By Jim Davis - Florida Catholic
Sanctuary of St. Matthew Church in Hallandale was restored in 2024.
The corpus, or body of Christ, at St. Matthew Church in Hallandale is made of mother of pearl.
Mary statuette offers a blessing from the chancel wall at St. Matthew Church in Hallandale.
Joseph statuette cradles the Christ Child from the chancel wall at St. Matthew Church in Hallandale.
The Holy Trinity of Father, Son and Holy Spirit oversees the Church in this window at St. Matthew Church in Hallandale.
Mary, Help of Christians holds a scepter as she leads a variety of people in this window at St. Matthew Church in Hallandale.
Two 15-foot tapestries were dedicated in 1977 at St. Matthew Church in Hallandale to commemorate the United States Bicentennial. In this one, saints Jude and Matthew dominate the middle tier. Below are Mary and the young Jesus, along with St. Elizabeth and the young John the Baptist. At right, St. Cecilia, patroness of music, trails a plume of roses.
Two 15-foot tapestries were dedicated in 1977 at St. Matthew Church in Hallandale to commemorate the United States Bicentennial. In this one, saints Francis and Anthony dominate the center, next to an American flag and the Statue of Liberty. At the far right is the Cathedral of St. Augustine, the first Catholic church in the U.S.
A sweet-looking angel, one of two at the front doors, bears a bouquet in this window at St. Matthew Church in Hallandale.
Our Lady of the Rosary exudes a quiet grace in this window at St. Matthew Church in Hallandale.
Gabriel announces to Mary that she will bear the Son of God in this window at St. Matthew Church in Hallandale.
Mary visits Elizabeth, herself pregnant with John the Baptist, in this window at St. Matthew Church in Hallandale.
Joseph cares for Mary and the Christ Child in this window at St. Matthew Church in Hallandale.
Mary and Joseph present the Christ Child at the Temple in this window at St. Matthew Church in Hallandale.
The young Jesus amazes scholars at the Temple in this window at St. Matthew Church in Hallandale.
Jesus leads the Last Supper in this window at St. Matthew Church in Hallandale.
Jesus washes the feet of his disciples in this window at St. Matthew Church in Hallandale.
An angel comforts Jesus as he agonizes in the Garden of Gethsemane in this window at St. Matthew Church in Hallandale.
Roman guards scourge Jesus in this window at St. Matthew Church in Hallandale.
Roman guards press a crown of thorns onto Jesus in this window at St. Matthew Church in Hallandale.
Jesus carries his cross to Mount Calvary in this window at St. Matthew Church in Hallandale.
Veronica shows an image of Jesus on her cloth in this window at St. Matthew Church in Hallandale.
Jesus is crucified in this window at St. Matthew Church in Hallandale.
Jesus breaks forth from his tomb, confounding his guards, in this window at St. Matthew Church in Hallandale.
Jesus ascends before his followers in this window at St. Matthew Church in Hallandale.
Mary and the disciples receive tongues of flame from the Holy Spirit in the Pentecost window at St. Matthew Church in Hallandale.
Jesus receives Mary into heaven in this window at St. Matthew Church in Hallandale.
Mary is crowned in heaven in this window at St. Matthew Church in Hallandale.
Our Lady of Guadalupe is illustrated in this window at St. Matthew Church in Hallandale.
Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception is illustrated in this window at St. Matthew Church in Hallandale.
A man and woman pause for prayer in "The Angelus," a window at St. Matthew Church in Hallandale. The window is a copy of a 19th century painting by Jean-Francois Millet.
St. Patrick banishes snakes from Ireland in this window at St. Matthew Church in Hallandale.
A shrine for the Lord of Miracles stands near the entrance at St. Matthew Church in Hallandale. The shrine honors a 17th century mural in Lima, Peru, that has remained standing through several earthquakes.
Three white doves rest at the feet of Our Lady of Fatima, in this statue at St. Matthew Church in Hallandale. The image recalls an actual event in Lisbon, Portugal, in 1946.
St. Jude points to an image of Jesus in this statue at St. Matthew Church in Hallandale. A legend says he brought the image to the king of Edessa, who was then healed of an ailment.
Jesus is represented as an iconic banner at St. Matthew Church in Hallandale.
Giving drink to the thirsty, one of the Corporal Works of Mercy, is illustrated in this window at St. Matthew Church in Hallandale.
Clothing the naked, one of the Corporal Works of Mercy, is illustrated in this window at St. Matthew Church in Hallandale.
Visiting the imprisoned, one of the Corporal Works of Mercy, is illustrated in this window at St. Matthew Church in Hallandale.
Sheltering the homeless, one of the Corporal Works of Mercy, is illustrated in this window at St. Matthew Church in Hallandale.
Visiting the sick, one of the Corporal Works of Mercy, is illustrated in this window at St. Matthew Church in Hallandale.
Burying the dead, one of the Corporal Works of Mercy, is illustrated in this window at St. Matthew Church in Hallandale.
Statuette of St. Anthony, a favorite of parishioners, holds the Baby Jesus at St. Matthew Church in Hallandale.
The Infant Jesus of Prague is remembered in this statuette at St. Matthew Church in Hallandale. The original is at a Carmelite church in the Czech Republic.
Photography: JIM DAVIS | FC
HALLANDALE | His book begins the New Testament, yet St. Matthew is largely a man of mystery – other than how despised he was at first.
Today, of course, he is known as one of the original 12 disciples. His Gospel has been hugely influential, even within the Bible itself. He lived up to one of his names: “Gift of God.”
Also known as Levi, he was born to a man named Alphaeus, probably in Galilee. His brother was named James, who likewise became a disciple of Jesus. He lived in or near Capernaum, a fishing town and administrative hub on the north shore of the Sea of Galilee.
Photographer: JIM DAVIS | FC
Mary, Help of Christians holds a scepter as she leads a variety of people in this window at St. Matthew Church in Hallandale.
The Capernaum area was also the home of Peter and his brother Andrew, as well as James and John. The town was also the base of Jesus’ early ministry.
Levi found work as a tax collector for Rome, a thankless, disgraceful job. Tax men, or “publicans,” were scorned as traitors for collaborating with the hated Roman occupiers. Publicans also were believed to overcharge, then pocket the excess.
So it must have been a quiet shock when Jesus saw Levi at his collection booth and, instead of shunning or sneering, simply said: “Follow me.” Levi impulsively stood, left his post and never returned.
He then held a banquet for Jesus, along with former fellow tax collectors and other disreputable folk. That drew criticism from Pharisees on why Jesus would dine with “tax collectors and sinners.”
Jesus' reply: “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I have come to call not the righteous but sinners.”
After Jesus’ resurrection, Matthew preached in Judea and perhaps the Parthian Empire (modern Persia). A 13th century book, titled the Golden Legend, has him then traveling to Ethiopia.
In that legend, Matthew banned two sorcerers and their dragons from the realm. He then raised the son of Queen Candace from the dead, leading to the conversion of the whole nation.
But Matthew got on the wrong side of a successor king, who asked him to persuade a young woman to marry him. Since she was a virgin consecrated to Christ, Matthew publicly rebuked the king – who flew into a rage and had him killed immediately.
Matthew wrote his Gospel sometime between 41 and 50 A.D. Written originally in Hebrew, his book was considered the most “Jewish” of the Gospels.
Photographer: JIM DAVIS | FC
The Holy Trinity of Father, Son and Holy Spirit oversees the Church in this window at St. Matthew Church in Hallandale.
Even his own book reveals little about Matthew. Instead, it announces that Jesus was the promised Messiah, but not the warlord liberator the people wanted. It highlights Jesus’ teachings that the Kingdom of God had already come and was within people – if they accepted him.
So compelling was the message, the gospels of Mark and Luke followed the same pattern, sharing many of the same stories and even verses. Which was written first is still a matter of discussion, but the three are called the Synoptic Gospels for their common perspective.
Matthew is the patron saint of actors, bankers, bookkeepers, accountants and taxi drivers. His feast day is Sept. 21. He is honored as a saint not only by Catholics but by Lutherans, Anglicans and Eastern Orthodox Christians.
In South Florida, St. Matthew Church was founded in 1959, the year after the Diocese of Miami (now an archdiocese). As with many parishes, the church made do with buildings until erecting its own.
A duplex served as the rectory and the church office. The city’s recreation center was for Masses – until noise from freight trains prompted the members to move to a restaurant farther away.
In 1962, the congregation dedicated a new, L-shaped structure in a mid-century modern sacred design. One wing housed the church, with the other sheltering the parish school.
Because of declining student numbers, the school was closed in 1984, and its space was turned into the parish hall.
The church building underwent several phases of upgrades and renovations, including extending the side walls, replacing the roof and rebuilding gazebos damaged by Hurricane Andrew in 1992.
On Dec. 8, 2024 during its 65th anniversary celebration, St. Matthew Parish celebrated its newest renovation – actually a return to its original design.
A white arc around the large corpus was taken down, and the red-slatted back wall was stripped to reveal its original amber hue. Flooring the chancel area is white marble. The overall result imparts a brighter, more spacious feel.
