St. Matthew Parish has inspired loyalty for 50 years

In this Archive photo, Archbishop Paul C. Schulte touches the cornerstone of St. Matthew the Apostle Church after he blessed it during the construction of the parish’s facilities in 1958. Priests assisting Archbishop Schulte were, from left, Father Albert Diezeman, St. Matthew’s first pastor; Msgr. Henry Hermann and Father Cyril Conen. (Submitted photo)

By Sean Gallagher

When Lou Ella Brunette joined the new St. Matthew the Apostle Parish in 1958, she lived less than a mile from the parish on the northeast side of Indianapolis.

Back then, the area looked much different than it does today.

“There were a lot of corn fields and soybean fields and farms around there,” said Brunette, 84. “But in the [coming years], that area just boomed into a residential area.”

Many of the Catholics that moved into the area had young children who became students at the parish’s school.

One of those students was the parish’s current pastoral associate, Pat Witt.

“I always loved that it was new and different,” she said. “It was like we were cutting through new territory. Early on, we had a workroom and when we had free time, we went and made these papier-mâché crèche features that were 6 feet tall.”

Another one of the first students was Father Glenn O’Connor, pastor of St. Ann and St. Joseph parishes, both in Indianapolis.

He still has relatives in the parish, and has kept up with the life of the parish and its school over the years.

“The spirit of the school is still there,” Father O’Connor said. “They’ve had some tough times and some difficult situations. But, I’ll tell you what, they hung in there and that school is a fine school. I’m very proud of it.”

He said the presence of the parish’s priests in the school had an influence on his discernment of the priesthood.

“We looked up to the priests,” Father O’Connor said. “They were in the classrooms a lot. … They were a big influence. … They were the people you wanted to emulate.”

Robert Alerding, 88, another charter member of St. Matthew, said the priests weren’t the only ones in the parish worthy of imitation.

In 1963, Alerding was 43 and the father of seven young children when his wife, Margie, died.

Members of the parish, then only five years old, immediately stepped in to help.

“I always knew they were there when I needed them,” Alerding said. “It was wonderful to know that they were always there for whatever my needs were.

“That was typical of the life of the parish. They would be there to support anyone who needed support.”

Many of Alerding’s children, his 17 grandchildren and 23 great-grandchildren are still members of the parish. There are nine Alerdings enrolled at St. Matthew School this academic year.

Although St. Matthew has a mixture of old and new parishioners, they share a common approach to the life of the parish, Brunette said

“It is an extremely friendly parish,” she said. “A lot in my age group are gone, but there is still an excitement and a friendliness among the new parishioners and those who have kids in the school. I really like it.”

St. Matthew’s pastor, Father Paul Shikany, has served in other parishes that have celebrated significant anniversaries.

But he said that one thing that makes celebrating St. Matthew’s 50th anniversary special is that he is able to share it with some of the parish’s original members.

“You’re living people’s history and their experiences, and seeing how it affected them as they’ve gone through those years while they’re still alive,” he said.

On Oct. 5—50 years to the day that the parish’s dedication Mass was celebrated by Archbishop Paul C. Schulte—Father Shikany will be the principal celebrant of a 10:30 a.m. Mass to celebrate St. Matthew’s golden anniversary.

The celebration of the parish’s anniversary will continue on Nov. 15 with an adults-only dinner-dance that will follow the parish’s 5 p.m. Mass. The dinner-dance in the parish school’s gymnasium is free and open to the public.

Brunette is looking forward to the celebrations and seeing former members of the parish that she hasn’t talked with for decades.

As for herself, Brunette said with a laugh that she doesn’t intend to ever leave her beloved parish community.

“I’m not leaving St. Matthew’s until they carry me out in a box.”

(For more information on St. Matthew the Apostle Parish, 4100 E. 56th St., in Indianapolis and its 50th anniversary celebration, log on to www.saintmatt.org or call 317-257-4297.) †