Our Diocese

catholicnewsherald.com | October 28, 2022

(ABOVE) PHOTO PROVIDED; (LEFT, BELOW) PHOTOS BY ALEX CASON | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD Mohammad and his family spent two nights waiting outside the gates of the Kabul airport in August 2021, desperate to escape the increasing threat from the Taliban. Now, Mohammad and his family have settled into a new home in Charlotte, thanks to help from Catholic Charities and other organizations, and they are pursuing asylum status to remain here permanently. He and his wife are relieved their children are all back in school, and their eldest son is thinking about college.

By the numbers

As partners in state and federal programs, Catholic Charities Diocese of Charlotte provides a variety of resettlement services for refugees from around the world. More than 14,000 refugees have been resettled in western North Carolina since the program began in 1975. 252

Afghan evacuees settled in Charlotte and Asheville since October 2021 – nearly all settled over three months last fall as part of an emergency federal program

Refugees settled in Charlotte and Asheville under the regular federal program since October 2021. From: Afghanistan, Burma, Congo, El Salvador, Honduras, Iraq, Moldova, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Ukraine

Ukrainian refugees assisted in the diocese since March 2022

KIMBERLY BENDER kdbender@charlottediocese.org

CHARLOTTE — A year after 250 people were evacuated from Afghanistan to Charlotte and Asheville, a new phase of their resettlement is under way as Catholic Charities helps guide them through the complex process of securing a long-term home in the United States.

All of the families evacuated to western North Carolina through Catholic Charities now have housing, jobs and income to support themselves – with children in school, access to medical care and networks of assistance. The refugees’ focus now is on reuniting with family left behind and on traveling to Washington, D.C., for immigration interviews that will determine their futures.

Mohammad’s family is among them. A year ago, he and his wife huddled with their six children on the streets outside the Kabul airport, desperate to flee as the Taliban regime took over control of Afghanistan. Mohammad dreamed of a safe place to raise his family, where his three daughters could attend school without fear of gunfire and bombings, where his oldest son could seek higher education and his younger sons would also have brighter futures.

After a grueling evacuation in which his family was shuttled first to Qatar, then a U.S. military base, and finally to North Carolina, Mohammad said he is grateful.

“We’re thankful to Catholic Charities and to the whole nation for the opportunity to be here,” said Mohammad (identified by his first name for security reasons). “We’re thankful to be safe and glad for the opportunity to live a normal life.”

Upon the evacuees’ arrival in Charlotte, Catholic Charities provided several months of intense resettlement services – finding housing, securing medical care, and placing them in jobs and schools. Now, caseworkers for the agency’s resettlement office are shuttling families to Washington for immigration interviews and assisting with other needs – as they also support new additional refugees from Ukraine and other war-torn places around the world.

“The Afghan evacuees are adjusting really well,” said Laura Jones, Catholic Charities Diocese of Charlotte’s resettlement director. “If you think about where they were a year ago, chasing planes on the tarmac to flee their country, few could have imagined the stable lives they’d be leading in a matter of months.”

Over the past year, Jones said: “We’ve seen babies born and young people start college. We’ve seen a number of reunifications, where family left behind were able to join their loved ones in Charlotte. And almost all of the Afghan families are staying here – we’ve seen very little out-migration, which is not the case in other areas.”

Since October 2021, Catholic Charities has resettled 252 Afghan evacuees in Charlotte and Asheville, as well as 132 additional refugees from more than a dozen countries. More recently, the agency has provided services for 129 Ukrainian refugees arriving in the Charlotte diocese as “sponsored arrivals” of the government’s “United for Ukraine” program, following Russia’s attacks on the country that began in March.

SUEANN HOWELL sahowell@charlottediocese.org

CHARLOTTE — After a three-year hiatus due to the pandemic, married couples celebrating milestone anniversaries were recently able to gather with Bishop Peter Jugis for the Diocese of Charlotte’s annual Wedding Anniversary Mass.

The Oct. 23 Mass at St. Ann Church brought more than 30 couples together celebrating their 25th and 50th wedding anniversaries in 2020, 2021 and 2022, as well as couples married longer than 50 years. It was sponsored by the Diocese of Charlotte’s new Office of Family Life.

In his homily, Bishop Jugis noted how encouraging and inspiring it was to see so many couples who had traveled from around the diocese to be present at Mass and renew their commitment to one another.

Jerry and Valerie Hackman were among those at the Mass, making the trip from Asheboro to celebrate 64 years of matrimony. Parishioners of Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in Hight Point, the Hackmans made their first trip to Charlotte for the event.

The Hackmans met while Valerie was in high school. They became pen pals while Jerry served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War, and their relationship blossomed over time. They were married at Holy Family Church in Latrobe, Pa., in 1958. They raised two sons and now have one grandson and two great-grandsons.

The Hackmans credit the longevity of their marriage to having parents as good role models, giving each other the freedom to pursue their interests over the years, and a commitment to honest communication.

“You have to talk it out. Both have to give a little,” Valerie said. “You don’t win every time or lose every time,” Jerry added. Both agreed that humor is also important to the health of their marriage. “Laughter is a big part of it,” Valerie said.

Ryan and Shannon Gamble celebrated their 25th anniversary last year, and felt it was important to mark this milestone and celebrate their Catholic faith with other couples. They live in Mooresville, where they attend St. Therese Church. They have two sons who are now in college.

Ryan converted to Catholicism when their eldest son was 2 years old, about six years after they were married at St. Peter’s Church in Dayton, Ohio. “We wanted to raise our children together in one religion,” Shannon explained.

The Gambles devoted themselves to one another, their family and their faith. “Everything we did has always been centered on our children and has always involved our family. I have found a family at the church for a long time,” Ryan said.

Bishop Jugis addressed all the couples, “We know that Christ’s love is the foundation of the life for every Christian. In a very special way, Christ’s love is at the foundation of the sacrament of matrimony, of holy marriage.”

“Jesus Christ is the center of all Christian life, especially of Christian married life,” he continued. “Having Jesus in your marriage makes your marriage stronger, and your ongoing union with Christ makes your marriage stronger.”

More online

At www.catholicnewsherald.com: See more photos from the Diocese of Charlotte’s annual Wedding Anniversary Mass

(Clockwise, from left) Jerry and Valerie Hackman, parishioners of Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in High Point who have been married 64 years, speak with Bishop Peter Jugis after the diocesan Wedding Anniversary Mass; couples celebrating milestone wedding anniversaries renew their commitment during Mass Oct. 23; Bishop Jugis preaches on Jesus Christ as the center of Christian married life.

PHOTOS BY SUEANN HOWELL | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

ANNIE FERGUSON arferguson@charlottediocese.org

HICKORY — Catechists and all who teach the Catholic faith are invited to attend the Diocesan Catechetical Conference at the Hickory Metro Convention Center Nov. 5. To coincide with the Diocese of Charlotte’s 50th anniversary, the conference theme is “Faith More Precious Than Gold.”

Held for the first time since 2019, the one-day event will starts at 8 a.m. and end at 4 p.m. Bishop Peter Jugis will celebrate Mass at 9:15 a.m., followed by the keynote presentation – “Eucharistic Faith: Foundation of Christian Identity” – by John Bergsma, Ph.D., a professor of theology at Franciscan University of Steubenville. Three breakout sessions featuring a variety of topics will follow his presentation.

Major publishing vendors, such as the Augustine Institute, Our Sunday Visitor, St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology and Sophia Institute Press will display and sell catechetical materials.

“The biggest draw for attendees is that we’re bringing in catechists and parish catechetical leaders from all over the diocese,” said Chris Beal, director of Faith Formation for the diocese. “It gives them an opportunity not only to hear great dynamic speakers both nationally and locally but also to come together and learn from one another.”

The third breakout session will include group sharing about best practices, practical takeaways, challenges and successes in the classrooms and beyond. In this session, parishes that have similarsize faith formation programs will meet and discuss these topics, drawing on the community, Beal said.

Beal also noted that in recent years roughly half of the 500 to 600 attendees are part of Hispanic ministry in their parishes. Because of this, he said, the Spanishlanguage track is strong and features a keynote presentation from Father Julio Domínguez, the diocese’s Vicar for Hispanic Ministry.

Other talks include: “Engaging Parents & Families in Catechesis” by Dr. Joseph White, “A Pastoral Response to Gender Ideology” by Theresa Farnan, Ph.D., and “Catholic Philosophy: A Defense Against Relativism” by Paul Kotlowski. “Los Movimientos Apostólicos” by Father Julio Dominguez, and “Formación Continua” by Deacon Eduardo Bernal, and “Espiritualidad Cotidiana” by Ibis Centeno round out the Spanish track.

Many other topics will be covered, including social media and communication for evangelization.

Conference check-in begins at 8 a.m., and the last breakout session ends at 4 p.m.

For more information and to register, visit www.charlottediocese.org/ev/ conference.

Questions? Call the diocese’s Education Vicariate Office at 704-370-3244.

From: Rutherfordton Age: 22 Home parish: Immaculate Conception, Forest City Status: Started Mount St. Mary’s Seminary, Cincinnati, in August 2022 Favorite verse or teaching: “O God, you are my God – it Lugo is you I seek! For you my body yearns; for you my soul thirsts, in a land parched, lifeless, and without water.” (Ps 63:2) Favorite saint: St. Agnes of Rome, a martyr known for her purity and refusal to denounce her faith Interests (outside of faith): Piano, theater, skiing, euchre

CHARLOTTE — Michael Lugo is a young man of many talents. He grew up, the second of six children, on his family’s farm in Rutherfordton, where he would rise early every morning to milk cows and feed the pigs and chickens.

As a child, he discovered a love of acting in the local community theater. That grew into a passion for backstage and technical work as a teen – yet something was missing.

Lugo, 22, had been home-schooled in a family with a sincere love of their Catholic faith. And while he was drawn to the excitement of theater, he realized it would not fulfill his deepest desires. “I could easily see myself getting lost in the world of production, but I realized that wasn’t how God wanted me to pursue truth and beauty.”

So, in 2018, Lugo entered the St. Joseph College Seminary in Mount Holly, where he spent three years discerning a call to the priesthood. He graduated last August and moved on with nine of his fellow seminarians to attend Mount St. Mary’s Seminary in Cincinnati – among 49 men currently in some stage of formation to serve as priests in the Diocese of Charlotte.

He reflects on his journey in a conversation with the Catholic News Herald:

CNH: When did you first hear the call to a vocation to the priesthood?

Lugo: As I was growing up, there were several times I remember thinking God might be calling me to the priesthood. I began to seriously consider seminary after attending Quo Vadis Days (the diocese’s annual discernment retreat for young men) in the summer of 2018. Throughout the course of that week, spending time in prayer and learning about the priesthood, it seemed to me that the priesthood was the summation of everything I wanted out of life, particularly the way in which the life of a priest is completely dedicated to one thing: the service of God.

CNH: Looking back, what has most helped you evaluate God’s will for your vocation?

Lugo: Other than prayer and spiritual direction, I think being in seminary and receiving the seminary formation. I did not have any certainty about my vocation upon entering seminary, but I wanted an environment where I could discern more seriously and clearly. Being in such an immersive experience, where everything is designed to help foster an interior life and aid your discernment, is what has helped me the most in coming to greater clarity about my vocation.

CNH: Can you tell us something special about your time in seminary?

Lugo: One thing I have grown to greatly enjoy studying in seminary is languages. Over the course of my time at St. Joseph College Seminary, we had several Latin language immersions which were always a great time and very beneficial. I also had the opportunity to study Greek one summer, which was a great experience, and I am continuing to take Greek at major seminary with the end goal of being able to read the New Testament in its original language.

CNH: What do you love about being a seminarian for the Diocese of Charlotte?

Lugo: I love the fraternity among the seminarians. Having such a strong community made the transition to (major) seminary this year much easier, because we already had nearly 20 brother seminarians at Mount St. Mary’s, some of whom had previously studied at St. Joseph College Seminary.

CNH: When you envision your life as a priest of the Diocese of Charlotte, what do you see?

Lugo: I very much look forward to celebrating the sacraments. I pray that I can be a faithful priest acting in the person of Christ and as an instrument of His grace.

— SueAnn Howell

Seminarian education is funded in part by the annual Diocesan Support Appeal. Learn more about the DSA and how to donate online at www.charlottediocese.org/dsa.

PHOTO PROVIDED BY MARY’S WOMEN OF JOY Mary’s Women of Joy founder Jean Whelan (third from left) and members of Mary’s Women of Joy gathered Oct. 13 for Mass at St. Mark Church in Huntersville and a special dinner celebrating 25 years of sisterhood.

SUEANN HOWELL sahowell@charlottediocese.org

HUNTERSVILLE — Three decades ago, a Marian pilgrimage completely changed Jean Whelan’s life – inspiring her to open her heart to a call from God to lead other women to His truth and love.

The fruit of Whelan’s “yes” is Mary’s Women of Joy, a sisterhood and Scripture study at St. Mark Parish that over the past 25 years has touched the lives of more than 600 women – women searching for a closer relationship with God and with each other.

Mary’s Women of Joy is commemorating its 25th anniversary this month, and members are giving thanks for the fruits of their efforts and prayers: growth and support for Catholic schools, development of the parish’s Eucharistic Adoration ministry, installation of stained-glass windows at St. Mark School and Church, additional parish ministries and greater participation in parish life, and in new Mary’s Women of Joy groups being formed in the Carolinas.

HOW IT ALL BEGAN

Whelan recalls how her mission began. “In Advent in 1997, I was coming out of Mass held at Peace Auditorium at Presbyterian College, and I thought, ‘We are losing too many Catholic women to other churches because people there are speaking to their hearts. But we have Jesus in the Eucharist! He is a Person! He is with us!’”

She prayed about it, and she heard God’s voice speaking to her like never before – urging her to start a Bible study group. “It was very distinct. Everything went quiet and I said, ‘All right, Lord.’”

She invited seven women to her home to study the Sunday Mass readings, dubbing the group “Women of Joy.”

Now known as “Mary’s Women of Joy” to better reflect their love for the Blessed Virgin Mary and their desire to emulate her openness to God’s will, the group has swelled to 200 women who gather each week during the school year in the parish hall for prayer, fellowship and study.

A SISTERHOOD GROWING IN FAITH

“We are not a ministry; we are a sisterhood,” Whelan emphasizes. “Because what transpires is, women exchange their hearts and share their joys and sorrows in prayer together, studying Scripture and going on retreats. We are really learning more about our Catholic faith together.”

Diane Piraino, a member for the past 20 years, says, “In the beginning years we were all being fed spiritually with Bible studies that were really hard, so you needed to put time and effort into it. As you keep going through studies, you turn a corner where you think you have learned a lot and you see the need to serve others so they can learn, too.”

Piraino now serves as the group’s spirituality leader. She credits being encouraged at meetings to spend time in Eucharistic Adoration, attend daily Mass, pray the rosary and the Chaplet of Divine Mercy and to cultivate friendships with Mary and the saints – such as St. Faustina, the group’s patroness – to cultivate a deeper relationship with God, the Church, and her fellow sisters in Christ.

“It’s our family now,” Piraino says. “When we get together the joy just comes!”

Laura Hogan, another long-time member, notes the women receive unparalleled comfort, understanding and support from each another. “Women accept their struggles with greater peace because they have a sisterhood to support them.”

A BRIGHT FUTURE

Mandy Riley met Whelan five years ago and now helps lead a Mary’s Women of Joy group of 100 women who meet on Daniel Island, near Charleston, S.C.

“I think that the Holy Spirit is moving,” Riley says. “There are women who are pining to grow in their faith, to be connected to other women, and to be on fire for Jesus.”

Whelan is now collaborating with women to start Mary’s Women of Joy groups at Holy Family Parish in Clemmons and Immaculate Conception Parish in Wilmington.

“We also have a group of women in California who are joining the Mary’s Women of Joy Thursday evening group via Zoom to see if they want to bring it to their parish on the West Coast,” Whelan says.

PRAYERS AND HOPES FOR THE SISTERHOOD

At a 25th anniversary Mass offered Oct. 13 at St. Mark Church, Father John Putnam, pastor, prayed that “the work that has been done and continued over these past 25 years might continue to bear great fruit, not only here, but now in the other places where there has been interest in the foundation of new groups of Mary’s Women of Joy.”

Whelan hopes that, as the sisterhood grows and God calls more women to participate, that “every woman comes to know that she is a daughter, she has received salvation, and she is loved by Him.”

Watch an EWTN video on Mary’s Women of Joy at www.youtube. com/watch?v=5qF_ rwu_Zyo. Interested in starting Mary’s Women of Joy at your parish? Go to www.stmarknc. org/mwoj for more information.

(Left) During Room At The Inn’s annual banquet Oct. 20, State Sen. Joyce Krawiec (center) presents $1.3 million to the Carolina Maternity Home Association. Of those funds, Room At The Inn received $475,000. (Above) Paul Hoeing accepts the Elizabeth Hedgecock Volunteer Award. For more photos, visit www.catholicnewsherald.com.

PHOTOS PROVIDED BY BETH NIXON

ANNIE FERGUSON arferguson@charlottediocese.org

GREENSBORO — Cheers erupted at each mention of the overturning of Roe v. Wade at Room At The Inn’s ‘Life Wins’ banquet and fundraiser Oct. 20. The energy in the room was palpable. Yet the packed hall with more than 700 attendees remained focused on the mission at hand – supporting single, pregnant mothers who have no home and nowhere else to turn – by raising a record $190,000 for the organization.

Because of the comprehensive support Room At The Inn (RATI) offers – shelter, material assistance, meals, case management, transportation, job training, child care and many other life-affirming services – 16 babies were born since the 2021 banquet, including one the morning of this year’s event.

“These children were given a chance because of the support of RATI. The mothers have no job, no phone, no money, no education, no family support. Providing a mother long-term support gives her child a chance to thrive as well,” said Marianne Donadio, RATI’s vice president and chief development officer.

Donadio noted that the mothers in the program work hard toward their independence, but they also know that RATI will be there to support them if needed. The organization offers mothers the opportunity to stay connected and to receive help with such things as diapers, clothes, short-term financial assistance, child care subsidies, as well as housing and child care while in the college program.

Keynote speaker Melissa Ohden, the founder and director of the Abortion Survivors Network – a healing and advocacy group for survivors of abortion – gave a powerful testimony about the difference having that support can make. Ohden told her own harrowing story of surviving a saline abortion at seven months gestation, her discovery of this fact, and the role her grandparents played in coercing her 19-year-old mother to have an abortion. She also told of the years of healing, love and forgiveness that followed.

“We live in a culture that wants to say that people like me don’t exist, that failed abortions don’t happen,” Ohden said. “So tonight, we talk about the needs right here in your community and how this ministry is stepping up to serve women just like my biological mother whose greatest regret was that she didn’t run away from her family to save my life. If she would have had a place to go, her life and my life would have been so different.”

After Ohden’s presentation, Father Noah Carter – chair of RATI’s board of trustees and pastor of Holy Cross Church in Kernersville – presented two awards. The first was the Father Conrad Lewis Kimbrough Pro-life Leadership Award given to N.C. Lieutenant Governor Mark Robinson for his steadfast support of the pro-life, pro-family cause. Along with RATI’s president Albert Hodges, Father Kimbrough was one of the founders of RATI. Due to his travel schedule, Robinson accepted the award earlier in the week.

Next was the Elizabeth Hedgecock Volunteer Award given to Paul Hoeing, an ardent RATI supporter and former board chair. The award honors individuals who give of their time, talent and treasure to support RATI’s programs. Married for more than 50 years, Hoeing and his wife Beth are members of St. Leo the Great Parish in Winston-Salem and have been very active there and at RATI and Catholic Charities.

Also at the event, State Sen. Joyce Krawiec presented the Carolina Maternity Home Association with $1.3 million for the association’s member maternity homes, which includes Room At The Inn. The Maternity Home Association then presented RATI with $475,000 for an “After Roe Project” called Clifford Hall, a permanent ministry center in Kernersville to include offices, a thrift store, volunteer center, and a small licensed day care.

“With the Dobbs decision, Roe v. Wade was overturned, and the cause of life won at the national level,” Donadio said. “I hope you’re proud that you’ve been providing support for the mothers and children for many years, and I hope that you’ll continue to for as long as necessary.”

She added, “It’s my personal opinion that it will always be necessary because I think God permits need in this world so that we’re given the opportunity, which is very beautiful, to show His love to one another, and we need you to be a part of that work for another year, so that next year there will be another list of baby names up there because you gave them the opportunity to live … so, that way, life wins at the local level, too.” Learn more

PHOTOS BY SUEANN HOWELL | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD NFL Super Bowl champion and pro-life advocate Matt Birk accepts a statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary as a thank you from MiraVia for serving as keynote speaker at its “Leading the Way to Life” banquet Oct. 20.

SUEANN HOWELL sahowell@charlottediocese.org

CHARLOTTE — It was a moment to remember when more than 1,200 joyfilled pro-life advocates rose to their feet to applaud the reversal of the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision during the “Leading the Way to Life” fundraiser for MiraVia Oct. 20 at the Charlotte Convention Center. MiraVia has helped more than 11,000 women and children since 1994.

“I will always remember (June 24),” said Debbie Capen, executive director of MiraVia, during her remarks. “I went to the chapel immediately at MiraVia and knelt in front of Our Lord (in the tabernacle) and thanked Him. So many of us said we’d never live to see the day and here it was. I didn’t know how to express that gratitude,” she said.

Capen explained her prayers of thanksgiving quickly switched to prayers of petition to ensure MiraVia’s facilities, clients and staff were protected.

“I was actually a little bit irked because I had waited so long for that day. I couldn’t celebrate. We had to get right to work. I told myself we’d celebrate together at the banquet. So here we are, all 1,200 of us, to celebrate together!” Capen said to thundering applause. Capen made the stark point that, although abortion is not protected at the Supreme Court level, the Sstates have the power, and North Carolina has become a destination for those seeking abortion. Now, more than ever, “We need to be a destination for women seeking life,” she said.

She emphasized that both MiraVia’s programs – the residential facility at Belmont Abbey College and the outreach center – will be crucial in the fight to change hearts and minds and help meet women’s needs.

Capen announced that MiraVia expects to expand its services by 25 percent in the upcoming year to meet the increased demand of women seeking to choose life in wake of the Dobbs decision. She also shared the news that MiraVia has moved to a larger facility off Tyvola Road to allow for more meeting space for life skills classes for clients, and storage space for donations of clothing, diapers, toys and baby supplies.

Keynote speaker Matt Birk, retired NFL Super Bowl champion and practicing Catholic, toured the residential facility before attending the banquet. A husband and father of eight children, two of whom are adopted, he is running for lieutenant governor of Minnesota and publicly espouses his pro-life values.

“If you’re a Catholic or a Christian, your purpose here is to serve God. We all have different talents and roles. Everybody has a platform; some may be more public than others. At the end of the day that is what we are supposed to do, to serve God and the people,” he said in an interview with the Catholic News Herald.

Birk said he tells people the focus of the pro-life movement can’t be to just make abortion illegal. “We have to create a system where abortion is not necessary, where women are supported in every way – medically, emotionally, financially – so women don’t feel like they are forced to have an abortion. Basically, we need to love on women.”

He added that if you take time to see all of the work that is going on at places like MiraVia and other pro-life pregnancy centers throughout the country, “they are not hating women, they are loving on women in their greatest time of vulnerability.” Learn more

Watch MiraVia’s 2022 video featuring heartwarming stories from moms currently in its residential program. Go online to www.youtube.com/watch?v=vaHelmVqdRg.

To volunteer or donate, visit MiraVia’s website, www.miravia.org.

thank you to all our 2022 banquet sponsors who supported miravia's 28th annual banquet on oct. 20! With Gratitude to our Generous Sponsors:

MiraVia is a Catholic, 501(c)(3) nonprofit maternity and after-care program serving the Charlotte, NC area. Our Maternity Residence at Belmont Abbey College and Outreach Center in Charlotte serve as a safe haven and source of hope for over 800 women and children each year. To learn more or make a donation, visit MIRAVIA.ORG.

WINSTON-SALEM — St. Leo the Great Parish is beginning a lecture series that will host speakers from across the diocese. The program hopes to provide a consistent outlet for spiritual growth, focused opportunities for evangelization, and continued sustaining of spiritual and intellectual nourishment. Members of the St. Leo Parish Life and Evangelization Committee actively seek to provide dynamic speakers throughout the year. The lectures will cover a variety of topics centered on providing an engaging space for practicing Catholics, those returning to the faith, and especially those interested in learning more about the Church and all she has to offer. Upcoming lectures include Father Matthew Kauth presenting “St. Joseph – Patron Saint of a Happy Death” on Nov. 2, Father Darren Balkey presenting “Who was Pope St. Leo the Great?” on Nov. 9, and Patrick Yodzis presenting “The Holy Family – Inspiring Hope within the Domestic Church” on Dec. 1.

For more information about the lecture series, go online to www.stleocatholic.org. — Spencer K.M. Brown Immaculate Heart of Mary pays off mortgage early

HAYESVILLE — Parishioners of Immaculate Heart of Mary Mission in Hayesville gathered recently for a special Mass and Pay-Off Party (“POP”) to celebrate paying off its mortgage in July, after just 10 years. The parish, a mission of St. William in Murphy, outgrew the church it had built in 1984. The new construction involved taking on large debt and a challenging project of converting a former power sports equipment facility into a church. The mortgage, along with a capital campaign that achieved 97% returns on pledges, outfitted the 30,000-squarefoot facility with a beautiful church, a fully equipped kitchen, the Sister Terry Fellowship Hall, meeting spaces, classrooms and storage space. At a celebration after Mass, Father Alex Ayala, pastor, said, “My hopes and prayers for this community of the Immaculate Heart of Mary is that we continue to show faith. That we continue to work together to do God’s work. That we continue to be blessed by the generous support of our parishioners and the talents of our volunteers. And that, like the mustard seed, we continue to grow.” — Victoria Ewing Ware, correspondent

monthly meeting Sept. 19. The funds were raised through donations by the members of St. Charles Borromeo Church during a Baby Bottle Drive from Mother’s Day to Father’s Day this year.

The council said it is proud to be able to help this extraordinary Pregnancy Care Center as it works to help needy mothers and families that choose life, with all of its beautiful possibilities. — Thomas J. Robinson

CHARLOTTE — St. Matthew Parish’s Our Lady of the Rosary Lay Dominican Group welcomed Joan Granak and Karen Wiley during a Rite of Admission and Promises Sept. 9. The parish’s Lay Dominican Group was formed in 2021, and after a year of inquiry, Granak and Wiley requested admission. The ceremony marked the end of the Lay Dominican year. The group will receive inquirers for the upcoming year on Oct. 23 at St. Matthew Church. Contact Tom Mathis at cldolphgclt@gmail.com for details. — Spencer K.M. Brown

LATROBE, Pa. — A monk from Belmont Abbey, Brother James Raber, is among the seminarians for the 2022-’23 school year at St. Vincent Seminary in Latrobe, Pa. He is pictured with fellow Benedictines and administrators (from left): Father Boniface Hicks, director of spiritual formation; Father Patrick Cronauer, academic dean; Deacon Lawrence Sutton, Ph.D., director of pre-theologian formation; Father Edward Mazich, rector; Brother Raber, third theology; Father Emmanuel Afunugo, dean of students; Father Cyprian Constantine, director of liturgical formation; and Father John-Mary Tompkins, vice rector and director of human formation.

— St. Vincent Archabbey

CLEMMONS — Members of Holy Family Parish participated in the “Rosary Coast-toCoast” at the Parish’s Memorial For Life on Oct. 9, in conjunction with thousands of others from across the country and the National Rosary Rally in Washington, D.C. Introduced by Deacons John Harrison and Dr. Steffen Fohn, the Patriotic Rosary included intentions for our nation, our pope, bishops, priests and religious and for each state and the souls in those states. Each decade was led by a different parishioner and was prayed in either English or Spanish. — Hank Rudge

HIGH POINT — Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish celebrated the 75th anniversary of its church’s dedication Oct. 23 with a Mass that featured current and former clergy who served the parish. In addition, the parish welcomed its new parochial vicar, Father Baiju Paul. Originally dedicated as St. Edward Church in 1903, the church was rededicated as Immaculate Heart of Mary on Oct. 26, 1947. Current and former clergy concelebrated the anniversary Mass: (from left) Deacon Francis Skinner, Father Baiju Paul, OSFS; Father Peter Leonard, OSFS; Father Joseph Zuschmidt, OSFS; Father Tom Norris, OSFS; Deacon Wally Haarsgaard; Father Jack Kelly, OSFS; and Father Vincent Smith, OSFS.

PHOTOS PROVIDED BY BILL COXWELL

• Are you a current Cursillista looking to continue your 4th Day? • Would you like to find a local Ultreya? • Would you like to know more about the Cursillio Movement? Visit us at http://charlottecursillio.com/

Giving appreciated stock to your parish, Catholic school, agency, the diocese or the Foundation creates a gift that will benefit your desired beneficiary and provide you tax benefits. For more information, go to www.charlottediocese.givingplan.net or call Gina Rhodes at 704/370-3364.

Sheryl Austin Van and Lorraine Lane Knights of Columbus Council 939 Novant Health Triad Ob/Gyn

Benefactors ($2,500 - $4,999) Paul and Fran Breitbach in memory of their parents Mark and Linda Craven in memory of James Patrick Killeen, Jr Gerald and Janet Enos Joe and Nancy Muster John and Jane Pueschel Knights of Columbus Council 2829 Saint Leo the Great Catholic Church Sponsors ($1,000 - $2,499) Francis and Patricia Disney in honor of their grandchildren, Laurie and David Fitzgerald, Julie and Kevin Fox in memory of Joseph and Therese Fox, Karen Gochnauer, Gerald and Ann Hopkins, David and Mary Kretzschmar, Bernard and Elaine McHale, Joyce and William Partin, Wilfred and Suzanne Perez, Jenny and Timothy Rundle, Dana Tucich, Ben and Alice Yorks Friends ($500-$999) Stephen and Elizabeth Bambara, Christine and Stephen Cooper, Terry Cornelius, Gregory and Guadalupe Doyle, Kathleen and William Eaton, Mike and Sharon Hamilton, Amy Hughes, Georgia Martin, Matthew Piedimonte, Jaime and Ron Stoffel, Kathy and Joram Thomas, Michael Tierney, Terence Vogel, Wilde Concrete LLC, North Carolina Right to Life, Knights of Columbus Councils 8509, 8857, 7186, 10910 and 12017 ***Wine was donated by Dr. and Mrs. Albert Bassi Jr.***