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                                  UNITED STATES
                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549

                                  SCHEDULE 13G

                   Under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
                             (Amendment No.__3___)*

                       Matthews International Corporation
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                (Name of Issuer)


                             Common Stock - Class A
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                         (Title of Class of Securities)

                                    577128101
                        ------------------------------
                                 (CUSIP Number)

Check the following box if a fee is being paid with this statement [_]. (A fee
is not required only if the filing person: (1) has a previous statement on file
reporting beneficial ownership of more than five percent of the class of
securities described in Item 1; and (2) has filed no amendment subsequent
thereto reporting beneficial ownership of five percent or less of such
class.)(See Rule 13d-7).

*The remainder of this cover page shall be filled out for a reporting person's
initial filing on this form with respect to the subject class of securities, and
for any subsequent amendment containing information which would alter the
disclosures provided in a prior cover page.

The information required in the remainder of this cover page shall not be deemed
to be "filed" for the purpose of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934 ("Act") or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that section of the Act
but shall be subject to all other provisions of the Act (however, see the
Notes).

SEC 1745 (10-88)





-------------------------                                     ------------------
  CUSIP NO.  577128101                                         Page 2 of 5 Pages
-------------------------                                     ------------------

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      NAMES OF REPORTING PERSONS.
 1    I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NOS. OF ABOVE PERSONS (ENTITIES ONLY).

      ARIEL CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC.
      IRS ID # 36-3219058
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP (SEE INSTRUCTIONS)
 2                                                              (a) [_]
      Not Applicable                                            (b) [_]
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      SEC USE ONLY
 3
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION
 4
      Illinois Corporation
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                          SOLE VOTING POWER
                     5
     NUMBER OF
                          Ariel - 2,960,701
      SHARES       -----------------------------------------------------------
                          SHARED VOTING POWER
   BENEFICIALLY      6
     OWNED BY             Ariel - 0
                   -----------------------------------------------------------
       EACH               SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER
                     7
    REPORTING             Ariel -    3,129,551
      PERSON       -----------------------------------------------------------
                          SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER
       WITH          8
                          Ariel -   0
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON
 9
      Ariel -   3,129,551
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      CHECK BOX IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (9) EXCLUDES CERTAIN SHARES*
10
      Not Applicable
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW (9)
11
      Ariel -  3,129,551 / 30,278,500 = 10.34%
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON *(SEE INSTRUCTIONS)
12
      Ariel - IA
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                      *SEE INSTRUCTIONS BEFORE FILING OUT!

*        This report is being made on behalf of John W. Rogers, Jr., Chairman
and Chief Executive Officer of Ariel Capital Management, Inc., who may be deemed
to have beneficial ownership of the securities of the issuer. Mr. Rogers
disclaims beneficial ownership of shares held by Ariel Capital Management, Inc.



                                                                  Date: 12/31/01
                                                                        --------
                                                                     Page 3 of 5

Item 1(a)                  Name of Issuer

                           Matthews International Corporation
                           ----------------------------------

Item 1(b)                  Address of Issuer's Principal Executive Offices

                           Two Northshore Center; Pittsburgh, PA  15212-5851
                           -----------------------------------------------------

Item 2(a)                  Name of Person Filing

                           Ariel Capital Management, Inc.
                           ------------------------------

Item 2(b)                  Address of Principal Business Office:

                           200 E. Randolph Drive, Suite 2900, Chicago, IL 60601
                           ----------------------------------------------------

Item 2(c)                  Citizenship:

                           an Illinois corporation
                           -----------------------

Item 2(d)                  Title of Class of Securities:

                           Common Stock - Class A
                           -------------

Item 2(e)                  CUSIP Number

                           577128101
                           ----------------

Item 3.                    This statement is filed pursuant to 13d-1(b) or
                           13d-2(b) and the person filing is an investment
                           adviser registered under section 203 of the
                           Investment Advisers Act of 1940.

Item 4.                    Ownership.

                           (a)  Amount beneficially owned:

                                (See Page 2, No. 9)
                                -------------------







                                                                  Date: 12/31/01
                                                                        --------
                                                                     Page 4 of 5
                  (b)  Percent of class:

                       (See Page 2, No. 11)
                       --------------------

                  (c)  Number of shares as to which the person has:
                       (i)   Sole power to vote or to direct the vote
                             (See Page 2, No. 5)
                             -------------------

                       (ii)  Shared power to vote or to direct the vote
                             (See Page 2, No. 6)
                             -------------------

                       (ii)  Sole power to dispose or to direct the
                             disposition of  (See Page 2, No. 7)
                                             -------------------

                       (iii) Shared power to dispose or to direct the
                             disposition of  (See Page 2, No. 8)
                                             -------------------

Item 5.           Ownership of Five Percent or Less of a Class.

                       If this statement is being filed to report the fact that
                  as of the date hereof the reporting person has ceased to be
                  the beneficial owner of more than five percent of the class of
                  securities, check the following: [_]

Item 6.           Ownership of More than Five Percent on Behalf of Another
                  Person.

                       All securities reported upon this Schedule are owned by
                  investment advisory clients of Ariel Capital Management, Inc.,
                  no one of which to the knowledge of Ariel Capital Management,
                  Inc. owns more than 5% of the class.

Item 7.           Identification and Classification of the Subsidiary Which
                  Acquired the Security Being Reported on by the Parent Holding
                  Company.

                  Not Applicable
                  --------------

Item 8.           Identification and Classification of Members of the Group.

                  Not Applicable
                  ---------------

 Item 9.          Notice of Dissolution of a Group

                  Not Applicable
                  --------------


Item 10.          Certification

                       By signing below I certify that, to the best of my
                  knowledge and belief, the securities referred to above were
                  acquired and are held in the ordinary course of business and
                  were not acquired and are not held for the purpose of or with
                  the effect of changing or influencing the control of the
                  issuer of the securities and were not acquired and are not
                  held in connection with or as a participant in any transaction
                  having that purpose or effect.



                                                                  Date: 12/31/01
                                                                        --------
                                                                     Page 5 of 5


                                    SIGNATURE

         The undersigned hereby agree that this statement is being filed on
behalf of each of them and hereby certify, after reasonable inquiry and to the
best of their knowledge and belief, that the information set forth in this
statement is true, complete and correct.

                                       ARIEL CAPITAL MANGEMENT, INC.


                                       By:   /s/ Eric T. McKissack
                                           -------------------------------------
                                                 Eric T. McKissack
                                                 Co-Chief Investment Officer and
                                                 Senior Vice President

                                       JOHN W. ROGERS, JR.*
                                       --------------------
                                       JOHN W. ROGERS, JR.


                                       *By:  /s/ Eric T. McKissack
                                             ---------------------
                                                 Eric T. McKissack

DATED:  April 3, 2000
        -------------

        * Eric T. McKissack signs this document on behalf of John W. Rogers, Jr.
pursuant to the power of attorney attached as Exhibit 1 to the Schedule 13G
filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on or about January 10, 1994,
on behalf of Ariel Capital Management, Inc. and John W. Rogers, Jr. with respect
to Oshkosk B'Gosh, Incorporated, which said power of attorney is hereby
incorporated by reference.