Bradley Loftin, Patrick Martin and Connor White, all from St. Mark Parish in Huntersville, and James Johnson IV from Our Lady of Consolation in Charlotte will be ordained deacons May 23 at the home parish for three of them.

All four men are studying theology at Mount St. Mary Seminary in Cincinnati, Ohio, after graduating from St. Joseph College Seminary.

Loftin, who attended Catholic schools in the diocese, graduated from Christ the King High School. He credits his high school chaplain at the time, Father Paul McNulty, and his pastor, Father John Putnam, for fostering his vocation.

He first heard the call when he was a junior at Christ the King High School.

“I realized that the life I was living wouldn’t fulfill me. I wanted to sacrifice my life for something noble, and I knew I wasn’t living a life that would make me happy,” Loftin said.

White, who attended school with Loftin since kindergarten, also looks to Father McNulty as a priestly role model.

“Living the Catholic life is not a solo endeavor, and I have met some of my closest friends in school, some of whom are also in seminary,” White said.

Martin grew up seeing his parents active in his parish. His father, Tom Martin, serves as a deacon at St. Mark and his mom Heather is a cantor.

Johnson, who has served as the president of the National Black Catholic Seminarians Association, pursued his vocation after being asked if he considered becoming a priest by three people after three different Masses he assisted with as an altar server during one weekend.

Since becoming a seminarian, he said he’s learned about the true universality of the Church.

“I’ve visited all sorts of different parishes, seeing the spirituality and the charisms that they have. That has helped me understand we’re not a uniform Church. There’s a diversity in ways of showing our faith, which is a beautiful thing,” Johnson said.

All four have chosen deacons to place their vestments on for the first time during the ordination Mass.

Loftin will be vested by Deacon Bryan Ilagor, who will become a priest on May 30. He said he chose Deacon Ilagor because he’s a great example of service.

“He is a friend I can count on 100%,” Loftin said. “I met him at St. Joseph’s our first year. Our rooms were right next to each other, so he always came over and hung out. It was like having another roommate. He would always lie on the floor, and we would just talk.”

White’s running partner Deacon John Cuppett, who will be ordained a priest the following Saturday, May 30, will be vesting him. Cuppett believes White’s approachability and friendliness will serve him well when the time comes to lead his own flock.

“Deacon Cuppett and I entered seminary together in 2020 and quickly became close friends,” White said. “We shared so many great memories in seminary, and I asked him to vest me so this occasion will be yet another event that we can share together.”

Johnson will be vested by Deacon Curtiss Todd from Our Lady of Consolation. 

“Deacon Todd has been an inspiration to me of what quiet, humble service is,” Johnson said. “Deacon Todd has always reminded me to keep Christ as the model of priest I want to be.”

Martin has chosen an old friend and retired St. Mark Parish deacon to vest him — Deacon Louis Pais.

“He was our deacon what I started to serve on the altar back in 2010,” Martin said. “I served at Mass just about every day with him and he was very much the image of the permanent diaconate for me when I grew up.”

After their ordination, these four men will be transitional deacons and will continue their studies on the path to becoming priests next summer.

All are welcome at the 9 a.m. ordination Mass at St. Mark Church, 14740 Stumptown Road, Huntersville.

 — Kimberly Bender. Photos by Troy C. Hull 

Get to know each of the seminiarans: 

James Johnson

Age: 26

Home parish: Our Lady of Consolation in Charlotte

Favorite saints: Venerable Augustus Tolton and St. Joseph

Favorite prayer: Litany of Humility, which trains the heart to desire to do the will of God for His glory rather than my own

Favorite hobbies: Traveling and learning about new cultures

What is one of the biggest lessons you’ve learned about the faith as a seminarian?

I’ve learned about the true universality of the Church, something I’d never really thought about until seminary. Before that, I went to Our Lady of Consolation and that is how I saw the Church for many, many years. Since coming to seminary, I’ve visited all sorts of different parishes, seeing the spirituality and the charisms that they have. That has helped me understand we’re not a uniform Church. There’s a diversity in ways of showing our faith, which is a beautiful thing.

Read his latest Seminarian Spotlight

Bradley Loftin

Age: 26

Home parish: St. Mark, Huntersville

School: St. Mark Elementary, Christ the King Catholic School, St. Joseph Seminary

Status: Started Mount St. Mary’s Seminary, Cincinnati, August 2022

Hobbies: Golf, fishing, cooking, coaching football and tutoring

Favorite saints: Mary, St. Joseph the Carpenter and St. Philip Neri

Inspired by: Father John Putnam and Father Paul McNulty

 Read his latest Seminarian Spotligh

Patrick Martin

Age: 25

Home parish: St. Mark, Huntersville

Schooling: Home-schooled, St. Joseph Seminary, Mount St. Mary’s Seminary, Cincinnati

Hobbies: “I’m really big into athletics. I grew up playing soccer and swimming and still like to play soccer in seminary. I spend time playing with my brother seminarians, and we have a makeshift team. I’ve also gotten into weightlifting and in recent years got into marathon running – I started that my first year here in Ohio. I train with fellow seminarian Connor White, who is an avid runner. The training is a great way to let our brains reset. It helps me to regulate and re-engage. Every spring I’ve been running a marathon called the Flying Pig here in Cincinnati, which takes its name from the city’s history as a leader in the pork industry.”

Who is your favorite saint?

“The saint I hold most dear is St. John the Evangelist – I have a statue on my desk of him looking at me right now. I chose him as my confirmation saint, and he’s been my go-to saint on multiple levels since then. I’m the middle child of my family and the youngest boy, and seeing John the Evangelist, John the Beloved, as the youngest of the apostles was impactful to me, because as the youngest boy I felt some competition growing up. I saw that John was the youngest but was also impactful. He has a special relationship with Christ, a closeness to our Lord, and was particularly there with Him during the Passion. He was the one who helped Our Lady through the Passion.”

Read his latest Seminarian Spotlight

Connor White

Age: 26

Home parish: St. Mark, Huntersville

Colleges: Elon University and St. Joseph College Seminary

Degrees: Philosophy and Latin

Theology: Mount St. Mary’s Seminary and School of Theology (Athenaeum of Ohio)

Summer assignments: Holy Cross (Kernersville), St. Margaret Mary (Swannanoa) and St. Francis of Assisi/St. Frances of Rome (Jefferson and Sparta).

What are some of your hobbies? I love running and playing golf with family and friends. I also enjoy reading, cooking with friends and making coffee/espresso-based drinks.

When did you first realize you had a call to the priesthood? I first began discerning a call to the priesthood during my confirmation retreat around the beginning of high school.

Why did you decide to become a priest in the Diocese of Charlotte? I was born and raised in the Charlotte area, so this diocese is home. I received the sacraments here and attended Catholic school (K-12) at St. Mark and Christ the King. I feel called to minister to this diocese, as this is where my faith has been cultivated and vocation fostered.

Do you feel a special devotion to any saints? My closest saint-friends are St. Elizabeth of the Trinity and St. Therese of Lisieux. They both have taught me how to pray and charitably live with others. St. Elizabeth emphasizes the Divine Indwelling (the Holy Trinity residing within the soul of a baptized person), something I was immediately drawn to. I also have devotions to other priest-saints: St. Thomas Becket, St. John Fisher and St. Pius X.

Read his latest Seminarian Spotlight

“I think Antonette is doing a wonderful job, and I am so proud of her,” Cowan said. “I have two good daughters. Each one of them has such beautiful qualities. The Lord truly blessed me.”

During her stay, Cowan was also able to spend time with her grandchildren – Aguilera's son, John, an 8th grader, and her other grandson.

Cowan loves the feeling she gets every time she steps on the campus of St. Pius X, explaining how it matches the ideals of their hometown of Reggio Calabria, Italy.

“We came from a traditional Italian family, and this school matches so well with Antonette. When she was little, she learned tradition and her Catholic faith. She went to school with the nuns, and this place brings it all together,” Cowan said.

A mother knows best, and Aguilera agrees the Catholic school she attended as a youth in Los Angeles reminds her a lot of St. Pius X.

Yet, instead of mirroring her childhood memories at St. Pius the X, she takes direction from a different inspiration – the late Monsignor Anthony Marcaccio, former pastor of the parish. 

“We make sure Monsignor’s vision for this school is always alive and well,” Aguilera said. “A beautiful campus, a spiritual place—that is what I am trying to create. If I can accomplish that, I feel like I am doing a good thing.”

— Lisa M. Geraci

GREENSBORO — Grandparents filled St. Pius X Church for a morning of laughter, tickles, hugs, and fun during this year's Grandparents’ Day celebration.

With grandchildren by their sides, they prayed a living rosary.

Fifty seventh and eighth grade St. Pius X students represented each bead and led the prayers, offering their individual prayer intentions—most using the occasion to pray for their grandparents present in the church.

Afterward, grandparents followed students down hallways that were covered with appreciation notes and drawings addressed to them.

Grandparents then visited classrooms and watched their little ones sing and dance or sat together while they colored or played games.

— Lisa M. Geraci

He won’t be far as he transitions into his new role as executive director of Catholic Identity, Operations and Capital Improvements for the Diocese of Charlotte’s Catholic Schools office.

His fan club of 435 students and 60 staff gobbled down donuts decorated in Crusader colors –  white frosting and blue sprinkles –  while students repeating the pun, “'Donut' know what we’re going to do without you.”

Greg Stump, art teacher and stained-glass artist, designed a memento for Semmler, a commemorative plaque made from Polish blue glass. 

“This is the same glass used to make the St. John Paul II glass window in the chapel, something Dr. Semmler has admired for years,” Stump said. 

Embedded in the glass is the white CTK crest with its mantra, “Crede + Cogita + Servi,” Latin for “Believe, Think, Serve.” 

Although he is leaving the school, Semmler ended the event by reassuring all, “once a Crusader, always a Crusader.”

— Lisa M. Geraci

St. Matthew Parish’s satellite campus in Waxhaw is expected to become the home of a new parish, erected to serve the thriving Catholic community in that part of Union County. (Troy C. Hull, Catholic News Herald)

CHARLOTTE — For the first time in decades, the Diocese of Charlotte is moving toward creating a parish in the Charlotte area, an unmistakable sign of the region’s surging Catholic population.

St. Matthew South in Waxhaw, the thriving satellite campus of St. Matthew Parish, may become the permanent spiritual home for thousands of Catholics in southern Mecklenburg and Union counties.

The historic step, approved by Bishop Michael T. Martin, OFM Conv., in consultation with diocesan and parish leaders, comes as the number of Catholic families in the area has increased 38% over the past decade.

“This is a moment of celebration – and a testament to the work of the Holy Spirit,” Bishop Martin said. “People are finding a home at our Waxhaw campus, and we want to honor the faith and engagement of this growing Catholic community by creating an independent parish.”

“Growth is the challenge of our time,” he said, “and we must manage this growth so it leads to deeper faith in Jesus.”

Details about the new parish – including its name – are some of the next steps the community will need to discern. Bishop Michael T. Martin, OFM Conv., is appointing Father Benjamin Roberts to help build what will be the diocese’s first new parish in decades.

Once the community is prepared, the process of establishing the parish will take as little as a few months. The pace will be determined by the people and their readiness to move forward, diocesan leaders said. The process will become official with a decree from the bishop.

The new parish will continue using the St. Matthew South building at 4116 Waxhaw-Marvin Road. The 32-acre campus includes a 16,000-square-foot multipurpose facility that doubles as the church and classroom space.

Exact parish boundaries have yet to be determined, but the territory is expected to include portions of Union County within the 28173 ZIP code.

Approximately 4,000 Catholic families live in that area – up from 2,900 when St. Matthew South opened in 2014. Local Catholics have the option of attending Mass in Waxhaw, at St. Matthew’s main campus in Charlotte, or at neighboring churches in Monroe or across the state line in Indian Land, South Carolina.

Parishioners who currently belong to St. Matthew Parish will not be required to join the new parish. Instead, diocesan leaders said families living within the new parish area will be invited to participate as the community takes shape.

HISTORIC MOVE

This marks one of few times the diocese has erected a parish by dividing an existing parish.

In 1997, St. Mark in Huntersville was formed from territory drawn from multiple surrounding parishes. In 2007, St. Joseph Vietnamese in Charlotte was elevated from a community to a parish. Most recently in 2022, the diocese elevated St. Jude in Sapphire to parish status from a mission of Brevard’s Sacred Heart Parish.

The transition marks a significant moment for St. Matthew Parish, which – with more than 11,000 registered families – is among the largest Catholic parishes in the United States. Diocesan leaders say the creation of a Waxhaw parish reflects the Church’s constant mission to reach out and serve more people.

“We are not dividing our parish – we are expanding the Church’s presence,” said Father Patrick Cahill, St. Matthew’s pastor. “This is about strengthening our unity by ensuring that every person has a place where they can belong, worship and grow in faith.”

Father Cahill will work in collaboration with diocesan leaders and the future Waxhaw pastor as boundaries are defined, parish resources are separated, and families in the new territory are identified – all part of laying the groundwork for a new parish community.

GROWING FAITH COMMUNITY

A new parish will allow for more pastoral care while strengthening a sense of community closer to home, Father Cahill said.

The Waxhaw campus already hosts three weekend Masses that draw a total of about 1,600 people, large faith formation classes for children and adults, weekly confessions and Eucharistic Adoration, as well as social activities such as coffee and donuts after Sunday Mass.

St. Stephen Maronite Community also uses the facility for its liturgies.

For Father Cahill, the historic moment comes full circle. In 2008, he celebrated the first Mass for Waxhaw-area Catholics at Weddington High School. The community eventually moved to using St. Margaret of Scotland Episcopal Church in Waxhaw before the current facility was built.

“The people there have been asking for a church there since my first days at St. Matthew,” Father Cahill said. “It’s beyond exciting to see the growth and progress that has been made.”

“Now we get to birth a new parish from St. Matthew. How many parishes get to be a part of something that special? Especially during our parish’s 40^th anniversary year, seeing something like this unfold is a sign of God’s love and abundance.”

— Patricia L. Guilfoyle

About St. Matthew’s Waxhaw Campus

Mass schedule: 4 p.m. Saturday, 9:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. Sunday

Address: 4116 Waxhaw-Marvin Road, Waxhaw, NC 28173

Learn more

What is a parish? A parish is a community of the Christian faithful stably constituted in a particular Church, whose pastoral care is entrusted to a pastor under the authority of a bishop. A parish exists to care for all the souls within its territory, no matter what their faith background,

How is a parish created? A Catholic parish isn’t formed informally or by popular demand – it is canonically erected by the bishop according to Church law. The process is governed primarily by the Code of Canon Law (especially canons 515-520).

When can a parish be created? A parish is created when there is a real and stable pastoral need, such as to relieve rapid population growth or overcrowded existing parishes, or if geographic distance makes Mass and sacraments difficult to access. After consulting with his Presbyteral Council and diocesan staff, the bishop issues a written decree officially erecting the parish that defines its territory, assigns a name, and appoints a pastor.

Effective July 1, Father Roberts will leave his role as pastor of Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Monroe after 14 years to serve the Waxhaw Catholic community alongside Father Patrick Cahill, pastor of St. Matthew Parish. Until the parish is formally erected, Father Roberts will hold the Church title of “Priest in solidum” (meaning “jointly” or “equally”) with Father Cahill serving as “Moderator Priest in solidum.”

Together, the two priests will work with parishioners to form a new community separate from St. Matthew: determining boundaries, dividing resources, and gearing up for staffing, programs and other needs of an independent parish. Currently, the Waxhaw satellite church offers three weekend Masses that draw a total of about 1,600 people, besides youth and adult faith formation classes, confessions, Adoration, community service work, and more.

“Father Roberts is the perfect match for this post,” Father Cahill said. “He grew up in this area. He’s a man of humility and good humor, and a gifted leader. I am looking forward to working with him as the founding pastor there and supporting him in any way I can.”

Father Roberts reflects similar affinity: “Creating a new parish from within an existing parish –especially one as vibrant and active as St. Matthew – will require collaboration and trust, and I am confident this will be a smooth transition.”

“We have such great respect for each other,” he said, “and for the work that we both do.”

The two priests have known each other for years. Both attended St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in Pennsylvania and were ordained for the Charlotte diocese two years apart. Both have also guided their parishes through major challenges – Father Roberts rebuilding after a devastating fire at Our Lady of Lourdes Church in 2020, and Father Cahill leading St. Eugene Parish and Asheville Catholic School through Hurricane Helene’s aftermath.

Dr. Carmina Chapp, who taught both priests ecclesiology at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary, remembers them as gifted priests with a strong sense of vocation.

They “shared a wonderful camaraderie,” she said.

NATIVE SON WHO LOVES HISTORY

Father Roberts is very familiar with the region and its rapid growth.

He grew up in nearby Lancaster, South Carolina, where his parents still live. And since 2012, he has served as pastor of Our Lady of Lourdes in Monroe, the other Catholic church in Union County.

He has watched the area boom – from southern Mecklenburg and Union counties to neighboring Lancaster County, South Carolina – including the development of Ballantyne and Indian Land spurred by the building of Highway 521.

His mother Patti Roberts says she’s grateful this new assignment will enable him to continue his regular visits home, and she looks forward to seeing how the Waxhaw church will develop under his leadership.

“Ben’s very outgoing and he has a love of people, and God has given him a lot of skills that I know will come in handy. We're very, very proud of him,” she said.

She recalled how young Ben, born during America’s bicentennial in 1976, developed an early love for history while growing up amid the rich heritage of the Waxhaw area – especially the legacy of President Andrew Jackson, who was born nearby. As a boy, he loved exploring the historic cemetery where Jackson was famously captured by British troops, and by kindergarten had memorized the names of every U.S. president.

For Father Roberts, history – like ministry – is about people.

“History tells a whole story,” he said, “and we’ve come to a greater consciousness that with history, there are stories we leave out. It’s important for us to know all the stories.”

In this historic moment for the Waxhaw Catholic community, he said, “I have to listen to a lot of stories, and hear about the stories of the people who are there and all the people who want to come there.”

FROM CONVERT TO PRIEST

Baptized Episcopalian and raised Lutheran, he converted to Catholicism while in college, studying philosophy and seeking answers to life’s questions.

St. Ignatius of Antioch’s Letter to the Romans, written in 107 on his way to Rome to be fed to lions in the Colosseum, deeply influenced him. In it, Ignatius wrote: “Let me be food for the wild beasts … I am God’s wheat and shall be ground by their teeth so that I may become Christ’s pure bread.”

This “very early witness to the whole of the Catholic faith,” he recalled, inspired him to consider Catholicism.

He listed all the reasons he was Lutheran, he said, then “crossed them off. And one day I just drove – I found the Catholic church in Statesville where I was living (at the time) and knocked on the door of the rectory, and Father Peter Fitzgibbons opened the door.”

Their conversations began his journey into the Church and eventually to the seminary for the Charlotte diocese.

He was ordained in 2009 and served at parishes in Greensboro and Salisbury before becoming pastor in Monroe. During his 14-year pastorship, the largely Hispanic parish has grown to 2,000 families, expanded its faith formation programs, and developed a popular annual “Eucharistic Triduum” that attracts more than 1,000 people each June. The campus has also undergone major improvements – including an interior renovation, Marian grotto, and new parish office to replace what was destroyed in the 2020 fire.

Father Roberts also serves as the diocese’s ecumenical officer and vicar forane of the Albemarle Vicariate. He chairs the Presbyteral Council and serves on the College of Consultors, advisory groups for the bishop.

Over the years, he has earned several advanced degrees in preaching, theology and leadership, taught at seminaries across the country, and presented nationally on preaching and pastoral ministry.

Despite his academic work and other responsibilities, the role he says he loves most is parish priest.

PURPOSE OF A PARISH

His years in ministry and his theological background have shaped his understanding of what a parish is, Father Roberts says, and what he hopes to nurture in the Waxhaw community.

He’s excited about the future, especially prospects for a new church and perhaps eventually a school on the 32-acre property along Waxhaw-Marvin Road.

“I already have a hard hat – I know how to build stuff,” he jokes, referencing the rebuilding effort in Monroe after the 2020 fire.

Yet, he emphasizes, a parish “is a People that has buildings, not buildings that have people.”

A parish gathers to worship God and then goes out to share His love with others, he said. As the Waxhaw Catholic community begins this historic new chapter, Roberts says he looks forward to walking alongside its people in faith.

A parish is also a pilgrim community, he said, and “a pilgrim community only moves as fast as we can carry each other.”

— Patricia L. Guilfoyle

Related storis: 

Diocese eyes creating Waxhaw parish in response to growth

2026 Priest assignments announced

Besides the fact that she is the Mother of Christ the King, Mary herself shows us the way to experience the joys of heaven. When Jesus preached about the Kingdom of God, He stressed the importance of humility, and Mary is our example.

A hallmark of Catholicism is love for Jesus’ mother, Mary. Catholics love her, honor her and venerate her image in thanksgiving for her “yes” to God, for her role as the Theotokos (“God-bearer”) and as a powerful intercessor for all of God’s children.

Mary is also our mother, given to us by Jesus as He was dying upon the cross: “When Jesus saw His mother and the disciple there whom He loved, He said to His mother, ‘Woman, behold, your son.’ Then He said to the disciple, ‘Behold, your mother.’ And from that hour the disciple took her into his home” (Jn 19:26, 27). This tender scene speaks to us of the depth of the love that inspires, informs and transforms all human love – the Love Incarnate who gives us His Mother.

Mary’s obedience and unwavering faith in God also exemplify the perfect Christian disciple. For if we remain close to Our Blessed Mother, she will keep us close to her Son.

Read why May is devoted to Mary.

— Photos by Lisa M. Geraci and provided

The annual Book Battle sees teams of students from Catholic schools face off against each other at MACS Fine Arts Center at Charlotte Catholic High School. It’s similar to Quiz Bowl, a national competition that tests knowledge of general academic subjects. The difference is these questions are focused on literature – a book lover’s dream.

Dru Edwards, a fourth-grader at Sacred Heart School in Salisbury, said the contest helped him get out of his reading comfort zone.

“I like reading, and through this I read a lot of books I would not normally have been interested in, but discovered were really good,” Edwards said.

The St. Jerome Book Battle was created by the diocesan Catholic Schools Office to encourage students to read books “that promote the true, the good and the beautiful and foster growth in virtue.”

Each school year, lists of 15 books are provided for fourth- and fifth-grade students and sixth- through eighth-graders. Guided by team coaches, the students spend months reading the books and participating in activities to increase their understanding of the works.

This year’s lists featured everything from historical and adventure novels to fantasy and mystery offerings, and two books focused on the lives of famous Catholic saints.

All of the books explore important themes such as faith, family, resilience, community, friendship and loyalty.

For Monday’s Book Battle, each school sent one team of 12 students who were asked questions about their books and awarded points for their answers. Teams compete against each other in preliminary rounds. The two highest scoring teams from the preliminary rounds compete head-to-head in a championship round.

Defending fourth and fifth grade champion St. Ann School edged out St Mark in a sudden death match to reach the championship round. St. Ann then won first place in today’s competition, with Our Lady of the Assumption School as the runner-up. Holy Trinity Middle School in Charlotte won the middle school competition held on March 9, and the runner-up was St. Mark School in Huntersville.

During a break between rounds, the team from Sacred Heart enjoyed snacks and talked with coach Leigh Yelton about how things were going. A book lover herself, Yelton teaches third grade but volunteered to handle the fourth- and fifth-grade team because it gives her a chance to interact with many of her former students.

“I’ve got a real love for literature and the language arts, so this is a wonderful thing to do,” Yelton said. “It honestly takes a lot of time and effort because our students start by reading the books the previous summer, and then our team meets frequently to prepare for the competition.”
Peyton Bloxsom, 11, a fourth-grader at Sacred Heart, said she enjoys the Book Battle because it not only gives her a chance to read but also to make some new friends.

— Christina Lee Knauss

Interested in reading the books featured in the St. Jerome Book Battle? Here are the books students read for this year’s event:

4th-5th grade reading list:

“A Little Princess” by Frances Hodgson Burnett

“All-of-a-Kind Family” by Sydney Taylor

“The Big Wave” by Pearl S. Buck

“Breaking Stalin’s Nose” by Eugene Yelchin

“The Buried Bones Mystery” by Sharon M. Draper

“The Courage of Sarah Noble” by Alice Dalgliesh

“Fantastic Mr. Fox” by Roald Dahl

“Farmer Boy” by Laura Ingalls Wilder

“The Island of Two Trees” by Brian Kennelly

“The Magician’s Nephew” by C.S. Lewis

“Princess Academy” by Shannon Hale

“Saint Clare of Assisi – Runaway Rich Girl” by Kim Hee-Ju

“Snow Treasure” by Marie McSwigan

“Where the Mountain Meets the Moon” by Grace Lin

“The Wild Robot” by Peter Brown

Middle School:

“100 Cupboards” by N.D. Wilson

“Fever 1793” by Laure Halse Anderson

“Freckles” by Gene Stratton-Porter

“Ghost: Running for His Life, or From It?” By Jason Reynolds

“The Golden Thread: A Novel about St. Ignatius Loyola” by Louis De Wohl

“Guardian Angel House” by Kathy Clark

“I, Juan de Pareja” by Elizabeth Borton de Trevino

“Kon-Tiki” by Thor Heyerdahl

“On the Far Side of the Mountain” by Jean Craighead George

“Out of My Mind” by Sharon M. Draper

“Saving Mount Rushmore” by Andrea Jo Rodgers

“Sweep: The Story of a Girl and Her Monster” by Jonathan Auxier

“Swiss Family Robinson” by Johann David Wyss

“Thirst” by Varsha Bajaj

“The Wednesday Wars” by Gary D. Schmidt

Rev. Oscar D. Benavides

From Parochial Administrator of Our Lady of the Rosary Parish in Lexington to Parochial Vicar of Our Lady of the Assumption Parish in Charlotte.

Rev. Herbert T. Burke Jr.

From Pastor of Immaculate Conception Parish in Forest City to Parochial Vicar of St. Matthew Parish in Charlotte.

Rev. Jason M. Christian

To Parochial Vicar of Holy Cross Parish in Kernersville.

Rev. Binoy P. Davis

From Parochial Vicar of St. Matthew Parish in Charlotte to Parochial Administrator of Immaculate Conception Parish in Forest City.

Rev. Matthew W. Dimock

From Parochial Vicar of Sacred Heart Parish in Salisbury to Parochial Vicar of Our Lady of Mercy Parish and Our Lady of Fatima Mission in Winston-Salem.

Rev. John D. Hanic

Retiring as Pastor of St. John Baptist de La Salle Parish in North Wilkesboro and St. Stephen Mission in Elkin.

Rev. Aaron Z. Huber

From Chaplain of Christ the King High School and Priest in Residence at St. Mark Parish in Huntersville to Parochial Administrator of St. Margaret Mary Parish in Swannanoa.

Rev. Gnanapragasam Mariasoosai

Retiring as Pastor of St. Joseph of the Hills Parish in Eden.

Rev. Huver E. Navarro-Vigo

From Parochial Vicar of St. Therese Parish in Mooresville to Parochial Administrator of Our Lady of the Rosary Parish in Lexington.

Rev. David F. O’Connor

From Parochial Vicar of Immaculate Conception Parish in Hendersonville to Parochial Administrator of Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Monroe.

Rev. Engelbert Ofon

From Parochial Vicar of St. Therese Church in Mooresville to Parochial Administrator of St. John Baptist de La Salle Parish in North Wilkesboro and St. Stephen Mission in Elkin.

Rev. José A. Palma Torres

From Parochial Vicar of Our Lady of Mercy Parish and Our Lady of Fatima Mission in Winston-Salem to Parochial Administrator of St. Joseph of the Hills Parish in Eden and Holy Infant Parish in Reidsville.

Rev. Peter T. Pham

From Priest in Residence at St. John Neumann Parish in Charlotte to Chaplain for Charlotte-Area Hospitals.

Rev. Benjamin A. Roberts

From Pastor of Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Monroe to serving the faithful at the Waxhaw campus of St. Matthew Parish as a Priest in solidum with Father Patrick Cahill, Moderator Priest in solidum. Father Roberts will lead them in the process of becoming their own parish.

Rev. Peter M. Rusciolelli

From Parochial Vicar of St. Leo the Great Parish in Winston-Salem to Parochial Administrator of St. Benedict the Moor Parish in Winston-Salem and Good Shepherd Mission in King, effective Dec. 31, 2026.

Rev. Jonathan D. Torres

Returning from sabbatical to Parochial Vicar of Sacred Heart Parish in Salisbury.

Rev. Nohé Torres Vizcaino

From Parochial Administrator of Holy Infant Parish in Reidsville to return to his home Diocese of Ciudad Valles, Mexico.

Rev. Melchesideck W. Yumo

From Parochial Administrator of St. Benedict the Moor Parish in Winston-Salem and Good Shepherd Mission in King to return to his home Diocese of Buea, Cameroon, effective Dec. 31, 2026.

— Catholic News Herald

Priest assignments FAQ

1. How are priest assignments determined in the Diocese of Charlotte?

Each year, priests complete a survey expressing their current status and any ministerial goals or interests. Bishop Michael Martin, with guidance from the priest personnel board, reviews these inputs alongside parish needs. Assignments are made based on a careful balance of diocesan priorities, priest development and pastoral care.

2. Are priests moved on a regular schedule?

No, the Diocese of Charlotte does not follow a fixed rotation system. Instead, assignments are made based on the specific needs of the time. Pastors typically serve for five to six years or longer, while parochial vicars move more frequently to gain experience and support areas of greater need.

3. Why are reassignments necessary?

Reassignments respond to parish growth, retirements, special missions and other changes. The goal is to serve the diocese as a whole – matching priests’ gifts with the needs of various communities to build up the Body of Christ.

4. How do reassignments impact parishes and priests?

Reassignments can be emotional as relationships between priests and parishioners grow strong over time. While change is challenging, it brings renewal: new energy, new ideas, and new opportunities for growth in faith and ministry – for both priest and parish.

5. When do assignments take effect?

Priest assignments are typically announced in May and take effect on July 1. This allows time for smooth transitions and warm welcomes for incoming clergy.

Loftin, 26, along with four other members of his 2018 Christ the King in Huntersville graduating class, opted to attend St. Joseph Seminary on the path to the priesthood – a pivot he said surprised some classmates and family members.

“I didn’t really think I was going to be a priest until I was 16,” Loftin said. 

That call came during his junior year while visiting the Missionaries of the Poor brothers in Monroe on a school retreat. During Eucharistic Adoration he heard a statement that later became his life mission. 

“The brother that changed my life forever said, ‘Stop asking God what you want from Him, and start asking Him what He wants from you,’” Loftin remembered. “It was in that moment that I could feel so clearly that God wanted me to be a priest. That is what He made me for.” 

At the time, recruiters were chasing him to play college football, yet the urge to discern a priestly vocation became a gamechanger. Quo Vadis Days, a diocesan-wide vocation discernment camp for young men, sealed the deal – the priesthood was the team he wanted to join.

“That is where I met Father Putnam, and once I got connected with him, it became very clear that God was calling me,” Loftin said. “He gave me a lot of support and guidance, and from there it was history.” 

As he learned more in seminary about what being a priest entails, he felt increasingly confident that God made him for that purpose. 

Though he traded in his football jersey for a cassock in 2018, Loftin hopes to keep coaching and teaching as both a deacon and, eventually, as a priest.

“Helping coaches watch football film and prepare the teams on what they need to do in their positions is still very much a passion of mine,” Loftin said. “Being a product of the Catholic school system and going through MACs my entire life has made a real impact on me. I love to help and see young people grow in their studies and grow closer to Christ. Catholic schools are a real launching point for our young people.”  

While his entire family is thrilled, Loftin is most excited for his two Catholic grandmothers to attend his ordination – Mary Gallagher, a St. Leo the Great in Winston-Salem parishioner, and Fran Loftin, a parishioner at St. Therese in Mooresville. 

“Having both of them there for my ordination is going to provide a lot of peace and consolation for me,” he said. “It is the first time in my life that the Church will confirm the vocation that I have felt. To lie down on the floor of my own home parish and to say, 'Everything I have is for you; nothing I have is for me.' I promise to serve you and your people until the day I die…' is so exciting. It gets me more amped up than a football game ever did, that’s for sure.”

— Lisa M. Geraci

Bradley Loftin

From: Huntersville

Age: 26

Home parish: St. Mark, Huntersville

School: St. Mark Elementary, Christ the King Catholic School, St. Joseph Seminary

Status: Started Mount St. Mary’s Seminary, Cincinnati, August 2022

Hobbies: Golf, fishing, cooking, coaching football and tutoring 

Favorite saints: Mary, St. Joseph the Carpenter and St. Philip Neri 

Inspired by: Father John Putnam and Father Paul McNulty 

Why did you pick Deacon Bryan Ilagor, who will become a priest on May 30, to be the person to vest you?

He is a friend I can count on 100% and a very great example of service. I met him at St. Joseph’s our first year. Our rooms were right next to each other, so he always came over and hung out. It was like having another roommate. He would always lie on the floor, and we would just talk. 

What are looking forward to about your summer assignment at St. Eugene in Asheville?

As a deacon, I am able to take the ministry of the Church into all these different places. So, when I think of being assigned to St. Eugene in Asheville, I am thinking of going into Asheville, the heart of the mountains, and proclaiming the Word of God there in every type of situation I come into.

What were your previous summer assignments? 

My first summer assignment was at St. Matthew, and I really enjoyed the opportunity to be at a bustling big parish. I enjoyed participating in Vacation Bible School and LifeTeen Ministry and just really getting a chance to see what a big parish ministry looks like. A lot of the staff was incredible to learn from and discover my own sense of how to be a pastor. 

My second assignment, at St. John the Baptist in Tryon, was a nice contrast from St. Matthew, bringing big and urban to such a small and rural parish where everyone knows everyone. It felt like a family, because you would see everyone show up every Sunday. I was able to develop very real and strong bonds with people. 

My last assignment was at St. Leo the Great in Winston-Salem. What was nice about this was serving the homebound and going to the hospitals and caring for the sick in that type of way. As a priest, it helped me recognize how fragile our lives are – God really does support you in every way. As a priest, I get to bring Christ to these people in their most fragile moments. To support and uplift them is a real part of the priesthood.

It took two years for Amy Nguyen, her parents and her 10 siblings to escape Vietnam after the fall of Saigon in 1975. (Photos provided)CHARLOTTE — As the 50th anniversary year of the Fall of Saigon draws to a close this April 30, a couple, Amy and Long Nguyen from Our Lady of Assumption Church, recalled their harrowing escape from the Communist regime in North Vietnam. 

The couple met at Our Lady of Assumption Church in Charlotte in the 90s. Coincidentally, they both worked as mechanical engineers at IBM and both fled Saigon.

“Every time we have Black April, I thank God to be able to live freely in America,” said Amy Nguyen. “It is a day to remember and a day to thank God for saving us. We lost our country, but we didn’t lose our faith. It was a miracle. Now, I know even in our darkest journey God is always with us.”

The couple separately witnessed the terror of war but now carries a lighter load through their shared faith.

They tell their stories, representing the estimated 8,000 registered Vietnamese parishioners sprinkled across the diocese’s 93 parishes, but primarily centered at two Vietnamese churches, St. Joseph in Charlotte and Holy Family Mission in Greensboro. Many of these parishioners, now over the age of 50, arrived in the United States with their own tales from Saigon. 

The couple continues to tell their stories for the next generation – their three children – and for the victims who perished, unable to tell theirs.

“During that time, we only depended on God. We were just like the Israelites exiled from Egypt, just like the Holy Family,” Amy Nguyen said. “The whole journey, I had God with me, and no doubt with His help, Mary, and all the angels and saints, we are here today in this freedom country.” 

Long Nguyen

Long Nguyen turned 23 the week of the Fall of Saigon in 1975, a week that would forever change the trajectory of his life. 

He was in seminary, preparing to make his vows, but as tensions increased, his religious order instead started plotting an evacuation.

The order secretly purchased a boat, bought a plane and hired a pilot, and secured a vehicle to get them there. 

Long didn’t know what was happening but obeyed his superior when he was instructed to drive designated religious from Saigon to port Vũng Tàu a few days before Saigon fell.

“I went back and forth. They told me what to do, and I just followed,” Long said. “We were told to pack light. I thought we were coming back. But we left forever that day.”

The plan was to escape by plane, but the pilot took off with the plane and the money without them. With the North Vietnamese forces closing in, Long was left with a small boat he didn’t know how to drive. 

On April 30, when the radio signal from President Dương Văn Minh commanded South Vietnam to drop all weapons and surrender to the North, he knew it was go-time. 

“If we were to stay there, we would be arrested. They would hunt everyone, especially the religious education teachers, and take them to reeducation camps to die,” he said. 

“Everything was just like a movie. While we sailed from the shore… there were shots above our heads. And a mortar fell right on the area we were in. It was unreal.” 

With no experience, Long and his fellow brothers tried to navigate the boat packed with 52 nuns and priests. 

“The boat was small. We just had enough space for us to sit. But there were no seats or chairs, so we sat on the floor,” Long said.

The engine was leaking, and there was no drinking water. 

“There was rain, and people used their ponchos to gather water,” he said. “Nobody could eat anything because of the waves. People, even myself, got seasick.”

By noon, they all agreed to head east. They didn’t have a map but had a small compass and knew the Philippines were to the east—about 800 miles away. 

“It was so scary. Imagine if the engine died. There would be no one out there to help. It is just the open sea. But we just prayed and hoped we would land somewhere,” Long said. 

The first night they sailed until exhaustion hit and then anchored the boat until morning. 

The next day they saw helicopters and followed them. 

On day three, they saw a barge that could hold about 2,000 people. 

“At that point we knew we would be saved,” Long said. “We were so fortunate.” 

They rode alongside the larger vessel as they were pulled onto it, one at a time by a rope. 

“On the boat, since so many priests were available, they said a Mass of Thanksgiving, which was unbelievable and joyful,” Long recalled. 

They met a missionary from another order on the boat.

“He gave each of us $5. This was the first time we ever got to touch the green dollar,” he said. “We were almost the last group on the boat but the first to be cleared in the Philippines to board a plane to the U.S.”

From there, they boarded a C-141 U.S. Air Force cargo plane. By this point the only belongings Long had were the T-shirt and shorts he was wearing. His shoes were forever lost at sea. 

Amy Nguyen

Amy was a teenager during the Fall of Saigon. Her father was a businessman, and though they were not Catholic, she and her 10 siblings attended Catholic school.

She remembers April 29, 1975, the day the nuns contacted parents to get their children out of the school. A chauffeur picked them up as her parents worked fast to arrange for the family to leave by boat. But, on April 30, their escape failed. 

“Thank God we were not arrested. We left at 3:00 in the morning to get the boat. We were on the sea for one day and saw no one – nothing, just us,” she said. “There was no food and no drink, so the captain took us back to port, and we snuck home.” 

In a desperate act of survival, her parents obtained fake documentation saying they each had a spouse who resided in France. This “False Marriage” ploy was a common but dangerous way to obtain exit visas.

It took two years for their paperwork to get approved, and the time in between was marked by fear and anxiety.

“Those two years were very scary because the surrounding Communists were all watching us,” she said.

Once approved, her father took four children and her mother seven, as they separately made their way to their French “spouses.”

The day of their escape, her communist neighbor followed them onboard the plane. 

“When I saw him, my heart dropped to the floor. I thought, ‘We are going to die today.’ He said, ‘I know who you are and where you are going. If you have any money, you need to give it to me,’” she recalled. “We gave him all the money we had and safely landed in Thailand. That is the day my parents vowed that if we were able to escape the Communist regime, the whole family would convert to Catholicism." 

They arrived in France in 1977, and the entire 13-member family reunited and converted to Catholicism. 

“I believe that God saved us, and the only thing that I was able to bring with me from home was the prayers and faith that helped us through the hard times,” she said. “We believe the faith kept us alive, and God carried us the whole time.”

From 1975 to 1995 various sources say as many as three million people fled Vietnam and neighboring Laos and Cambodia, by land, air and predominantly sea, earning them the nickname “boat people.” More than 2.5 million were resettled around the world, with about 800,000 ending up in the United States, according to the American Immigration Council. The United Nations High Commission for Refugees estimates that between 200,000 and 250,000 boat people died at sea.

Kien Tong – Holy Family Church in Greensboro 

Kien Tong was a South Vietnamese officer when Saigon fell. He was captured there and taken to a re-education camp. 

“They put me in a jail for 10 years,” he said. “Lots of people died in these camps, mostly of starvation and disease.”

There was little food and much physical labor. He ate bugs to fend off hunger at a camp in the middle of the jungle, where he toiled the days away, cutting down trees. The prisoners even constructed their own huts. 

Although death and disease were all around, he prayed and kept his faith and hope in God.

After 10 years, he was released and reunited with his wife but knew he could not live for long under the North Vietnamese Communist regime. They escaped from Vietnam by boat, sailing to Hong Kong.

The makeshift boat and the 15 passengers on it, including Tong and his wife, were on the open sea through perilous weather. The winds and rain made the boat dip and sway through the waves. During one storm, Tong was certain the boat would flip. He stood and raised his rosary beads to the heavens and begged God to save them, praying for Mary’s intercession. The seas calmed for three hours.

Subsequently a typhoon came, which actually steered the boat into the coast of Hong Kong. 

“The boat broke in half at the shore,” said Tong. 

The couple was received into a closed refugee camp in 1989, where they stayed for two years until being bused to the Philippines. From there, the United States accepted the couple in through the refugee program, at which time they went to Texas and eventually moved to Greensboro. 

The couple has one son; he is 32 and works in Charlotte. 

Vince Pham – Holy Family Church in Greensboro 

Pham was 14-years-old during the Fall of Saigon and tried to escape the country three times from 1975 to 1981

As a teenager, he remembers a country with little freedom and even less food.

“In my country, you would go to sleep hungry, and you would just have your prayers,” he said. “Everything was fake. I had to say and do things to please them, not knowing if I would live until the next day, because if they don’t like you, they will take you away at night, and you’d never be heard from again. The Communists did not have any God. They were their own god.” 

He tried to escape by boat but was arrested and sent to jail, not knowing when he would be released. In jail, he was given little food and had to sleep on dirt floors while he was chained to other prisoners.  

“You had to do and say exactly what they wanted you to say and do, whatever they wanted to please them, and if they didn’t like you in the night,” he said. “They will come, and they will find you and take you and kill you.”

When he was released, like so many, he made his final escape by boat. 

“We didn’t have a compass, so we looked to the stars and the moon and made a guess,” he said.

He was on a small boat with 41 people for six days and six nights.

“We knew once we got to a free country like Hong Kong, Indonesia or Malaysia that the government would come and interview us to see if we could seek freedom in the United States,” he said. 

Pham arrived in Malaysia and was interviewed, ultimately seeking refuge in the United States. He got married and has children of his own. They all attend Holy Family Church in Greensboro. 

—      Lisa M Geraci. Photos provided

When school Athletic Director Greg Davidowitz learned Father Angermeyer had played goalie up through high school, he asked the priest to be the assistant coach. 

“I never formally coached soccer but did coach basketball at the seminary,” Father Angermeyer said. “It was a great blessing being with them, seeing them grow as human beings, and watching them be able to complement each other and grow in holiness and virtue. They progressed as soccer players and learned to play as a team.”

The girls liked having a priest coach them, he said.

“It was cool for them to experience a priest in that way, because everyone thinks about us like we are in some kind of box,” Father Angermeyer said. “Like we are exactly a certain way and don’t have interests and hobbies, but that is entirely not true.” 

They called him Father, not coach, and even in 90-degree weather, he wore his cassock through long practices and two-hour games that all began the same.

“We always start in prayer, which is one of our big foundations,” he said. 

All the priests at St. Mark Church make it a point to attend at least one game for every team. 

“We try to have a presence in each domain. We keep telling them that the game is where we show that we are virtuous,” he said. “It helps the kids, they love when the priests come.

But I am very proud of them and the whole experience was a great joy.” 

— Lisa M. Geraci

CHARLOTTE — The Diocese of Charlotte is launching a major philanthropic effort aimed at strengthening parishes, expanding charitable outreach and responding to rapid growth across the western half of North Carolina.

“Making Room – for More to Know the Love of Jesus” aims to raise $150 million, the largest fundraising initiative in the diocese’s 54-year history. It also emphasizes stewardship – inviting people to reflect on how God has blessed them and the diocese, and to participate in a spirit of gratitude and discipleship.

Nicknamed the “Making Room Challenge,” the effort comes in response to the region’s significant growth and pastoral needs arising from that growth. The diocese’s increasingly diverse Catholic population now exceeds 575,000 – a gain of nearly 11% over the past five years.

“We stand at a pivotal moment in western North Carolina,” said Bishop Michael T. Martin, OFM Conv., in a letter introducing the challenge. “Our rapid growth, enriched by many cultures and languages, compels us to strengthen our local Church and ensure that every person has the chance to encounter Jesus Christ.”

The effort is inspired by Bishop Martin’s broader pastoral vision for the diocese to be a place where “Everyone so loves Jesus, we share Him with others,” which emphasizes moving beyond passive participation in the faith toward active discipleship and outreach.

Already, generous donors have contributed $24.2 million in “leadership gifts” spearheaded by the bishop.

Guided by extensive feedback from clergy and thousands of donors and parishioners, the “Making Room Challenge” will invest in parishes, Catholic Charities, Catholic schools, under-resourced parishes and land acquisition for future growth. It focuses on three key pillars:

• Outreach to people in need ($42 million): The challenge earmarks $29 million for the diocese’s Catholic Charities agency, including $19 million to expand “its physical presence and the reach of its life-changing programs in communities where demand continues to grow,” the diocese said in information materials. The remaining $10 million for Catholic Charities will be set aside in an endowment to help sustain and grow its programs. This pillar also designates $13 million for under-resourced parishes for urgent needs or chronic challenges.

•  Strengthen faith communities ($63 million): This pillar allocates $50 million to support parishes. Money will go toward construction, repairs and expansion projects to help to meet growing demand for worship and education space. Some funding will be set aside in endowments to generate revenue for ongoing program support. This pillar also designates $5 million to support Campus Ministry, and $8 million for strategic land purchases for future growth.

•  Secure the Church’s future ($45 million): With enrollment in Catholic schools up 20% over the past five years, this pillar allocates $20 million for endowments that will generate funding for financial aid, teacher training and enhanced learning environments. It also designates $10 million for more lay leader and catechist training, and $3 million for formation of seminarians and deacon candidates. And $12 million will go to expand the Catholic Conference Center in Hickory as a retreat center for parishes and groups.

Every parish and mission will benefit from this diocese-wide effort, diocesan officials said, with parishes keeping 50% of the funds they raise for local capital projects, ministry needs and endowments. Parishes that hit certain stretch goals will also retain 100% of any additional funds.

“It’s true that many pastors are not always eager to talk about finances, but we all understand what it takes to sustain a parish and help it thrive,” said Father Patrick Cahill, chair of the “Making Room” clergy advisory board and pastor of St. Matthew Parish in Charlotte. “In my role as chair, I’ve seen a genuine enthusiasm for this initiative – not simply as a fundraising effort, but as an opportunity to strengthen each parish’s mission. There is a shared recognition that, together, we can multiply the good being done both locally and across the diocese.”

The “Making Room Challenge” will be conducted at all 93 churches in four phases over the next two years. Seven pilot parishes will kick off their campaigns in June: Holy Angels in Mount Airy, St. Aloysius in Hickory, St. Eugene in Asheville, St. Joseph in Asheboro, St. Margaret of Scotland in Maggie Valley, St. Therese in Mooresville and St. William in Murphy.

The effort will continue in groups of 25-30 parishes every six months through June 2028.

The diocese’s first campaign of this scale was conducted over a decade ago and raised $55 million. “Forward in Faith, Hope, and Love” focused its support, among other things, on parish ministries and renovations, Catholic Charities, Hispanic Ministry, seminarian education and priests retirement, and Catholic school building projects and financial aid.

The new initiative responds to growing pastoral needs of an increasingly diverse Catholic population moving to western North Carolina from around the world. More than half of the diocese’s Catholics are Hispanic, and Vietnamese communities in Charlotte and Greensboro are also growing.

Demand for Catholic education and charitable assistance also continues to rise, even as some parishes – particularly in rural or impoverished communities – struggle to meet basic needs.

Like the previous campaign, the “Making Room Challenge” also emphasizes endowments and planned giving, designed to provide ongoing support for parishes and ministries well into the future. Half of the $150 million is earmarked for endowments, and parishes are encouraged to put 25-50% of the funds they raise into endowments.

“Planned giving and endowments turn a moment of generosity into a legacy of faith,” says diocesan development director Jim Kelley. “They help sustain the work of the Church long after the fundraising challenge ends.”

Bishop Martin and Kelley also stress the “Making Room Challenge” is more than about financial giving – it’s about forming disciples, engaging with others and sharing responsibility for the Church’s mission in the western half of North Carolina. People will be invited to participate through prayer, engagement and a financial pledge as well as a planned gift in their estates – all with the goal of expanding the Church’s ability to serve a growing and changing community.

“The success of this moment is not simply measured by dollars raised,” Bishop Martin said in his letter, “but rather by how we engage with the Church and how we reflect God’s grace in all aspects of our lives.”

“Its greatest spiritual fruit,” he said, “will be witnessed when each Catholic in our region takes these steps in faith: Prayerfully reflect on the blessings God has given me (Psalm 136), determine to give back not from my surplus, but from my want (Mk 12:41-44), (and) know that the God of plenty will bless me even more when I trust Him (Jer 17:7-8).”

— Patricia L. Guilfoyle

Outreach to People in Need: $42 million

Strengthen Our Faith Communities: $63 million

Secure Our Future: $45 million

Eaton brings nearly three decades of experience in Catholic education, serving as a teacher, principal and diocesan leader. She holds a master’s degree in School Leadership from St. Louis University and a Bachelor of Arts in Business Education from the University of Nebraska at Omaha.

“I am excited and blessed to serve as the next principal of St. Matthew Catholic School,” Eaton said. “Throughout my years in Catholic education, I have been grateful for the opportunity to help students grow academically and in their faith. I look forward to partnering with the faculty, staff and families of St. Matthew as we continue the tradition of educating saints and scholars.”

Eaton previously served as Director of Educational Services for the Diocese of Des Moines, supporting schools in curriculum development, professional learning and student services.

From 2011-2014, she was principal of St. Patrick Catholic School in Perry, Iowa. She led the led the school as it grew from 85 to 125 students, strengthened academic programs and built community partnerships. In 2014, she served as the first principal of St. Luke the Evangelist Catholic School in Ankeny, Iowa, guiding the school through its early development and growth until 2019.

She then returned to her roots, working with students scoring below grade-level in math and reading and the teachers who support them as an interventionist/student support teacher at St. Anthony Catholic School in Des Moines. There, she was also a member of the St. Anthony Leadership Team.

“It was clear from our first conversations that Mrs. Eaton has a real love for her faith and a genuine joy in working with children,” said Dr. Greg Monroe, the diocesan superintendent of schools, “and she will be a great fit for our school system with her past experiences and skillset.”

The search for a new principal at St. Matthew began Jan. 1, when Kevin O’Herron, who served as principal for 27 years of the school’s 33-year history became assistant superintendent of schools for the diocese. Suzanne Beasley, who stepped in as interim principal, will continue her leadership as assistant principal.

“I am grateful to Mrs. Beasley for her steady leadership as interim principal over these many months, and to the search committee for the time, prayer, and discernment they gave to helping us land the next principal of St. Matthew,” Monroe said. “I look forward to working closely with Mrs. Eaton as we build on the great legacy and traditions of St. Matthew and keep pursuing excellence as we look to the future.”

— Trish Stukbauer 

Students honored their heritage by wearing traditional attire at Mass Thursday, showing the richness of a community united in faith. The celebration continued with a food tasting featuring flavors from around the world.

The week was a joyful reminder that while we come from many places, we are one in Christ.

— Troy C. Hull

Miller, a sophomore majoring in mechanical engineering, took home his first title as conference champ at the Big South Indoor Track and Field Championship in Mill Spring while maintaining his evangelistic, God-warrior attitude, wherever his sneakers carry him.

“He is one of my very active Catholic students at High Point,” Father Harrison said. “AJ’s faith while also being a D1 athlete and conference champ is an inspiration to so many.”

The track champion, who is known for praying before runs, not removing his crucifix for races, and making the sign of the cross at meets is gaining attention for his speed and perseverance.

“I just try to keep God at the focus, remember why I am doing it, and hope that I can glorify Him,” Miller said. “I want to reach out to people and inspire them to do the same.”

Miller didn’t come to High Point University for its Division I track team.

“The weather is what brought me South,” Miller laughed. “I wanted a lot less of the winter than I usually would have back in Pittsburgh.”

As a freshman, he tried out for track not expecting much, even though he has run since he was in seventh grade and at Montour High School in McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania, where he won the Track and Field Most Valuable Player award in 2024.

“Throughout high school I was not bad at track, but not great. During senior year I was able to really focus and get better. I was able to barely make the team here,” Miller said. “Then last year, the standard got really strict, and I had to devote a lot of time to even stay on the team. Now, this year, I’ve kept that momentum, and I’ve come to be like our top runner for the 800.”

Though his success came as a welcome surprise, his competitive attitude and dedication were always a part of him.

“I started running as a dare from a friend. To prepare for soccer, my friend went out for cross-country, and he said I should, too,” Miller said. “I didn’t want to, and he said I was scared. So, I joined.”

Miller admits to initially hating running, taking years to like it even after he joined cross country.

“Once you get to a certain point, it becomes enjoyable. It is almost like a release, kind of therapeutic,” Miller said.

The college experience has brought him closer to the finish line faster and to God, who he credits with his successes.

“Throughout most of my life I didn’t really practice my faith much. I always believed, but I wasn’t big on doing stuff with it” said Miller, who was raised Catholic. “ But, then, when I got to college,

I decided to step it up. I actually started knowing why I believe what I believe.”

Miller’s dedication to both God and track is hardcore. He lifts weights and runs eight to 15 miles every day except Sunday, which he reserves for Mass and prayer.

While he runs, he often contemplates God.

“On runs, if I am on my own, I have some philosophical thoughts to keep me busy. But on race days, the night before I always pray, an hour before I’ll pray, too, and even at the start line I’ll make the sign of the cross – it focuses me on God instead of the pain I am about to go through,” Miller said.

Sometimes he is accompanied by his running buddy, Father Harrison, and in between breaths, they talk about faith.

“Father Harrison is so relatable, and he is a runner, too. He is training for Iron Man right now, and when I go on runs with him, he is fun to talk with,” Miller said.

Miller’s coach, Mike Esposito, who has coached for more than 20 years, is as impressed with Miller’s physical progress as Father Harrison is with his spiritual journey.

Miller’s personal-best time of 1:50.6 minutes 800-meter, puts him on track to be one of the elite collegiate contenders who may qualify as one of the top 48th on the East Coast, allowing him to later compete in the NCAA East Preliminaries on a national level.

Miller’s parents often come down to the Carolinas, not wanting to miss a beat of their son’s newfound stamina and faith. Miller credits God for his ability and with each step, runs closer and closer to Him.

“I’m all about pushing my limit and finding a new one, so I’m seeing how far I can take this,” Miller said. “Whatever the plan God has, I’ll trust that.”

— Lisa M. Geraci

The project will include new bleachers, restrooms, and an emergency access road, creating a safe and welcoming environment for students, families and visiting teams.

The joyful celebration, which included music, snacks and pizza, coincided with Senior Night for the women’s soccer team, making it a special time to honor student-athletes and celebrate their contributions.

—  Photos provided by Nicole Seeling

The Sophia Institute for Teachers was founded in 2013 to renew and rebuild Catholic culture through service to Catholic education.

The Institute’s Master Teacher Council recognizes teachers and administrators nationwide who demonstrate exceptional instructional expertise, strong student outcomes and a proven ability to mentor and support fellow educators.

Members serve as instructional leaders, content experts and partners to teachers seeking to grow in pedagogical skill.

Charlie McKinney, president of the Sophia Institute, explained, “Selection to the Sophia Master Teacher Council reflects both professional excellence and a deep commitment to strengthening Catholic education through mentorship, collaboration and faithful witness.”

At a time when Catholic educators face increasing academic expectations, cultural pressures and the responsibility of forming students in faith and reason, the Sophia Master Teacher Council provides concrete, classroom-tested support by offering mentorship, practical resources and real-time guidance that strengthens and develops teachers and the students they serve.
— Catholic News Herald

When the school was initially built in 2009, a dedicated art room was not included. The space that is currently being used for weekly art classes also hosts music and small group instruction.

To convert the space to a fully functional art room, a wall that was opened to an adjacent classroom will be sealed and soundproofed. Additional storage designed for art supplies and a sink will be incorporated, as well as upgrades to interior finishes to create an environment that promotes creativity. Existing furniture will be replaced with flexible seating that can accommodate students of varying ages.

“Providing a space that dignifies the artistic process sends a clear message to students that their creativity is valued and worth investing in,” Principal Erin Brinkley said.

Thanks to the grant, renovations are planned to take place this summer to be ready for the beginning of the 2026-2027 academic school year.

“This grant is an investment in children, in creativity, and in the mission of Catholic education,” Brinkley said. “On behalf of the students, families, faculty and parish community, heartfelt thanks are extended to the Sheas for making this dream a reality.”

Shea Family Charities is one of the most significant philanthropic supporters of Catholic education across the country, assisting more than 400 Catholic schools with grants providing for renovations, new construction and needed expansion projects.

Over the past 30 years, the charity has granted an estimated $11 million toward school projects in the diocese, assisting St. Ann, Holy Trinity Middle School and Our Lady of the Assumption in

Charlotte, Immaculata in Hendersonville, St. Michael in Gastonia, Our Lady of Grace in Greensboro, Our Lady of Mercy in Winston-Salem, and now the art room at Sacred Heart. From the mountains to the Piedmont to the Triad, the organization has helped Catholic education thrive.

“To witness a family choose to invest so intentionally in a school that holds such significance for so many is both humbling and inspiring,” said Brinkley, who attended Sacred Heart as a child.

“Sacred Heart has been special to me for a long time, and for someone else to invest in the place that I love dearly is hard to put into words,” she said.

The art room was the first item on a list of the growing school’s proposed plans that include a preschool expansion as well as dedicated spaces for music, special education and therapy.

“This renovation was prioritized because the arts form the whole child. Academic excellence and creative expression go hand in hand,” Brinkley said.

The new layout and flexible furniture will allow students to work on projects in creative collaborative workstations. An expansion into an adjacent outdoor space will include a cement patio, outdoor furniture and shaded areas, allowing students to have easy access to be inspired by the beauty of nature.

“This will allow for simultaneous indoor and outdoor instruction, giving students opportunities to sketch from nature and experience art in a dynamic setting,” Brinkley said. “They can learn that beauty matters. Creativity is a gift from God, and they are called to use that gift well.”

— Lisa M. Geraci

Shaileen Riginos

Riginos comes to the diocese with two decades of Catholic education experience. Most recently, she served as associate superintendent for the Diocese of Charleston, where she provided strategic leadership across 32 Catholic schools, supporting pastors, diocesan leaders and school administrators. She previously spent 10 years as principal at St. Anne Catholic School in Rock Hill. 

“Christ the King has long been a model of what a thriving Catholic high school can be,” Riginos said. “While leading the expansion of St. Anne Catholic School into the first PK-3 through 12 school in the Diocese of Charleston, I often looked to CTK as an example of strong Catholic identity and student formation. To now have the privilege of serving as its president feels like it is coming full circle.”

Current CTK President Dr. Carl Semmler, who served as principal for six years and as president for the past three, will transition into a newly created position as Executive Director of Catholic Identity, Operations and Capital Improvements for the Catholic Schools office.

 In that role, Semmler will partner with stakeholders to foster a strong Catholic identity within the 20 Diocese of Charlotte schools, assisting with the execution of capital improvements and collaborating to ensure the schools have an operating budget that supports the vision of both local school and diocesan leaders.

 “The nine years that I will have spent at CTK have been an absolute blessing,” Semmler said.

 “The students, parents, faculty, staff and fellow administrators have been an inspiration to me and a strength to my faith.  As a community, we have grown in every possible way.”

 CTK was founded in 2011 with 28 students. During his tenure as its first president, a role he assumed in 2023, Semmler grew the school from 260 students to 435 this academic year. 

 At a time when the campus is undergoing a $12 million expansion project, increasing its footprint to handle enrollment that is expected to eventually reach 600 students, Riginos will collaborate with the leadership team, including Principal Mark Tolcher, to ensure a seamless transition.

 The high school leadership model that the diocese uses allows high school principals to handle academic oversight and daily operations, while presidents focus on shaping the mission and vision of the school, community relationships, financial management and fundraising.

Riginos, who will be the first female high school president in the diocese, holds a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education and a Master of Arts in Educational Leadership from Stetson University in DeLand, Florida. Her appointment comes after a national search. 

 “Mrs. Riginos brings broad experience at both the diocesan and school levels, along with strong expertise in strategic planning and relationship building, which will serve the Christ the King community well as the school continues to grow,” said Dr. Greg Monroe, the diocesan superintendent of schools. “I look forward to seeing what she and Mr. Tolcher will accomplish together as the leadership team of Christ the King.” 

 While Semmler will be fully immersed in his new responsibilities, Semmler told the Catholic News Herald he wants Riginos to know he is just a phone call away. 

“I am here for you,” Semmeler said he would tell her. “I want to help you and the school be successful.” 

Although Riginos worked for the Diocese of Charleston, she, along with her husband and three children, already call the Greater Charlotte area home. 

Riginos said she is looking forward “to working alongside students, teachers, staff, and families as we continue the mission of forming young men and women in faith, academic excellence and service.” 

— Lisa M. Geraci

Students lined the halls as Bagpiper Brendan Anderson, a junior at Charlotte Catholic High School, played the bagpipes while St. Patrick walked through the school spreading St. Patrick's Day spirit. Students were also treated to an amazing Irish Step Dance performance featuring many of their classmates.  

On Saturday, a sea of green lined Tryon Street for Charlotte’s 2026 St. Patrick Day Parade.

More than 1,000 marchers, including students, teachers and parents from some of the Diocese of Charlotte's Catholic schools – St. Ann, Our Lady of the Assumption, St. Patrick and Charlotte Catholic High School – marched in the parade through uptown Charlotte. Other schools and parishes planned to continue festivities through the week.

—  Photos by Troy C. Hull and provided

Students from Charlotte Catholic and Bishop McGuinness high schools took a field trip to local movie theaters to learn more about the legacy of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini. The movie gave students the opportunity to reflect on the political polarization of our time and how to bring people together.

Buses from Charlotte Catholic and Bishop McGuinness high schools drove through the morning dew for a special screening of “Cabrini,” an Angel Studios production, at Regal Theaters at

Piper Glen in Charlotte and AMC in High Point. Christ the King High School will view the movie in their gymnasium at a later date.

“A couple of years ago, when it first came out, some of the parishes did a screening, and that was my introduction,” said Dr. Greg Monroe, the diocesan superintendent of schools. “I was blown away by the way it showed the human element for this saint who did so much for migrants and was such a witness to the corporal works of mercy, showing us how we are supposed to work for all people.”

St. Frances Xavier Cabrini’s actions resonated with Monroe, and when folks in the Catholic Diocese of Dallas introduced him to the film’s directors with the goal of bringing the saint’s message to local students and educators, he was all in.

“They mentioned how some dioceses were taking the messages found in Mother Cabrini’s life and using them as part of their lesson plans,” Monroe said. “In schools we come from all walks of life, and we have teachers from different backgrounds. … It is a nice bridge to see what Mother Cabrini was trying to do and what we are trying to do with our students. It was so beautiful how Mother Cabrini saw the inherent dignity of every single person, no matter who they were or where they were from – she considered them a beloved child of God.”

From 1889 to 1910, more than two million Italian immigrants came to New York City in pursuit of the American dream. Instead, they found a nightmare, with many denied access to healthcare, education and housing. Racial slurs followed migrants through the city while they worked and lived in slums infested with rats.

In the Five Points area of the Lower East Side of Manhattan, where most immigrants settled, thousands of abandoned children slept under steam grates and existed in the dark cement tunnels of the city’s sewage system.

In the midst of that chaos, one nun, Frances Xavier Cabrini, overcame gender persecution and ethnic discrimination to create an orphanage and hospital for the neglected Italian immigrants.

The movie “Cabrini,” based on her life story and released in 2024, showcased her journey of resilience and persistence. During her 67 years, she established 67 hospitals and orphanages across the globe and became the first U.S. citizen to be canonized.

Though her work was largely focused on Italian immigrants in New York City, her message of human dignity remains relevant today, when migrants are still persecuted, called names and treated as second class.

The movie is trending in Catholic schools across the nation, which are incorporating its message in their curriculum to help students understand the Catholic view on human dignity associated with current events such as modern-day immigration.

Most Charlotte Catholic students said they better appreciated the works of the saint and the rawness of discrimination through the film.

“We learned a little about it in history class, but not like that graphic,” said student Brynley Wilde. “I loved the movie so much. I like how she had women power. She was very inspiring. And she took control of the men who were trying to stop her. She just kept going, even in the face of danger.”

Monroe said the movie was important on both a theological and an educational level.

“In a world that is so polarizing and fractured, where you have so much adversity, this can be a real opportunity to reflect,” Monroe said. “How can we learn from the challenges that Mother Cabrini experienced to strengthen and enhance what we are trying to do in our diocese? Especially in a diocese with so many different demographics, how can we support them and bring them together, all through the lens of our faith?”

— Lisa M. Geraci 

Who was Mother Cabrini?

St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, the first American citizen to be a canonized, is known as the patron saint of immigrants.

Refused admission to the religious order which had educated her to be a teacher, she began charitable work at the House of Providence Orphanage in Cadogno, Italy. In September 1877, she made her vows there. When the bishop closed the orphanage in 1880, he named Frances prioress of the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart. Seven young women from the orphanage joined her.

Since her childhood in Italy, she had wanted to be a missionary in China but, at the urging of Pope Leo XIII, Frances went west instead of east. She traveled with six sisters to New York City in 1889 to work with the thousands of Italian immigrants living there.

She provided the poorest of the poor Italian immigrants of New York with food, shelter, education and health services. By the 1890s, she established services in Chicago, also erecting several hospitals. She expanded those services to all immigrants across the country and around the world.

By the time of her death in 1917, at age 67, the naturalized American citizen had established 67 education, health and social service institutions throughout the world.
The route of the 2026 National Eucharistic Pilgrimage – which will come through the Diocese of Charlotte – is named after the saint.

— OSV News and Catholic News Herald

— Photo provided by St. Gabriel School

The support was made possible through the charitable legacy of Vic Nussbaum Jr., a former Greensboro mayor and long-time member of St. Pius X Parish.

“At Our Lady of Grace, this endowment is more than financial assistance; it is tangible support of our belief that every child deserves to be formed in truth, beauty and goodness,” said Principal Catherine Rusch. “It allows families to say yes to Catholic education and strengthens our mission to shape virtuous leaders and faithful disciples within our Panther family.”

The late Nussbaum – a self-proclaimed “Catholic Yankee in Dixie” who became one of Greensboro’s biggest boosters and its mayor for three terms, from 1987 to 1993 – was focused on expanding libraries, providing low-income housing and improving the quality of public education.

He was a devout Catholic, attending Mass every day at 6 a.m., and was a friend to the downtrodden, said Jim Melvin, who was mayor when Nussbaum was first elected to the Greensboro City Council in 1973.
Nussbaum attended Our Lady of Grace Church and sent his children to Our Lady of Grace School, and after a cross-town move later was active at St. Pius X Church. He believed Catholic schools not only provide a great education but are crucial to carrying on the faith.

Across the diocese, donors like Nussbaum have given one-time gifts of cash or stock, pledged to capital campaigns or projects, or left gifts in their estate plans. Such gifts have benefited parishes, Catholic schools, the diocese, the diocese’s foundation and St. Joseph College Seminary.

“We receive gifts of every amount, and all of them make a difference,” said Jim Kelley, diocesan development director. “There have been some individuals with significant resources who have had so much confidence in the Church’s leadership and commitment to their faith that they have given $1 million or more. I invite others to be part of our mission in this kind of significant way to help build up the Church across western North Carolina. Gifts given to establish endowments in particular help change people’s lives because they keep on growing and providing returns year after year.”

As Rusch noted, “In my eighth year as principal, I can see that the beauty of an endowment is its lasting impact. A single investment continues to bear fruit year after year, ensuring that students are able to receive an authentic Catholic education at Our Lady of Grace Catholic School.”

— Courtney McLaughlin

Fund an endowment

Interested in setting up – or adding to – an endowment to benefit your parish or Catholic school? You can establish an endowment in the Diocese of Charlotte Foundation by leaving a bequest in a will, a beneficiary designation from a retirement plan, a trust or annuity, or a gift of real estate, life insurance, cash or securities.

For details, contact Gina Rhodes at 704-370-3364 or gmrhodes@rcdoc.

This year’s Catholic Schools Week theme is “United in Faith and Community,” and it runs from Sunday, Jan. 25, to Saturday, Jan. 31. With 8,288 students enrolled in 20 schools spanning the diocese from the mountains to the Piedmont, there will be lots of cherished moments where faith, fun and education converge.

Catholic schools across the nation have participated in this week-long celebration since 1974, joining together as one united Catholic school community to spread a message of unity and hope.

“Catholic Schools Week celebrates the gift of a Catholic education and the people who make it possible. It gives us a chance to thank our students, families, faculty and clergy for the mission we share,” said Dr. Greg Monroe, the diocese’s superintendent of Catholic schools.

Here are some highlights of the week: 

Mass at St. Mark School

After several days of weather-related closings, Catholic Schools Week got off to a celebratory start across the diocese. In Huntersville, Monsignor Patrick Winslow celebrated Mass with the St. Mark school community. A parent reception in the Kerin Center followed. (Photos by Amy Milano) 

Sandwich making at St. Patrick School 

Laughter and enthusiastic shouts of “bread, bread, bread!” filled the cafeteria as second- and fourth-grade students at St. Patrick School in Charlotte made lunches for Operation Sandwich in support of Roof Above. After two days of weather-related closings, the students gathered to complete their Catholic Schools Week project. When the last sandwich was made, students, staff and volunteers paused to offer a blessing for all the meals prepared and for those who will receive them. (Photos by Troy C. Hull) 

 

 

Guest DJ at Holy Trinity 

Dr. Greg Monroe, superintendent of Catholic schools, got the Holy Trinity Catholic Middle School talent show off to a rocking start as guest DJ. (Photos by Troy C. Hull) 

 

Special visitors at St. Matthew School

Students at St. Matthew got a special visitor in carpool line Friday morning – Chubby the mascot from the Charlotte Checkers AHL hockey team was there with wintry greetings.

Later that day, the St. Matthew community got another surprise visitor as former Principal Kevin O’Herron came back to play in the staff vs. students volleyball match.

 

Students, staff compete at Charlotte Catholic High School

Students and staff clashed on the basketball court to end Catholic Schools Week at Charlotte Catholic High School. 

The campaign, called “Grounded in Tradition, Focused on the Future” seeks to raise $8.5 million for several large projects to enhance student life at the school, including upgrading the existing athletic field and sideline from grass to a premium artificial turf, renovating the media center into a multi-faceted student life center, creating the “CTE Innovation Center” with space for engineering and technology classes, and building a multi-functional fieldhouse.

The total cost for the entire project is expected to reach $10.5 million, including a $2 million contribution from the Mecklenburg Area Catholic Schools (MACS) Capital Fee.
Phase one of the project, which includes the new artificial turf, media center renovations and renovating the CTE building, is expected to cost $6.8 million. Phase two, construction of the field house, is estimated at $3.7 million.

The campaign was slated to formally launch Feb. 6 with a pep rally at the school.

The campaign will run through June 30, but work will begin on putting artificial turf on the school’s existing athletic field as soon as the school year ends in late May. The turf will expand daily access to the field by the school’s teams, as well as the marching band and cheerleading and dance squads. It will also improve safety by providing consistent footing and better shock absorption.

The new field will also reduce the need for Charlotte Catholic teams to travel off campus for practice, a move that would save money on rental fees.

“Having an artificial turf field will allow more teams to stay on campus both to practice and play games,” said Kurt Telford, head of school at CCHS. “With the grass field we currently have, we can’t practice there because it would cause too much wear and tear. The turf field won’t completely solve the issue of having to leave campus, but it will put a dent in the number of students who have to travel.”

In the next phase of renovations, the existing library will be transformed into a contemporary student life center featuring advanced technology, modern moveable furniture, new flooring, lighting and ceilings, a modernized computer lab, flexible meeting rooms and other spaces that can be used for a wide variety of activities.

“We want to transform the library into space that’s more up-to-date and in tune with the 21st century,” Telford said.

The next phase of the campaign will transform a small office building adjacent to the campus recently purchased by MACS into the CTE Innovation Center, which will support classes in engineering, robotics and other technologies. The building will include specialized learning labs, classrooms and makerspaces, outdoor project and work areas and flexible gathering spaces.

“The future is really the use of technology, and this building will enable our students to expand their experiences in technology and also enhance collaboration between students,” Telford said.

Finally, the new field house and flexible space complex will be designed to offer a multi-purpose hub that will include areas for sports performance, recovery and athletic training, dedicated spaces for health and wellness education and team meetings, and a flexible space with movable walls that can easily be transformed from classrooms during the day to larger spaces for after-school activities. The space will also include an integrated concession stand and space for stadium operations facilities.

“This will be a space that won’t be just limited to use by student athletes, but create more flexible space on campus that can be used in a variety of ways by all students,” Telford said.
Mercy Sister Paulette Williams, who served as principal at the school from 1980 to 2000, serves as the honorary chairperson for the campaign committee and said she was excited to be involved because of her ongoing love of the school.

“I’ve been involved in other ministries in the past 25 years, but my heart belongs to Charlotte Catholic,” she said. “This campaign will allow the school to keep up with the needs and desires of the students and will enhance their lives. It’s important to take this next big step to help the students there live out their dreams. These are all necessary improvements, and I think it’s important that we continue to progress so we can provide the best for the students.”

— Christina Lee Knauss

This was the first time in Athletic Director and girls’ basketball coach Kristin Shelton’s 26-year tenure that all four teams captured conference titles.

Principal Antonette Aguilera and Father Christian Cook celebrated the wins with a winter parade.

Cheerleaders, mascots and, of course, the teams did a cold but proud victory lap around Dejoy Circle.

Afterward, students enjoyed some refreshments in the gym and basked in the sweet warmth of a quadruple victory.

— Photos by MaryAnn Luedtke

After delays caused by winter storms, the Immaculata Catholic School community came together to walk through its history in a presentation put together by students. (Provided and Troy C. Hull | Catholic News Herald)

“A Walk Through Time” offered visitors a chance to walk from classroom to classroom, where students talked about the most significant events that happened during the decade assigned to their grade. Other students explained the significance of special school artifacts.

“It was a pretty amazing event and a once in a lifetime event to celebrate our 100th anniversary,” said Principal Margaret Beale. “We’ve been working on this for close to a year, and a lot of people dedicated a lot of their time to this. It’s an honor to be able to share the story of Immaculata and to be part of that story.”

The experience meant a lot to student participants like eighth-grader Natalia Corona Montiel.

“What I love most about Immaculata are my teachers and my classmates,” she said, underscoring how much she will miss the tight-knit faith community when she begins high school in the fall.

After being rescheduled by back-to-back ice and snow storms at the end of January, two walks took place on Feb. 12, with about 50 people attending the daytime event and more than 100 turning out for the evening walk. Dr. Greg Monroe, diocesan superintendent of schools, was on hand. The trek took about 45 minutes to complete.

As visitor Joanne Savage said, “The tour was wonderful. My husband and I have been supporters of the school for years and years.”

Beale said a large team of volunteers worked behind the scenes to put the event together, including one person who spent six months going through the school’s archives and separating material by decade.

Another “Walk Through Time” will be held at 1 p.m. May 8. The school will continue to commemorate its centennial throughout this year, including a special celebration for alumni at Oktoberfest on Saturday, Oct. 10.

Immaculata School was launched in 1926 by Father James Manley, who was pastor of Immaculate Conception Parish at the time. He received permission from Bishop William Hafey of Raleigh to turn the existing rectory into a school. With the help of a parishioner, he made arrangements for three sisters whose motherhouse was in France to come to Hendersonville and begin the school. By 1927, there were 16 students. Father Paul Termer, pastor at Immaculate Conception in 1927, saw the need for a larger school and arranged for the purchase of a large brick home known as the Keith Estate on Oakland Street to house the new school. Additional land was purchased in the early 1960s behind what was known as Allworden Estate and plans for a new school were launched. The school moved to its current location in 1961.

A series of renovations and expansions have taken place over the years. In 2024, the school served as a crucial supply hub for survivors of Tropical Storm Helene. The school has an enrollment of 174 students in pre-kindergarten through the eighth grade.

 — Christina Lee Knauss

On Feb. 25, Bishop McGuinness High School hosted 170 students from its five feeder schools, St. Leo the Great and Our Lady of Mercy in Winston-Salem, Immaculate Heart of Mary in High Point, and Our Lady of Grace and St. Pius X in Greensboro, for a MUN Conference centered around making the Milan Olympics more environmentally friendly.

MUN is a simulation in which students role-play as diplomats from different countries to solve global issues through research, debate and building consensus to pass resolutions.

From carpools to recyclable cups to solar panels, delegates representing countries from the Democratic Republic of the Congo to Colombia argued their stance on how to transform the Olympic venue into a cleaner, greener and more environmentally sustainable arena – and then were thrown for a loop.

“An hour in, my guys developed a crisis – all the snow melted. They were now using artificial snow. That snow created an environmental hazard. What should be done?” said history chair and MUN facilitator David Seidel. “This is all to see how fast they are able to react with problem solving.”

The crisis introduction is a critical moment when delegates must pivot and use their research for on-the-spot strategy planning. 

While the delegates hashed out whether to ship in ice from abroad or move to an indoor venue, a panel of three student leaders, called the “Dais”, mediated the organized chaos.

As senior Adam O’Connell said, “I love this because I love public speaking, monologuing and saying things dramatically. This is my last Model UN, and I’m super proud of these middle school students. This is one of the most engaging rooms I have ever seen.” 

Principal Claire Willis was impressed that her students adapted so effectively.

“We should do this more often. They are really doing such a good job with it,” Willis smiled. “Maybe let them have a little more control every once in a while and see where they take it.” 

By the end of the day, Milan remained unchanged, but the teachers, administration and graduating seniors left reassured that, thanks to their Catholic education, the future looks pretty bright and green in the next generation's hands. 

—  Lisa M. Geraci, photos by Julia Fergus and Crystal Glover

The performance had the crowd on its feet, guiding students through moments in history with powerful musical testimony. The choir’s energy and spirit resonated throughout the gym.

The annual visit is a favorite event, and one student said he will miss it when he graduates. He encouraged his fellow students to embrace the moment.

Through songs and heartfelt witness, the choir reminded students that faith can be expressed in many ways.

As one classmate shared with peers, while the style of celebration may differ, the spiritual benefits remain the same.

— Photos by Troy C. Hull. Video by Ameila Kudela.