Celebrating 50 years

GOLDEN JUBILEE EDITION | A SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT OF THE CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD | JANUARY 21, 2022

Celebrating 50 years Celebrando 50 Años

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catholicnewsherald.com | January 21, 2022 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

‘The 50th anniversary celebration is not an event of only one day – Jan. 12, 2022 – but a celebration that lasts an entire year.’

Bishop Peter J. Jugis Bishop Peter Jugis incenses a statue of Mary, Mother of God during the start of a special Mass held Jan. 12, to open the Diocese of Charlotte’s 50th anniversary year. The diocese, which spans the 46 counties of western North Carolina, was founded on Jan. 12, 1972.

PATRICIA L. GUILFOYLE | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

‘There is so much to celebrate’ Bishop Jugis opens diocese’s 50th anniversary year with call to prayer, action SUEANN HOWELL AND PATRICIA L. GUILFOYLE CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

CHARLOTTE — The Diocese of Charlotte’s 50th anniversary in 2022 will be a year of faith, thanksgiving, charity, and prayer and devotion, Bishop Peter J. Jugis declared as he formally opened the celebration Jan. 12.

Bishop Jugis, the first native son to serve as Bishop of Charlotte and the diocese’s longest-serving bishop, inaugurated the anniversary celebration exactly 50 years from the date of the diocese’s founding in 1972.

Approximately 100 people joined the bishop at the cathedral for a Holy Hour of Eucharistic Adoration and recitation of the rosary, followed by the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, which was also watched by another 800 people live online on the diocese’s YouTube channel.

The Mass also featured the debut of a statue of Mary, Mother of God – patroness of the diocese – that will be taken on an unprecedented pilgrimage to 100-plus locations of significance to Catholics in western North Carolina during the anniversary year. The bishop blessed and incensed the statue, which was then placed in the sanctuary of the cathedral for the opening celebration.

In his homily, Bishop Jugis noted that the theme for the diocese’s 50th anniversary – “Faith More Precious Than Gold” – comes from 1 Peter 1:7. In it, St. Peter encourages people to rejoice in their faith, considering it a gift “more precious than gold that is perishable even though tested by fire.” The connection between the diocese’s golden anniversary and the Scripture verse describing our faith as more valuable than gold is meaningful, he noted.

“You could call this 50th anniversary year a ‘Year of Faith,’” he said. Referring to Matthew 16:16, the Gospel reading chosen for the opening Mass, he said, “We are proclaiming along with St. Peter in today’s Gospel: ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.’” The anniversary year is also a “Year of Thanksgiving to God” for His faithful love through all these years, blessing the amazing growth of the Charlotte diocese, Bishop Jugis said.

“Like a tiny mustard seed the Lord planted so long ago, the Catholic faith put down roots in our state, and is growing and maturing, spreading forth its branches,” he said.

This year will be a “Year of Mission” to bring the Light of Christ to others, Bishop Jugis also emphasized. “This is

CHECK IT OUT: 50th anniversary website A special website, www.faithmorepreciousthangold.com, launched Jan. 7 to be a go-to resource for information about all upcoming anniversary events, the diocese’s “50 Acts of Charity” campaign, and the Marian Pilgrimage around the diocese throughout the year.

It also showcases milestones in the diocese’s 50-year history, profiles must-see treasured sites around the diocese, and offers a collection of Marian prayers and devotions for you to deepen your faith.

Also find monthly prayer intentions, rosaries to be recited on special dates of historical significance in the diocese, Saints of the Month and a Marian art monthly series (coming soon).

The website will be updated regularly, so please be sure to come back again and again to keep up on the latest as the diocese commemorates its golden anniversary.

a ‘Year of 50 Acts of Charity’ to demonstrate the vibrancy of our faith by living the corporal and spiritual works of mercy,” he said.

The diocese is encouraging parishes, ministries, schools and families to engage in “50 Acts of Charity” – commemorating the founding of the diocese by participating in greater outreach, service and solidarity with our brothers and sisters in need. Progress toward the goal will be tracked on a special website for the anniversary year, www.faithmorepreciousthangold.com.

The bishop recalled Jesus’ words during His Sermon on the Mount: “You are the light of the world. A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket; it is set on a lampstand, where it gives light to all in the house. Just so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father” (Matthew 5:14-16).

“By bringing the Light of Christ to others,” the bishop continued, “we will have an important impact on our local communities through our 50 Acts of Charity. Everyone will know that the Catholic Church is here, and that Christ is alive in the community of faith.”

The 50th anniversary year will also be a “Year of Prayer and Devotion to the Spiritual Life,” he suggested.

“Good works of charity and faith arise from our personal communion with Christ. Jesus is our Way, our Truth and our Life.”

The 50th anniversary celebrations at the cathedral in Charlotte were echoed at other churches around the diocese, where clergy were encouraged to offer Holy Hours and Masses Jan. 12 in a spirit of unity and communion.

The Jan. 12 events kick off a year full of celebrations and programs spotlighting the diocese’s shared faith, history, diversity and progress.

The 2022 Eucharistic Congress, planned for Aug. 5-6 at the Charlotte Convention Center, will be a particular highlight this year. Started by Bishop Jugis in 2005, the Congress serves as a “family reunion” that now draws more than 10,000 Catholics to celebrate Christ’s Real Presence in the Eucharist, the source and summit of our faith.

Other programs include monthly prayer intentions and rosaries on days of special significance in our history, a Catholic Family Day at Carowinds in July, and a Charlotte Knights baseball game.

“The 50th anniversary celebration is not an event of only one day – Jan. 12, 2022 – but a celebration that lasts an entire year,” Bishop Jugis emphasized.

“It is a Year of Faith, a Year of Thanksgiving to God, a Year of Mission, a Year of 50 Acts of Charity, a Year of Prayer and Devotion to the Spiritual Life,” he reiterated.

“There is so much to celebrate. There will be so many opportunities. It cannot all be contained in a single day.”

Bishop Jugis concluded his homily saying, “In this our 50th anniversary year, let us all glorify the Lord by our lives of faith, giving thanks to God for His faithful love.”

The Diocese of Charlotte was founded Jan. 12, 1972, when Bishop Michael Begley was ordained and installed as the first Bishop of Charlotte. The diocese was carved out of the Diocese of Raleigh, which previously encompassed the entire state – splitting North Carolina into two dioceses, each with approximately 30,000 Catholics at the time. Now with more than 515,000 Catholics, the diocese is among the fastest growing in the country.

More online At www.youtube.com/dioceseofcharlotte: Watch Bishop Jugis’ full homily from the anniversary opening Mass

January 21, 2022 | catholicnewsherald.com CATHOLIC NEWS HERALDI

‘Hay mucho que celebrar’ Obispo Jugis abre el año del 50 Aniversario con un llamado a la oración y acción SUEANN HOWELL Y PATRICIA L. GUILFOYLE CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

CHARLOTTE — El 50 aniversario de la Diócesis de Charlotte en 2022 será un año de fe, acción de gracias, caridad, oración y devoción, declaró el Obispo Peter Jugis al inaugurar formalmente la celebración el 12 de enero.

El Obispo Jugis, primer nativo en servir como obispo de Charlotte y con más años de servicio en la diócesis, inauguró la celebración del aniversario exactamente 50 años después de la fecha de la fundación de la diócesis en 1972.

Aproximadamente 100 personas se unieron al obispo en la catedral para una Hora Santa de Adoración Eucarística y el rezo del Santo Rosario, seguido del Santo Sacrificio de la Misa, que fue visto por otras 800 personas online, en vivo, por el canal YouTube de la diócesis.

La Misa también contó con la presentación de una estatua de María, Madre de Dios, patrona de la diócesis, que durante el año del aniversario será llevada en una peregrinación sin precedentes a más de 100 lugares de importancia

‘La celebración del 50 Aniversario no es un evento de un solo día, 12 de enero de 2022, sino una celebración que dura todo un año’.

Obispo Peter J. Jugis para los católicos en el oeste de Carolina del Norte. El obispo bendijo la estatua, que luego fue colocada en el santuario catedralicio para la celebración de apertura.

En su homilía, el Obispo Jugis señaló que el tema del 50 aniversario de la diócesis, ‘La fe es más preciosa que el oro’, proviene de la Primera Carta de Pedro 1:7. En ella, San Pedro anima a las personas a regocijarse en su fe, considerándola un don “más precioso que el oro, que es perecedero aunque probado con fuego”.

La conexión entre el aniversario de oro de la diócesis y el versículo de las Escrituras que describe nuestra fe como más valiosa que el oro es significativa, subrayó.

“Se podría llamar a este año del 50 aniversario un ‘año de fe’”, dijo. Como dice la lectura del Evangelio de Mateo 16:16 elegida para la Misa de apertura, “Estamos proclamando junto con San Pedro en el Evangelio de hoy: ‘Tú eres el Cristo, el Hijo del Dios vivo’”.

El año del aniversario es también un “Año de acción de gracias a Dios” por su fiel amor durante todos estos años, bendiciendo el asombroso crecimiento de la diócesis de Charlotte, dijo el Obispo Jugis.

“Como una pequeña semilla de mostaza que el Señor plantó hace largo tiempo, la fe Católica echó raíces en nuestro estado, y está creciendo y madurando, extendiendo sus ramas”, dijo.

Este año será un “Año de Misión” para llevar la Luz de Cristo a los demás, enfatizó también el Obispo Jugis. “Este es un ‘Año de 50 Actos de Caridad’ para demostrar la vitalidad de nuestra fe al vivir las obras de misericordia corporales y espirituales”, dijo.

La diócesis está alentando a las parroquias, ministerios, escuelas y familias a participar en los ‘50 Actos de Caridad’, conmemorando la fundación de la diócesis, participando en un mayor alcance, servicio y solidaridad con nuestros hermanos y hermanas en necesidad. El progreso hacia la meta será seguido en un sitio web especial para el año del aniversario, www. faithmorepreciousthangold.com.

El obispo recordó las palabras de Jesús durante el Sermón de la Montaña: “Ustedes son la luz del mundo. Una ciudad situada sobre un monte no se puede ocultar; ni se enciende una lámpara y se pone debajo de una vasija, sino sobre el candelero, y alumbra a todos los que están en la casa. Así brille la luz de ustedes delante de los hombres, para que vean sus buenas acciones y glorifiquen a su Padre que está en los cielos” (Mateo 5:14-16).

“Al llevar la Luz de Cristo a los demás”, continuó el obispo, “tendremos un impacto importante en nuestras comunidades locales a través de nuestros 50 Actos de Caridad. Todos sabrán que la Iglesia Católica está aquí y que Cristo está vivo en la comunidad de fe”.

El año del 50 aniversario también será un “Año de oración y devoción a la vida espiritual”, sugirió.

“Las buenas obras de caridad y fe surgen de nuestra comunión personal con Cristo. Jesús es nuestro Camino, nuestra Verdad y nuestra Vida”.

Las celebraciones del 50 aniversario en la Catedral de Charlotte tuvieron eco en otras iglesias de la diócesis, donde se animó al clero a ofrecer Horas Santas y Misas el 12 de enero en un espíritu de unidad y comunión.

Los eventos del 12 de enero dieron inicio a un año lleno de celebraciones y programas que destacan la fe, historia, diversidad y progreso compartidos de la diócesis.

El Congreso Eucarístico de 2022, planeado para el 5 y 6 de agosto en el Centro de Convenciones de Charlotte, será particularmente destacado este año. Iniciado por el Obispo Jugis en 2005, el Congreso sirve como una “reunión familiar” que ahora atrae a más de 10,000 católicos para celebrar la Presencia Real de Cristo en la Eucaristía, la fuente y cumbre de nuestra fe.

Otros programas incluyen intenciones de oración mensuales y rosarios en días de especial importancia en nuestra historia, un Día de la Familia Católica en Carowinds en julio y un juego de béisbol de los Charlotte Knights.

“La celebración del 50 aniversario no es un evento de un solo día, el 12 de enero de 2022, sino una celebración que dura todo un año”, enfatizó el Obispo Jugis.

“Es un Año de la Fe, de Acción de Gracias a Dios, de Misión, de 50 Actos de Caridad, un Año de Oración y Devoción a la Vida Espiritual”, reiteró. “Hay mucho que celebrar. Hay tantas oportunidades. Todo no puede realizarse en un solo día”.

El Obispo Jugis concluyó su homilía diciendo, “En este año de nuestro 50 aniversario, glorifiquemos todos al Señor con nuestras vidas de fe, dando gracias a Dios por Su amor fiel”.

La Diócesis de Charlotte fue fundada el 12 de enero de 1972, cuando el Obispo Michael Begley fue ordenado e instalado como el primer Obispo de Charlotte. La diócesis fue forjada desde la Diócesis de Raleigh, que anteriormente abarcaba todo el estado, dividiendo a Carolina del Norte en dos diócesis, cada una con aproximadamente 30,000 católicos en ese momento. Ahora, con más de 515.000 católicos, la diócesis se encuentra entre las de más rápido crecimiento en el país.

Más online En www.youtube.com/dioceseofcharlotte: Vea la homilía completa del Obispo Jugis

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Prayer for the 50th Anniversary The 50th anniversary year will bear great spiritual fruit if we ask God for the graces we hope to receive. Please offer the 50th anniversary prayer daily for many graces to be poured on our diocese during this jubilee anniversary: Heavenly Father, accept our humble prayer of praise and gratitude as we joyfully celebrate 50 years as the Diocese of Charlotte. Throughout our history the faithful of western North Carolina, under the watchful care of esteemed bishops and abbots, have been nurtured by Your providential hand. Confident that You invite Your children to implore Your constant blessings, we pray that You continue to pour forth Your heavenly grace upon us. With filial affection and devotion, we further ask that You look kindly upon the prayers we seek through the intercession of our venerable patroness, the Most Blessed Virgin Mary, who with motherly attention tends to the needs and concerns of the Church. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and reigns with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, forever and ever.

Amen.

Oración por el 50 Aniversario Padre Celestial, acepta nuestra humilde oración de alabanza y gratitud mientras celebramos con alegría los cincuenta años de la Diócesis de Charlotte. A lo largo de nuestra historia, los fieles del oeste de Carolina del Norte, bajo el cuidado de estimados obispos y abades, han sido alimentados por tu mano providencial.

Confiamos en que invites a tus hijos a implorar tus constantes bendiciones, te pedimos que sigas derramando tu gracia celestial sobre nosotros. Con afecto y devoción filial, te pedimos además que veas con buenos ojos las oraciones que pedimos por la intercesión de nuestra venerable patrona, la Santísima Virgen María, que con atención maternal atiende las necesidades y preocupaciones de la Iglesia.

Te lo pedimos por nuestro Señor Jesucristo, tu Hijo, que vive y reina contigo en la unidad del Espíritu Santo, y es Dios por los siglos de los siglos.

Amén.

At www.faithmorepreciousthangold.com: Download a PDF of the 50th anniversary prayer card, available in English and Spanish

About the prayer card The Diocese of Charlotte 50th anniversary prayer card features an image of “The Immaculate Conception” by Spanish artist Bartolomé Esteban Murillo. Painted between 1655 and 1600, this oil on canvas is one of many images of the Immaculate Conception painted by Murillo. Seville, the cosmopolitan capital of southern Spain where the artist spent his life, was the epicenter of devotion to the Immaculate Conception at that time. The image is in the Algur H. Meadows Collection at the Meadows Museum, located on the campus of Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas.

Monthly Prayer Intentions Please consider adding these monthly intentions when you pray: n January: For peace. May the merciful Father bring an end to all discord between peoples of good will and grant His peace among all members of our local church. n February: For religious vocations. May God grant an increase to all religious orders who serve in the Diocese of Charlotte and grant zeal to all who are being called to a life of religious consecration. n March: For families. May God pour out an abundance of grace to every family in the diocese, that they may be domestic churches and dwellings of loving sacrifice. n April: For the homeless. May Christ, who had nowhere to lay His head, act in and through all the faithful in the diocese to provide for the needs of their brothers and sisters who lack housing. n May: For Mary’s intercession. May Mary, the patroness of our diocese, always look favorably upon our church and pray unceasingly for every member of Christ’s faithful. n June: For vocations to the priesthood.

May the Lord give courage and strength to those who are being called to the ministerial priesthood, and may those who are called respond generously and faithfully. n July: For parishes. May God bless and enrich each and every parish in the diocese

with His choicest graces and special protection, that they may be a visible expression of Christ’s body at work in the world. n August: For the sick and suffering. May God give comfort to the afflicted and suffering souls of the diocese and to those who are needy, that they may find in the generosity of faithful souls a remedy for their ailments. n September: For caregivers. May God grant all who care for the sick, needy, elderly and imprisoned an outpouring of His love and mercy, that they may be strengthened in their apostolate and remain steadfast in living the spiritual and corporal works of mercy. n October: For parents. May God, through the intercession of Sts. Anne and Joachim, give strength and virtue to parents, that they may be true witnesses of faith and charity to their children. n November: For the faithful departed.

May the Lord give eternal rest for all the faithful departed of the Diocese of Charlotte who lived and served faithfully united to the Church of God. n December: For children and youth.

May Christ, who came among us as a child, strengthen the hearts and minds of our children, that they may faithfully receive the word of God by their ears and eyes, and profess their faith by their mouths.

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catholicnewsherald.com | January 21, 2022 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

‘We delight to call Mary our Mother’: Diocese to be placed under patronage of ‘Mary, Mother of God’ CHARLOTTE — Diocesan officials are planning to ask the Vatican to formally approve “Mary, Mother of God” as the patroness of the Diocese of Charlotte.

The move is part of the diocese’s official 50th anniversary celebration in 2022.

During historical research in preparing for the 50th anniversary, officials discovered that over the years, bishops have invoked various Marian titles, but no title has ever been made official. They brought the matter to the attention of Bishop Peter Jugis, who decided to formalize Mary’s patronage of the diocese.

The process entails making a written request to the Vatican’s Congregation for Divine Worship and Discipline of the Sacraments for approval of the official designation.

Bishop Jugis said that when he became bishop in 2003, Mary, Mother of God had already been listed for some years as the principal patroness of the diocese in the annual Ordo: The Order of Prayer in the Liturgy of the Hours and Celebration of the Eucharist. Because the title “Mother of God” was already in use in the diocese, it seemed reasonable to continue with that title for Mary as the patroness of the diocese. Bishop Jugis said this particular title of Mary

honors the motherly relationship between her and the People of God in western North Carolina.

This title “implies a loving family bond of a mother to her child,” he explained. “We delight to call her our mother,” he said, because she “is very much present in our prayer and our spiritual life.”

We invoke the name of “Holy Mary, Mother of God” at least 54 times when we pray the rosary, and we unite ourselves in prayer as the priest invokes her name in the Eucharistic Prayer at every Mass, he noted.

In addition to the rosary and the Eucharistic Prayer at Mass, the title also appears in the Litany of Loreto and in the closing prayer of the Mass for the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God every New Year’s Day. The phrase “Mother of God” goes back to the third or fourth century, but the Greek term “Theotokos” (“The God-bearer”) was officially consecrated as Catholic doctrine at the Council of Ephesus in 431, thus becoming the first Marian dogma. At the end of the Council of Ephesus, crowds of people marched through the streets shouting: “Praised be the Theotokos!”

This Catholic doctrine is based on the doctrine of the

Incarnation, as expressed by St. Paul: “God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the law” (Galatians 4:4).

In its chapter on Mary’s role in the Church, the Second Vatican Council’s Dogmatic Constitution “Lumen Gentium” (“Light of the People”) calls Mary “Mother of God” 12 times.

In artwork and statues depicting Mary, Mother of God, she is usually depicted holding the Infant Jesus.

“Seeing the Infant Jesus with His mother reminds us of our own loving dedication to the spiritual and faith formation of our children and youth,” Bishop Jugis noted.

“The Child with His mother also recalls for us in the Diocese of Charlotte our five decades of work for the right to life of the unborn and our commitment to ongoing prolife work in the future.”

“The entire Church rejoices to proclaim Mary as Mother of God and Mother of the Church,” he said, “and we in the Diocese of Charlotte delight in the special privilege to proclaim many times over in our daily prayer our own special loving bond with her as our mother and patroness of our diocese.”

— SueAnn Howell, senior reporter

“Estamos encantados de llamar a María Nuestra Madre”: Diócesis puesta bajo el patronato de ‘María, Madre de Dios’ CHARLOTTE — Autoridades diocesanas han solicitado al Vaticano que apruebe formalmente a ‘María, Madre de Dios’ como patrona de la Diócesis de Charlotte.

La medida es parte de la celebración oficial del 50 aniversario de la diócesis.

Durante la investigación histórica en preparación para el 50 aniversario, las autoridades descubrieron que a lo largo de los años los obispos han invocado varios títulos Marianos, pero nunca se hizo oficial ninguno. Llevaron el asunto al Obispo Peter Jugis, quien decidió formalizar el patronato de María a la diócesis.

El Obispo Jugis dijo que cuando se convirtió en obispo en 2003, María, Madre de Dios, ya había sido incluida durante algunos años como la principal patrona de la diócesis en el Orden anual: El Orden de la Oración en la Liturgia de las Horas y Celebración de las Eucaristía. Debido a que

el título Madre de Dios ya estaba en uso en la diócesis, parecía razonable continuar con ese título para María como la patrona de la diócesis.

El obispo dijo que este título particular de María honra la relación maternal entre ella y el Pueblo de Dios en el oeste de Carolina del Norte.

Este título “implica un vínculo familiar amoroso de una madre con su hijo”, explicó. “Estamos encantados en llamarla nuestra madre”, dijo, porque ella “está muy presente en nuestra oración y vida espiritual”.

Invocamos a ‘Santa María, Madre de Dios’ al menos 54 veces cuando rezamos el Rosario, y nos unimos en oración cuando el sacerdote invoca su nombre en la Plegaria Eucarística en cada Misa, señaló.

Además, el título también aparece en las Letanías de Loreto y en la oración de

clausura de la Misa de la Solemnidad de María, Madre de Dios cada Año Nuevo.

El título ‘Madre de Dios’ se remonta al siglo III ‘ IV, pero el término griego ‘Theotokos’ (‘La portadora de Dios’) fue consagrado oficialmente como doctrina Católica en el Concilio de Éfeso en el año 431, convirtiéndose así en el primer dogma Mariano. Al término del Concilio de Éfeso, multitudes de personas marcharon por las calles gritando: “¡Alabada sea Theotokos!”.

Esta doctrina católica se basa en la doctrina de la Encarnación, expresada por San Pablo: “Dios envió a Su Hijo, nacido de mujer, nacido bajo la ley” (Gálatas 4:4).

En su capítulo sobre el papel de María en la Iglesia, la Constitución Dogmática del Concilio Vaticano II ‘Lumen Gentium’ llama a María ‘Madre de Dios’ 12 veces.

En las obras de arte y estatuas que representan a María, Madre de Dios, la

Madre y el Niño se muestran juntos.

“Ver al niño Jesús con Su Madre nos recuerda nuestra propia dedicación amorosa a la formación espiritual y de fe de nuestros niños y jóvenes”, señaló el Obispo Jugis. “El Niño con Su Madre también nos recuerda en la Diócesis de Charlotte nuestras cinco décadas de trabajo por el derecho a la vida de los no nacidos y nuestro compromiso con el contínuo trabajo pro-vida en el futuro”.

“Toda la Iglesia se regocija en proclamar a María como Madre de Dios y Madre de la Iglesia”, dijo, “y nosotros en la Diócesis de Charlotte estamos encantados de contar con el privilegio especial de proclamar muchas veces en nuestra oración diaria nuestro vínculo amoroso especial con ella como nuestra madre y patrona de nuestra diócesis”.

— SueAnn Howell, reportera senior

Pray the rosary on these special days To unite our diocesan family in prayer, please consider praying the rosary with these intentions on the following days connected to our history: : n January 12 – Consecration of Bishop Michael J. n May 17 – Incorporation of Catholic Charities n September 6 – Begley, first bishop of Charlotte (1972) (formerly Catholic Social Services) (1973) Establishment of the Catholic News Herald Intention: For those faithfully departed bishops who led Intention: For all who seek help from the parishes and (1991) the diocese in the past agencies in the Diocese of Charlotte, that they may find in us hearts of ready generosity and service Intention: For all who n February 1 – First Spanish-speaking Mass work in ministries of celebrated early in 1980 (date uncertain) n May 29 – First permanent deacon class ordained evangelization, that God (1983) give them the gift of clarity Intention: For our Spanish-speaking population, that in their spreading of the they may find a welcoming embrace in our parishes and Intention: For all deacons, that the Holy Spirit may renew Word of God communities within them love for the poor and reverence for the mysteries at which they serve n September 8 – n March 19 – Founding of St. Joseph College Creation of the Office for Seminary (2016) n June 6 – Opening of the first Diocesan Pastoral Hispanic Ministry in the Assembly (1975) Intention: For an increase in vocations to the priesthood Diocese (1972) from our families and parishes Intention: For our priests, that they may be zealous in Intention: For all immigrants, that they their preaching, adroit in their leadership, and eminently prosper as members of our community and n April 13 – Installation of Bishop William G. Curlin, holy in their daily lives diocesan family third bishop of Charlotte (1994) n June 13 – Mother Teresa visits Charlotte and Intention: For continued fidelity to the Magisterium of the n September 15 – Opening and blessing of establishes a Missionaries of Charity convent (1995) Church, that through our bishop and priests we may cling St. Joseph College Seminary building (2020) more faithfully to God’s revealed truths Intention: For the end of abortion in our land and for all Intention: For our seminarians, that God strengthen their who work in the pro-life ministries within the Diocese of hearts, enlighten their minds and sanctify their souls n April 20 – First affordable housing project for Charlotte seniors through the Diocesan Housing Corp. (2010) n September 24 – Inaugural diocesan Eucharistic Intention: For our elderly, that those who have grown weak n June 21 – Faithful Servant Catholic Leadership Congress (2005) under the burden of years may know our compassion and Institute, a high school students’ Christian leadership Intention: For greater love, honor, worship and reverence loving support program, begins (1981) of the Blessed Sacrament in our parishes Intention: For our youth, that they may grow in wisdom and grace before God n October 24 – Consecration of Bishop Peter J. Jugis, third bishop of Charlotte (2003)

Intention: For our bishop, Peter, may God give him a spirit of courage and right judgment, a spirit of knowledge and love, so that, by governing with fidelity those entrusted to his care, he may build God’s Church as a sign of salvation for the world n November 12 – Papal bull of Pope Paul VI establishing the Diocese of Charlotte (1971) Intention: For our Holy Father, Francis, may the Lord preserve him, give him life, make him blessed upon the earth, and deliver him from the will of his enemies n December 18 – Consecration of Bishop John F. Donoghue, second bishop of Charlotte (1984); and dedication of the Catholic Conference Center in Hickory (1988) Intention: For all diocesan apostolates, that they faithfully extend the ministry of the Church by forming hearts to be faithful to the Gospel in daily life

January 21, 2022 | catholicnewsherald.com CATHOLIC NEWS HERALDI

Pilgrim image of Mary to visit 100-plus sites across diocese this year SUEANN HOWELL SENIOR REPORTER

CHARLOTTE — A custom statue of Mary, Mother of God will travel throughout the diocese to parishes, missions, Catholic schools and other locations over the course of the diocese’s 50th anniversary year so people may venerate Mary as our patroness and pray for special graces for the Church in western North Carolina.

In his proclamation of the 50th anniversary year, Bishop Peter Jugis noted that as “Mary, the patroness of our diocese is so closely connected with her Son’s work for our salvation, we also draw close to her in this special year of grace.”

The Marian Pilgrimage is one of the signature events of the diocese’s 50th anniversary activities. The statue will travel to more than 100 locations across the diocese during the year – visiting churches, schools, events and sites of significance to Catholics in western North Carolina.

The statue was blessed by Bishop Jugis Jan. 12, just before the start of Mass at St. Patrick Cathedral to open the anniversary year.

Made of linden wood, it was hand carved in Germany about 20 years ago. It stands 52 inches tall and weighs approximately 41 pounds.

Imagen peregrina de María visitará más de 100 lugares en la diócesis este año SUEANN HOWELL REPORTERA SENIOR

At www.faithmorepreciousthangold.com: Track the progress of the pilgrim statue of Mary, Mother of God When the statue arrived in Charlotte earlier this month, local artist Lisa Autry gave it a thorough renovation before it was unveiled by the bishop at the opening Mass.

“I believe it was perfectly timed,” Autry said. “I had six days and it took six days.”

“It is a very high honor to be asked to work on such a piece of art that will be seen and venerated by so many,” she said.

“The Almighty has once again raised the bar for me. I cannot put into words how humbled and honored I am when I am asked to bring glory to God through my work.

“I felt close to Mary, and small in her presence while I worked on her. This brings me one step closer to realizing my purpose as an artist, and I am grateful for the opportunity.”

A committee led by Bryan Somerville, special assistant to the chancellor and also a member of St. Patrick Cathedral, is coordinating the pilgrimage route over the course of the year, leading up to the closing Mass on Jan. 12, 2023.

The statue will be escorted from location to location by members of the faithful in a circuit around the diocese, Somerville said. A special program of prayers and music has been created for each pilgrimage visit, to receive the statue and venerate Mary, Mother of God as patroness of the diocese.

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PHOTO PROVIDED BY JAMES SARKIS

This statue of Mary, Mother of God was unveiled during the Jan. 12 opening Mass for the diocese’s 50th anniversary at St. Patrick Cathedral in Charlotte. The statue will make a pilgrimage to more than a hundred sites during the golden anniversary year. (Below) Artist Lisa Autry thoroughly refurbished the 52-inch statue, which arrived only a couple weeks ago – changing the color of her robes, making necessary repairs, and touching up other details.

CHARLOTTE — Una estatua de María, Madre de Dios, viajará a parroquias, misiones, escuelas católicas y otros lugares de la diócesis en el transcurso del año del 50 aniversario de la diócesis, así la gente podrá venerar a María como nuestra patrona y rezar por gracias especiales para la Iglesia en el oeste de Carolina del Norte.

En su proclamación del año del 50 aniversario, el Obispo Peter Jugis señaló que como “María, la patrona de nuestra diócesis, está tan estrechamente relacionada con la obra de su Hijo por nuestra salvación, también nos acercamos a ella en este año especial de gracia”.

La Peregrinación Mariana es un evento emblemático en las actividades del 50 aniversario de la diócesis. Durante el año, la estatua viajará a más de 100 lugares por toda la diócesis visitando iglesias, escuelas, eventos y sitios de importancia para los católicos en el oeste de Carolina del Norte.

La estatua fue bendecida por el Obispo Peter Jugis el 12 de enero, justo antes del comienzo de la Misa de apertura del año de aniversario realizada en la Catedral San Patricio.

Hecha con madera de tilia, fue tallada a mano en Alemania hace aproximadamente 20 años. Mide 52 pulgadas de alto y pesa aproximadamente 41 libras.

Cuando la estatua llegó a Charlotte a principios de este mes, la artista local Lisa Autry la renovó rápidamente antes que fuera develada por el obispo en la Misa de apertura.

“Creo que el tiempo estuvo perfectamente sincronizado”, dijo Autry. “Tuve seis días y tomó seis días”.

“Es un gran honor que me pidan trabajar en una obra de arte que será vista y venerada por muchas personas”, dijo. “El Todopoderoso una vez más me puso una meta más alta. No puedo expresar con palabras lo humilde y honrada que me siento cuando se me pide que glorifique a Dios a través de mi trabajo”.

“Me sentí cerca de María y pequeña en su presencia mientras trabajaba en ella. Esto me acerca un paso más a la realización de mi propósito como artista, y estoy agradecida por la oportunidad”.

Un comité liderado por Bryan Somerville, asistente especial del canciller y también miembro de la Catedral San Patricio, es responsable de coordinar la ruta de peregrinación durante el transcurso del año del aniversario, hasta la Misa de clausura que se realizará el 1 de enero de 2023.

La estatua será escoltada en su traslado de un lugar a otro por miembros de la feligresía en un circuito alrededor de la diócesis, dijo Somerville.

Se ha creado un programa especial de oraciones y música para cada parada de la peregrinación, para recibir la estatua y celebrar a María, Madre de Dios, como patrona de la diócesis.

Siga el progreso de la peregrinación de la estatua de María, Madre de Dios online en www. faithmorepreciousthangold.com.

50th Anniversary Rally Flag

Banderola por el 50 Aniversario

Show your diocesan spirit with this 33 x 33 inch “rally flag,” modeled after those of Italian city wards – a festive sign of identity and celebration, each uniquely representing a neighborhood or community. Designed to be draped around the neck at special events or hung on display, the flag is a thick, durable and stretchy fabric perfect for versatile uses.

Display your rally flag at home, wave it during the 2022 Eucharistic Congress, wear it as a scarf, or show it off at special events at your parish and school in celebration of our diocesan family.

Get purchasing details online at www.faithmorepreciousthangold.com.

Muestre su espíritu diocesano con esta banderola de 33 x 33 pulgadas, inspirada en las de los barrios de las ciudades italianas: un signo festivo de identidad y celebración, cada una de ellas representa de manera única a un vecindario o comunidad. Diseñada para colocarse en el cuello en eventos especiales o ponerse en exhibición, está hecha de una tela gruesa, duradera y elástica, perfecta para múltiples usos. Muestre su banderola en casa, agítela durante el Congreso Eucarístico de 2022, úsela como bufanda o muéstrela en eventos especiales en su parroquia y escuela para celebrar a nuestra familia diocesana.

Detalles de compra online en www.faithmorepreciousthangold.com.

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catholicnewsherald.com | January 21, 2022 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Bishops of the Diocese of Charlotte T

he Diocese of Charlotte has grown under the leadership of four bishops since our founding in 1972 – with rapid multicultural growth a hallmark during the tenure of each. With different styles and passions,

each bishop has brought a unique vision, deep love for the Lord, and pastoral care for the people, priests and parishes that share the love of Jesus Christ in communities large and small across western North Carolina.

More online At www.faithmorepreciousthangold.com: Read more about each of the diocese’s four bishops

Outgoing Bishop Begley lays hands on incoming Bishop John Donoghue at his ordination Mass in 1984.

FILE | DIOCESE OF CHARLOTTE ARCHIVES

FILE | DIOCESE OF CHARLOTTE ARCHIVES

Bishop Michael Begley, pictured with children in this undated photo, was director of the statewide Bureau of Catholic Charities for 25 years, superintendent of the Church’s orphanage in Raleigh for eight years, and superintendent of diocesan schools for two years. When he became bishop in 1972, he moved quickly to establish a Catholic Charities agency for the new diocese and he strengthened youth education programs. He also formalized pastoral outreach to Hispanic immigrants, helped bring national awareness to the plight of the Appalachian poor, and built bridges with other faith communities.

Most Rev. Michael J. Begley January 12, 1972 – May 29, 1984 Diligimus Fratres (We Have Loved the Brethren)

The founding bishop of the Diocese of Charlotte was ordained Jan. 12, 1972. He served until retiring on May 29, 1984, and he passed away Feb. 9, 2002, aged 92.

He studied at Mount St. Mary’s College in Emmitsburg, Md., earning a Bachelor of Arts in 1930. He was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Thomas Michael O’Leary on May 26, 1934, for the Diocese of Raleigh.

His first assignments were at the Basilica Shrine of St. Mary in Wilmington and at St.

Edward Church in High Point.

After earning a master’s degree in social service from the University of North Carolina, he became director of the statewide Bureau of Catholic Charities, serving for 25 years.

Later as Monsignor Begley, he was sent

by Bishop Vincent Waters of Raleigh to Charlotte, where he established St. Ann Parish and served as its first pastor.

He was serving as pastor of Our Lady of Grace Parish in Greensboro when the pope appointed him the first bishop of what would become the Diocese of Charlotte.

Bishop Begley oversaw the complex process of transferring land and parish assets from the Raleigh diocese and creating the first offices and agencies of the new Diocese of Charlotte, including the diocese’s Hispanic Ministry program. He also strengthened diocesan youth ministry and Campus Ministry programs.

In 1975, he led 25 bishops from 13 states in issuing the pastoral letter “This Land is Home to Me,” which shed a spotlight on problems of the people of the economically depressed Appalachian region.

During his tenure as bishop, he championed the ecumenical movement in North Carolina, and his efforts earned praise from leaders of many denominations.

After Pope Paul VI approved the United States bishops’ request in 1968 to revive the permanent diaconate in this country, Bishop Begley established the diocese’s permanent diaconate program. In 1983, he ordained the diocese’s first class of permanent deacons.

During his episcopacy, he established the diocese as a nurturing place for spiritual growth, as a helping hand to the poor and oppressed, and as a welcoming evangelizer.

Most Rev. John F. Donoghue December 18, 1984 – June 22, 1993 To Live in Christ Jesus

The second bishop of the Diocese of Charlotte, Bishop John F. Donoghue, served from Dec. 18, 1984, to June 22, 1993, before he was elevated as the fifth archbishop of the Archdiocese of Atlanta.

He passed away aged 83 on Nov. 11, 2011, after a lengthy illness.

All of his studies were in the Washington, D.C., and Maryland areas.

Following study at St. Mary’s Seminary in Baltimore and Roland Park, Md., where he earned a bachelor’s degree in philosophy and a graduate degree in theology, he was ordained a priest of the Washington Archdiocese on June 4, 1955, by thenArchbishop Patrick O’Boyle.

While he often said that he expected to serve all his life as a parish priest, he was asked in 1964 to study for a licentiate in canon law and then assigned to the archbishop’s office. For the next 18 years,

he served on the staffs of three successive Washington cardinals: Cardinal O’Boyle, Cardinal William Baum and Cardinal James Hickey.

From 1972 until 1983, he served as chancellor, vicar general and secretary for support services of the Archdiocese of Washington. In 1984, he was also named moderator of the curia for the Archdiocese of Washington, where he served until being appointed Bishop of Charlotte by Pope John Paul II. He brought these years of administrative experience from Washington, D.C., to Charlotte, which was experiencing rapid growth.

During his nine years as bishop, he strategically bought land across western North Carolina to accommodate growth of the Church and opened new churches to serve the growing Hispanic and Vietnamese communities.

He oversaw the reorganization of the Charlotte-area Catholic schools into the regional Mecklenburg Area Catholic Schools system.

He established the Catholic News Herald, and he opened the Catholic Conference Center in Hickory.

Bishop Donoghue convened the first Synod of the Diocese of Charlotte (19861987) to help guide the Church through its next phase of growth.

He led an emphasis on evangelization toward inactive Catholics and people not connected with church.

He played a leading role in the development of the North Carolina Lutheran-Catholic Covenant, signed in 1991 by the Charlotte and Raleigh dioceses and the North Carolina Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.

He also signed a follow-up pastoral letter to “This Land is Home to Me” by the Catholic bishops of Appalachia – the 1995 “At Home in the Web of Life.”

He had a deep devotion to the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist, and to encouraging people to draw closer to Jesus in the Eucharist.

January 21, 2022 | catholicnewsherald.com CATHOLIC NEWS HERALDI

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Bishops of the Diocese of Charlotte

Most Rev. William G. Curlin April 13, 1994 – September 10, 2002 Sentire Cum Christo (To Think With Christ)

Bishop William G. Curlin was the third to lead the Diocese of Charlotte. He was ordained April 13, 1994, and served until retiring Sept. 10, 2002. He passed away Dec. 23, 2017, aged 90.

Champion of the poor, comforter of the sick and the dying, friend of St. Teresa of Calcutta, Bishop Curlin preached the love of Jesus Christ during more than 60 years of priestly ministry, first in the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C., and then 23 years in the Charlotte diocese.

He was ordained to the priesthood on May 25, 1957, by Cardinal Patrick O’Boyle at St. Matthew Cathedral in Washington, D.C. In Washington, he ministered mostly

Most Rev. Peter J. Jugis October 24, 2003 – present Caritas Christi Urget Nos (The Love of Christ Impels Us)

Bishop Peter Jugis is the fourth to lead the Diocese of Charlotte. He was ordained Oct. 24, 2003. Now in his 19th year, he is the longest serving bishop of the diocese.

A Charlotte native whose vocation was encouraged by the diocese’s first bishop, Bishop Michael Begley, he has seen firsthand the growth of the Church in

in poor parishes, opening a women’s shelter and 20 soup kitchens and homeless shelters. He also led the opening of Gift of Peace Home, the first home in the nation’s capital for people with AIDS. Before becoming Bishop of Charlotte, he was ordained an auxiliary bishop of Washington by Cardinal James Hickey on Dec. 20, 1988, and appointed regional bishop of the counties of Southern Maryland. In other appointments, Bishop Curlin was named vicar of permanent deacons from 1968 to 1981. He was vicar for Theological College, The Catholic University of America from 1974 to 1980. He was appointed chaplain to Pope Paul VI in 1970 and Prelate of Honor by Pope John Paul II in 1978. He also served as chairman of Associated Catholic Charities. He received the 1984 Community Service Award from the Office of Black Catholics.

During his first visit to the Charlotte diocese after the news of his appointment, Bishop Curlin characterized himself as a parish priest who wanted to remain out among the people.

Bishop Curlin published the 1997 pastoral letter “Of One Heart and One Mind” with Raleigh Bishop F. Joseph Gossman, highlighting disparities in economic opportunities in the state. He initiated a study of the needs and assets of the diocese’s far western region, resulting in the creation of the Office of Economic Opportunity in 1999. He opened the Bishop Begley Center for Economic Development in Murphy in 2000, and in 2001 founded the diocese’s housing initiative to provide affordable housing for people in need, especially senior citizens and people with disabilities.

Bishop Curlin brought Mother Teresa to visit Charlotte in 1995, as part of his longtime friendship with now St. Teresa of Calcutta.

western North Carolina. The Jugis family was among the 11,200 registered families in the diocese when it was established in 1972.

As bishop, he has guided the diocese through unprecedented growth among Catholics and communities across western North Carolina.

He was educated in Catholic and public schools in Charlotte, earning a degree in business administration from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in 1979. After college he entered the seminary at the Pontifical North American College in Rome and then studied at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome.

He was ordained to the priesthood on June 12, 1983, by Pope John Paul II in St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. In 1993, he became the first priest of the diocese to earn a doctorate in canon law from The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. With his canon law training, he served as judicial vicar of the diocesan tribunal until becoming bishop.

As bishop, he established the diocese’s annual Eucharistic Congress in 2005, which now draws more than 15,000 people to Charlotte to celebrate our Catholic faith.

He led the diocese through the aftermath of abuse revelations, installing robust safety protocols and embracing the U.S. bishops’ 2002 Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People.

Bishop Jugis has also issued numerous statements on public policy and Church related matters, including embryonic stem cell research, the death penalty, and protection of marriage.

He also joined with the bishops of the

PHOTO PROVIDED BY THE ORDER OF MALTA

Bishop Curlin had a longtime devotion to Lourdes, France, and to the Sovereign Military Order of Malta (Knights of Malta) which leads annual pilgrimages for the sick to this shrine and miraculous place of healing.

During his eight years as Bishop of Charlotte, he ordained 28 men to the priesthood, including seven men in 2000 – one of the single-largest groups of ordination classes for the Charlotte diocese and among the largest in the South that year.

Caring for the sick remained one of his particular charisms even after becoming Bishop of Charlotte. He had a longtime devotion to Lourdes, France, and to the Sovereign Military Order of Malta (Knights of Malta), which leads

annual pilgrimages for the sick to the Marian shrine and miraculous place of healing. He accompanied them on numerous pilgrimages to Lourdes and served as chaplain for the order’s Federal Association, ministering to the “malades” on each pilgrimage.

He expanded pastoral outreach to the growing Hispanic Catholic community and enhanced ministries by consolidating diocesan offices and moving them to the Pastoral Center.

Bishop Peter Jugis visits one of the children’s tracks during the Eucharistic Congress in 2015.

He inaugurated the annual Eucharistic Congress in 2005 to foster deeper devotion to Christ’s Real Presence in the Eucharist.

DOREEN SUGIERSKI | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Atlanta Province in 2004 to issue a pastoral letter on the reception of Holy Communion by political leaders, and, in 2005, a pastoral letter calling for comprehensive immigration reform.

He affirmed the Lutheran-Catholic Covenant – a commitment to Christian unity between North Carolina’s Catholic and Lutheran leaders first iterated in 1991 – with the Bishop of Raleigh and the bishop of the North Carolina Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America in 2007 and again in 2019.

He founded St. Joseph College Seminary in 2016 to form priests for the diocese from among the parishes they will one day serve.

In 2020, he opened a permanent home for

the seminary program in Mount Holly, with capacity for 40 seminarians and room to grow.

Bishop Jugis has encouraged and fostered women religious communities to be established in the diocese, and he has enhanced ministries, services and administration through successful fundraising, including the unprecedented “Forward in Faith, Hope, and Love” campaign that received $54 million from generous parishioners and other donors.

He has also led the diocese through the COVID-19 pandemic, harnessing technology to minister to people at home, while also carrying on safe in-person worship, education and charitable work.

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catholicnewsherald.com | January 21, 2022 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

DID YOU KNOW? Two saints have visited western North Carolina

Saints who came among us SUEANN HOWELL SENIOR REPORTER

Watch Mother Teresa’s talk At www.youtube.com/ dioceseofcharlotte: Watch the full video and more highlights of Mother Teresa’s talk at the Charlotte Coliseum on June 13, 1995, and find a link to special coverage in the June 23, 1995, edition of the Catholic News & Herald.

W

estern North Carolina may have been mission territory for much of its history, yet that missionary spirit attracted two women here who are now saints: St. Katharine Drexel and St. Teresa of Calcutta. Not only did they visit, they made a permanent impact on the local Church that we remain blessed with today.

St. Katharine Drexel Katharine Drexel was a Philadelphia heiress who shocked high society by becoming a nun and spending her family’s fortune on serving the nation’s impoverished African American and Native American populations.

She gave away the bulk of her inherited millions to build churches, found missions, and establish and operate schools throughout the South and West. The religious order she founded – the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament – provided education to people of all races and creeds, insisting on equality and racial justice but renouncing assimilation. The first saint born a U.S. citizen, her feast day is March 3.

The extraordinary philanthropist and advocate for the poor generously contributed funds to help build four churches in western North Carolina – all with the stipulation that black and white Catholics should be able to worship together.

When the Benedictines were building the second St. Peter Church in Charlotte in 1892 (after the first one was demolished), Drexel gave them money to buy the pews that parishioners of all backgrounds, races and ethnicities continue to use today. Her image is memorialized in the sanctuary.

“St. Katharine had the obedience and the courage to see that God’s will would be done on earth as it is in heaven,” notes Jesuit Father John Michalowski, parochial vicar of St. Peter Church.

“Today her example and gift are honored at St. Peter’s in a bas-relief to the left of the altar. There St. Katharine is caught up in prayer and ecstasy as she contemplates a Jesus and Mary with African-American features. She knew that God’s will is to reconcile all peoples Drexel into the one Body of Christ, and she acted to carry out His will.”

In 1892, Abbot Leo Haid, the first abbot of Belmont Abbey, set out to build a cathedral. Within months, however, he ran out of money. He reached out for help from Benedictine Father Francis Meyer, then pastor of St. Peter’s in Charlotte. The priest helped the abbot write a letter to the same benefactor who had bought pews for his new church.

Drexel generously replied, sending him $4,000 in 1893 to help fund the construction of Church of Maryhelp (today called Mary, Help of Christians Basilica), with the requirement that an appropriate number of pews be reserved for the use of Black Catholics.

A few years later, she also sent $1,500 to St. Benedict Parish in Greensboro to help build a church for its growing congregation, which had sorely outgrown a church built two decades earlier. Again, she mandated that a number of pews be designated for Black Catholics.

With this declaration – more than 60 years before the famous sit-in at the Woolworth lunch counter just down the road – a glimmer of an integrated Greensboro in a thensegregated South could be found at the city’s first Catholic parish. A few of those original pews remain in place today, lining the back of the church near the Pièta statue.

And in 1900, Drexel sent another $1,500 to the Benedictine monks at Belmont Abbey so they could build a church in nearby Gastonia. They named it St. Michael Church.

Drexel traveled to the state in March 1904 to inspect the results of her largesse. While she was unable to visit all the churches she had financially supported, she paid a visit to Abbot Haid and the monks at Belmont Abbey. There she was pleased to see an entire row of pews running the length of the abbey church for Black Catholics’ use.

Mother Teresa speaks before an audience of thousands at a special ecumenical event held at the Charlotte Coliseum on June 13, 1995, entitled “A Celebration of Faith with Mother Teresa.” The Catholic News & Herald reported that she marveled at the crowd: “Look at all the people. How wonderful to see all of God’s people here.”

(Below) Bishop William Curlin welcomes Missionaries of Charity Sisters Maria Shanti, Maria Elvira (assistant superior), Maria Cecil Ann and Maria Christy (convent superior) in the chapel of the convent in Charlotte that Mother Teresa opened during her visit. “This is to be a house of love,” he tells the sisters during his homily for the first Mass in their convent. “Don’t just bring your hands that help the poor and suffering. Bring us your hearts.”

PHOTOS BY JOANE KEANE | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

St. Teresa of Calcutta Mother Teresa’s visit to the Charlotte Coliseum on June 13, 1995, drew a lot of fanfare and publicity, but there was also a quieter moment during her visit: on the east side of the city, where she officially established a convent for four of her sisters, the Missionaries of Charity, with her longtime friend and confessor, Bishop William Curlin. It was the first convent in North Carolina for the Missionaries of Charity, who serve in more than 100 countries around the world.

The Nobel Peace Prize winner and famous nun was frail – just two years later she would die at the age of 87 – but she retained her characteristic smile, earnestness of spirit, and hands ever-clasped in prayer.

The private dedication of the convent was held after she had finished speaking to a crowd of thousands at an ecumenical service where TV cameras and reporters captured her every move. She accompanied Bishop Curlin and her sisters to South Torrence Street, where Bishop Curlin celebrated the first Mass, enthroned the Blessed Sacrament and blessed the convent.

The Missionaries of Charity now live in a different location, yet 25 years later, members of her order still care for the poorest and most vulnerable in Charlotte.

“She saw with an inner vision,” said Bishop Curlin during a memorial Mass at St. Patrick Cathedral two years after the saint’s death. “She saw with her heart. It was her belief that if you want to touch God, you reach down and touch a crying child, a dying person, you feed the homeless or just reach out to the broken-hearted.” That, he recalled, is where Mother Teresa said you would find Jesus, in the least among us.

“Mother believed that Christians should be possessed

by Jesus alone, and that love drives them out to the streets to serve the most needy,” he said. “She said the greatest hunger is not physical hunger; it is the emptiness of God in us crying out for the fullness of God. The greatest hunger is for God, even if we don’t know Him.” She was canonized in 2016, and her connection to Charlotte didn’t end with Bishop Curlin. St. Peter’s parishioner and renowned American artist Chas Fagan was commissioned to create the official portrait for her canonization Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica.

During a Mass that week in Charlotte offered in thanksgiving for her canonization, Sister M. Shilanand, M.C., told the Catholic News Herald that Mother Teresa was specific about how she would help others if she were

to become a saint.

“I remember what she said: ‘If I will be a saint, I will be one of darkness. I will be continually absent from heaven because I want to help. I want to come back to light the light of those who live in darkness.’

“My message to all of us is that we ask for her intercession. She has promised she will come to help us.”

— Catholic News Agency, www.Catholic.org, www.KatharineDrexel.org, Jesuit Father John Michalowski and Shawn Flynn contributed.

January 21, 2022 | catholicnewsherald.com CATHOLIC NEWS HERALDI

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Treasured Sites: Special places for all Catholics to visit

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here are historical, architectural and spiritual places of significance to our faith located throughout western North Carolina. Two such “treasured sites” are St. Patrick Cathedral in Charlotte, the principal church of the diocese, and Old St. Joseph’s Church in Mount Holly, the first Catholic church built west of Raleigh.

Learn more about the history of Catholicism in western North Carolina by visiting these and other significant points of interest being showcased this anniversary year – treasured places that attest to the faith, hope and perseverance of people who helped plant the roots of our local Church.

St. Patrick Cathedral CHARLOTTE — The construction of Mount Holly’s St. Joseph Church in 1843 and Charlotte’s St. Peter Church in 1852 marked a growing presence of Catholics in the Charlotte region. It also made way for the building of St. Patrick Church, which would become the cathedral church of the future Diocese of Charlotte.

John Henry Phelan of Beaumont, Texas, donated funds to have a church built in Charlotte in memory of his parents.

Construction of St. Patrick Church began in March 1938.

Frank Frimmer, an Austrian native known for remodeling famous Old World churches, designed and supervised construction of the church featuring a 400-seat nave, balcony and 77-foot tower.

The altar contained relics of St. Jucundius and St. Justina, and two side chapels were crafted as shrines honoring Mary and Joseph. Stained glass windows, designed in Syracuse, N.Y., depict the Annunciation, St. Patrick, Joseph’s deathbed scene, and more.

On Sept. 4, 1939, Raleigh Bishop Eugene McGuinness consecrated the church – the first church in the state to be consecrated immediately upon completion. In 1942 it became a parish, with Goldsboro native Monsignor Arthur R. Freeman as pastor.

A rectory and convent were completed in 1941, and a Catholic grade school built on the property in 1930 was expanded in 1943 to include high school grades.

On Jan. 12, 1972, Pope Paul VI established

More online At www.faithmorepreciousthangold. com: Discover some of the most interesting Catholic sites in western North Carolina in our “Treasured Sites” collection

the Diocese of Charlotte, and St. Patrick Church was elevated to become the cathedral church.

The building was greatly renovated in 1979 as the church was brought up to new Vatican II liturgical standards. A new altar was constructed from the original, and artwork of local and religious significance was added. A locally built pipe organ was also installed in the balcony.

Bishop Michael Begley presided over the reopening celebration on June 10, 1979.

Further work was done in the mid-1990s.

The altar, baptismal font, statues and ambo were moved or given new prominence.

Dark oak wainscoting from the 1979 renovation was removed to restore the interior’s 1939 appearance.

On March 28, 2007, a 700-pound bell was raised in the bell tower – a gift from Herb and Louise Bowers and family. Later, a Family Life Center was built and dedicated to former rector Father Paul Gary.

More recent renovations include restoring the tabernacle to the center of the sanctuary, on an enlarged high altar made of marble from the original 1939 altar, and restoring the baptismal font to its near-original state. The ambo was also given new prominence opposite the cathedra, or bishop’s chair.

In October 2013, a new, larger front staircase was constructed and dedicated to Bishop Emeritus William Curlin.

— Catholic News Herald

(Above) The cornerstone of St. Patrick Church is laid in 1939. The church was elevated to a cathedral when the Diocese of Charlotte was founded in 1972.

The interior of St. Patrick Cathedral features stunning stained glass windows and a Gothic arch ceiling featuring gold stencils of symbols meaningful to our Catholic faith.

FILE | DIOCESE OF CHARLOTTE ARCHIVES

Old St. Joseph Church MOUNT HOLLY — A piece of our nation’s history and a place dear to Irish Catholics in western North Carolina lies along a busy curve of N.C. 273 – Old St. Joseph Church. The humble wooden church is easy to miss, yet it’s a quiet place filled with evidence of our Catholic past.

Built in 1843 for and by Irish immigrants, who had come to mine for gold along the Catawba River, St. Joseph Church is the first Catholic church built west of Raleigh and is an official state and national historical site. The cemetery contains the grave of the church’s beloved founder, Father T.J. Cronin, surrounded by the graves of early parishioners.

William Gaston, a Catholic politician who served as a judge, state legislator, and congressman who helped enshrine religious freedom for Catholics early in the state’s history, contributed to its construction.

The wooden structure is a vernacular temple-form, Greek Revival style frame church clad in white clapboard. It has a gable roof, and its front façade features a tetrastyle portico. Renovations by the diocese in the 1970s and in 2018 have helped to protect the historic church.

Today St. Joseph Church is used for special occasions such at the feasts of St. Patrick and St. Joseph in March. Tours are available upon request through Queen of the Apostles Church in nearby Belmont.

— SueAnn Howell, senior reporter

EWTN Is Everywhere

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FILE | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

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History of Catholics in the Carolinas A story of perseverance, priests on horseback, and growth in numbers and in faith

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ith more than half a million Catholics, the Diocese of Charlotte may be only 50 years old but the roots of Catholicism in western North Carolina run much deeper – from colonists who came from Europe to the “New World” in search of freedom and adventure, to Benedictine monks who helped nurture Catholicism in western North Carolina in the late 1800s.

From our earliest days, growth has been our defining narrative – in numbers, in diversity and in faith.

With God’s grace, the Church in western North Carolina now encompasses 92 parishes and missions, 19 schools and more than 50 ministries and programs. Yet our story begins in more sparse and humble circumstances met with the perseverance and faith of pioneering Catholic.

Devotion to the Eucharist is on display during a 2021 Corpus Christi procession outside St. Francis of Assisi Church in Franklin. Parishioners worked for hours to create colorful sawdust carpets (in Spanish, “tapetes de aserrín”) laid out in 32 large, intricate designs on the ground to decorate the path of the Eucharistic procession.

EARLY YEARS

The faith was introduced to the Americas by Spanish and French colonists, yet the founding of the Province of Maryland in 1632 is generally considered the birth of Catholicism in English-speaking America.

“Before the American Revolution, Catholicism scarcely existed in the Carolinas, except for a few exiled Acadians who were still here at the beginning of the Revolution,” recounts Sister Miriam Miller, O.S.F., in her book, “A History of the Early Years of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte.” Catholics were treated with suspicion, and “Catholics kept their faith so secret that they were not even known to one another.”

The 35,000 Catholics in the colonies looked to Church leaders in England until 1784, when Pope Pius VI established a hierarchy here, installing Father John Carroll as “Superior of the Missions” in the United States.

Five years later, the Diocese of Baltimore was created to govern the Church across the fledgling country.

Within just a few years, Church leaders in Baltimore realized they were too distant to oversee the Carolinas effectively. So in 1820, the Holy See created a new Diocese of Charleston, encompassing the sparsely populated, mostly wilderness area of three states: Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina.

A handful of priests “rode the circuit” back then to reach the few Catholics scattered across 142,000 square miles, saying Mass and administering the sacraments in private homes. The diocese then had just two churches and six priests.

Catholics in the region were often treated with hostility, but in 1835, William Gaston – a much-respected North Carolina Catholic who served as judge, state legislator and congressman – helped remove official discrimination Gaston against Catholics from the North

FILE | DIOCESE OF CHARLOTTE ARCHIVES

Irish immigrants, who had come to mine for gold along the Catawba River, built Old St. Joseph Church near Mount Holly in 1843. Now a state and national historic site, it was the first Catholic church built west of Raleigh.

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Carolina Constitution.

At the same time, more Catholics began putting down roots in the Carolinas: mostly Irish stonemasons and tradesmen who found work with the railroads, in construction and in mines – where prospectors had struck gold.

In 1843 Irish miners, who had come to search for gold along the Catawba River during the nation’s first gold rush, built St. Joseph Church near Mount Holly – the first Catholic church west of Raleigh. Now a state and national historic site, this humble wooden church still stands today, thanks to the sacrifices of those early Catholic families.

As the South began its recovery following the Civil War, Pope Pius IX established the “Apostolic Vicariate of North Carolina” in 1868, a jurisdictional territory initiated in missionary regions. Bishop James Gibbons, who would later become the first cardinal in the U.S., was appointed to lead the Church across North Carolina as apostolic vicar.

He was just 34.

THE BENEDICTINES

No history of the Church in North Carolina can be told without describing the foundational role of the Benedictines.

During his tour of the state in the late 1860s, Bishop Gibbons realized that religious education was critical to shepherding the faithful. At the urging of his priest traveling companion, he wrote “The Faith of Our Fathers,” which became a popular religious text in its day. He also knew that the state’s Catholics needed a religious college to educate the faithful and encourage vocations. But where?

Around the same time, the Rev. Dr. Jeremiah J. O’Connell – a trailblazing priest and missionary who ministered throughout the Carolinas and Georgia – made the buy of a lifetime: 500 acres of farmland, near what now is the town of Belmont, for $10 in a bankruptcy sale.

The Rev. Dr. O’Connell was no stranger to this area. In 1851, he had traveled two days by stagecoach from Charleston to lay the cornerstone for St. Peter in O’Connell Charlotte. Much of the money needed to build the church was donated by nonCatholics who had been impressed by his preaching.

The Rev. Dr. O’Connell approached Bishop Gibbons with a pitch. He offered to donate the land if the bishop would agree to use it for a Catholic college for young men run by a religious order. All he asked in return was to be able to live on the land, which he did until his death in 1894.

Gibbons The bishop petitioned St. Vincent’s

FILE | DIOCESE OF CHARLOTTE ARCHIVES

A march organized by the Office of Justice and Peace.

Archabbey in Latrobe, Pa., to form a community of Benedictine monks and a college there.

In 1876, the first Benedictines arrived: Father Herman Wolfe and two students from Richmond, Va. A religious brother and two more students from Charlotte soon joined.

Besides their religious studies and missionary work, the monks made the bricks used to build the abbey.

Within two years there were 12 students and four faculty, and the college was chartered by the state in 1886 as St. Mary’s College. (The name changed in 1913 to Belmont Abbey College.)

In 1884, Pope Leo XIII elevated the Benedictine priory to an abbey. Father Leo Haid was elected as the first abbot of the growing community and soon also Haid was appointed Apostolic Vicar of North Carolina – making him responsible for the Church across the state while also sending out monks from the Abbey to say Mass and administer the sacraments to far-flung communities of Catholics.

Like the circuit-riding priests before them, the Benedictine monks had a pioneering spirit and unwavering missionary zeal. Together with the Sisters of Mercy, who arrived in the 1880s, they established parishes and parochial schools, girls’ boarding schools in Belmont

January 21, 2022 | catholicnewsherald.com CATHOLIC NEWS HERALDI

and Asheville, and hospitals in Asheville, Charlotte and Greensboro.

DIOCESE OF RALEIGH

From the 1880s to the 1920s, North Carolina’s Catholic population tripled to more than 8,000 people – served by 52 priests. This growth prompted Pope Pius XI to make North Carolina a diocese in its own right in 1924.

The new Diocese of Raleigh encompassed the entire state, except for a limited territory governed by Belmont Abbey. Its first bishop was William Joseph Hafey from Baltimore – at 37, then the youngest bishop in the U.S. Through the early to Hafey mid-20th century, the number of white and black Catholic families continued to grow.

Home Masses – the norm in those early years – continued even as more churches and schools were built.

One of those new churches was St. Patrick Catholic Church in Charlotte. Built by local Irish families in 1939, years later it would become the cathedral for the Diocese of Charlotte.

The statewide Diocese of Raleigh gradually absorbed nearly all of the territory governed

by Belmont Abbey, as popes transferred Burke, Catawba, Cleveland, Lincoln, McDowell, Polk and Rutherford counties in 1944 and Gaston County in 1960.

DIOCESE OF CHARLOTTE

By 1971, Raleigh’s visionary Bishop Vincent Waters realized the Church in North Carolina had grown too large for him to shepherd alone. With more than 60,000 Catholics spread across nearly 50,000 square miles, it was time to split North Carolina into two dioceses – putting each “on a human scale” as called for by the Second Vatican Council. Pope Paul XI agreed, issuing an apostolic letter, “Qui divino,” in November of 1971, decreeing the Waters establishment of a new diocese.

“When the family of God grows and matures in any place, in the plan of God a new family is set up,” Bishop Waters wrote in a pastoral letter announcing the new diocese on Nov. 30, 1971. “Rejoice with me at this Good News.”

Just six weeks later, on Jan. 12, 1972, the Diocese of Charlotte was officially founded, with just over 34,000 Catholics in 75 parishes covering the western half of the state.

Monsignor Michael Begley, a Greensboro priest, was consecrated the first bishop during an installation Mass at the newly elevated St. Patrick Cathedral. The next morning, “we were open for business,” Begley later recalled.

Begley’s appointment Begley was a sign of God’s providence. The son of an Irish immigrant himself, he was also distantly related to Bishop Hafey – the first bishop of North Carolina.

Begley led the new diocese through its formative years with wisdom and pragmatism, establishing the foundational ministries and structures for the diocese and its 75 parishes and missions. His work on behalf of the Appalachian poor gained

national attention for the plight of those in remote reaches of the diocese.

In 1977, Pope Paul VI transferred authority for the remaining territory of Belmont Abbey to the jurisdiction of the Diocese of Charlotte, establishing its current configuration.

(Belmont Abbey had existed as an “Abbatia Nullius Dioecesis” (“abbey of no diocese”) since 1910 – the only abbey in the United States ever to hold that rank. In 1998, the abbey’s church was elevated to the rank of a minor basilica.

Funded in large part by a donation from St. Katharine Drexel, Mary, Help of Christians Basilica is one of only three minor basilicas in North Carolina.)

FILE | DIOCESE OF CHARLOTTE ARCHIVES

(Top) An image of Pope Paul VI’s apostolic letter, “Qui divino,” declaring he is carving a new diocese out of the then-statewide Diocese of Raleigh.

The papal bull, written in Latin, announces: “We establish in this territory a new diocese, to be called Charlotte (Carolinana) from the city of that name.” Also pictured is a pectoral cross worn by the diocese’s first bishop, Bishop Michael Begley. (Above) Archbishop Luigi Raimondi, the pope’s apostolic delegate to the United States, signs the formal documents during Mass on Jan. 12, 1972, acknowledging the new Diocese of Charlotte.

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and elder ministry, campus ministry, antipoverty efforts, refugee resettlement, teen pregnancy support, pro-life advocacy, and new in 2022, a Family Life Office to deepen support for families who have made the diocese what it is today.

The number of priests has grown, too: nearly double the number at our founding in 1972. And the diocese is forming a new generation of priests right here at home.

That initiative is among Bishop Jugis’ top priorities. He established St. Joseph College Seminary in 2016, with an inaugural class of eight young men from the diocese who could pray and learn more about becoming a priest while also attending Belmont Abbey College.

In 2020, the diocese opened a permanent home for the thriving college seminary, now with 24 students in the program.

Located in Mount Holly, the seminary is not far from where those early pioneers built Old St. Joseph Church and Belmont Abbey – where Catholicism first took root in western North Carolina.

Ever diverse and growing, the Diocese of Charlotte remains grounded in faith in God – and nowhere is this more on display than at the annual Eucharistic Congress.

Each fall thousands of Catholics from across western North Carolina gather for this “diocesan family reunion.” Started by Bishop Jugis in 2005, the event includes a stirring Eucharistic procession, Mass and Adoration, educational talks, music and multicultural fellowship. Above all, the gathering expresses our love for the Eucharist – the source and summit of our Catholic faith.

In 2022, as we celebrate the 50th anniversary of our founding as a diocese, this year’s Eucharist Congress will highlight our faith and devotion to God and give thanks to Him for all the faithful who came before us to make this milestone possible.

— Sources: “A History of the Early Years of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte,” by Sister Miriam Miller, O.S.F., 1984; “Voices and Places of the People of God,” by David Hains, 2006; Diocese of Charlotte website and archives.

NARRATIVE OF GROWTH

Bishop Begley served until his retirement in 1984. Since then, the Diocese of Charlotte has had three bishops, all appointed by Pope John Paul II: n Bishop John Donoghue, 1984-1993, who had the vision to buy land for future growth and to lead a Synod in 1987 that would guide the diocese for years to come. n Bishop William Curlin, 1994-2002, who called attention to North Carolina’s economic disparities, founded the diocese’s affordable housing initiative, and showed a special love for ministry to the elderly, sick and dying. n Bishop Peter Jugis, our current and longest-serving bishop, appointed in 2003, who has led the diocese through significant multicultural growth and modern complexities.

Baptized and mentored by Bishop Begley, Jugis is the first native son to serve as bishop of the Charlotte diocese – fulfilling the hopes of those pioneering missionaries long ago who prayed for local vocations to build up the Church in North Carolina.

And what a growing, vibrant and diverse family the diocese is today.

Just as the Church reached out to Irish immigrants in earlier times, the diocese now embraces many new immigrant groups: Catholics from Mexico, Central and South America, Southeast Asia, Eastern Europe, Lebanon, India and Africa.

In total, our diocesan family totals more than 500,000 Catholics, spread across 46 counties in 92 parishes and missions.

Among the diocese’s 50 ministries and programs are food banks, counseling, affordable housing, prison ministry, youth

A highlight of the annual Diocese of Charlotte Eucharistic Congress is a Eucharistic procession through the streets of uptown Charlotte.

It draws thousands of Catholics from across western North Carolina.

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22 Arctus Ave., Mt. Holly, NC 28120

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Since 1903, the Knights of Columbus has been a part of Catholic communities in North Carolina.

We exist to be lay leaders of the Church, support our parishes, be charitable, grow in faith, and lend a hand to the least among us. We have been a part of the first fifty years of the Diocese of Charlotte, and, God willing, will be a part of the Charlotte Diocese for years to come.

Happy 50th Anniversary, Diocese of Charlotte!

http://www.KofC.org/JoinUs

January 21, 2022 | catholicnewsherald.com CATHOLIC NEWS HERALDI

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Key dates in the history of 1970s n Nov. 12, 1971 — Pope Paul VI issues an apostolic letter, “Qui divino,” declaring he is carving a new diocese out of the then-statewide Diocese of Raleigh. It names the 46 counties of western North Carolina that will comprise the new diocese and announces: “We establish in this territory a new diocese, to be called Charlotte (Carolinana) from the city of that name.”

n Nov. 25, 1971 — Father Michael Begley, 62, is officially appointed by Pope Paul VI as the first Bishop of Charlotte. “You, Beloved Son, seemed to us to be the most suited to undertake the government of that diocese because of your outstanding gifts of mind and character,” the pope writes. Bishop-designate Begley replies, “I hope to continue to serve the people of God in the Diocese of Charlotte. … I ask all my friends, Catholic and non-Catholic, to pray that the Holy Spirit will guide our efforts in this new apostolate.” n Jan. 12, 1972 — Bishop Michael Begley is ordained and installed at St. Patrick Cathedral in Charlotte, the act officially establishing the Diocese of Charlotte. n Sept. 9, 1972 — During a Mass in honor of Nuestra Señora de la Caridad del Cobre (“Our Lady of Charity of El Cobre,” patroness of Cuba), Bishop Begley inaugurates a Hispanic Catholic Center (El Centro Católico Hispano) to serve the growing number of Hispanic Catholic immigrants. n May 17, 1973 — Bishop Begley sets up a Catholic Social Services agency for the new diocese, continuing the Church’s organized charitable outreach in North Carolina begun over a century earlier by Benedictine monks and the Sisters of Mercy.

Father Thomas Clements is appointed director in collaboration with a team of Trinitarian sisters. The agency is renamed Catholic Charities Diocese of Charlotte in 2013. n 1973 — A Diocesan Board of Education is established to advise the diocese’s Department of Education (now the Education Vicariate), which oversees all religious education in the diocese. n Sept. 29, 1974 — John McSweeney is ordained the first priest for the diocese by Bishop Begley. He goes on to serve as the diocese’s vicar general and chancellor before becoming pastor of what would become our largest parish, St. Matthew in Charlotte. n Feb. 1, 1975 — “This Land is Home to Me,” a landmark pastoral letter issued by the 25 Catholic bishops of the Appalachian region including Bishop Begley, is a call to action to give a voice to the oppressed people of Appalachia. n June 6-7, 1975 — Following a two-year planning process, Bishop Begley convenes a Diocesan Pastoral Assembly that, among other things, divides the diocese into vicariates (now totaling 10), strengthens the role of parish councils, establishes a Diocesan Pastoral Council and announces the diocese’s mission statement: “We, the people of God, in the Diocese of Charlotte, fortified in the Father, redeemed in the Son, and empowered in the Spirit are called to grow ever more perfectly into a community of praise, worship and witness. We seek to become ever more enthusiastically a leaven of service and a sign of peace, through love, in Piedmont and Western North Carolina.” n 1975-1976 — The first refugees from Southeast Asia are resettled in the diocese by Catholic Social Services (now Catholic Charities) in coordination with the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. Since then, the agency has resettled over 14,000 refugees representing 61 nationalities. n June 6, 1977 — Father Joseph L. Howze, a priest who served in both the Raleigh and Charlotte dioceses, is installed as Bishop of Biloxi – the first African American bishop to lead a U.S. diocese in the 20th century. n August 1977 — 173 young people attend the diocese’s first youth conference, held at Our Lady of the Hills Camp near Hendersonville.

Two years later, the diocese forms a Diocesan Youth Council.

1980s

n May 29, 1983 — Befo special Mass at Ovens A ordained permanent dea Begley. Two more are or first such ordination for approved the U.S. bishop permanent diaconate.

n Dec. 18, 1984 — Bish and installed as the seco Bishop Begley retires ea

n May 17, 1985 — Follow 10-member committee o diocese’s African Americ celebrate the diversity a Black Catholics in weste

n May 23, 1987 — Bish documents coming out of a two-year diocesan synod addressing the issues facing the growing Church in western North Carolina. n 1988 — Bishop Donoghue elevates the Charlotte-based Hispanic Catholic Center to a diocesan ministry and appoints Sister Pilar Dalmau, ACJ, as director. Its role expands from ministering to mostly migrant workers to broader evangelization through Spanish-language Masses, youth and adult catechesis, and greater lay involvement. The Charlottebased ministry flourishes, developing into today’s diocesan Office of Hispanic Ministry, encompassing a comprehensive pastoral care network to serve Hispanic Catholics throughout the diocese. n Dec. 18, 1988 — The Catholic Conference Center in Hickory, established using proceeds of the sale of Our Lady of the Hills Camp near Hendersonville, is dedicated by Bishop Donoghue. It is to be a place for training, renewal and growth for the growing number of Catholics in western North Carolina.

1990s

n 1991 — Charlotte-area parish Mecklenburg Area Catholic Sch of education and make it availa announced by Bishop Donoghu 1992-93 school year.

n Sept. 6, 1991 — Bishop Don & Herald, separate from the Ra The North Carolina Catholic. It evangelization” and “vigorous the name is shortened to Cath

n April 13, 1994 — Bishop Wil Bishop of Charlotte, after Bish Archbishop of Atlanta in June all around you,” he tells people Mass, celebrated at St. Gabriel of the Church is the mission of

n 1994 – The Foundation of th Charlotte is established to provide endowments to bolster the long-term financi western North Carolina. The foundation has grown to over $74 million in assets a support the future of our diocese, its parishes, schools and agencies. More than remembered the Church or will remember the Church in their estate plans.

n June 13, 1995 — Mother Teresa of Calcutta visits Charlotte and establishes a Before a crowd of thousands at the Charlotte Coliseum, the 85-year-old Nobel la have no gold and silver to give you. What I have, I give with my whole heart. I giv

n Nov. 21, 1997 — Bishop Curlin and Raleigh Bishop Joseph Gossman pen “Of O pastoral letter urging their flocks and all North Carolinians to address chronic ec

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f the Diocese of Charlotte 2000s

ore a crowd of 2,000 during a Auditorium in Charlotte, 19 men are acons for the diocese by Bishop rdained shortly afterwards. It is the r the diocese since Pope Paul VI ps’ request in 1968 to revive the

n Feb. 9, 2002 — Bishop Begley, founding bishop of the diocese, dies aged 92. “The Diocese of Charlotte was truly blessed with this good and holy man of God,” his successor Bishop Curlin notes. “All who knew him can testify to his deep love for Christ and his zealous dedication to his priestly ministry.” n Oct. 24, 2003 — Bishop Peter Jugis, a native North Carolinian and priest of the diocese, is consecrated the fourth Bishop of Charlotte, succeeding Bishop Curlin who retired in September 2002. The installation Mass at St. Matthew Church in Charlotte includes Bishop Emeritus Curlin and Atlanta Archbishop John Donoghue, the diocese’s second bishop. Archbishop Donoghue calls the new bishop “a man for the times and for the place.”

hop John Donoghue is ordained ond Bishop of Charlotte, after arlier in 1984.

owing extensive work by a of concerned Black Catholics, the ican Affairs Ministry is formed to and promote the contributions of ern North Carolina.

hop Donoghue promulgates

h schools are consolidated to form chools, to strengthen the quality able to more children. The plan, ue in July, will take effect for the

noghue founds the Catholic News aleigh diocese’s publication, ts mission: to be “a voice for s in expounding the truth.” In 2010, holic News Herald.

lliam Curlin is installed as the third hop Donoghue is elevated to be 1993. “I hope you will see Jesus e in his homily at the installation l Church in Charlotte. “The mission f Jesus.”

he Roman Catholic Diocese of ial stability for the Church in and 300-plus endowments that 1,400 individuals have either

2010s

n Sept. 23-24, 2005 — The inaugural Diocese of Charlotte Eucharistic Congress – themed “Come Let Us Adore Him” – is held at the Charlotte Convention Center, drawing approximately 3,500 people. In a procession through the streets of uptown Charlotte, Bishop Jugis carries a monstrance blessed by Pope John Paul II, who ordained him a priest and appointed him bishop. He tells participants, “What better avenue to bring us together than the Eucharist, the sacrament of unity, which makes us the living Body of Christ.”

n April 20, 2010 — The Diocese of Charlotte Housing Corp. opens Curlin Commons in Mooresville, its first affordable housing project for seniors. It is named for Bishop Emeritus Curlin, who established the diocese’s housing ministry in 2001 to provide affordable housing for people in need. Three more open in subsequent years: two in Charlotte and one in Salisbury. n Nov. 11, 2011 — Archbishop Donoghue dies in Atlanta, aged 83. Bishop Jugis notes, “Archbishop John Donoghue was a great leader during his nine years of service in the Diocese of Charlotte. He saw that rapid growth was going to take place … and he prepared for it. His devotion to the Eucharist and perpetual adoration, as well as his guidance in the establishment of the Eucharistic Congress, are testaments to his service to God that will live on in both Charlotte and Atlanta.” n 2013 — “Forward in Faith, Hope, and Love,” an unprecedented diocese-wide campaign, is launched and raises $54 million to provide transformative funding for parish life and ministries, clergy support, Catholic education, Catholic outreach, and pastoral and temporal needs. It also aims to solidify the diocese’s future through endowments and major capital projects. n March 19, 2016 — Bishop Jugis founds St. Joseph College Seminary, appointing Father Matthew Kauth as rector. The special ceremony, held at Belmont Abbey on the Feast of St. Joseph – a nod to the diocese’s historical roots – includes Benedictine Abbot Placid Solari. The first class of eight men enters the formation program in August. n Dec. 23, 2017 — Bishop Emeritus Curlin dies, aged 90. “When Bishop Curlin smiled at you, it was Jesus smiling. And when he embraced you, it was the embrace of Jesus,” his close friend Archbishop William Lori of Baltimore recalls during the funeral.

2020s n Sept. 15, 2020 — A permanent home for St. Joseph College Seminary is opened and blessed by Bishop Jugis on the feast of Our Lady of Sorrows – two years to the day since ground was broken amid the wind and rain of Hurricane Florence, and despite challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Gothic-style building is only a couple miles from Belmont Abbey, where in 1876 Benedictine monks planted the roots of Catholicism here. n Dec. 26, 2021 — Bishop Jugis announces the formation of an Office of Family Life “to strengthen and magnify our ministry and outreach to families.” Services previously under the umbrella of Catholic Charities are moved to the new ministry, including Marriage Preparation, Respect Life and Natural Family Planning.

a Missionaries of Charity convent. aureate and future saint says, “I ve you my sisters.”

n Jan. 12, 2022 — The diocese launches its golden anniversary year, themed “Faith More Precious Than Gold” (1 Peter 1:7). As the diocese turns 50, the Catholic population in western North Carolina is now estimated to be 515,000.

One Heart and One Mind,” a conomic disparity and inequality.

At www.faithmorepreciousthangold.com: See more key dates in the diocese’s history

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Monsignor A nthony Marc accio and the Parish Family of Saint Pius the Tenth join the entire Diocese of Charlotte in celebrating this historic milestone of our

Golden Jubilee

S a i n t p i u s t h e t e n t h r o m a n c at h o l i c c h u r c h g r e e n s b o r o, n o r t h c a r o l i n a w w w. s t p i u s x n c .c o m

January 21, 2022 | catholicnewsherald.com CATHOLIC NEWS HERALDI

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A true inspiration.

A cause for celebration.

We join the Diocese of Charlotte in celebrating its 50th anniversary. Thank you for making a difference in the community — and for being a brilliant example of what care can do.

0047406A 01/22

January 21, 2022 | catholicnewsherald.com CATHOLIC NEWS HERALDI

Celebrating 50 years of growing together in faith.

St. Jude Catholic Church 3011 Highway 64 East Sapphire, NC 28774 stjudeofsapphirevalley.org

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We are called as one by Christ to embrace a spirit of stewardship and engagement to Grow in Christ, Serve One Another, Share Our Gifts and Connect in Faith.

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CONGRATULATIONS ON

50 YEARS OF FAITH YOUR FRIENDS AND PARTNERS AT UNITED MAILING SERVICE

Congratulations!

D I O C E S E of CHARLOTTE

50th Anniversary

Edifice would like to express our sincere gratitude for the many project opportunities the Diocese of Charlotte and the faith community have provided us over the past 20 years. We are blessed and thankful for the strong partnership we have forged and look forward to celebrating this “Golden Anniversary” with you.

With over 43 years of building for the faith community we have a diverse portfolio, from churches and parish centers to award-winning Christian schools and educational buildings. Our team of dedicated professionals provide you with the integrity, vision and expertise to take your project from concept to reality.

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50

congratulations on your

th

anniversary May God continue to bless the Diocese of Charlotte with vocations and good, holy priests.

Most Reverend Stephen D. Parkes and the Diocese of Savannah

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Celebrating 50 Years of Faith and Service to the Mission of the Catholic Church

In celebration of our diocese’s 50th year as a Catholic family, inspired to serve one another, our 19 schools will dedicate a minimum of 950 hours of service and prayer in commitment to “50 Acts of Charity” in 2022.

Our Schools. Our Future.

Charlotte Catholic High School

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Contratulations to the Diocese of Charlotte on the occasion of your 50th Anniversary

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Deo Gracias

The parishioners and staff of St. Ann Church congratulate the people of the Diocese of Charlotte on the Golden Jubilee of the creation of our Diocese.

We trust that God will continue to renew us in faith, hope, and charity as we carry out the mission of the Church.

be generous, do not be afraid, ...because you have nothing to fear when the prize that you await is God Himself, for Whom, sometimes without ever knowing it, all young people are searching." - Saint John Paul II The Office of Vocations Diocese of Charlotte Father Christopher Gober Director of Vocations (704) 370-3327 1123 South Church Street Charlotte, NC 28203-4003 vocationsmail@rcdoc.org STA 50thAd.indd 1

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January 21, 2022 | catholicnewsherald.com CATHOLIC NEWS HERALDI

Room At The Inn On the occasion of the 50th Anniversary of the Diocese of Charlotte, Room At the Inn would like to express our pride in being located in one of our nation's most vibrant, faithful and growing dioceses. We are grateful to the Diocese of Charlotte for always being supportive of the work we do serving single, pregnant homeless women and their children in North Carolina.

Jesus said "Let the children come to me." Will you help Room At The Inn support the women and children that come knocking on our door?

Donate at www.roominn.org

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catholicnewsherald.com | January 21, 2022 30B CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Congratulations to the Diocese of Charlotte on your 50th Anniversary Bishop McGuinness Catholic High School’s primary mission is to develop students holistically to serve in a world in need of peace, love and justice. We encourage students through academic and co-curricular opportunities to excel personally, academically, spiritually, and to build their own unique mission in life.

Bishop McGuinness is fully accredited and a college preparatory high school that is widely recognized for high academic standards and the excellence of their graduates. Students are guided by an exceptional faculty and college counseling team, not only as they work towards college goals, but in all aspects of their experience at Bishop. We offer a full AP program, aviation STEM courses, and a thriving arts program with over 40 courses.

Financial assistance and transportation are available.

Please call the Admissions Office for your private tour. 336.564.1011 or kknox@bmhs.us

1725 NC Hwy 66 | Kernersville, NC 27284 | 336.564.1010 | www.bmhs.us

January 21, 2022 | catholicnewsherald.com CATHOLIC NEWS HERALDI

Most Reverend Michael F. Burbidge Most Reverend Paul S. Loverde

and the Clergy, Religious and Laity of the Diocese of Arlington

Extend Congratulations and Prayerful Best Wishes to

B ISHOP P ETER J. J UGIS and the Faithful of the

D IOCESE OF C HARLOTTE as you celebrate your

Golden Jubilee

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catholicnewsherald.com | January 21, 2022 32B CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD