Mattie Stepanek
Matthew Joseph Thaddeus Stepanek (July 17, 1990 – June 22, 2004), known as Mattie J.T. Stepanek, was an American author and motivational speaker. He published seven books of poetry and essays on peace, several of which appeared on The New York Times Best Seller list before his death at the age of 13. He wanted to be remembered as "a poet, a peacemaker, and a philosopher who played."
Also recorded as Matthew Joseph Thaddeus Stepanek
Mattie Stepanek
Kingkongphoto from Laurel Maryland, USA · Mattie Stepanek © copyright 2010 · CC BY-SA 2.0
- Name
- Mattie J.T.
- Birth Name
- Matthew Joseph Thaddeus Stepanek
- Born
- 17 July 1990
- Birthplace
- Washington, D.C.
- Died
- 22 June 2004
- Nationality
- United States
- Occupation
- poet · writer
- Languages
- English
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Documentary summary
Matthew Joseph Thaddeus Stepanek (July 17, 1990 – June 22, 2004), known as Mattie J.T. Stepanek, was an American author and motivational speaker. He published seven books of poetry and essays on peace, several of which appeared on The New York Times Best Seller list before his death at the age of 13. He wanted to be remembered as "a poet, a peacemaker, and a philosopher who played."
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Mattie Stepanek was poet and writer and United States. Mattie Stepanek was born in 1990. Mattie Stepanek died in 2004. The language is English.
Composed from admitted, traceable facts · 26 September 2026
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wikidata · Q562894 · wikipedia · Mattie Stepanek
In this article
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Mattie J.T. Stepanek • Birth Name — Matthew Joseph Thaddeus Stepanek • Born — 17 July 1990 • Birthplace — Washington, D.C. • Died — 22 June 2004 • Place of death — Washington, D.C. • Mother — Jeni Stepanek (Mama Peace) • Website — mattiespeacefoundation.org
Life and career
Life and career
Matthew Stepanek was born on July 17, 1990. Stepanek's parents divorced when he was a child. He was raised in Upper Marlboro, Maryland, and later lived in Rockville, Maryland. His hero was former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, who described Stepanek as "the most extraordinary person whom I have ever known". Stepanek had the rare disorder dysautonomic mitochondrial myopathy. His three older siblings died from the same illness. The condition was unknown until his mother was diagnosed with mitochondrial disease in 1992, after all four of the children had been born. He was the lyricist for Music Through Heartsongs performed by Billy Gilman. The album was released by Epic Records in April 2003. It debuted at number 109 on the Billboard 200 and at number 15 on the Hot Country Songs chart.
Death
Death
Stepanek died at age 13 at Children's National Medical Center in Washington, D.C., on June 22, 2004. He was interred at the Gate of Heaven Cemetery in Silver Spring, Maryland.
Veneration
Veneration
On September 21, 2012, the feast day of Matthew the Apostle, the Mattie J.T. Stepanek Guild was officially initiated. The purpose of the guild is to gather information and investigate Stepanek's life for a possible cause of canonization in the Catholic Church. On June 22, 2014, a memorial Mass at the Franciscan Monastery in Washington, D.C., commemorated the tenth anniversary of Stepanek's death. It was concelebrated by several priests from the Archdiocese of Washington.
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
The full dated record · 2 entries
1990
Mattie Stepanek born at Washington, D.C..
2004
Mattie Stepanek died at Washington, D.C..
Legacy
Shortly after Stepanek's death in 2004, the non-profit Mattie Stepanek Peace Foundation was established by a group of citizens in Rockville, Maryland, where Stepanek had lived. In 2008, the We Are Family Foundation hosted the first annual international Three Dot Dash Just Peace Summit based on the message Stepanek offered in his book Just Peace. On October 21, 2008, the Mattie J.T. Stepanek Park was dedicated in Rockville, Maryland, at an event attended by Oprah Winfrey, Nile Rodgers, Billy Gilman and others. Pepper Choplin set words from Stepanek's final peace speech to music, and a 100-voice choir performed the debut of the song "Look Up Way Down". Central to the park is its Peace Garden, which has a design based on imagery Stepanek used in his book of essays Just Peace: A Message of Hope. In the Peace Garden there is a life-size bronze statue of Stepanek and his service dog, Micah, surrounded by chess tables. Throughout the park are presentations of quotes from Stepanek. • Illustration — Stepanek's mother, Jeni Stepanek Smith, in 2026 holding a framed proclamation of Mattie Stepanek Peace Day as recognized at the local, state, and national levels On June 6, 2010, a performance of Heartsongs took place at Carnegie Hall. It featured Stepanek's poetry, set to music by composer Joseph Martin. The music was performed by 200 members of Distinguished Concerts Singers International—including its Children's Choir—under the direction of conductor Stephen Roddy. In 2011, Oprah Winfrey named Stepanek as one of her all-time most memorable guests in the 25-year history of her show. Mattie convinced Oprah not to retire from her show on its 20th anniversary, saying by email that the show was "good for the world and good for [Oprah]". During the final studio audience taping, Stepanek's mother and Oprah shared memories of Stepanek; they discussed his life story as told in the book Messenger book; and Oprah called him "a messenger for our times". In 2013, the National Catholic Partnership on Disability posthumously honored Stepanek with its Youth Young Adult Leadership Award. At the behest of the Mattie Stepanek Peace Foundation, in 2013, Barbara Mikulski, a United States senator from Maryland, sent a letter to US President Barack Obama, wanting to declare July 17 (Stepanek's birthday) a national peace day in Stepanek's honor. In July 2014, Ben Cardin, a junior United States senator from Maryland, joined Mikulski in introducing Senate Resolution 509, which was approved by the Senate and which honors Stepanek's life and legacy. In 2017, the city of Rockville, Maryland, voted to declare Mattie's July 17 birthday as "Peace Day" at a local level in perpetua, as a statement of support for the National Peace Day Campaign.
Awards
• 1999 Melinda Lawrence International Book Award for inspirational written works from the Children's Hospice International, 1999 • 2004 Nu Skin Enterprises's Nu Skin Force for Good Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award • 2007 Independent Publisher's 'Peacemaker of the Year' Award
Literature
Literature
Literature
Youth Activism: Mattie Stepanek, 2016
Using Mattie Stepanek's Heartsongs in the Classroom, 2002
Scholarly footprint
Literature
Scholarly footprint
A count of publications is evidence of attention, not of standing, and is given here only as a measure.
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Stepanek, Jennifer Smith. Mattie's Facts. Mattie J.T. Stepanek Foundation. 24 February 2020.
- 2.Associated Press. Mattie Stepanek, 13, Poet and Inspiration. New York Times. 23 June 2004.
- 3.Oliver, Myrna. Matthew 'Mattie' Stepanek, 13; Poet, Peacemaker. Los Angeles Times. 24 June 2004.
- 4.Mattie Stepanek, Singer of Heartsongs. Legacy.com. 22 June 2014.
- 5.Bessonette, Colin. Poetic eulogy by Carter. Tampa Bay Times. 28 August 2005.
- 6.King, Larry. Interview With Mattie Stepanek. CNN Larry King Live. CNN. 17 April 2002.
- 7.Ruhlmann, William. Music Through Heartsongs: Songs Based on the Poems of Mattie J.T. Stepanek. AllMusic.com. 15 April 2003.
- 8.Johnson, Darragh. Celebrating the Courage of Mattie. The Washington Post. June 29, 2004.
- 9.Our History. The Mattie J.T. Stepanek Foundation.
- 10.United Nations. Three Dot Dash. YouthAward.org.
- 11.Snipes, S. In Memory of Mattie Stepanek. Oprah.com. Oprah Winfrey Network. 24 December 2008.
- 12.Houston Children's Chorus Readies for Carnegie Hall Performance. Your Houston News. 3 May 2010.
- 13.Hamilton, A. Oprah's All-Time Favorite Guest Revealed. Oprah.com. Oprah Winfrey Network. 20 May 2011.
- 14.Resolution Honoring Life Of Marylander Mattie Stepanek. 22 July 2014.
- 15.S.Res.509 - A resolution honoring the extraordinary and courageous life of Mattie Stepanek. Congress.gov. 21 July 2014.
- 16.Stepanek, Jennifer Smith. Canonization Cause. MattieMatters.org. Mattie J.T. Stepanek Guild. 2018-10-25.
- 17.Scholastic. Contributor - Mattie Stepanek. Scholastic Teachers.
- 18.Force For Good. Mattie Stepanek - Lifetime Achievement Award Winner.
- 19.Barnes, Jim. 2007 Independent Publisher Book Award Results. Independent Publisher. Jenkins Group. 2007.
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The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 15 August 2026.
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