ST. MATTHEW - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Coordinator of Spanish Faith Formation
Fr. John Benson was born March 10, 1992 in Bethesda, MD, where he grew up with his two older sisters. His father spent most of his career with the American Red Cross, and his mother coordinated the RCIA program at their parish, Our Lady of Lourdes.
He attended public school from kindergarten until graduating from Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School, and attended religious education on Sundays at Our Lady of Lourdes, where he was also an altar server.
During high school, Fr. John enjoyed playing in a band, writing and recording music, and his plan was to pursue film studies in college.
In 2006 he became part of a community of the Neocatechumenal Way, through which he met priests and seminarians who exemplified the joy and freedom of following Christ.
In 2008 on a pilgrimage in New Jersey with his community, he felt called to give his life to Christ, and said ‘yes', not understanding yet what it meant.
In 2010 he graduated from high school and entered the Redemptoris Mater Archdiocesan Missionary Seminary, to be formed as a missionary priest for the New Evangelization. During his seminary formation he spent two years in mission in Northern California. As a deacon he was assigned to St. Philip the Apostle in Camp Springs, MD.
On June 15, 2019 he was ordained a presbyter by Archbishop Wilton Gregory, and assigned as parochial vicar at the Cathedral of Saint Matthew the Apostle.
L.J. Milone has been serving the church full-time for seventeen years. He grew up in Rockville Centre, NY where he attended Chaminade High School. He then studied at Siena College in upstate New York. Afterwards, L.J. volunteered with the Franciscan friars in Wilmington, DE and Philadelphia, PA serving the poor: the incarcerated, the homeless, and the sick.
L.J. earned a Master's Degree in Pastoral Studies from the Washington Theological Union where he studied with teacher and voluminous writer, Ilia Delio. Currently, L.J. is studying to complete a doctorate in preaching from Aquinas Institute of Theology.
He is a spiritual teacher, a retreat leader, a spiritual director, and avid student of the mystics such as Meister Eckhart, Francis of Assisi, Julian of Norwich, The Cloud of Unknowing, John of the Cross, Teresa of Avila, and Therese of Lisieux. He wrote a book on Meister Eckhart, Nothing but God: The Everyday Mysticism of Meister Eckhart. For over twenty years, L.J. has practiced silent meditation and has attempted to live in the Holy Mystery of God's Presence amid daily life with a large family.
He lives in Columbia, Maryland, with his wife, Jessica, and four children, Amelia, Therese, and the twins: Rachel and Joseph.
Job Titles:
- Director
- Organist, Hispanic Music Ministry
Job Titles:
- Pastoral Associate for Liturgy and Director of Music Ministries
Job Titles:
- Director of Faith Formation
Job Titles:
- Music Staff Member
- Principal
- Assistant Organist
- Cathedral Organist
Paul Hardy has been the Principal Organist of the Cathedral of St Matthew the Apostle since 2000. He is a frequent recitalist on both piano and organ. He coordinates the music for the many weddings at the Cathedral and assists the musicians at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception as organist and carilloneur.
He studied organ with Dr. Robert Grogan. He also serves as a database and ETL developer at American University in the Office of Information Technology.
Job Titles:
- Director
- Music Staff Member
- Cathedral Organist
- Pastoral Associate for Liturgy and Director of Music ( See Bio )
Tom Stehle has been active in full time music ministry for forty-five years. A native of Butler, Pennsylvania, he has served in the Dioceses of Pittsburgh, PA and Peoria, IL and for the last 35 years in the Archdiocese of Washington DC. For eighteen years prior to his appointment at the Cathedral he was Pastoral Associate for Liturgy and Director of Music Ministries at Our Lady of Mercy Church in Potomac, MD where he was deeply involved in the design of the new church building and the installation of a 66 rank French-romantic pipe organ. During his time there the music program expanded to encompass choirs of all ages and styles including a schola cantorum, handbell choir, as well as the active participation of high school instrumentalists.
Job Titles:
- Coordinator for Social Justice
Job Titles:
- Choir Director
- Director of Hispanic Music Ministry
Job Titles:
- Assistant
- Music Staff Member
- Assistant Organist
- Contemporary Choir Director
Suzanne Béchamps is assistant organist at the Cathedral of Saint Matthew the Apostle. She holds a master of music degree in church music, with a concentration in organ performance, from Shenandoah University in Winchester, Virginia. In addition to serving at the Cathedral, she is the organist and choral accompanist at Holy Redeemer Church in Kensington, Maryland.
Father John "Jack" Hurley, like a true Bay Stater, was born on April 19 (Patriot's Day), 1940 in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Raised in Somerville, he was taught by the Xaverian Brothers at Malden Catholic High School. In 1961, he received his bachelor's degree (History) from Providence College (Rhode Island) taught by the Dominicans.
He studied for a year in Munich, later serving with the US Army including a tour in South Korea. He then served for 15 years in the US Foreign Service with postings in South Africa, Germany, South Vietnam and the State Department Headquarters in Washington. During this period, he received a Master of Public Affairs degree from Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government.
In 1978, the Holy Spirit led him to change hierarchies for which he attended Mt. St. Mary's Seminary in Emmitsburg, Maryland where he received a Master of Arts degree in Sacred Scripture. Ordained by James Cardinal (then Archbishop) Hickey in 1982 at St. Matthew's Cathedral, he served the parish communities of St. Francis de Sales (Northeast DC), Little Flower (Bethesda), St. Ambrose (Cheverly), St. John the Baptist (Silver Spring), St. Raphael (Rockville), St. Joseph (Morganza), St. Thomas (Northwest DC), and is now "in residence" at St. Matthew's, upon retirement.
In 1990, Father "Jack" completed doctoral studies in political science at Catholic University, where he now occasionally teaches a course in religion and international relations. He provides pastoral support to the St. Matthew's community in a variety of ways and, of course, continues to cheer the Boston Red Sox in his distinctive "Bahston" accent!!