A Shared Schedule with Our Lady of Victory
St Matthew Parish stands on Benton Avenue on the east side of Akron, Ohio, and its day-to-day rhythm is tied to a second parish four miles away in Tallmadge. In an arrangement that links the two communities, Saint Matthew and Our Lady of Victory rotate weekend and weekday Masses between their churches, with Saturday confessions and holy day celebrations split between them as well. The bulletin is available on Discover Mass, the parish accepts online giving through ParishSoft (parish code OH989), and the Diocese of Cleveland provides the wider ecclesial home for both parishes.
Mass and Confession Times
The combined schedule shapes how parishioners plan their week. On Saturday evening, the Vigil Mass is celebrated at 4:00 pm at Saint Matthew and at 5:45 pm at Our Lady of Victory. Sunday morning brings an 8:30 am Mass at Our Lady of Victory and a 10:30 am Mass at Saint Matthew. Weekday Masses are offered at 8:00 am at Saint Matthew on Wednesday and Friday, and at 8:30 am at Our Lady of Victory on Tuesday and Thursday. Holy Days follow a three-Mass rhythm: a 4:00 pm Vigil at Saint Matthew, an 8:30 am Mass at Our Lady of Victory, and a 7:00 pm Mass at Saint Matthew.
Confessions are heard on Saturday mornings at 9:00 am, with Saint Matthew hosting on the first and third Saturdays and Our Lady of Victory on the second and fourth. After Mass on Sundays, parishioners gather in the Father Silva Center for coffee and donuts, hosted by rotating parish families who cover the cost through free-will offerings.
Parish School of Religion and Sacramental Preparation
Faith formation for the parish's youngest members runs through the Parish School of Religion, which serves children from pre-kindergarten through eighth grade who attend public school. PSR classes meet on Sunday mornings from 9:00 to 10:15, fitting neatly between the two weekend Masses. Catechists and classroom aides teach in the student rooms, and teams of parents and teachers help prepare children for the sacraments of Reconciliation, First Communion, and Confirmation. A week-long Summer Bible Camp during the summer welcomes children from pre-kindergarten through grade 5, with adult leaders and youth volunteers in sixth grade and above serving as small-group helpers. All adult and youth volunteers working with children participate in the VIRTUS program as required by the Diocese of Cleveland.
Younger parishioners also take part in the Children's Liturgy of the Word during the 10:30 Mass each Sunday. Children leave after the Opening Rite to hear the Sunday Scripture readings at their own level and return at the time of the offering. Leaders serve about once a month, with training provided.
Faith Formation for Adults
Adult formation at Saint Matthew includes several ongoing groups. A Bible Study gathers once a week, drawing on commentaries and multimedia presentations to walk through the history, teaching, and interpretation of the Scriptures. During the year, the parish advertises additional Adult Faith Formation sessions, including presentations and faith-sharing on Church teaching. The Men's Prayer Group brings together men of the parish who are 25 and older for regular fellowship and mutual encouragement in faith.
The parish also runs an OCIA team (the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults, formerly known as RCIA) for adults inquiring about the Catholic faith. The process begins in early fall and culminates at the Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday, when candidates receive the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and Holy Eucharist. Team members attend sessions and occasionally gather with candidates to reflect on the Sunday readings.
Music Ministry: Five Ensembles
Music at Saint Matthew is led by Bridget Jankowski, the parish Director of Music Ministry, and is organized into five ensembles. The Adult Choir is open to anyone from high school through any age and sings at the 10:30 Mass each weekend, with brief rehearsals before and after Mass and additional callings for Christmas Eve, the Easter Vigil, and other feast days. No prior experience or music-reading ability is required. The Children's Choir draws singers from grades 3 through 8, rehearsing on Tuesdays at 4:30 pm and singing once a month at the 10:30 Mass, with extra appearances on Christmas Eve and Easter Sunday.
The Funeral Choir leads singing at most parish funerals, which are typically held on weekday mornings. There are no regularly scheduled rehearsals; singers who enjoy weekday-morning music and can respond with a few days' notice are welcome. Cantors range from fifth graders to adults and are scheduled once or twice a month based on availability, with individual training provided. Wind, brass, and string players who can sight-read join the instrumental section and rehearse with the Adult Choir.
Outreach Beyond the Parish
The parish's Outreach Ministry is active in responding to needs in the wider community. Members meet on the second and fourth Wednesdays of each month, taking calls from people who need food, clothing, or emergency help, and offering personal-care supplies and financial assistance when warranted. Funds are collected through donation boxes in the church and the regular collection. Each Thanksgiving Day, the ministry organizes a community dinner for anyone who might be alone or unable to prepare a traditional meal; parishioners donate and cook turkeys, prepare side dishes, and serve the meal with pumpkin pie.
Saint Matthew also supports the Father Hilkert Center, a food and outreach center housed at Visitation of Mary Church, with donations collected at the church entrances and volunteers welcome to help on site. The Appalachian Mission Team partners with the Christian Appalachian Project (CAP) to send a group of parishioners to Appalachian Kentucky for a week each May or June, helping with home repairs; CAP provides training, supplies, technical support, housing, and meals, and no special skills are required, only a willingness to serve.
Three smaller ministries round out the outreach. The Prayer Shawl Ministry gathers on the second Wednesday of each month to knit or crochet shawls while holding prayer intentions in mind, blessing each shawl before it is sent to someone in need of comfort; instruction is provided. Rosary Makers meet monthly to handcraft bead rosaries for distribution locally and to send to mission countries. The Cancer Spirituality Group welcomes anyone facing a cancer diagnosis, whether currently or in the past, to explore the cancer experience in the context of spirituality. Each Advent, the parish Christmas Giving Tree fills with handmade ornaments from the Girl Scouts; parishioners take an ornament, purchase and wrap a gift for a person served by a local shelter or children's agency, and the gifts are delivered before Christmas.
Hands Inside the Parish
Inside the parish, the Parish Gardeners tend assigned sections of the grounds from May onward, the Parish Life Commission organizes community events such as the annual parish picnic, the Town Hall/Pot Luck Dinner, and the Appreciation Dinner, and Church Cleaning and Altar Linen volunteers care for the sacristy and sanctuary about once a month. Collection Counters handle the weekend collections on Monday mornings, and Office Assistance helps the parish secretary during vacations and with large mailings.
Parish Groups: Knights, Council of Catholic Women, Scouting
Three longstanding groups give shape to parish life. The Knights of Columbus Charles Reymann Council #4664 meets on the first Monday of each month and is open to any practicing Catholic man, working to promote charity, unity, fraternalism, and patriotism. The St. Matthew Council of Catholic Women (SMCCW) meets on the first Wednesday of each month, providing friendship and fellowship while supporting many of the parish's liturgical needs, Church missions, and local charities, and raising funds through the annual Happy Holly Days Bazaar. The group is open to all women of the parish.
Scouting at Saint Matthew includes Boy Scouts meeting Monday evenings from 6:45 to 8:00, Cub Scouts meeting Tuesday evenings from 6:30 to 8:00, and Girl Scouts meeting monthly in Daisy, Brownie, and Girl Scout troops. All leader training and certification is provided.
Parish Leadership and Finances
Father Michael Williamson serves as pastor. The Parish Mission Council meets monthly to help him oversee the development and growth of the parish, with current members Mike Madonio, Charlotte Bedlion, Jim Anderson, Brian Hatfield, Terry Albanese, Barb Jentus, Bridget Jankowski, and Mark Sokol. The Parish Finance Council, with members Lisa Hannahs, Bill McGurk, Lisa Sommers, Steve Testa, Brian Hatfield, and Lynne Gebacz, collaborates with the pastor in administering parish resources, reviewing the budget each month, and overseeing a savings and investment plan. The Parish Facilities Committee, made up of Jay Graham, Jim Polack, Bill McGurk, Mark Sokol, and Mike Madonio, assesses the condition and use of parish buildings and recommends priorities for repairs and renovations. Annual financial reports are published by the parish; the most recently published report covers the fiscal year ending June 30, 2024.
Staying Connected
Parishioners can keep in touch through Flocknote, signing up to receive the weekly bulletin, parish announcements, and notes from the pastor. The parish also maintains a Facebook page and posts a calendar of events, and Discover Mass carries the weekly bulletin. Children are welcomed into PSR and the Children's Choir, visitors find a place at the Sunday coffee and donuts in the Father Silva Center, and those in need of a listening ear have a parish Outreach Ministry ready to respond.