Guide to the Saint Matthew School Collection

History of Saint Matthew School

St. Matthew School, Norwood, opened in 1910 with 118 pupils in four classrooms of the church-school building. Sister Mary Antonio Sweeney, Superior and Principal, along with four other Sisters of Charity staffed the school. The Sisters commuted from Springer Institute, and, later on, from St. Joseph Infant Home until the former rectory was converted into a convent. In 1926, a larger house was bought for the Sisters' use; in 1960, a new three-story, ten-bedroom convent with a beautiful chapel. When St. Matthew Church was built in 1925, the school took over all of the original building. As the population of the parish grew, so did school enrollment, surpassing 400 by the early 1950's. A wing was added to the school in 1955. Although enrollment stood at 465 in 1960, by the end of the decade, there was a serious decline in all of Norwood's parochial schools. Consolidation was discussed as early as 1970, but the actual opening date for Gressle School, located at St. Matthew's, was 1974. St. Elizabeth School and St. Matthew School (St. Peter and Paul Schools chose to remain independent) sent some 300 students to the new school. Some Sisters of Charity chose to teach there. St Matthew Convent closed in 1986.

Scope and Content

This collection consists of four files containing, in part, historical reports, timelines, news clippings, historical summaries and a listing of the Sisters who ministered there.

Statement of Arrangement

Restrictions on Access and Use

Permission to use the collection can be obtained from the Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati Congregational Archivist. External researchers need to complete a request form stating the purpose of their research and a list of collections to be consulted upon their visit, which must be approved by the Archivist prior to an on-site visit. If a researcher is unable to visit the Archives in person, the Archivist will conduct a minimum amount of research and provide scanned copies of some materials if requested.

Photos -- 11 Box 35 in repository Can be viewed in notebook 23 Material on this mission may also be included among our oral history and presentation transcription collections. Please consult with the Congregational Archivist if you would like to explore and possibly utilize these collections.

Indexing Terms

The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.

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Preferred Citation

Saint Matthew School Collection, Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati Archives, Mount Saint Joseph, Ohio.

Detailed Description of The Collection