Matthew McSorley

Father Matthew Thomas McSorley, O.S.B. - BELMONT, NC - Father Matthew Thomas McSorley, O.S.B., died at Belmont Abbey on Thursday, May 24, 2012. He was born in Richmond, VA, on April 10, 1921, was professed as a monk of Belmont Abbey on July 2, 1943 and ordained a priest on June 4, 1949. Father Matthew taught in the English Department at Belmont Abbey College from 1945 to 1979, with the exception of one year of service at Benedictine Military School in Savannah. From 1949 until his retirement from active ministry in the mid-1990s, he served the Catholic communities in Belmont and, especially, at St. Helen's Catholic Church in Spencer Mountain. At Belmont's Unity Day celebration in 2008 he received the Humanitarian Award in recognition for his service to the African American community in Belmont and Spencer Mountain. He is survived by the monks of Belmont Abbey, and by his sister, Sister Ellen McSorley, R.S.M. The funeral service was private. A Memorial Mass for Father Matthew will be celebrated at the Belmont Abbey Basilica on Saturday, June 2, at 2:30 p.m. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Matthew McSorley Fund at Benedictine Military School. McLean Funeral Directors Belmont, NC 28012 704-825-5301 Savannah Morning News May 27, 2012 Please sign our Obituary Guest Book at savannnahnow.com/obituaries.