on the day after the Sabbath. The octagonal form appears in the footprint of the building, in the legs of the altar and ambo, in the shape of the baptistry, and in the coral-stone markers of the fourteen Stations of the Cross set into the floor of the nave, with a fifteenth station at the baptismal font to celebrate the resurrection.
Materials were chosen with attention to Florida. Coral stone, glass, oak and water all come from the state. The altar and ambo are cherry wood with hand-carved citrus branches, recalling the orange groves that once covered the parish's land: the orange tree uniquely carries last season's fruit and the new year's blossoms on the same branches, a quiet image of death into new life, and its thorns recall the Passion.
The entrance drive winds through trees to mark the gathered assembly as a pilgrim people. The median holds the Easter fire pit, where the paschal candle is lit and processed into the church at the Easter Vigil. Inside, the baptistry stands near the entrance as the original and most permanent feature of the nave, a reminder that entry into the Church comes through baptism. Its interior is cruciform; its exterior is octagonal. The upper bowl is used for infant baptism, the lower font for immersion. Three steps descend and three rise, signifying the resurrection and the Trinity, and the fifteenth station of the cross is placed at the exit so that the newly baptized literally takes a first step toward the resurrection.
Near the baptistry, the ambry houses the three holy oils: the oil of catechumens, the oil of the sick, and sacred chrism used in baptism, confirmation and Holy Orders. The reconciliation room was relocated in 2019 to a position near the baptismal font, while the chapel that once adjoined the nave now serves as the Mary Queen of Saints Chapel, where funeral urns are gathered before Mass and where twenty-one icons of the saints line a glass-block wall. Five have already been donated - St. Faustina, St. Maximilian Kolbe, St. Matthew, St. Nicholas and St. Rita - and sixteen more are sought at four hundred dollars each.
Walking straight ahead from the narthex, rather than turning left toward the nave, leads to the parish cemetery-columbarium and memorial garden, where the Stations of the Cross continue along a winding path. The cornerstone on the exterior of the chapel bears the Chi Rho, the name of the church, and the year 1999.
Mass, Confession and the Eucharistic Center
Saint Matthew describes itself as a eucharistic church, and the celebration of the Mass is at the center of its life. Mass is offered Tuesday through Friday at 9:00 a.m., Saturday Vigil at 4:00 p.m., and Sunday at 8:00 and 10:30 a.m. Confessions are heard on Wednesdays and Thursdays at 8:30 a.m., on Saturdays at 3:00 p.m., and on Mondays and Fridays after the 9:00 a.m. Mass, with additional times available by appointment. Private confessions can also be scheduled through the pastor's online calendar.
A monthly Holy Hour is held on the second Monday of every month at 7:00 p.m., with the rosary prayed at 6:30 p.m. The gathering includes scripture, music, a personal witness and time for silent prayer before the Blessed Sacrament. An Inquirer's Corner offers a quiet space to ask questions in a non-judgmental setting, and a prayer of spiritual communion is provided for those unable to be present in person.
The Mass is livestreamed each Sunday through Sermon Cloud, and a still church camera keeps the sanctuary visible online. Parishioners and friends can also follow along with a printed or digital worship aid in place of the old projection screens; the parish has been moving toward individual leaflets to help worshipers prepare and to aid those who cannot easily see the screens from their seats.
Sacraments and Sacramental Preparation
The parish teaches that the seven sacraments of the Catholic Church - Baptism, Confirmation, the Eucharist, Penance, the Anointing of the Sick, Holy Orders, and Matrimony - touch all the stages and important moments of Christian life. For each sacrament, a process of preparation is offered.
Baptism for infants and children up to age six is preceded by a meeting with the Parish Catechetical Leader, registration for a Baptism Preparation Class, and the creation of a free Formed.org account to watch the video series Reborn. Parents complete review questions, and godparents complete a sponsor form signed by their own pastor. Godparents must be at least sixteen, confirmed Catholics who have received First Eucharist, in good standing with the Church, and if married, married in the Catholic Church. A non-Catholic Christian may serve as a witness alongside a Catholic godparent, but unbaptized persons may not. Children seven and older who are not yet baptized enter the OCIA process adapted for children and receive Baptism, Confirmation and First Eucharist together at the Easter Vigil.
Confirmation for Catholic adolescents is registered through the parish's Confirmation form, and adults who have been baptized but never confirmed can prepare through the Adult Confirmation process, which uses Catechism of the Catholic Church paragraphs 1306, 1316 and 1321 to explain the theology and the unity of the sacraments of initiation.
Penance and Reconciliation is supported with resources such as a printable Guide to Confession, an Examination of Conscience for adults and children, and a practice video for First Confession. Anointing of the Sick is available through the parish office, and the Ministry to the Sick brings communion to the homebound and to hospitals. The Sacrament of Holy Orders is supported with vocation information from the Diocese of Orlando, and the Sacrament of Matrimony begins with an inquiry to the parish office. Requests for Mass intentions, including sanctuary candle memorials, are submitted online, with a customary donation made after all selections are complete.
Becoming Catholic: The Order of Christian Initiation of Adults
Saint Matthew welcomes adults who wish to become Catholic, adults baptized in another Christian tradition who seek full communion, and Catholic adults who have not yet received Confirmation or First Communion. The process is called the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA), and the parish describes it as a year-round journey of formation in mind, heart and service.
The four steps begin with Evangelization and Inquiry, a chance to ask questions about Catholic belief. Catechumenate follows, a period of teaching and accompaniment by a sponsor. During Lent, the Elect enter Enlightenment, a season of prayer that culminates in the three Sacraments of Initiation - Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist - celebrated at the Easter Vigil. The newly initiated then enter Mystagogia, an ongoing period of growth in the life of the community.
Faith Formation for Children and Teens
Family Faith Formation serves children from kindergarten through eighth grade using the Word of Life curriculum, which centers on a personal encounter with Jesus through prayer, conversation and engaging activities. Classes meet on Sunday mornings from 9:00 to 10:30 a.m. between the Sunday Masses, and a discount is offered for two or more children in the same household. Registration is online, and parents are asked to register all children of the household who have not yet been confirmed.
The Youth Group meets on Wednesday evenings from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. in Parish Center Room 1 and is open to teens ages fourteen to eighteen. Following the framework of the USCCB's Renewing the Vision, the ministry seeks to draw young people into responsible participation in the parish, empower them as disciples of Christ, and foster their total personal and spiritual growth. The parish echoes the conviction attributed to Pope Francis that young people are not the church of the future but the Church of Now.
Music Ministry
The music ministry exists for the glory of God and the sanctification of souls, leading the assembly into closer union with Christ through the sung Mass. Two choirs serve the parish. The Saint Matthew Chorale, for singers eighteen and older, sings the 10:30 a.m. Mass on most Sundays, the 4:00 p.m. Saturday Vigil once a month, and the major liturgies of Holy Week and the year. Its repertoire runs from Gregorian chant and vernacular plainsong to hymns, polyphony, motets and anthems and worthy contemporary work. Rehearsals are held on Sunday mornings at 9:00 a.m. in the choir room, with a Saturday rehearsal at 2:30 p.m. on days the choir sings the Vigil Mass, a schedule designed to open the door to those who work second or third shifts, those who do not drive at night, and families.
The Saint Matthew Pueri Cantores is the youth choir program for students in grades three through twelve. It sings at Mass two or three times a month, including once a month at the 10:30 a.m. Sunday Mass and once at the 4:00 p.m. Saturday Vigil, with additional appearances on holy days such as Christmas Eve, Ash Wednesday and Easter Sunday. Rehearsals are held on Wednesdays from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. in the choir room. The youth choir has joined the American Federation Pueri Cantores, the official international student choral organization of the Catholic Church, and is preparing for the Florida festival scheduled at Ave Maria Catholic Church in March 2027. Cantors and instrumentalists - wind, string and brass, both local professionals and volunteers - round out the music ministry, and Cal Leferink serves as Director of Music and Liturgy.
Liturgical Ministries
Beyond the choir, the parish calls forth altar servers, lectors, extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion, hospitality ministers, and gift bearers. Altar servers assist the priest and deacon at the altar and process with cross and candles. Lectors proclaim the readings and, in the absence of a deacon, the Prayers of the Faithful. Extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion assist with distribution within Mass and bring communion to the sick and homebound outside of Mass. Hospitality ministers welcome worshipers, help seat the assembly, coordinate the presentation of the gifts, and hand out bulletins at the end of Mass. Volunteers are also needed to run the church monitors and the livestream camera, with training provided. Those interested can register online through the Ministry Volunteer Registration.
Outreach Ministries: Matthew 25:35
The parish's outreach work is organized under the name Matthew 25:35, in the words of the Gospel: For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me. The ministry was started through the initiative of Fr. Nicholas O'Brien with the support of the pastoral team and many volunteers.
Blessing Bags are small packets of basic toiletries and snacks assembled and distributed at the Thrift Shop to the homeless and those in need. The parish Thrift Shop, housed in the historic first Publix supermarket building in downtown Winter Haven, sells donated items at fair prices and works with the downtown Mission to provide clothing to those in need. A Gift Shop in the same building serves as an opportunity for evangelization.
Seasonal programs include the Angel Tree, which gathers unwrapped gifts distributed through Guadalupe Mission, St. Vincent de Paul, the Farmworker Ministry, Catholic Charities, the Mission and Heartland for Children. School Supplies collects backpacks, tablets, pencils, crayons and other items for distribution to families in need. Families Feeding Families gathers Thanksgiving bags of food and gift cards that are passed along to Catholic Charities, the Farmworker Ministry and families within the parish itself. The Blood Mobile visits Saint Matthew every other month on Sunday mornings from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. through the American Red Cross. The parish also partners with the CarePortal network to respond to needs of children and families in the community.
Care Ministries
The Care Ministry at Saint Matthew extends the parish's presence to the homebound, the grieving and those living through the breakdown of a marriage. GriefShare meets on Wednesday evenings from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. and runs for thirteen weeks, walking participants through the unpredictable journey of grief with education and mutual support. A Surviving the Holidays session is offered for those facing the first holiday season after a loss.
The Health Ministry promotes whole-person health and meets every third Wednesday of the month after the morning Mass. A phone ministry reaches out to parishioners, and Ministers to the Sick bring the Eucharist to the homebound. A separate Divorce Care ministry serves those whose marriages have ended, and volunteers are welcome on the Care Ministry team.
Centro Guadalupano, the Parish Mission
Centro Guadalupano is the parish's Spanish-language mission, served by Parochial Vicar Fr. Delvis Mederos. It shares Saint Matthew's identity as a family of believers called to make disciples of Christ, extending the parish's sacramental and pastoral life to the Spanish-speaking Catholic community of the area.
The Thrift and Gift Shop Downtown
The Saint Matthew Thrift and Gift Shop operates in the historic first Publix building at 197 West Central Avenue in downtown Winter Haven, Tuesday through Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Sales support the parish's outreach work, including food, shelter, clothing and utility assistance. A full-time Thrift Shop Assistant is currently being hired to support daily operations, and the parish is also looking for volunteers to sort donations, staff the sales floor and welcome customers. Customers who cannot afford items may use a parish voucher program.
Cemetery-Columbarium and the Kingdom of Heaven Niche
Walking straight ahead from the narthex of the church leads to the Mary Queen of All Saints Cemetery, the parish columbarium and memorial garden. The grounds are designed as a quiet, reflective space rich in the symbolism of the paschal mystery. A central octagonal columbarium bears a large crucifix and is surrounded by four separate structures of niches. Above-ground niches hold one or two urns, while in-ground chambers along the Stations of the Cross walkway can hold up to ten urns depending on the size selected. The columbarium is open to non-Catholic spouses and to all members of the community in the Peace in Christ niche, which provides placement at modest cost for families of limited means.
The Kingdom of Heaven Niche is a special ministry that offers consecrated burial at no charge for unborn, miscarried and stillborn children. The prophet Jeremiah says: Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you. Hope of the Resurrection articles and reflections, along with month-by-month listings of those inurned, are kept on the parish website.
Bible Studies and Adult Faith Formation
Saint Matthew encourages ongoing Scripture study through a number of paths. The parish hosts a parish faith-sharing page through Faithlife, an online community built around Verbum Catholic Bible software. A ten-week Genesis study is available for use at home, online, in personal study or in small groups, covering authorship, literal and metaphorical interpretation, the links between Genesis and the New Testament, and the relationship between Catholic doctrine and Genesis.
Recommended resources include the Understanding the Scriptures Podcast from the Catholic Board, the free online studies of the Saint Paul Center for Biblical Theology, Ascension's Bible in a Year podcast with Fr. Mike Schmitz and Jeff Cavins, and Jeff Cavins's The Great Adventure Bible Timeline from Ascension Press. Formed.org, free to all parishioners, hosts Catholic video studies, e-books, audio talks and a children's series on the Gospel of Matthew with Dr. Tim Gray and Dr. Michael Barber. Word on Fire Digital, Bishop Robert Barron's video library, is also available to parishioners through Flocknote.
The Mural of the Saints
On the parish grounds, a mural by artist Paul O'Neill brings a growing communion of saints to life on a single wall. Begun on the evening of August 17, 2024 with a sketch of the entire mural, the work was blessed by Fr. O'Brien the next day. The mural now includes images of Jesus, the Blessed Mother Mary, Saint Matthew, Saint John the Baptist, Saint Francis of Assisi, Saint Teresa of Calcutta, Saint Rita of Cascia, and Blessed Carlo Acutis, with new figures planned as the wall grows.
The Saint Kateri Habitat
The Saint Kateri Habitat is a new garden ministry that brings together children, parents, seniors and other volunteers to grow vegetables and fruit and to learn Catholic social teaching. The harvest is delivered to the local mission, and the parish envisions the habitat as a sacred space of prayer and ecological stewardship, joining faith and the care of creation.
Culture of Life
Saint Matthew's Culture of Life Committee seeks to build a parish culture that protects and values every human life from conception to natural death. Its work is guided by the USCCB's Pro-Life Activities statement and the diocesan Parish Culture of Life Guide. The committee welcomes new members.
Safe Environment and Stewardship
All parish staff, clergy, deacons, volunteers working with children and vulnerable adults, and anyone handling parish finances are required to complete the Diocese of Orlando's Safe Environment training and fingerprinting.
Parishioners support Saint Matthew's mission through online giving via Realm, with separate funds for the regular offertory, Mass intentions, Matthew 25:35 outreach, altar flowers, liturgical donations, the columbarium, St. Vincent de Paul, Easter flowers, Easter offertory, All Souls, All Saints, Thanksgiving, the Immaculate Conception, Christmas flowers, and Christmas. Annual diocesan collections for Catholic Relief Services, the Holy Land, Peter's Pence, the Retirement Fund for Religious, Catholic Communications, Catholic University of America, the Church in Latin America, the Church in Central and Eastern Europe, Black and Indian Missions, Seminarians, Catholic Charities, the Sister Diocese, and Disaster Relief are likewise supported. Beyond the parish, the Our Catholic Appeal supports every parish, school and ministry of the Diocese of Orlando, and the parish goal of one hundred sixty-seven thousand dollars includes a formula whereby one-third of any excess supports priest retirement, one-third a parish endowment, and one-third cemetery expansion.
Come and Pray
Saint Matthew's tagline invites visitors to come and pray. Whether someone arrives for the first time at the Holy Hour on the second Monday of the month, at the 8:00 a.m. Sunday Mass, at a Holy Week liturgy, or through the livestream from a distance, the church's call is the same: to gather as a family of believers around the Eucharist, to be formed in the sacraments, and to be sent out to serve the hungry, the thirsty and the stranger. Pastoral appointments can be scheduled through the parish office, confessions can be booked online, parish registration is available through a simple form, and the livestreamed Mass keeps the door open throughout the week.