'He Was Always There': Oakland's 'Father Jay' Matthews Dies at 70

Rev. James Matthews, a longtime leader in the Oakland Catholic community, died suddenly on Saturday night of an apparent heart attack. He was 70 years old.

According to church officials, Matthews was found unresponsive at the Cathedral of Christ the Light around 7 p.m. and taken to Alta Bates Summit hospital. A church spokeswoman did not know if he died at the hospital or before arriving.

Known as "Father Jay," Matthews had served as the rector of the cathedral — the seat of Diocese of Oakland — since 2015. But it was his 26 years as pastor at the predominantly African American St. Benedict Catholic Church in East Oakland that cemented his reputation as one of the city's religious and community leaders.

"He was Mr. Oakland," said Rev. Jayson Landeza, who knew Matthews for 30 years and succeeded him as pastor at St. Benedict. "He had a real sense of the pulse of East Oakland and particularly the African American religious community."

Matthews was born in Berkeley and raised in East Oakland in the same parish that he would one day lead for more than a quarter century. He graduated from Skyline High School in Oakland before entering the seminary in 1966. In 1974, he became the first African American to be ordained in Northern California.

Landeza said Matthews was known for being a constant presence in the lives of his parishioners and someone who was willing to bend the rules of strict Catholic doctrine if someone needed him.

"You could count on Jay, and you didn't have to be a Christian or St. Benedict," he said. "Jay was a part of all these people's lives, and when people asked for his presence, he was always there."

That included Bay Area Rep. Barbara Lee, who said she and Matthews were personal friends.

"And like for so many, he was there for me in good times and bad times," Lee said in a statement. "Father Jay lived a life of both faith and works – a life of love in service to others. We will miss his great wisdom. His passing is a loss for our entire community."

Landeza said that in a time when Catholic priests are often in the news for sexual misconduct, Matthews represented the best of the priesthood.

"To give generously, lovingly and unconditionally, and to do that with a sense of service. That was Jay," he said.

Even after being elevated to rector — one of the top positions in the diocese — Matthews remained connected to St. Benedict, regularly stopping by. Landeza said Matthews' high position in the church was a point of pride for his East Oakland parish.

"For him to be recognized in that sense, people felt a sense of accomplishment," Landeza said. "Here's one of our own who made it."