About St. Matthew · Statesboro, Georgia
St. Matthew Catholic Church is a parish in Statesboro, Georgia, in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Savannah, serving both local families and the students of Georgia Southern University as a Newman Center. Founded in 1944 by the Glenmary Home Missionary Society, it has grown from a handful of Catholic families in Bulloch County to roughly 1,500 active parishioners and operates as a bilingual (English/Spanish) community. The parish celebrates ten Masses each week in its sanctuary on John Paul Avenue, just a quarter-mile from the Georgia Southern campus, and partners with the Fellowship of Catholic University Students (FOCUS) for campus outreach.
- Established
- 1944
- Patron
- St. Matthew the Apostle
- Rector
- Rev. Jason Adams
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Savannah
Why belong here
St. Matthew welcomes Catholics, newcomers, and college students into a diverse, bilingual parish where no one walks alone. A full sacramental life — daily Mass, four Sunday Masses (English and Spanish), Reconciliation four times a week, Eucharistic Adoration, and Sacramental preparation for youth and adults — is supported by an active faith-formation program, a youth group for grades 6–12, OCIA/RCIA classes, and a vibrant campus ministry through FOCUS serving Georgia Southern students. Outreach through Together in Service (ACTS) ecumenical ministry and the parish's 75+ year presence in Statesboro make St. Matthew a community rooted in Christ and engaged with the wider Bulloch County area.
Mass times at St. Matthew
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Tuesday: 6:30 pm – 7:50 pm (reported)
- Wednesday: 5:00 pm – 5:30 pm
- Friday: 11:30 am – 12:00 pm
- Saturday: 4:00 pm – 4:50 pm
- Penance Services during Advent and Lent
Adoration times
- Eucharistic Adoration is offered in the Blessed Sacrament Chapel — visit the parish office for current hours (a Holy Hour with praise-and-worship music is hosted by college students; opportunity for confession also available)
History of St. Matthew Parish
St. Matthew was established Oct. 21, 1944 by Bishop Gerald P. O'Hara, who asked the Glenmary Home Missionary Society to staff the new parish. Founding priests Fr. Edward Smith, Fr. Earl McGrath, and Brother Vincent Wilmes arrived that fall and began ministry from a small rented house on South Main Street. Over the decades the parish outgrew that home, a former liquor store on Highway 80, and an original 1950 Spanish Gothic church before settling into its present sanctuary on John Paul Avenue in 1996. Today it serves approximately 1,500 active parishioners and Georgia Southern students.
- 1930: Strozzos and DeNittis families arrive from Jamestown, NY — first Catholic presence in Bulloch County
- 1943: Dr. Daniel McCarthy of Port Wentworth makes monthly visits to Bulloch Catholics
- Oct. 21, 1944: Bishop O'Hara formally establishes St. Matthew parish
- 1946: Original South Main Street house destroyed by furnace fire
- Feb. 15, 1950: Red-brick Spanish Gothic church dedicated by Auxiliary Bishop Francis Hyland
- 1956: Rockwell Manufacturing move from Pittsburgh doubles the parish
- 1967: Diocese of Savannah assumes staffing from Glenmary
- Dec. 15, 1985: Groundbreaking on Gentilly Road parish center
- Nov. 23, 1986: First Mass in the new multipurpose parish center
- Nov. 21, 1996: Bishop J. Kevin Boland dedicates the present sanctuary
- 2002: Spanish-language Saturday Mass added
- 2010: FOCUS missionaries arrive to serve Georgia Southern students
- 2019: Parish celebrates 75th anniversary
Parish Staff & Clergy
The parish is led by Pastor and Campus Ministry Chaplain Father Jason Adams, supported by two deacons, parish staff, and a FOCUS Team Director serving Georgia Southern University.
- Rev. Jason Adams — Pastor & Campus Ministry Chaplain
- Rev. Mike McGrath — Deacon ([email protected])
- Rev. Mark Girardeau — Deacon
- Youth Ministers
- Music Director
- Parish Finance Officer
- Mitzy Salgado — Administrative Assistant
- Peter Vecchio — FOCUS Team Director
- Helen Almeter — Director of Faith Formation (ext. 4)
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Faith Formation at St. Matthew serves children, youth, and adults. Religious Education for Pre-K through 8th grade meets Sunday mornings 9:00–10:15 am, September through May. A youth group for grades 6–12 meets bi-weekly on Tuesdays and again on Sundays at 6:00 pm.
- Director: Helen Almeter — 912-681-6726 ext. 4 — [email protected]
- Religious Education Pre-K–8: Sundays 9:00–10:15 am (Sep–May)
- Online registration open; in-person registration after weekend Masses Aug. 10, 17 & 24
- Youth Group grades 6–12: bi-weekly Tuesdays & Sundays 6:00 pm — [email protected]
- Adult Formation and OCIA/RCIA inquiry welcomed year-round
Sacraments
The parish prepares members for all seven sacraments, with specific sacramental formation through Faith Formation. Parents and adult candidates are asked to contact the Faith Formation office well in advance of any requested sacrament.
- Baptism — Infant baptism requires parents to be registered ≥3 months, completion of a baptism class, and pastor's approval
- Baptism for children 7+ and adults through OCIA classes (weekly beginning in fall, sacraments received at the following Easter)
- First Communion — typically in 2nd grade
- Confirmation — typically in 8th grade, with retreat, special classes, and preparation for first Reconciliation
- First Reconciliation for adults and children — contact Helen Almeter
- Marriage — contact the parish office
- Anointing of the Sick — contact the parish office
Campus Ministry at Georgia Southern University
St. Matthew serves as the Catholic Newman Center for Georgia Southern University. The pastor also serves as Campus Ministry Chaplain, and the Fellowship of Catholic University Students (FOCUS) has had a presence on campus since 2010, continuing an outreach begun by the Glenmary Missioners in the 1940s.
- Pastor also serves as Campus Ministry Chaplain
- FOCUS Team Director: Peter Vecchio
- Holy Hour with praise-and-worship music led by college students
- Catholic Eagles student organization: catholiceagles.org
Outreach and Community
Parishioners at St. Matthew participate in ecumenical and charitable work throughout Statesboro and Bulloch County. Together in Service (ACTS), an ecumenical outreach to the poor, was founded at the parish and continues to operate.
- Together in Service (ACTS) — ecumenical outreach to the poor, founded at St. Matthew
- Bilingual parish life serving English and Spanish-speaking families
- Collaboration with Georgia Southern University campus ministry
Visiting St. Matthew
St. Matthew is located at 221 John Paul Avenue in Statesboro, Georgia, on the same corridor that serves the Georgia Southern University campus — about a quarter-mile from campus. The parish office can be reached at (912) 681-6726, and visitors are warmly welcomed at any Mass.
- Address: 221 John Paul Ave., Statesboro, GA 30458
- Phone: (912) 681-6726
- Email: [email protected]
- On the corner of John Paul Avenue and Gentilly Road
- Approximately 1,500 active parishioners; 10 Masses celebrated weekly in English and Spanish
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Edward Smith, Fr. Earl McGrath, and Bro. Vincent Wilmes (Glenmary)1944–
Founding Glenmary missionaries who arrived in fall 1944.
- Fr. Lawrence Lucree
Purchased Gentilly Road property; groundbreaking Dec. 15, 1985; first Mass in new parish center Nov. 23, 1986; named Rotary Man of the Year in 1988.
- Fr. David Stachurski, O.F.M. Conventual1997–c.2006 (nine years)
Added a Spanish-language Saturday Mass in 2002, paid off the church debt, expanded parking, and landscaped the grounds.
- Fr. Brett Brannen2011–
Co-pastor with Fr. Douglas Clark from 2011.
- Fr. Douglas Clark2011–
Co-pastor with Fr. Brett Brannen from 2011.
- Fr. John Johnson2019–
Welcomed as pastor in 2019.