About St. Matthew · Longview, Texas
St. Matthew Catholic Church is a bilingual (English and Spanish) Roman Catholic parish located at 2800 Pine Tree Road in Longview, Texas, serving the northwest Longview area and drawing parishioners from Pine Tree, White Oak, Greggton, and Spring Hill. Founded in March 1999 as a mission church and elevated to parish status within a year, it is part of the Diocese of Tyler and today ministers to more than 600 registered families. Under Pastor Rev. Msgr. Xavier Pappu, the parish offers four weekend Masses (three English, one Spanish), a daily 7:00 am Mass, a Saturday Vigil in Spanish, weekly confession, Eucharistic Adoration, robust Faith Formation for around 500 children, LIFE TEEN and EDGE youth programs, RCIA/RICA, St. Vincent de Paul outreach, the Knights of Columbus, Catholic Daughters, and a long list of liturgical and Hispanic ministries. St. Matthew has been voted 'Best Place of Worship' in Longview for multiple consecutive years (2016–2024).
- Established
- 1999
- Patron
- St. Matthew the Apostle (Evangelist)
- Rector
- Rev. Msgr. Xavier Pappu
- Diocese
- Diocese of Tyler
Why belong here
St. Matthew is a large, lively, bilingual Catholic family that has been voted Best Place of Worship in Longview for nearly a decade. It welcomes newcomers with a free 'Social Sunday' breakfast on the 2nd Sunday of every month and a Hospitality team ready to help register new families for Faith Formation, youth ministry, and adult groups. With more than 30 active ministries — from St. Vincent de Paul food and rent assistance to Cursillo, ACTS, LIFE TEEN, EDGE, Knights of Columbus, Catholic Daughters, choirs in both English and Spanish, and a thriving Hispanic ministry (Hogar de Fe, Misión de Amor, RICA, Quinceañera prep) — the parish has a place for every age and stage of Catholic life.
Mass times at St. Matthew
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Tuesday: 5:00 pm – 6:45 pm (June & July: 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm)
- Thursday: 5:00 pm – 6:00 pm
- Saturday: 4:00 pm – 4:45 pm
- Anytime by appointment during the week — call (903) 295-3890
Adoration times
- First Fridays: 7:30 am – 11:45 am
- Wednesdays: 7:30 am – 5:00 pm (September through May)
Welcome & Parish Identity
St. Matthew Catholic Church is a bilingual (English/Spanish) Roman Catholic parish of the Diocese of Tyler, located at 2800 Pine Tree Road in Longview, Texas. Founded in March 1999 as a Catholic presence in northwest Longview, it now serves more than 600 families drawn from Longview, Pine Tree, White Oak, Greggton, and Spring Hill. Newcomers are greeted by a Hospitality team, welcomed at the free 'Social Sunday' breakfast on the 2nd Sunday of each month, and invited to register for the many ministries offered for every age.
- Address: 2800 Pine Tree Road, Longview, TX 75604
- Phone: 903-295-3890 / Fax: 903-295-7559
- Parish Office Hours: Monday–Friday 8:30 am – 12 noon and 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm
- Voted 'Best Place of Worship' in Longview, 2016–2024
- Parish mobile app: 'MyParish' (iOS and Android)
Parish History
Established in March 1999 by then-Bishop Edmond Carmody of the Diocese of Tyler as a Catholic mission in northwest Longview, St. Matthew was raised to parish status within a year. Its founding administrator, Monsignor John Flynn — an Irish-born priest who had previously pastored St. Matthew Catholic Church in San Antonio from 1981 to 1997 — shepherded the new community to more than 600 families before retiring in May 2002 on the occasion of his 50th anniversary of ordination. The Rev. Xavier Pappu (now Monsignor Pappu) succeeded him as administrator in 2002 while also serving as Vicar General of the Diocese of Tyler and pastor of St. Theresa of the Infant Jesus in Union Grove. The parish's main sanctuary has recently been renovated to accommodate continued growth.
- Founded: March 1999 by Bishop Edmond Carmody, Diocese of Tyler
- Founding Administrator: Rev. Msgr. John Flynn (1999–2002)
- Current Pastor: Rev. Msgr. Xavier Pappu (2002–present)
- Parochial Vicar: Rev. Fr. Christian Celaya
- Sanctuary recently renovated top to bottom
Parish Staff
Day-to-day parish operations are supported by a small staff of office and ministry directors working out of the parish office at 903-295-3890.
- Secretary — Beth Kennedy ([email protected], ext. 2102)
- Receptionist — Julia Valdez ([email protected], ext. 2101)
- Finance — Nayeli Gonzalez ([email protected], ext. 2108)
- Music Ministry — Beth Kennedy ([email protected], ext. 2107)
- Faith Formation Director — Freeda Dasaiyan ([email protected], ext. 2105)
- Youth Ministry — Sonja Gehrmann ([email protected])
- VIRTUS Safe Environment — Andrew & Delia Carian (210-380-4860)
Sacraments
The parish prepares Catholics of every age for the Sacraments of Initiation, Marriage, and Healing, with bilingual programming and Saturday morning celebration times reserved for Baptisms, Weddings, and Quinceañeras.
- Baptism: Saturdays at 9:00 am (English) and 10:00 am (Spanish); Pre-Bautismo class Saturdays at 4:00 pm
- First Holy Communion: Sacramental Preparation Handbook in English and Spanish
- Confirmation: Sacramental Preparation Handbook in English and Spanish
- Marriage / Matrimonio: Saturdays at 12 noon and 2:00 pm; contact Deacon Joel Gonzalez
- Quinceañera: Saturdays at 12 noon and 2:00 pm; contact Isabel Serrano
- RCIA (English) — Deacon John D'Antoni; RICA (Spanish) — Laura Lopez
- Anointing of the Sick / Shut-in Communion visits — Andrew & Delia Carian
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Faith Formation at St. Matthew is directed by Freeda Dasaiyan in coordination with the Faith Formation Committee and the St. Philip's Institute of the Diocese of Tyler. Programs serve about 500 children in English, with parallel Spanish formation and Sacramental Preparation handbooks in both languages. Catechesis — a Greek word meaning 'to echo' — is described by the parish as 're-telling the Good News, the Gospel of Jesus Christ.' Registration runs from April through September, with sliding-scale fees ($10 per child June–July, $30 August–September; no enrollment after October).
- Faith Formation Director — Freeda Dasaiyan ([email protected], ext. 2105)
- Committee Chair — Freeda Dasaiyan; Secretary — Brenda O'Conner
- Members include Joy Hoffman, Michelle Martinez, Diane Dudley, Cassy Bauptista, Melissa Aburto, Dulce Barron, Sabine Nassar
- Sacramental Prep Handbooks in English and Spanish for First Communion and Confirmation
- Safe Environment Training through VIRTUS (free; $10 background check)
Youth Ministry — LIFE TEEN & EDGE
St. Matthew's youth ministry, led by Sonja Gehrmann, runs two tiered programs in the St. John Paul (SJP) Center. LIFE TEEN gathers high-schoolers (grades 9–12) on Sundays after the 6:00 pm Mass; EDGE gathers middle-schoolers (grades 6–8) on Wednesdays after the 6:00 pm Mass. Both combine the Sunday/weekday liturgy, 'LIFE Nights' and 'EDGE Nights' of formation, music, retreats, and community, with the explicit aim of helping young people 'live the Gospel.'
- Youth Ministry Director — Sonja Gehrmann ([email protected])
- LIFE TEEN — Grades 9–12, Sundays after 6:00 pm Mass
- EDGE — Grades 6–8, Wednesdays after 6:00 pm Mass
- Youth Group meets Wednesdays 6:30–7:45 pm in the St. John Paul Center
Liturgical Ministries & Music
A large lay liturgical corps supports every Mass at St. Matthew. The parish has separate English and Spanish coordinators for most ministries and provides bilingual choirs for both Vigil and Sunday liturgies.
- Altar Servers (English) — Church Office; Monaguillos (Spanish) — Teo Landa
- Altar Society — Frankie Mires
- EMHC — Allison Cameron; Cesar & Claudia Paz (Spanish)
- Greeters — Sonny Miers; Hospitalidad — Salvador & Alma Gutierrez
- Lectors — Jerry Lang (English); Gloria Resendiz (Spanish)
- Music / Choir — Beth Kennedy (English); Max Garcia, Diego Najera, Connie Rosillo, Irene Ruiz, Juan Montoya (Spanish)
- Ushers — Brent O'Connor (English); Raul Panzo (Spanish)
- Acolytes — Alonso Rivera, Antonio Juarez, Francisco Trinidad, Jerry Lang, Leroy Yeomen, Teodulo Landa, Victor Tovar
Hispanic & Spanish-Language Ministries
St. Matthew operates one of the most extensive Spanish-language ministry programs in East Texas. The RICA (Rito de la Iniciación Cristiana de Adultos), coordinated by Laura Lopez, walks adults through the four phases of Christian initiation — Precatecumenado, Catecumenado, Purificación y Alumbramiento, and Mistagogía — with classes on Fridays from 7:00 to 8:30 pm beginning in September. Other Spanish-language ministries include Crecimiento, Grupo de Oración, Cursillo, Quinceañera, Hogar de Fe, Misión de Amor, Nueva Evangelización, Hospitalidad, Monaguillos, Lectores, Siervos de Cristo, Servidores de Guadalupe, and Spanish choirs and ushers.
- RICA — Laura Lopez (903-241-6765)
- Crecimiento — Antonio Juarez (812-0573)
- Grupo de Oración — Antonio Juarez (812-0573)
- Cursillo — Arturo Rodriguez (261-4609); Fabiola Mojica (424-4432)
- Quinceañera — Isabel Serrano (238-1550)
- Hogar de Fe — Sandra Gonzalez (297-7286)
- Misión de Amor — Sanjuana Olvera (261-2306)
- Nueva Evangelización — Sanjuana & Arnulfo Olvera (261-2306)
- Pre-Bautismo class — Saturdays 4:00 pm
Outreach & Charitable Works
St. Matthew runs a robust outreach network that supports parishioners and the wider East Texas community. The parish's Society of St. Vincent de Paul conference reported in a recent month helping 8 families with $1,250 in rent, 14 families with $1,773 in utility assistance, providing food boxes to 105 families, and donating $1,060 to the East Texas Food Bank. Additional ministries carry the Eucharist to the homebound, support the bereaved, defend life from conception to natural death, and welcome new families through Hospitality.
- St. Vincent de Paul Society — rent, utilities, food assistance (parish office 903-295-3890)
- Shut-in / Sick & Homebound Ministry — Andrew & Delia Carian; Carolyn Anguiano
- Pro-Life Ministry — Tom Mittler
- Bereavement Ministry — Allison Nelsen
- Hospitality — Jeri Vaughan; Hospitalidad — Salvador & Alma Gutierrez
- JOY Ministry (Just Older Youth) — Teresa Judd
- Together in Holiness — Daniel & Becky Anguiano
Knights of Columbus, Catholic Daughters & Guilds
Lay fraternal and devotional organizations at St. Matthew include the local Knights of Columbus Council #2771, the Catholic Daughters of the Americas, the Daughters of Mother Seton, Our Lady's Guild, the ACTS Men's retreat community, and Siervos de Cristo.
- Knights of Columbus Council #2771 — Gerard Verderber (209-261-4835)
- Catholic Daughters — Missy Harrison (281-684-8948)
- Daughters of Mother Seton — JoAnn McCracken (736-8344)
- Our Lady's Guild — Sondra Scalco (235-8678)
- ACTS Men — Hector Aburto (746-9112)
- Siervos de Cristo — Feliciano Ramirez (353-4174)
- Servidores de Guadalupe — Maria Sanchez (870-654-4996)
Parish Facilities
The parish campus at 2800 Pine Tree Road includes the recently renovated main sanctuary (designed to seat more worshippers more comfortably for faith formation and worship), the St. John Paul (SJP) Center, which houses youth ministry gatherings and faith-formation classes, a parish hall used for Social Sunday breakfasts, retreats, RCIA/RICA classes, and meetings, and a chapel used for weekday Prayer Group gatherings and Tuesday-night Spanish Mass and prayer group. The parish also maintains a Columbarium, overseen by a committee chaired by Deacon Joe Bianca.
- Main Sanctuary — recently renovated top to bottom
- St. John Paul (SJP) Center — youth ministry and faith formation
- Parish Hall — Social Sunday, RCIA, ACTS Men, meetings
- Chapel — Prayer Group and Tuesday-night Spanish Mass
- Columbarium on the parish grounds (Deacon Joe Bianca)
Getting Involved
Newcomers are encouraged to call the parish office (903-295-3890) to be added to the parish family list, install the 'MyParish' app for schedules and bulletins, attend Social Sunday on the 2nd Sunday of each month, and explore the more than 30 ministries listed on the parish website. The Faith Formation Committee meets once every three months on the first Monday evening and welcomes new members of all ages.
- Call the parish office at 903-295-3890 to register as a new parishioner
- Install 'MyParish' mobile app for Mass times, bulletins, and giving
- Attend Social Sunday breakfast — 2nd Sunday of each month
- Join the Faith Formation Committee — meets quarterly, first Monday evening
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Msgr. John FlynnMarch 1999 – May 2002
Founding administrator; Irish-born priest who had previously pastored St. Matthew in San Antonio (1981–1997); appointed by Bishop Edmond Carmody to launch the Longview mission; retired in May 2002 on the occasion of his 50th anniversary of ordination, citing his age (he would turn 75 in November 2002).
- Rev. (now Msgr.) Xavier PappuMay 2002 – present
Succeeded Msgr. Flynn as administrator while serving as Vicar General of the Diocese of Tyler and pastor of St. Theresa of the Infant Jesus in Union Grove; now Pastor of St. Matthew with the rank of Monsignor.