March 31, 2025
Dear Parish of St. Matthew and St. Matthew’s Parish School Community,
The Return to Bienveneda Task Force has continued to make progress towards the clean up and remediation of our special campus. We remain committed to providing our community with clear and certain updates regarding our efforts and will continue to report regularly throughout this process. Below is an update of the current steps taken and what the community can expect next as we recover and rebuild. As we stated in our previous communication, the safety and wellbeing of our community is our number one priority.
Campus Clean Up and Operations
The Return to Bienveneda Task Force has hired the project management consulting group Gardiner and Theobold (G&T) to manage the remediation and restoration of our existing campus and ensure the grounds are safe to move forward on future builds and welcome our community back to church and school.
St. Matthew’s has opted into the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to have the debris removed from the backside of the school campus (Admin Building, Lower School Buildings, and Library), the two clergy residences, and the neighboring properties on Bienveneda, owned by the School. Upon their approval of our application, we anticipate debris removal to be completed by the summer. In addition to the USACE, we have partnered with the California Office of Emergency Services to enlist the State’s help in our recovery efforts.
Simultaneously, the Return to Bienveneda Task Force is interviewing six candidates for Industrial Hygienists and Environmental Consultants this week with a goal to hire a firm to begin work during the month of April. This work is an imperative step in our return to campus plan. The industrial hygienists analyze and evaluate potential hazards, such as chemical, physical, ergonomic, or biological exposures. Their work will be the guiding force behind the understanding of what needs to be done to ensure the highest quality of safety for our parishioners and students. This contractor will also monitor the next step of our process, remediation.
Once the hygienists’ findings are complete, we will be able to move forward with the remediation and cleaning process of our existing spaces including the Church Sanctuary, Parish Center, Founder’s Hall, Mill Building, Middle School Campus, Early Childhood Campus, Sprague Gymnasium, Head of School Home, and 1026 Bienveneda (Church Home, former Caretaker’s Residence). The Task Force has already begun the search for a remediation team. This process can take anywhere from six weeks to six months, depending on the degree of damage uncovered.
Church and School Operations
The Parish of St. Matthew’s currently holds Sunday services at St. Augustine by-the-Sea Church in Santa Monica with services at 8 AM and 10:30 AM. The 10:30 AM is also available via the church live stream. St. Matthew’s also holds a 9:15 AM outdoor family service at St. A’s. Come for this casual, family-friendly service, complete with the Sultans, chairs, blankets, and Legos! We encourage all parishioners to read our weekly newsletter, The Carillon, for the most updated information about our ministries and gatherings.
The Return to Bienveneda Task Force, in partnership with the Parish, is in the process of establishing protocols and procedures to open access to the Columbarium as soon as it is safe to do so. Our Columbarium is an essential part of our campus and we are working swiftly to bring peace to those who desire to visit with loved ones. More logistical information about accessing the Columbarium will come next month.
St. Matthew’s Parish School has been open at two temporary locations in Santa Monica since January 27. Children in Early Childhood through Second Grade attend classes at the Stoner Avenue Campus while Third through Eighth Graders have settled nicely into a floor of the Water Garden Building, just under two miles away from each other. The School continues to target a Fall 2026 return to campus, but will return earlier if deemed safe to do so.
Seeing our community rise up from such devastation has been an inspiration to our entire team. This past week, middle school students from St. Matthew’s Parish School were able to put on their annual Spring Musical, thanks to the generous support of our Harvard-Westlake friends who loaned their theatre and entire tech team to our School. To see our students, who have been through so much, shine on stage, made us truly believe that nothing is impossible.
We will return to campus and continue to serve and love the St. Matthew’s Parish and School community as well as our Palisades neighbors. Thank you for your continued prayers and support.
Sincerely,
The Return to Bienveneda Task Force
- Bruce A. Freeman, Rector
- Alley Michaelson ‘02, Head of School
- Darren Seidel, Vestry Senior Warden
- Andrew Devkar, Chair of the Board of Trustees
- Terry Bird, Vestry Member, Alumni Parent, Current Student Grandparent (Chair of Return to Bienveneda Task Force)
- Mary Ellen Kanoff, Vestry Chancellor, Alumni Parent
- Lawry Meister, Former Vestry Senior Warden, Alumni Parent, Former Board of Trustees Member
- Ryan Harter ‘90, Board of Trustees Member, Chair of Facilities Committee
- Kevin O’Malley, Board of Trustees Member, Chair of Finance Committee
- Alexander Thain, Board of Trustees Member, Former Co-Chair of the Board of Trustees
