About St. Matthias Apostle · Lanham, Maryland
St. Matthias the Apostle Parish is a Roman Catholic parish in Lanham, Maryland, in the Archdiocese of Washington. It was canonically established in 1961 by founding pastor Rev. E. Albert Hughes, who gathered some 265 families from neighboring St. Mary's in Landover Hills and Ascension in Bowie. Today the parish serves approximately 750 registered families in a bilingual English-and-Spanish Catholic community on Annapolis Road, with a parish school (the Academy of St. Matthias the Apostle, founded 1961) and a faith-formation program that ministers from preschool through high-school sacramental preparation. The current pastor is Rev. Avelino González, a Cuban-born priest and former Vatican official who also serves the parish's growing Hispanic community.
- Established
- 1961
- Patron
- Saint Matthias the Apostle
- Rector
- Rev. Avelino González
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Washington
Why belong here
St. Matthias is a welcoming bilingual parish where Mass is celebrated daily in English and Spanish, with a vibrant Hispanic ministry serving families from across Latin America and the Caribbean. Parishioners can send their children to the parish school (the Academy of St. Matthias the Apostle, preschool through Grade 8) and walk their whole family through Faith Formation, First Reconciliation, First Communion, Confirmation, and RCIA together. The community also comes together for Eucharistic Adoration, Marian devotion on the first Saturday of each month, parish-wide celebrations of cultures, and food-pantry outreach to neighbors in need.
Mass times at St. Matthias Apostle
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Monday 7:00 PM (during Eucharistic Adoration)
Adoration times
- Monday 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM (with Confessions at 7:00 PM)
Parish History
Founded in 1960 and canonically established in 1961, St. Matthias the Apostle Parish began under founding pastor Rev. E. Albert Hughes with 265 families drawn from neighboring St. Mary's in Landover Hills and Ascension in Bowie. The Archdiocese of Washington purchased a nearly 12-acre site on Annapolis Road; the parish worshipped at the Divine Savior Seminary chapel on Princess Garden Parkway while the new church and school were built. The parish's contemporary steel-and-glass church was dedicated on February 25, 1962 by Archbishop Patrick A. O'Boyle. The parish has since grown to roughly 750 registered families and developed a strong bilingual and multicultural identity.
- Founded June 1960; canonically established 1961
- First pastor: Rev. E. Albert Hughes
- Church and school dedicated February 25, 1962 by Archbishop Patrick A. O'Boyle
- Original 265 families came from St. Mary's (Landover Hills) and Ascension (Bowie)
- Initial Masses held at the Divine Savior Seminary chapel
- Sacred Heart of Jesus statue from the seminary still stands by the rectory/school
Parish Leadership & Staff
The parish is led by Pastor Rev. Avelino González, a Cuban-born priest who was ordained in 2006 and whose academic formation includes a licentiate in Biblical Theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University and a doctorate from the Angelicum in Rome. He is supported by Deacon Alton Davis Jr., Rev. Canice Enyake (in residence), Business Manager Leslie Long O'Leary, Administrative Assistant Patricia Ford, Coordinator of Religious Education Catherine Tolnay, and Faith Formation Director Jacqueline Sotelo. Paulist seminarian Chris Lawton assists with outreach to the Hispanic community.
- Pastor: Rev. Avelino González
- Deacon: Deacon Alton Davis Jr.
- In Residence: Rev. Canice Enyake
- Business Manager: Leslie Long O'Leary
- Administrative Assistant: Patricia Ford
- Coordinator of Religious Education: Catherine Tolnay
- Faith Formation Director: Jacqueline Sotelo
Faith Formation & Sacramental Preparation
The Faith Formation Program at St. Matthias is described by the parish as 'a continuous process that guides students and families to grow closer to Christ through knowledge, prayer, and service.' A minimum of two consecutive years of classes is required before receiving any sacrament, including First Holy Communion and Confirmation, and community-service hours must be completed before sacramental Masses. Classes meet in Friendship Hall on Sundays.
- Classes begin in early October and meet Sundays at 10:30 AM in Friendship Hall
- Two-year preparation required for First Reconciliation, First Communion, and Confirmation
- First Holy Communion Retreat (annual) in Friendship Hall
- Confirmation Retreat held at the Shrine of Saint Anthony in Ellicott City
- Confirmation Mass celebrated annually in May
- First Communion celebrated in English (9:45 AM) and Spanish (1:30 PM) each spring
RCIA — Becoming Catholic
The parish runs the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) for adults who want to become Catholic, following the four-stage process outlined by the Second Vatican Council's 1971 restoration of the ancient catechumenate: the Precatechumenate (inquiry), the Catechumenate (study and commitment, beginning with the Rite of Acceptance), the Period of Purification and Enlightenment (Lent), and Mystagogy (the Easter season through Pentecost). The Sacraments of Initiation are conferred at the Easter Vigil.
- Sessions typically begin in mid-September
- Open to catechumens (unbaptized) and candidates (validly baptized Christians)
- Sessions held in the parish's preschool building
- Registration through the parish's deacons
Hispanic Ministry
St. Matthias has a flourishing Hispanic ministry serving parishioners from Mexico, El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala, Puerto Rico, and the Dominican Republic. Spanish Masses are celebrated Saturday at 7:00 PM and Sunday at 1:30 PM, and parish volunteers sustain a food pantry that distributes groceries to neighbors in need. Devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe is central to the community's prayer life, and during the 60th-anniversary Mass the liturgy was celebrated bilingually with music led by both an African choir and a Hispanic choir.
- Spanish Masses: Saturday 7:00 PM, Sunday 1:30 PM
- Hispanic choir and musicians
- Bilingual Mass aid available
- Food pantry outreach
- Devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe
- Paulist seminarian Chris Lawton assists with outreach
Academy of St. Matthias the Apostle (Parish School)
The parish school, the Academy of St. Matthias the Apostle, opened in September 1961 with two classrooms and 90 first- and second-graders taught by the Sisters of Divine Providence. Today it is a modern coeducational Catholic school serving preschool (age 3) through Grade 8 under the Archdiocese of Washington. As of 2022 enrollment was approaching 200 students, its highest in recent years. Students attend Mass regularly and help prepare liturgies as part of religious education, and the school distinguishes itself with small classes, a resource program, a STREAM focus, and the introduction of Spanish in primary grades.
- Address: 9473 Annapolis Road, Lanham, MD 20706
- Preschool (age 3) through Grade 8
- Opened September 1961, staffed by the Sisters of Divine Providence
- Small classes, resource program, STREAM focus, primary-grade Spanish
- Daily faith integrated into school life; students help prepare liturgies
- Before- and after-care available
- Principal: Coretta Streat
Contact & Location
Parish offices, the rectory, the church, and the academy sit along Annapolis Road in Lanham, in Prince George's County just outside the Capital Beltway. The parish is wheelchair accessible and reachable by phone during parish office hours; bulletins, schedules, and a bilingual Mass aid are available on the parish website.
- Parish address: 9475 Annapolis Road, Lanham, MD 20706
- Phone: 301-459-4814
- Fax: 301-306-4582
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: http://stmatthias.org/
- Wheelchair accessible
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. E. Albert Hughes1960–
Founding pastor; assembled the initial 265 families, launched the building fund campaign, and oversaw construction of the church, school, and convent.
- Rev. Avelino González
Current pastor; born in Camagüey, Cuba; ordained May 27, 2006; previously served at the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity at the Vatican and as pastor of St. Joseph's on Capitol Hill and St. Gabriel in NW Washington.