Father Matty’s death leaves void; others ready to live message he preached

The sudden death this week of the Rev. Richard “Rick” Matty, priest of El Paso’s largest parish at Saint Patrick Cathedral, has left a huge void being felt in the Catholic community and beyond.

Matty, 57, died Monday of apparent natural causes during a trip to Chicago.

The Catholic Diocese of El Paso is already shorthanded. Bishop Armando X. Ochoa has yet to be replaced since departing for Fresno’s diocese late last year and now Saint Patrick Cathedral finds itself without its most beloved priest.

Matty’s absence in the El Paso Catholic community can only be described as devastating by local immigration attorney and Catholic church advocate Ouisa Davis who met Matty shortly after he arrived in El Paso in 1986 and worked with him for many years at the Diocesan Migrant and Refugee Services, which was started by Matty.

“He was a light, brought to us,” Davis said. She also said that the death was sudden and that there was nothing wrong with him. Matty presided over Mass at Saint Patrick Cathedral on Sunday.

Davis called Matty an incredible administrator whose void may never be filled.

“It’s big, especially because we’re in transition,” Davis said.

The lack of priests in the diocese, something that is being felt in the Roman Catholic Church nationwide, adds to the loss.

“It’s bad,” Davis said. “We have priests who need to retire, we have some seminarians in formation but not many. For whatever reason people do not choose a life of ministry in the church. A lot of our smaller parishes are without a resident pastor and there are parishes that have been closed down or combined.”

Matty’s death will not only be felt in the Catholic community, but in other religious communities in El Paso as well.

“He was always involved in interfaith dialogue and he always took those responsibilities seriously,” Davis said.

Rabbi Larry Bach of Temple Mount Sinai said Matty was opening his pulpit for non-Catholics.

“It’s true to say that Rick had the respect and friendship of members of the Jewish community,” Bach said.

Davis said Matty carried a lot of responsibility and not just as pastor.

“How do you fill that void?” Davis asked. “You don’t. He gave us the message and now we are called to live that message. It didn’t die with him.”