By Joanna Eichler

Nearly a century ago, the Sisters of Mercy started St. Matthew School in Kalispell. Today, it is the only remaining parish school in the diocese, and St. Matthew Parish is in its 91st year of successfully providing a Catholic education to children in the Flathead Valley. As a sign of the changing times, it no longer has the Sisters of Mercy in its midst, but the teaching staff works to keep their vision and mission alive for the students.

While the school receives much from its community, the school is committed to teaching the importance of giving back. Last year St. Matthew’s students raised $1,563.08 for the Guatemalan Mission’s Clinica Maxeña and $1,259.56 for the mission’s La Asuncion school. This year our goal is to raise $2,700-$3,600 in tuition aid for the students in Guatemala. So far we have raised about $3,000 that will assist Guatemalans with tuition expenses. Students at St. Matthew School also contribute to the parish food pantry and parish social concerns throughout the year.

The important lesson is not just in the giving of treasure, but also of time and talent as the students at Saint Matthew Parish School strive to live out the corporal works of mercy in our community.


Joanna Eichler is the principal of St. Matthew School in Kalispell.


Published in The Montana Catholic Online, Volume 26, No. 4, April 16, 2010.