Since 2010, St. Matthew Parish has travelled annually to the Dominican Republic for a mission trip. Fr. Brian, along with a team of missionaries and students from St. Matthew, Windham, St. Michael, and Exeter, journey to Santo Domingo to assist our deprived brothers and sisters in Christ. These mission trips are a cooperative adventure with La Parroquia la Virgen de la Altagracia Church in Paraiso. Their goals include building filters and aqueducts to bring sustainable water supply and providing medical care for the people of La Yamaya, Las Matas, La Aventura and other villages beyond.

We often journey there with our parishioners’ donations, including shoes/sneakers, seeds, clothing, children's toys, medical supplies, solar lights, and personal care items. We also visit with the Missionaries of Charity in Las Matas de Farfan. Our mission is to develop community with our brothers and sisters in Christ whom we serve.

If you would like more information about the mission, please contact Sandy Gibbons in the parish office.

The Hands of Mercy is an open parish ministry dedicated to service. This warm, welcoming and hard-working group meets weekly to organize outreach projects and support the work of the parish. Projects are wide-ranging, from cooking monthly meals for Family Promise (shelter for homeless families), Liberty House (residential program for recovering veterans), and Lazarus House Shelter; to making blankets for Catholic Charities; and to organizing the 450-tag Advent Giving Tree program. The Hands of Mercy moves furniture, sews skirts & shirts, helps to decorate and clean the church, packs suitcases for the mission trip to the Dominican Republic, and makes rosaries for the mission. You name it, and the Hands of Mercy does it! Meetings are open to all who want to love and serve others in the name of Jesus.

Please call the office at 603.893.3336 or email Sandy for more information.

St. Matthew Homebound Ministry offers weekly at-home visits to parishioners unable to attend Mass. Ministers share the Word of God and Holy Communion and spend time talking with each homebound person. Strengthened by the Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist and the loving presence of the minister, our homebound parishioners remain united with us. In this corporal work of mercy, we demonstrate in a concrete way our love and care for these beloved members of our parish family.

If you, or someone you know, is unable to attend Mass and desires the Eucharist, or if you are interested in being a Homebound Ministers, please call the office at 603.893.3336 and speak to Sandy.

The Knights of Columbus is a global Catholic fraternal service order founded by Blessed Michael McGivney on March 29, 1882, as a mutual benefit society for working-class and immigrant Catholic men in the United States. It has grown to support refugee relief, Catholic education, local parishes and dioceses, and global Catholic social and political causes. Approximately two million men currently serve as Knights worldwide. The Knights follow three principles: Charity, Unity, and Fraternity.

Our Saint Matthew Council is active in its support of Saint Matthew Parish and the Windham Community. From blood drives, hands-on work at Shepherd’s Pantry, parish meals, and many other programs, our Knights add to the vitality of our parish community.

Interested men can email Nick Shea.

The Prayer Shawl Ministry is a group of parishioners who hope to bring comfort and solace to the ill and their caregivers by producing knit or crochet shawls to be given free of charge. We chat, pray, and bless the shawls as we knit, so that the recipients of our work will know that they are not alone in their struggles but are wrapped in our prayers. We meet once a week at the parish center and welcome anyone. Some members cannot meet every week but continue their work at home. If you wish to join us in this ministry, please contact the parish office.

Distributing food since 1992, Shepherd’s Pantry is a collaborative ministry between St Matthew Church and Windham Presbyterian Church, supported by the community of Windham. Donated food is made available to New Hampshire residents in need on a bi-weekly basis. Between 60 and 80 families are served each week. Food distribution takes place at the Windham Presbyterian Church parking lot on Monday mornings, and, due to current pandemic, the Pantry is currently a fresh air drive-thru operation distributing food from pickup trucks. Regardless of the weather, volunteers bring food orders to each vehicle in line. Pantry volunteers distribute pre-bagged non-perishables and sort and prepare breads, frozen meats, dairy, etc. for each food order.

Thanks for the tremendous support from St Matthew parishioners who bring food on the second Sunday of every month to support this ministry. For more information, please visit the Shepherd’s Pantry website or visit our Facebook page. To contact the Shepherd’s Pantry, please email us.