William Matthews (priest)

The Very Reverend William Matthews
Engraving of William Matthews by George Parker, 1868
7th President of Georgetown College
In office February 28, 1809 – November 1, 1809
Preceded by	Francis Neale
Succeeded by	Francis Neale
Personal details
Born	(1770-12-16)December 16, 1770 Georgetown College St. Mary's Seminary
Political party	Federalist Party, Whig Party
Orders
Ordination	March 29, 1800 by  John Carroll

William Matthews (December 16, 1770 – April 30, 1854), occasionally spelled Mathews,

William Matthews was born on December 16, 1770, in the small village of

In 1781, aged eleven, Matthews witnessed British troops burn part of his family's estate during the American Revolution.^[7] From his parents, Matthews received a sizable inheritance that he drew from throughout his life for the advancement of the church.^[8] Two of his nephews on his mother's side became politicians: US Senator Richard T. Merrick and Judge William Matthews Merrick.^[9] Matthews became the brother-in-law of Senator William Duhurst Merrick.^[10]

Many of Matthews' matrilineal relatives entered the priesthood. Six of his mother's seven brothers became

His paternal aunt, Ann Mathews,[a] became a Discalced Carmelite nun in Hoogstraet, in what is now Belgium, taking the name Sister Bernardina Teresa Xavier of St. Joseph. Two of his sisters—Susanna (Sister Mary Eleanora) and Ann Teresa (Sister Mary Aloysia)—also went to Hoogstraet to become Carmelite nuns.^[1] In 1790 Sister Bernardina returned to what was now the United States and established a Carmelite convent in the village of Port Tobacco, Maryland, where she had been given land for this purpose. Her nieces also returned to Maryland with her.^[11]

Education

At the age of twelve Matthews was sent to Liège in the Prince-Bishopric of Liège (modern-day Belgium)^[12] to be educated at the College of St Omer, an English Jesuit school.^[13] He studied classics as one of the last Americans to be sent to the English school at Liége.^[8]

He returned to America in his early twenties to briefly study theology at

Matthews became the second pastor of St. Patrick's Church, succeeding the Dominican priest Anthony Caffry.^[23] St. Patrick's was the largest parish in the District of Columbia at the time^[24] and the first Catholic church to be constructed in the City of Washington.^[25][c] Matthews held the post from 1804 until his death.^[19][28] He self-financed the purchase of eight lots near St. Patrick's, believing the location would become the heart of the growing city. Three further Catholic parishes, three schools, and an orphanage were established on the land.^[29] Matthews oversaw construction of a new, larger church in 1809 on the site of the original building.^[30] The brick, Gothic Revival church was completed in 1816.^[8] This new St. Patrick's was consecrated by Archbishop John Carroll, and the mass was concelebrated by Leonard Neale.^[14]

During the War of 1812, British troops invaded Washington, D.C., in 1814. Matthews barricaded himself and others inside the sanctuary of St. Patrick's Church while most of the city's population fled. As the troops advanced to within two blocks of St. Patrick's, fire from surrounding buildings spread to the roof of the church. Matthews went to the roof to put out the fire,^[31] then persuaded General Robert Ross not to destroy the church.^[32]

During his tenure as pastor, Matthews fostered an unusually large number of conversions to Catholicism. Among his parishioners were Chief Justice

In 1820, Archbishop Carroll tasked Matthews with establishing the second Catholic parish in Washington: St. Peter's Church. While construction started on a church building, the project quickly ran out of money and went into debt. Matthews ensured that the project was completed. He decided a new site should be chosen and secured a donation of land on Capitol Hill by Daniel Carroll.^[39] The church was eventually completed in 1821.^[40]

He opposed the control of St. Peter's Church properties by lay trustees, as the issue of trusteeism was still active in American Catholic Church.^[41] This opposition motivated his subsequent selection for an ecclesiastical mission in Philadelphia.^[40]

In 1821, the

When word of the event circulated, it was sensationalized by the local press. Matthews responded by criticizing the priests who exaggerated the story, but described the event to the National Intelligencer as a miracle.^[44] He compiled A Collection of Affidavits and Certificates Relative to the Wonderful Cure of Mrs. Ann Mattingly, Which Took Place in the City of Washington, D.C., on the Tenth of March, 1824.^[46] By way of Anthony Kohlmann, this pamphlet made its way to Pope Leo XII, who had it translated into Italian and published by his personal printer.^[47]

Academic career

Georgetown College

By 1806, Matthews had become vice president of Georgetown College, and by 1808, he had become a member of its board of directors,^[48] where he served until 1815.^[49] He was elected president on February 28, 1809, succeeding his uncle Francis Neale. On the same day that he became president, Matthews entered the Jesuit novitiate, which was highly atypical for someone of his age and position.^[19] Although working at the college, Matthews chose not to live there and instead moved into St. Patrick's Church.^[48]

Soon after his election, Matthews became disillusioned with the

As St. Patrick's parish grew, Matthews sought to obtain several

Upon the seminary's suppression, Keiley left the Society of Jesus and founded a new, short-lived school. Matthews remained and oversaw the school that was now officially closed but still operating despite the order.[56] He remained president until 1848 when the Jesuits, now permitted to accept tuition, resumed control of the school. After Matthews, John E. Blox became president.^[24] Upon the resumption of Jesuit administration, the school was renamed Washington College and again as Gonzaga College in 1857.^[57]

Civic life

Washington Library

In 1811, Matthews co-founded the District of Columbia's first permanent public library, the Washington Library Association,^[58] which secured its congressional charter as the Washington Library Company on April 18, 1814, preceding the District of Columbia Public Library. Along with 200 other benefactors, Matthews contributed money by purchasing substantial stock in the library. He served on several of the library's committees, which were responsible for drafting its rules and purchasing books.^[59] He was elected the library's second president on April 18, 1821, succeeding the pastor of the F Street Presbyterian Church, Dr. James Laurie.^[60] The library prospered under Matthews, where it was used by employees of the federal government and private citizens. He led a successful campaign to raise money by selling library stock, which was invested in Washington's banks and real estate.^[61]

In the spring of 1827, he purchased a Masonic lodge on Eleventh Street as the first permanent home for the library.^[59] Throughout his presidency, its collections steadily increased in size. Matthews acquired 3,000 volumes of Peter Force's collection on American history,^[58] doubling the Washington Library's holdings; doing so required a personal loan from him. His presidency came to an end in April 1834^[60] when he was succeeded by Samuel Harrison Smith and Peter Force.^[62]

Washington Public Schools

Matthews was a trustee of the

In 1825, Matthews founded the St. Vincent's Female Orphan Asylum near St. Patrick's Church in Washington.

The initial purpose of the institution was to be an orphanage for girls, but since its founding, it was operated as a free school for poor children of Washington that educated orphans and non-orphans alike. This educational function became integral to the institution's purpose, and the number of non-orphaned students eventually far exceeded the number of orphans. In 1831, a board of trustees and a board of female lay managers were created, the latter of which was composed of prominent women in the District who were able to enlist financial support for the institution. On May 14, 1849, to accommodate the institution's growth, the cornerstone for a new building was laid at the same site. Matthews served as president of the asylum from its founding to his death in 1854.[69]

Visitation Academy

Eventually, a female counterpart to the Washington Seminary was established as the Washington Visitation Academy. Its purpose was to educate girls of a higher social class than those at St. Vincent's, as education in Washington was socioeconomically divided at the time. By 1850, a school for girls at Ninth and F Streets, on land that was owned by St. Patrick's Church, prospered. The school was initially run by the Daughters of Charity, but the rules of their order eventually required them to leave the school. It was then taken over by the

Matthews was not involved in the direct management of the institution but provided financial support. The school moved into a mansion originally intended as the French ambassador's residence, but it was unable to pay the $3,000 mortgage. The superior, Mother Juliana, requested assistance from him.[f] Matthews declined, as he had previously offered them land and a building free of charge. Several days later, however, he contributed $10,000 to support the school.^[67]

St. Joseph's Orphan Asylum

In mid-1853, the board of trustees of St. Vincent's Asylum approved the creation of St. Joseph's Male Orphan Asylum, later renamed the St. Joseph's Home and School for Boys. Matthews had attempted to create a male orphanage in October 1843, but this closed by 1846. He and Timothy O'Toole, his successor as pastor of St. Patrick's Church,^[35] oversaw the establishment of the new orphanage, and Matthews served as president of its board from its founding.^[69] Matthews died before its opening in February 1855. His will bequeathed $3,000 to the boys' orphanage that, like St. Vincent's, relied on private donations and government assistance for funding.^[72]

Vicar Apostolic of Philadelphia

On February 26, 1828, the Prefect of the Propaganda Fide, Cardinal

Matthews had a strong spiritual commitment, and he was especially fond of the

In the 1830s, Matthews sold his house to fund the building of a new church on the northeastern corner of 15th and H Streets near the White House to alleviate overcrowding at St. Patrick's Church.^[91] A new parish was founded in 1839 and the new church was completed in 1840; it was dedicated on November 1 that year.^[92] The church was named St. Matthew's Church in honor of both Saint Matthew and William Matthews.^[91] The building was replaced by the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle as the parish's church in the 1890s.^[93]

Death and legacy

Matthews died on April 30, 1854, and was buried in the cemetery adjacent to St. Patrick's Church. In the mid-1870s, to allow for construction of a new church, his body was exhumed along with the rest of those in the cemetery. While being transferred to a new coffin, it was observed that the body was remarkably preserved.^[94][g] The corpse was laid in front of the altar, where it remained during the All Souls' Day Mass, before being reinterred in the priests' section^[96] of Mount Olivet Cemetery.^[35][97] It was reported that at his death, he requested that he be "laid upon the floor to expire" because he "did not deserve to die in his chair". During the latter part of his life and after his death, Matthews was nicknamed the "patriarch of Washington" due to his contributions to the religious and civic worlds of the city.^[28][22] On his gravestone in Mount Olivet Cemetery, the Serra Club placed a bronze plaque in 1973, commemorating his life.^[34]

In his will, he bequeathed monies to St. Vincent's Asylum, enabling the construction of a larger school on G Street in 1857. The school endured through the nineteenth century, playing a major role in educating girls in Washington.^[69]

In the center of a mural by

References

Citations

1. ^ ^{a b} Currier 1989, p. 51.
2. ^ ^{a b} de Courcy 1857, p. 552.
3. ^ Durkin 1963, p. 3.
4. ^ ^{a b c} Durkin 1963, p. 4.
5. ^ Donnelly 1982, p. 45
6. ^ Newman 2007, p. 247
7. ^ Durkin 1963, p. 6.
8. ^ ^{a b c} Warner 1994, p. 102.
9. ^ ^{a b} Shea 1891, pp. 36–37.
10. ^ McLaughlin 1899, p. 75.
11. ^ Guilday, Peter (1922). The Life and Times of John Carroll: Archbishop of Baltimore, 1735-1815 (Public domain ed.). Encyclopedia Press. pp. 487ff. Retrieved August 1, 2019.
12. ^ "History of Liège". Eupedia. Archived from the original on August 6, 2017. Retrieved October 31, 2018.
13. ^ Whitehead 2016, Conclusion.
14. ^ ^{a b c} Hinkel 1957, p. 36.
15. ^ Whitehead 2016, p. 215.
16. ^ Durkin 1963, p. 10.
17. ^ Durkin 1963, p. 9.
18. ^ ^{a b c} Durkin 1963, p. 11.
19. ^ ^{a b c d e f g} Curran 1993, pp. 62–63.
20. ^ Spalding 1989, pp. 22, 30–31.
21. ^ "St. Peter's Pro-Cathedral". Archdiocese of Baltimore. Archived from the original on July 1, 2017.
22. ^ ^{a b} Kerney 1856, p. 289.
23. ^ MacGregor 1994, p. 20.
24. ^ ^{a b c d e} Buckley 2013, p. 101.
25. ^ MacGregor 1994, p. 18.
26. ^ Dodd 1909, p. 4.
27. ^ Durkin 1963, pp. 11–12.
28. ^ ^{a b} Liston, Paul. "A Short History of St. Patrick Parish". St. Patrick Catholic Church. Archived from the original on August 1, 2017. Retrieved February 24, 2018.
29. ^ Durkin 1963, p. 14.
30. ^ Frye 1920, p. 35.
31. ^ ^{a b} Hinkel 1957, p. 37.
32. ^ Durkin 1963, pp. 16–17.
33. ^ Metz 1912, p. 559.
34. ^ ^{a b c} Donnelly 1990, p. 66
35. ^ ^{a b c} Catholic Editing Company 1914, p. 117.
36. ^ "Timeline for Archdiocese of Washington". Catholic Standard. Archdiocese of Washington. September 24, 2014. Archived from the original on August 31, 2018. Retrieved August 30, 2018.
37. ^ Durkin 1963, pp. 130–131.
38. ^ Thorp 1978, p. 28.
39. ^ Durkin 1963, pp. 138–140.
40. ^ ^{a b} Durkin 1963, pp. 138–142.
41. ^ "History". St. Peter's on Capitol Hill. Archived from the original on April 7, 2017. Retrieved March 14, 2018.
42. ^ "History of the Diocese". Catholic Diocese of Richmond. Archived from the original on August 13, 2018. Retrieved August 31, 2018.
43. ^ Durkin 1963, p. 143.
44. ^ ^{a b c} Durkin 1963, pp. 132–137.
45. ^ Schultz 2011, pp. 10–11.
46. ^ Matthews 1824, p. 3.
47. ^ Curran 1987, p. 52.
48. ^ ^{a b c} Durkin 1963, pp. 14–16.
49. ^ Curran 1993, p. 402.
50. ^ ^{a b} Curran 2012, pp. 14–16.
51. ^ Schroth 2017, pp. 59–64.
52. ^ Curran 1993, p. 93.
53. ^ Durkin 1963, pp. 83–86.
54. ^ Warner 1994, p. 106
55. ^ ^{a b} Hill 1922, Chapter III.
56. ^ Durkin 1963, p. 100.
57. ^ Warner 1994, p. 107.
58. ^ ^{a b} Haley 1861, p. 213.
59. ^ ^{a b} Durkin 1963, p. 29.
60. ^ ^{a b} Johnston 1904, p. 25.
61. ^ Durkin 1963, p. 27.
62. ^ Durkin 1963, p. 24.
63. ^ Crew 1892, p. 487.
64. ^ Durkin 1963, pp. 57, 60–61.
65. ^ Durkin 1963, p. 63.
66. ^ Durkin 1963, pp. 64, 67–68.
67. ^ ^{a b c d} Durkin 1963, pp. 119–122.
68. ^ Downing 1917, p. 743.
69. ^ ^{a b c d} "An Inventory of Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Washington, DC". American Catholic History Research Center and University Archives. Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Washington. Archived from the original on December 3, 2017. Retrieved February 25, 2018 – via Catholic University of America Library.
70. ^ ^{a b} Warner 1994, p. 104.
71. ^ Durkin 1963, p. 22.
72. ^ Durkin 1963, pp. 117–118.
73. ^ Ennis 1976, pp. 103–104.
74. ^ ^{a b} American Catholic Historical Society of Philadelphia 1909, p. 251.
75. ^ Loughlin 1913, pp. 349–350.
76. ^ Ennis 1976, p. 103.
77. ^ Shea 1890, p. 258.
78. ^ Griffin 1917, p. 331
79. ^ "A Brief History of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia". Archdiocese of Philadelphia. Archived from the original on November 11, 2016. Retrieved July 8, 2018.
80. ^ ^{a b} Ennis 1976, p. 104.
81. ^ Casey 1957, pp. 43–44.
82. ^ Griffin 1917, p. 346
83. ^ Clarke 1890, p. 4.
84. ^ Durkin 1963, p. 128.
85. ^ Lathrop & Lathrop 1894, p. 377.
86. ^ ^{a b} Stickley 1965, p. 192.
87. ^ "Wedding Ceremonies Held at the White House". White House Historical Association. Archived from the original on November 30, 2018. Retrieved March 28, 2019.
88. ^ ^{a b} Korson, Gerald (July 23, 2006). "Catholics in the White House". Our Sunday Visitor. Archived from the original on September 16, 2018. Retrieved September 16, 2018.
89. ^ "White House Brides and Envisioned Flowers". White House Historical Association. Archived from the original on February 12, 2019. Retrieved March 28, 2019.
90. ^ Craughwell, Thomas (September 16, 2016). "Unexpected American Catholics". National Catholic Register. Archived from the original on September 17, 2016. Retrieved November 5, 2018.
91. ^ ^{a b} Fogle 2005, p. 124.
92. ^ "St. Matthew's Cathedral". NRHP Travel Itinerary: Washington, D.C. National Park Service. Archived from the original on June 17, 2017. Retrieved February 24, 2018.
93. ^ "About Us: Our History". Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle. February 19, 2010. Archived from the original on August 29, 2017. Retrieved February 24, 2018.
94. ^ Diaz, Kevin (March 31, 2000). "God Is in the Real Estate". Washington City Paper. Archived from the original on April 19, 2018. Retrieved April 19, 2018.
95. ^ Cruz 1991, Introduction.
96. ^ Hinkel 1957, p. 39
97. ^ MacGregor 1994, p. 190.
98. ^ "Tour: Exterior & Design". Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle. February 27, 2010. Archived from the original on February 26, 2017. Retrieved May 24, 2018.
99. ^ "About Us: Baptistry and Nave". Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle. March 2010. Archived from the original on December 1, 2017. Retrieved February 24, 2018.
100. ^ Durkin 1963, p. 56.

Sources

• American Catholic Historical Society of Philadelphia (September 1909). "Letters from the Archepiscopal Archives at Baltimore: 1790–1814". Records of the American Catholic Historical Society of Philadelphia. 20 (3): 250–289.
  OCLC 1479632
  .
• Buckley, Cornelius Michael (2013). Stephen Larigaudelle Dubuisson, S.J. (1786–1864) and the Reform of the American Jesuits. Lanham, Maryland: University Press of America.
  ISBN 978-0761862321. Archived
  from the original on September 9, 2018. Retrieved March 15, 2018.
• Casey, Thomas Francis (1957). The Sacred Congregation de Propaganda Fide and the Revision of the First Provincial Council of Baltimore (1829–1830). Rome: Gregorian Biblical BookShop.
  ISBN 978-8876520662. Archived from the original on September 9, 2018. Retrieved March 15, 2018 – via Google Books
  .
• Catholic Editing Company (1914). The Catholic Church in the United States of America: Undertaken to Celebrate the Golden Jubilee of His Holiness, Pope Pius X. New York: Catholic Editing Company. p. 117.
  OCLC 976946591
  . Retrieved April 28, 2018.
• Clarke, Richard Henry (1890). "Province of Philadelphia". History of the Catholic Church in the United States from the Earliest Period to the Present Time. Vol. 2. Philadelphia: Gebbie & Company. pp. 1–26.
  OCLC 971006131. Archived
  from the original on September 9, 2018. Retrieved March 15, 2018.
• Crew, Harvey W. (1892). "Educational History". Centennial History of the City of Washington, D.C. Dayton, OH: United Brethren Publishing House. pp. 489–518.
  OCLC 34571629. Archived
  from the original on September 9, 2018. Retrieved March 14, 2018.
• Cruz, Joan Carroll (1991). "Introduction". The Incorruptibles: A Study of Incorruption in the Bodies of Various Saints and Beati. Charlotte, NC:
  ISBN 978-0895559531. Archived
  from the original on September 9, 2018. Retrieved September 8, 2018.
• Curran, Robert Emmett (January 1987). ""The Finger of God Is Here": The Advent of the Miraculous in the Nineteenth-Century American Catholic Community".
  JSTOR 25022452
  .
• Curran, Robert Emmett (1993). The Bicentennial History of Georgetown University: From Academy to University (1789–1889). Vol. 1 (First ed.). Washington, DC: Georgetown University Press.
  OCLC 794228400. Archived
  from the original on September 9, 2018. Retrieved March 15, 2018.
• Curran, Robert Emmett (2012). "Ambrose Maréchal, the Jesuits, and the Demise of Ecclesial Republicanism in Maryland, 1818–1838". Shaping American Catholicism: Maryland and New York, 1805–1915. Washington, DC: Catholic University of America Press. pp. 13–158.
  ISBN 978-0813219677. Archived
  from the original on September 9, 2018. Retrieved May 24, 2018.
• Currier, Charles Warren (1989). "Chapter V: The New World". Carmelite Sources: Carmel in America. Vol. 1 (Bicentennial ed.). Darien, IL: Carmelite Press. pp. 43–55.
  ISBN 978-0-9624104-0-6. Archived from the original
  on October 7, 2010.
• de Courcy, Henri (1857). "Appendix". The Catholic Church in the United States: Pages of Its History. Translated by Shea, James Gilmary (2 ed.). New York: Edward Dunigan. pp. 539–591.
  OCLC 6504685. Archived
  from the original on October 17, 2018. Retrieved October 16, 2018.
• Dodd, Walter Fairleigh (1909). The government of the District of Columbia. Washington, DC: John Byrne & Co. p. 4.
  OCLC 494007852. Archived
  from the original on September 9, 2018.
• Donnelly, Mary Louise (1982). Craycrofts of Maryland and Kentucky Kin. Burke, Virginia: M.L. Donnelly.
  ISBN 0-939142-06-6
  .
• Donnelly, Mary Louise (1990). Major William Boarman, Charles County, Maryland (1630–1709): His Descendants, Boarman/Bowman and Allied Families. Ennis, Texas: M.L. Donnelly.
  ISBN 0-939142-11-2
  .
• Downing, Margaret B. (1917). "Catholic Founders of the National Capital". New Catholic World. Vol. 105. New York: Paulist Fathers. pp. 732–743.
  OCLC 39329168. Archived
  from the original on September 9, 2018. Retrieved March 14, 2018.
• Durkin, Joseph Thomas (1963). William Matthews: Priest and Citizen. New York:
  OCLC 558792300
  .
• Ennis, Arthur J. (1976). "Chapter Two: The New Diocese". In Connelly, James F. (ed.). The History of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. Wynnewood, Pennsylvania: Unigraphics Incorporated. pp. 63–112.
  OCLC 4192313
  .
• Fogle, Jeanne (2005). Washington, D.C.: A Pictorial Celebration, Part 3. New York: Sterling Publishing Company, Inc. p. 124.
  ISBN 978-1402715273
  . Retrieved March 15, 2018. william matthews washington dc.
• Frye, Virginia King (1920). "St. Patrick's: First Catholic Church of the Federal City". Records of the Columbia Historical Society, Washington, D.C. 23: 26–51.
  JSTOR 40067137
  .
• Griffin, Martin I.J. (December 1917). "The Life of Bishop Conwell". Records of the American Catholic Historical Society of Philadelphia. 28 (4): 310–347.
  JSTOR 44208445
  .
• Haley, William D'Arcy, ed. (1861). "Chapter VIII: City of Washington". Philp's Washington Described: A Complete View of the American Capital, and the District of Columbia, with Many Notices, Historical, Topographical, and Scientific, of the Seat of Government. New York: Rudd & Carleton. pp. 203–221.
  OCLC 54223220. Archived
  from the original on September 9, 2018. Retrieved March 15, 2018.
• Hill, Owen Aloysius (1922). "Chapter III: Rev. Jeremiah Keiley, S.J. (1826–1827)". Gonzaga College, an Historical Sketch: From Its Foundation in 1821, to the Solemn Celebration of Its First Centenary in 1921. Washington, DC: Gonzaga College. pp. 33–39.
  OCLC 1266588. Archived
  from the original on September 9, 2018. Retrieved March 15, 2018 – via Google Books.
• Hinkel, John V. (1957). "St. Patrick's: Mother Church of Washington". Records of the Columbia Historical Society, Washington, D.C. 57/59: 33–43.
  JSTOR 40067183
  .
• Johnston, W. Dawson (1904). "Early History of the Washington Library Company and Other Local Libraries". Records of the Columbia Historical Society, Washington, D.C. 7: 20–38.
  JSTOR 40066838
  .
• Kerney, Martin Joseph (1856). The Metropolitan: A Monthly Magazine, Devoted to Religion, Education, Literature, and General Information. Vol. 4. Baltimore: John Murphy & Company. Archived from the original on September 9, 2018. Retrieved March 15, 2018.
• Lathrop, George Parsons; Lathrop, Rose Hawthorne (1894). A Story of Courage: Annals of the Georgetown Convent of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Cambridge, MA: Riverside Press.
  OCLC 5218883. Archived
  from the original on September 9, 2018. Retrieved September 9, 2018.
• Loughlin, James F. (1913). "Henry Conwell". In Herbermann, Charles G.; Pace, Edward A.; Pallen, Condé B.; Shahan, Thomas J.; Wynne, John J. (eds.). The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 4. New York: Universal Knowledge Foundation. pp. 349–350. Archived from the original on October 21, 2018. Retrieved October 20, 2018.
• MacGregor, Morris J. (1994). A Parish for the Federal City: St. Patrick's in Washington, 1794–1994. Washington, DC:
  OCLC 29636010
  . Retrieved April 28, 2018.
• Matthews, William (1824). A Collection of Affidavits and Certificates, Relative to the Wonderful Cure of Mrs. Ann Mattingly: Which Took Place in the City of Washington, D.C., on the Tenth of March, 1824. Washington, DC: James Wilson.
  OCLC 32860442. Archived
  from the original on September 9, 2018. Retrieved September 8, 2018.
• McLaughlin, James Fairfax (1899). College Days at Georgetown: And Other Papers. Philadelphia: J.B. Lippincott Company. p. 75.
  OCLC 1299424
  . Retrieved October 20, 2018 – via Internet Archive.
• Metz, William J. (1912). "Washington, District of Columbia". In Herbermann, Charles G.; Pace, Edward A.; Pallen, Condé B.; Shahan, Thomas J.; Wynne, John J. (eds.).
  OCLC 1017058. Archived
  from the original on October 21, 2018. Retrieved October 20, 2018.
• Newman, Harry Wright (2007). The Maryland Semmes and Kindred Families. Westminster, MD: Heritage Books.
  ISBN 978-0-7884-2308-6. Archived
  from the original on March 3, 2019. Retrieved March 3, 2019 – via Google Books.
• Schroth, Raymond A. (Spring 2017). "Death and Resurrection: The Suppression of the Jesuits in North America". American Catholic Studies. 128 (1): 51–66.
  S2CID 201738957
  .
• Schultz, Nancy Lusignan (2011). Mrs. Mattingly's Miracle: The Prince, The Widow, and the Cure That Shocked Washington City. New Haven, Connecticut: Yale University Press. p. 10.
  ISBN 978-0300171709
  . Retrieved September 8, 2018.
• OCLC 28996263. Archived from the original on September 9, 2018. Retrieved September 8, 2018 – via Google Books
  .
• OCLC 612832863
  . Retrieved February 24, 2018. william matthews georgetown.
• Spalding, Thomas W. (1989). The Premier See: A History of the Archdiocese of Baltimore, 1789–1989. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press.
  ISBN 978-0-8018-3857-6
  .
• Stickley, Julia Ward (July 1965). "Catholic Ceremonies in the White House, 1832–1833: Andrew Jackson's Forgotten Ward, Mary Lewis".
  JSTOR 25017652
  .
• Thorp, Willard (1978). Catholic Novelists in Defense of Their Faith, 1829–1865 (PDF). The American Catholic Tradition (Reprint ed.). New York: Arno Press. pp. 25–117.
  ISBN 978-0-405-10862-4. Archived (PDF) from the original on September 8, 2016. Retrieved March 14, 2018 – via American Antiquarian Society
  .
• Warner, William W. (1994). "Part II: The Church". At Peace with All Their Neighbors: Catholics and Catholicism in the National Capital, 1787–1860. Washington, DC: Georgetown University Press.
  ISBN 978-1589012431. Archived
  from the original on September 9, 2018. Retrieved March 14, 2018.
• Whitehead, Maurice (2016). English Jesuit Education: Expulsion, Suppression, Survival, Restoration, 1762–1803. Farnham, England: Routledge.
  OCLC 820426724. Archived
  from the original on September 9, 2018. Retrieved July 4, 2018.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to William Matthews.

• Works by or about William Matthews at Internet Archive
• Correspondence between Thomas Jefferson and, inter alia, William Matthews at the American Founding Era Collection of the University of Virginia Press

Academic offices
Preceded by Francis Neale	7th President of Georgetown College 1809	Succeeded by Francis Neale
Preceded by Adam Marshall	3rd President of the Washington Seminary 1824–1848	Succeeded by John E. Blox
Civic offices
Preceded by James Laurie	2nd President of the Washington Library Company 1821–1834	Succeeded by Samuel Harrison Smith Peter Force
Catholic Church titles
Preceded by Anthony Caffry	2nd Pastor of St. Patrick's Church 1804–1854	Succeeded by Timothy O'Toole
New office Bishop suspended from ordinary capacity	Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Philadelphia 1828–1829	Succeeded by Francis Kenrick as coadjutor bishop