by Gordon Nary
Gordon: When and where were you born? Tell us something about your family.
Matthew: I was born in Massachusetts in 1972, and grew up in Connecticut. I’ve lived in many places, but the Northeast will always have a special place in my heart.
My parents both converted (at different times) to Catholicism when I was growing up. My father’s family were Mormons, and my mother’s family were Episcopalians and later Unitarians. My brother and I were baptized in the Episcopal Church but were raised Catholic.
We were blessed to be raised by very supportive parents who taught us Christian values and how to think for ourselves. They also taught us with their example to help people in need, whether they be neighbors or migrants.
Gordon: What is one of your favorite childhood memories?
Matthew: I really had a mostly happy childhood, so there’s a lot to choose from… but definitely one of my favorite memories is a special family time we used to have. My parents opted not to have a television for many years, until I was around 11 years old. Instead of watching TV, we’d gather as a family in the living room, and my mother would read books to us—and not just children’s books! C.S. Lewis and Tolkien were among the authors she read to us, of course, but also with many others. My father would sit by her side and my brother and I would often draw or (in my case) do origami while we listened. I’m very glad my parents made that choice.
Even after I grew up, when I visited sometimes we’d sit together and take turns reading a book out loud to each other. My mother passed away in 2020 and that tradition kind of died with her, but I’ll always cherish that time together.
Gordon: When did you join the Legionaries of Christ, and where did you study with them?
Matthew: I joined the Legionaries in 1991, when I was 18. They liked to move us around so we would learn different languages and cultures, so I studied and exercised ministry with them while living in the USA, Italy, Spain, and Brazil. Living in different countries was a wonderful experience. I also got sent to Guatemala for short periods of time to accompany lay people on medical missions.
Gordon: In what languages are you proficient, and why are you interested in other languages?
Matthew: Besides English, I can read and speak Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese. I also studied ecclesiastical Latin and Koine Greek. I can still read Latin pretty well, but my Greek is very rusty, since I haven’t used it in decades. I’ve also been learning to read French on the fly, because of my job, although I haven’t studied it formally. Years ago, I dabbled a little in Japanese, but didn’t get very far. I’d really like to study French and Japanese seriously, but it’s hard to find the time.
Most of the languages that I’ve learned have been a matter of necessity, because I was living or traveling in countries that spoke them (Spain, Mexico, Brazil, Italy, Japan…) or I needed them for other professional reasons.
In any case, I really love learning other languages. Each new language opens an entirely new world for you. It expands your mind with different ways of thinking and expressing yourself, and allows you to communicate with people from a different place and culture. You can read news and literature written from a different perspective, and can appreciate the language’s particular richness of expression. This is incredibly worthwhile.
Gordon: When were you in Brazil as a Legionary of Christ, what work did you do?
Matthew: I was sent to Brazil after I finished studying a year of classical humanities in Spain, when I was just 22 years old. My mission there was to teach Latin, basic Koine Greek, Spanish, catechism, practical liturgical music (just the Gregorian chant and contemporary hymns the seminarians had to learn for our liturgical celebrations), and sometimes other things. I was busy!
It was a wonderful experience. I love teaching, and I loved Brazil. It was also challenging, of course. I was teaching a bunch of courses at the same time. I didn’t really speak Portuguese when I arrived, so I took a sort of informal crash course so I could start teaching Latin and Spanish in Portuguese a few months later (Greek classes were taught in Spanish, which I already knew at that point.) I learned a lot and matured a great deal as well. Plus, I got to work with and teach some really great people.
Gordon: When did you attend Pontifical Athenaeum Regina Apostolorum, what degree did you earn, what was your favorite course (and why)?
Matthew: I attended Regina Apostolorum in Rome from 1997 to 2001, and earned a master’s degree in philosophy. Nailing down a favorite course is hard, because I really loved studying philosophy in general. However, one of my favorite courses was philosophy of religion. And not just because the topic was highly relevant to me as a seminarian at the time; in great part I loved it because we had a brilliant teacher, Fr. Daniel Leonard, who is now the rector of the seminary of the archdiocese of Denver.
I was also very interested in philosophy of science, and the relationship between faith and science, so I focused somewhat on that in my elective courses.
Gordon: When and where were you a Professor of Philosophy, and what courses did you teach?
Matthew: I taught philosophy courses as an adjunct professor at the major seminary of the Legionaries of Christ in Thornwood, NY. The principal courses I taught were philosophy of science and philosophy of nature, although on and off I also taught introduction to philosophy, remedial Latin, and liturgical music (as I had in Brazil), as well as leading other philosophical seminars.
While teaching, I got my bachelor’s degree in theology, and then started my doctorate in philosophy. Unfortunately, I never finished my doctorate, because other things got in the way.
I really loved teaching philosophy. It’s very different from the popular conception of philosophy and metaphysics, which people associate with all sorts of fluff, esotericism, and New Age nonsense. Real philosophy (of which metaphysics is a branch) requires very rigorous mental work, involving logic and critical thinking. It’s about seeking the truth and wisdom, and reflects in part on information provided by the empirical sciences, the humanities, etc. It has served me well in my life.
Gordon: When did you serve as Associate Pastor and what is one of your favorite memories when you were there? When did you leave parish work?
Matthew: In 2010, it became untenable for me to continue as a member of the Legionaries of Christ, because of serious problems that had come to light within that community. At that point I was already an ordained priest, so my most obvious “plan B” was to join the diocesan clergy, as many of my confreres did.
Since I was living in New York at the time (where I had been teaching philosophy), first I was accepted by the archdiocese of New York “ad experimentum” and assigned to St. Patrick’s parish in Newburgh, New York. It’s a beautiful place! I celebrated Mass in English and sometimes in Latin (in the extraordinary form, also known as the TLM). I was going through a rough time personally, though, due to my certain experiences with the Legionaries of Christ. Despite a wonderful pastor and congregation, I didn’t feel that I had found the right place for me.
Still, I have great memories of sharing time with the pastor and parishioners, and the Newburgh community in general. They welcomed me into their parish, their lives, and their homes. I joined the local Knights of Columbus as well. Some of my most powerful memories there are from ministering to the dying and the grieving. Being there for people who needed to feel God’s comfort was humbling and fulfilling for me as his representative.
I then spent two years working in the archdiocese of Boston, at Holy Family Parish in Gloucester, MA. I felt very much at home on Cape Ann. I was again blessed with a wonderful, welcoming pastor and congregation.
There, I celebrated Mass in English and Portuguese, and occasionally in Italian. I formed a deep connection with the community, and have great memories of parish activities. I also made friends beyond the parish, including among the local non-Catholic clergy. Eventually I became a contributor to a local blog, Good Morning Gloucester, which was one of the best things that happened to me there. It allowed me to get involved in a lot of different activities and in the town.
At the end of two years, I asked for a sabbatical to focus on spiritual discernment. I quickly realized (with the help of a good therapist and spiritual director) that the time had come to leave ministry. I was grateful for the countless good experiences I’d had, but needed to move on. That’s when I moved to Mexico, where I now live.
Gordon: What initially interested you in origami, and when and where did you teach it?
Matthew: I started to teach myself origami when I was very young, maybe 6 or 7 years old. By the time I was 11, I was inventing my own models and teaching other kids. At the age of 13, I taught a non-credit origami course at a local community college.
By that time I was also teaching origami at venues such as summer camps, public libraries, and at the OrigamiUSA convention in New York. I continued teaching and exhibiting my work in libraries, art fairs, etc., until I entered the Legionaries of Christ in 1991.
During my time in the Legion of Christ I didn’t get to do much origami—hobbies were not technically allowed—but I did occasionally teach children a model or two, such as when I went on medical missions to Guatemala.
When I left the Legion I took origami up again at full speed. I taught classes at a local art space in Gloucester, and have taught many classes online to people from around the world. For a few years I was teaching classes with CONARTE, the cultural arm of the state government here in Nuevo León. I’ve also participated as a special guest at origami conventions in Mexico and Colombia.
Gordon: Please provide an overview of your book “Magnificent Origami Mandalas: Radial Modular Origami Models for Enthusiasts.”
Matthew: Since I was a child, I had wanted to publish a book of my own origami designs. Finally in 2021 I got down to business. With the help of my book coach, Ilan Garibi, I decided to compose a book focused on a specific genre within my collection of original designs. This genre is commonly called “mandalas,” although I don’t intend to associate my models with the Eastern spirituality originally behind the term. They consist of roughly circular decorative designs incorporating usually 8 sheets of paper, joined without glue.
The book has four chapters, containing a total of 32 models, organized according to the basic structure behind the units that compose the finished piece. For one of these “families” of models, I chose to name them all after titles, advocations, and apparitions of the Virgin Mary.
On one hand, this is because I wanted to use a bunch of names that were related to each other, as the models are related to each other, and Catholic devotion offers a wealth of names related to Mary. On the other hand, I also did it out of gratitude to the Blessed Mother, to whom I have turned countless times when in need. Sometimes I even ask her for inspiration when designing an origami model, and she practically always helps me.
Gordon: You currently work at Servimatices International. What do you do there?
Matthew: When I moved to Mexico, I founded Servimatices International with a local business partner as a way to channel my professional work and formalize my immigration status.
I’ve offered a number of services through this company. At first I did a little bit of translation work, and also taught origami and English classes. Then, one of my translation clients, Aleteia—a Catholic website that publishes Church news, spirituality, inspiring stories, and other cultural content—asked me to offer my services full-time. I stopped teaching and accepting translation work from other clients to focus only on them.
Under the aegis of Servimatices, I principally translate articles to English from the various other language editions of Aleteia, using my language skills augmented by the latest digital language tools.
And actually, I do a lot more than translate. I’m also charged with adapting the text when necessary for our English-speaking audience. Sometimes this even means becoming a co-author by adding more information for the cultural context in which the English edition is read. I also do SEO for the articles and input and format them in the website’s content management system.
A few times I’ve written my own articles as well, such as one on origami.
Gordon: Who is your favorite author, and why is that author your favorite?
Matthew: I’m terrible at picking favorites! (Except for cookies: chocolate chip with nuts.) When it comes to authors, it depends on the genre. Picking one from theology, my favorite author is St. Thomas Aquinas.
I studied his writings a lot when I was a seminarian, and his clarity and logic is amazing, along with his ability to make nuanced distinctions that clarify problems and lead to better solutions. At the same time, he combines this with humility, constantly referencing other thinkers (including non-Christian philosophers) and recognizing that his conclusions are based on the knowledge he has available to him.
Even where he’s been proven wrong thanks to progress in theology and science, he’s a master of how to think, and of learning from the best thinkers of the past and present, even when they aren’t Christian.
He’s also a poet and a mystic. His Eucharistic hymns are both beautiful and profound. So, he’s the complete package: wise, humble, profound, poetic!
Gordon: Thank you for a powerful and inspirational interview.