James Lester Erwin was born on December 27, 1915, in Oak Park, Illinois, being the only child of James L. Erwin and Sadiel Griffin. Hisearlyeducation was at St. Lucy Grammar School,Chicago, Illinois, and Fenwick high School, Oak Park, Illinois. He attended Providence College, Providence, Rhode Island (1 934- 38), where he obtained a bachelor of arts degree in philosophy.

Following his graduation from college he entered the Dominican novitiate at St. Rose of LimaPriory, Springfield, Kentucky, on August 15, 1938, and was given the religious name Matthew. He made his first profession of vows there on August 16, 1939, and was sent to the Dominican House of Studies, River Forest, Illinois, where he pursued his philosophical studies (1939-1942) and then his theological studies (1942-46). He was ordained a priest there by Archbishop William O'Brien on March 23, 1945.

Father Erwin's first ministry was to teach philosophy at De Paul University which he did for twelve years. In addition to his teaching assignments he pursued graduate studies in philosophy at the Pontifical Faculty, River Forest, Illinois, and obtained a Ph.D. degree in 1952. From 1951 until 1958 he served as the Chair of the Department of Philosophy at De Paul University and was an active member of their chapter of the American Association of University Professors, being Treasurer (1956-58) and Vice President (1957-5 8).

In August of 1958 he was elected prior of St. Peter Martyr Priory, Winona, Minnesota, the Province's novitiate house, where he served for six years. In 1962 he accompanied Bishop Edward Fitzgerald of Winona to Vatican Council II as the bishop's peritus. Upon completion of his term of office Father Erwin moved to Loras College, Dubuque, Iowa, where he taught philosophy and served as rector of Smyth Hall, the residence for the pre-novitiate candidates of the Province. After only one year in this position he was elected prior of St. Dominic Priory, New Orleans, Louisiana, and was appointed pastor of the parish, serving there for six years (1965-71). Father Erwin then elected to take a sabbatical year, dividing his time between the University of Chicago, the Catholic Theological Union, and the Center for Pastoral Ministry, all in Chicago. For a brief time he served as part-time assistant at St. Edmund Parish, Oak Park, Illinois, before moving to Madison, Wisconsin, where he was an assistant pastor at Blessed Sacrament Parish for one year.

In 1973 Father Erwin returned to Oak Park and was resident at St. Edmund Parish where he assisted in the parish and served as a chaplain at West Suburban Hospital and for the Oak Park Police Department. In l 980 he was called to a new ministry as Director of the Shrine of St.JudeThaddeus at St. PiusV Priory, Chicago. In 1986 hecompleted his term as director and moved to St. Thomas Aquinas Priory, River Forest, Illinois. He devoted his time to assisting in various ministries in the area, among them being a hospital chaplain and a part-time assistant at St. Vincent Ferrer Parish, River Forest. Over the years Father Erwin has served as spiritual director on numerous pilgrimages all over the world.

In early January 2000, Father Erwin was diagnosed with terminal cancer of the lung and the liver and was given only a few months to live. He elected not to undergo chemotherapy, which might have extended his life for a short time and chose hospice care as he continued to grow weaker. He died on the afternoon of March 6, 2000. A wake was held, and a funeral Mass celebrated at St. Thomas Aquinas Priory on March 9, 2000; burial was in the Dominican plot at All Saints Cemetery, Des Plaines, Illinois, on March 10.