On September 16, 1928, the people of the parish gathered at the two Sunday Masses voted to build a temporary school structure of eight or more rooms, to be erected by September, 1929.  It was decided about a year later, with the Bishop's permission, that the present school building should be erected with a second floor unfinished.  On May 15, 1929, construction began on the present school and it was dedicated by the late Archbishop Noll on October 13, 1929.  Only the first floor was finished on the interior and in August of 1929, six Sisters of St. Joseph of Tipton arrived to staff the school of five grades.  The first student enrollment was 150 students.  An additional grade was added each year and the first class was graduated from the eighth grade in June, 1933 with 40 students.   The Sisters of St. Joseph staffed the school from its beginning until recent years.

Father Hammes served the parish for eleven years and he was succeeded in 1933 by Father (later Monsignor) Arnold J. Wibbert.  Monsignor Wibbert served the parish until 1969, a period of great growth and expansion for St. Matthew Parish. 

On September 10, 1934, 18 students and 2 brothers of Holy Cross opened the 2nd floor of the school, which became known as Central Catholic High School.  The first athletic team at St. Matthew was organized in 1933 when a softball team was entered in the C.Y.O grade school league and continued on in Inter-City Catholic league until the late forties when the league changed from softball to baseball.  St. Matthew's first football team was organized in 1945 by students at Central Catholic High School. 

The high school remained until 1951.  In 1953, the upper floor of the school building was renovated for the use of the grammer school.  In 1954, ground was broken for a new rectory, and in 1955 ground was broken for the new Auditorium.  Construction began for a new (and present) church structure in August, 1959. 

In 1960, Bishop Pursley petitioned the Holy See to designate the diocese of Fort Wayne as the diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend and a Cathedral was to be established on South Bend. Bishop Pursley selected the church of St. Matthew as the Cathedral and it was designated a Cathedral on May 28, 1960. The beautiful new Cathedral was completed and dedicated on November 13, 1960.

Many improvements to the school have been done in recent years, including extensive internal remodeling in 2002-03.  As St. Matthew Cathedral School continues to grow and prosper we thank God for His countless blessings and we recall with thanks the priests, sisters and many laymen and women who worked for this parish with generosity and dedication. May God bless them all, living and dead, and may we continue to build on their wonderful foundation.