Faith & the Arts
St. Matthew’s has always been a place where the arts have thrived. We are blessed with many creative people within our midst: singers, poets, photographers, painters, writers and playwrights, potters, and musicians. We are blessed with an intellectual curiosity which provides the freedom for art to be expressed. We have the beautiful setting of our church building to offer for programs, musical events in particular.
Faith and Arts is at the heart of St. Matthews. It is one of the handful of ministries here that is distinctly us, that make us who we uniquely are. Faith and Arts does three amazing things:
It brings joy and vitality to the parish like nothing else;
It connects us to the vibrant arts and crafts community in Hillsborough and beyond, supporting artists in their vocations; and
It allows us as Christians to plumb human experience to a depth and with a poignancy not often achieved in church. This last gift is critical: the deeper we go into our humanity, the more deeply we can encounter Christ.
This is why we at the parish refer to Faith and Arts as a ministry of St. Matthews, to be held as at the core to our parish life and identity as pastoral care, social justice, preaching and teaching.
As of January 2024, Faith & the Arts is led by a group of small but talented group committed to faith in arts, faith through the arts, faith with the arts: Dr. Jason Wright, Director of Music at St. Matthew’s, noted North Carolina soprano Andrea Edith Moore, clarinetist Jane Hamborsky, and The Rev. Robert Fruehwirth, Rector of St. Matthew’s. The genius behind Faith and Arts and its original founder, Mary Rocap, consults and advises.
