CHARLOTTE — As unprecedented growth puts increasing demands on Catholic Charities, the Diocese of Charlotte’s charitable service agency is making fundamental changes to meet needs across one of the fastest growing regions in the country.

Catholic Charities Diocese of Charlotte is restructuring and pursuing other changes that will give it greater autonomy, better facilities, deeper ties to parishes, and more guidance from communities across western North Carolina in identifying their most pressing needs.

“We are transforming Catholic Charities to address the growing and changing needs across our 46 counties,” said Gerry Carter, president and CEO. “From our governance, to the needs we address, to the way we deliver our services – all of these things are changing. At the same time, the heart of Catholic Charities remains the same: We put our faith into action by serving people in need every day.”

The transformation comes as Bishop Michael Martin learns more about the challenges and opportunities growth presents for the local church. Upon his arrival in Charlotte in 2024, the bishop began consulting with other dioceses about ways to further empower and engage more people in the work of Catholic Charities.

The agency drew national attention after Hurricane Helene, as it launched the largest humanitarian effort in the diocese’s history.

“One goal for me is to highlight the fact that Catholic Charities and Catholic Relief Services are the two official social outreach arms of the Catholic Church,” Bishop Martin told the Catholic News Herald. “Catholic Charities works locally and CRS works internationally – and every Catholic is called to play a role in this social outreach. This is really at the heart of the Gospel.”

To do so, the bishop and Catholic Charities are seeking to leverage the engagement of the nearly 600,000 Catholics living in the diocese through parishes, schools, ministries and community outreach.

Changes underway at Catholic Charities include:

• Shifting away from an Advisory Board to appoint a Governing Board of Directors that will have more authority to guide, craft policy and implement changes, in collaboration with the bishop.
• Deepening collaboration with parishes to engage more parishioners in – and increase the impact of – their charitable work.
• Strategic spending of $19 million expected to be raised in the diocese’s “Making Room Challenge” to improve, expand and establish new service locations so Catholic Charities can serve more people.
• Seeking more input from Catholics and non-Catholics across 46 counties to help set priorities and respond to the most relevant needs.

“We want the laity to take more ownership of Catholic Charities as part of their lived experience in the parishes,” Carter said.

Connecting the mission of Catholic Charities “with each and every parish in the diocese” can dramatically increase the agency’s impact, said Kerry Robinson, CEO of Catholic Charities USA, who recently visited the Diocese of Charlotte to learn more about growing demands on Catholic Charities.

“The changing demographics and sweeping growth in this diocese is extraordinary,” she said. “It’s important to keep asking ourselves, ‘What is the mission of Catholic Charities, what is the need, and how can we ensure that we have the best structure and governance model in place to accomplish our mission and flourish in this important work?’”

Gaining a perspective on what the most relevant needs are across the diocese is a crucial element of helping people become more engaged. The agency recently surveyed more than 2,500 priests, deacons, seminarians, women religious and lay people earlier this year.

“Across the board, the most highlighted needs were food insecurity, homelessness and the need for mental health counseling,” Carter said.

To more effectively deliver those services, the agency is increasing collaboration with parishes to coordinate care. Regional directors have been meeting with pastors and parish leaders to determine what each community needs and how parish programs can mesh with what they offer.

For example, Catholic Charities is working with The Bulb non-profit to offer fresh food distribution at Our Lady of Guadalupe parish in Charlotte, bringing fruits and vegetables directly to a community where a gap in access exists.

“The hope is for parishes to enhance their charitable outreach and for Catholic Charities to serve as support in managing cases – which is one of our strengths,” Carter said. “We know how to get people what they need, whether it’s through direct service or referrals – but we’ll be stronger with more parishioners working in the trenches.”

Parishioners also find it rewarding to work in service of others, said Catholic Charities USA’s’ Robinson. “People are hungry for meaning and they yearn to understand that their own life can make a positive difference in the lives of others – especially those who are suffering.”

Ultimately, Carter said, the changes align with Bishop Martin’s pastoral vision: “It’s about inviting people of goodwill to put their faith into action,” he said.

For Bishop Martin, service to others and evangelization are key components of his calling as a Franciscan friar.

“The two must go hand-in-hand,” he said. “We are not simply an NGO with a crucifix on the wall. Putting a roof over someone’s head, placing a meal before someone, and helping someone get healthcare are all part of our Gospel mission. But it’s also important in an appropriate way to make it known to those we serve that it is Jesus who ultimately feeds us and nourishes us and clothes and houses us. That is the heart of the Good News! We demonstrate this simply through our actions and responses when sharing the healing message of the Gospel.”

— Christina Lee Knauss, Liz Chandler contributed

Parish engagement

To more effectively deliver services and get more Catholics directly engaged in the agency’s work, the agency is increasing collaboration with parishes to coordinate care. “Without building the relationship with parishes, we will never get the engagement of the 600,000 Catholics in Western North Carolina, which is what we need,” Bishop Martin has said. To that end, regional directors have been meeting with pastors and parish leaders to determine what each community needs and how existing parish programs can better mesh with what Catholic Charities already offers.

Governing board

Shifting away from an advisory board, the agency will appoint a governing board Nov. 3 that will have more authority to guide and implement changes. The board’s 15 members will serve three-year terms. The board will have the power to approve policy, hire and evaluate the CEO, and set strategic plans and goals. This structure is in line with best practices used by other Catholic Charities agencies across the country.

Community input

To determine the most critical needs across the diocese, the agency surveyed more than 2,500 clergy, women religious, seminarians and lay people. The most mentioned issues were food insecurity, homelessness and mental health services. Using the survey results as a basis for continued discussion, agency employees will engage with parishioners in communities across the diocese to learn how to move forward and to address ongoing needs as they develop.

Facilities

The agency’s expanding needs and outreach have caused it to outgrow its headquarters at the Diocesan Pastoral Center. The new board may decide to explore a free-standing headquarters facility as well as new and/or expanded service locations across the diocese that better reach people where they are. This effort will include strategic spending of an infusion of funds from the diocesan “Making Room Challenge,” including $19 million for new facilities and $10 million for an endowment.

St. William parishioner Joan Elizabeth Kennedy left a bequest in her will to help the parish fund needed imrovements and establish an endowment for future needs. (Photo provided)

“Joan Kennedy’s bequest to the parish of St. William is not only an extraordinary act of generosity,” said Father Augustine Ogar, M.S.P. “I consider it also as an invisible hand of God’s providence.”

When Father Ogar arrived at St. William in 2025, securing funds to address overdue maintenance needs and support the parish’s growth were top priorities. Many facility projects had been deferred since the COVID-19 pandemic and needed immediate attention.

Through the bequest, St. William has completed the refurbishment of the Seiglie Center – the parish’s education building – just in time for upcoming faith formation classes. Renovations included a new HVAC system and kitchen appliances. Other facility updates, including a kitchen upgrade in the Seiglie Center along with roof, flooring and sanctuary improvements, are also underway.

“Most important of all, this bequest has allowed the parish to set up a new named endowment fund in Joan’s honor, to help secure its financial future,” Father Ogar added.

Kennedy died on Nov. 1, 2024. She was known for her devout faith and generous spirit toward people and animals. Born in Hoboken, New Jersey, she lived in Oklahoma, Kansas and Florida before settling in Murphy – a place she considered the perfect spot to retire. She became active in her church and participated in the choir and ministries that reached out to the sick.

Kennedy first learned about leaving a bequest at a diocese-sponsored estate planning seminar in 2000, where she explored ways to support her parish through her estate.

An estate planning seminar is an opportunity for parishioners to learn about ways to take care of themselves and loved ones through a properly executed will and estate plan. The Office of Planned Giving has hosted more than 150 such seminars across the diocese.

“Joan then requested a follow up brochure from one of the ‘Your Legacy’ newsletter mailers in 2001,” said Jim Kelley, diocesan director of development.

For more than 25 years, Kennedy received informational materials about the benefits of estate planning from the Office of Planned Giving, and she decided to turn that information into action.

“Our diocese is blessed by the dedication of parishioners such as Joan Kennedy, who planned ahead by considering what they leave behind to the parishes and ministries that matter to them, said Jim Kelley, diocesan director of development. “It is through the realization of Joan’s thoughtful and generous gift to St. William, that her legacy of faith will be remembered forever.”

“St. William remains perpetually grateful for this bequest,” Father Ogar said.

— Courtney McLaughlin

Leave your legacy

Stewardship is not a single act. It is a way of life – a grateful response to the gifts God has entrusted to us. Your legacy may come through 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, or Heidi Kelley at 704-370-3348 or hmkelley@rcdoc.org.

Healed and Restored is a non-profit dedicated to helping abuse victims founded by Elza Spaedy, a St. Mark parishioner and trauma survivor.

The organization’s resources including counseling, retreats, self-care, life coaches and spiritual guidance – all helping survivors heal their wounds through a renewed view of themselves through Christ.

“Why we are so successful and why the women are finding true healing and restoration is because we are guiding them to the real physician (Jesus) who can truly put back the broken pieces of our hearts and soul,” Spaedy said.

During the gala, Father John Putnam, pastor of St. Mark and the ministry’s spiritual director, was acknowledged for his continued efforts. St. Ann Church, St. Mark Church and St. Matthew Church were also recognized for their contributions.

More than 100 parishioners, clergy, clients and guests filled Kerin Hall to listen to Spaedy and keynote speaker Christine Wisdom, a St. Mark parishioner and counselor.
Spaedy planned her speech weeks before but said God made some heavy tweaks as she went to Mass a few days before the event. She threw away her notecards and focused on John 4:1-42 – the woman at the well.

“I want to know that woman’s story. I have some questions for her,” Spaedy said. “How many unhealed wounds was this woman carrying around? How much unforgiveness was she holding onto? Just how heavy were the chains of shame she carried?”

Through it all Jesus met that woman and helped her face her brokenness, she said.

“Before you get healed you have to open yourself to Jesus,” Spaedy said. “His merciful love changed her life.”

That same love transforms the lives of the hundreds of women Healed and Restored has helped over the past four years.

Spaedy also unveiled her new book, “Your Story Matters,” an anthology of stories from the people she has helped.

“Your Story Matters,” is not just a title, but one of the three beliefs she strives to instill in the women she helps. The other two are: “your wounds do not define you,” and “you are heard and seen.”

— Lisa M. Geraci

More online:

Learn more at www.healedandrestored.org/

Lorraine and John Lamonica are one of 80 couples who recently celebrated milestone anniversaries with Bishop Michael Martin. CHARLOTTE — St. Patrick Cathedral was full of love stories as more than 80 couples gathered for a special Wedding Anniversary Mass Oct. 11.

Bishop Michael T. Martin presided over the Mass and commended the couples on their love deeply rooted in Christ.

Ironically, that same weekend, a Vatican summit was addressing the global deterioration of matrimony and families due to the rise in cohabitation. Statistics from a 2026 Institute for Family Studies study seemingly agreed, reporting that the number of Catholic weddings has plunged by 74% since 1970. That same study did find that faith influences marital satisfaction, with 79% of

Massgoing Catholics saying they were happily married, compared to 66% of non-religious couples.

At St. Patrick Cathedral, however, married couples sat hand-in-hand, still thriving at milestone anniversaries of 25 and 50 years.

Bishop Martin recognized some reasons why love appears skewed through a worldly lens. Those answers can be found in the day’s liturgical readings, he said in his homily.

“‘Charm’ and ‘beauty’ … are fleeting,” the bishop said, referencing the first reading from Proverbs 31.

“The world misses the depth of relationships when it gets simply caught up in charm and beauty, when they don’t carry through to the uncharming and unbeautiful times,” he said.

The married couples present in the pews learned early on to make their unions less about charm and beauty and more about God and the virtues mentioned in Colossians 3:12-17: compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience and forgiveness.

“If you don’t have compassion for your spouse, check your pulse, your relationship is dead,” Bishop Martin said.

“It begins with compassion. My heart gives and bleeds for you, that is the hallmark and the foundation,” he said.

At that, he asked the couples to turn to one another and say that they could love them even more.

“Wherever you are in your current journey, if you think this is as good as it gets, you don’t know God,” he told them. “You can be more in love with your spouse.”

His suggestions for a continued marriage full of God’s love were to pray together and share Jesus’ love with others – not by professing love for one another in the fruit section of the grocery store, he joked, but by being an example for other couples.

“We have to be on fire by sharing the love of Jesus with the world,” he said.

Attendees Lorraine and John Lamonica, married for 50 years and members of St. Aloysius Parish in Hickory, have been each other’s prayer warriors for years.

They go to Mass every Sunday and sometimes more often, as she is an altar server. And they never miss weekly Eucharistic Adoration.

Lorraine Lamonica credits the example of discipleship they received from their parents and the faith they have in God.

“His parents were really religious. My parents were really religious,” she said. “My parents were married for over 50 years. Seeing their life rubs off on you seeing how happy they were.”

Now, they are honored their granddaughter will follow in their footsteps, choosing to marry on their June 5 anniversary date.

“Being married isn’t easy, but it all works, it all blends, but it is all under the umbrella of God,” Lorraine Lamonica said. “I really believe that because we had God first – it worked. Keep focused on you and each other, your children and God.”

— Lisa M. Geraci 

Advice from married couples for married couples

Keep God First 
Kenneth and Erbie Rose

Kenneth and Erbie Rose’s love story started charmingly enough, but they say what has kept it strong is their Catholic faith and love of God.

First meeting at an Our Lady of Consolation Parish youth group function, the tall, smart-witted, cunning Kenneth Rose became a fixture in Erbie’s mind – so much so that when prom season rolled around later that year, she only had her sights on one guy: Kenneth.

“I did not hear from her anymore until the spring,” Kenneth says. “One night the Commodores were performing on our campus, and they had a sing-along. I was up there on stage playing the bongos. And one of her friends came up there on the stage and brought me a perfumed letter from

Erbie inviting me to her high school prom.”

It was a yes! Kenneth still remembers every minute of that prom night. Soon the young couple filled their nights with cruising down Beatties Ford

Road in Kenneth’s ’55 Chevy. The music was pumping, and when the traffic lights turned red, they’d turn on their dance moves in the middle of the street. They drank shakes at South 21 and rode the ferris wheel at Belmont amusement park. On weekends, they took trips to Myrtle Beach.

After they met each other’s families, Kenneth got down on one knee, and this time Erbie was the one to say yes. She joined OCIA classes, and soon they faced one another on the altar of Our Lady of Consolation – the church where they met – and professed their marriage vows.

Sixty years and four children later, they can finish each other’s sentences, still look into each other’s eyes as if they have a special secret, and laugh together at (some of) Kenneth’s jokes.

Compassion is what kept them bonded as they changed the diapers of their twin babies side-by-side in the middle of the night, taught youth ministry together, sang in the Gospel choir, and co-chaired many parish ministries while raising their growing family.

As a family, they would take the Eucharist to the sick – bringing their children along to play instruments to entertain the nursing home residents, and later, their granddaughter who would sing.

Now in their 80s, they remain committed to their faith and love for one another.

“God first, and then your spouse as your best friend to rely on and tell everything to, compromise with,” Erbie emphasizes. “He’s my best friend.”

Have compassion 
Sarah and Joe Lamonica

Sarah and Joe Lamonica, who have been married 25 years, did not start dating with butterflies in their stomachs. Instead, their love grew out of a place of grief.

The two met as a young widow and widower, both in a state of bereavement dealing with the death of their spouses.

Sarah recalls, “It was nice to have someone to really talk to and who really understood me, and we both happened to be Catholic.”

Joe was a New Jersey police officer, and Sarah worked with him. The two were paired up by co-workers and hit it off. They were in their 50s and had some children still home and others out of the house. The family dynamic blended well, however, and the two families came together in their brokenness. They moved to Hickory when Joe retired, because they wanted to be close to his brother John. Now, the two couples attend St. Aloysius Church together.

Sarah says the key to being in a happy marriage is being there for one another and trusting each other.

Be kind to one another 
Melvin and Elease Askew

When Elease visited her cousin in Ohio for a job opportunity, she was introduced to Melvin Askew. It was a funny coincidence – they went to the same high school in Alabama and were reunited in a city far from home.

Six months later, he proposed and they were married. Elease did not find a job on that visit to Ohio, but she did find the love of her life.

“When we first got married, I didn’t really know how to cook. So he would step in and make dinner for the family,” Elease recalls. “Every morning, he would get up early and make breakfast while I helped get the kids ready for school.”

Today, the Askews, who are members Our Lady of Consolation Parish in Charlotte, like to dance and still share recipes. The key to a great marriage, they say, is to keep God first and to keep laughing.

“We enjoy doing things together and keeping laughter in the family. Most of all, our faith has kept us grounded, and being close to our God helped us make choices to strengthen our family,” she says. 

Have humility 
Luis Navarrete and Coral Martinez

Luis Navarrete and Coral Martinez knew each other since they were 10 and were friends long before they were spouses. Luis traveled out of town a lot for work, but whenever he returned home, he always found Coral. Over the years, their friendship grew into more.

They were married in the Church, but at the time Luis wasn’t attending Mass regularly.

“At one point I was working and was out of town often. I missed my family. I created a bad habit of spending time with myself,” Luis recalls. “That’s when we decided to start going back to church, and it opened my eyes.”

Their faith has helped their marriage and has been a constant in the lives of their children. After 25 years, they are thriving at St. Joseph Parish in Kannapolis and are excited for the next 25 years in holiness.

“Keep God in your marriage,” Luis advises. “If you don’t have God in your marriage, the foundation is not strong and can fall, but He makes everything strong.”

Be patient and gentle
Lorraine and John Lamonica

Coming out of a difficult break-up, Lorraine was done with men, but when she crossed paths with John Lamonica, she started to change her mind.

They were both Italian Catholics from Brooklyn living in New Jersey. What were the chances? They got along well, and when she met his family, she immediately felt as if it was an extension of her own.

John knew from the second he met Lorraine she was “the one,” and he announced it to everyone. Soon enough, he proposed.

They were married in the Church and had one of those huge Italian weddings.

They moved to Hickory and as they got settled, his mother and brother followed, and so did Lorraine’s. John became a real estate agent, and through the years the growing Lamonica family started taking up entire pews at St. Aloysius Church in Hickory.

“We had some issues...but it didn’t separate us,” Lorraine recalls. “My dad was sick for like 10 years, and we took care of him, and we were always there for him. We never split because of it.

Trying to juggle a family and my father, then his mom got sick, and then my mom got sick.”

Lorraine says the key to staying in a relationship for 50 years is working as a team, keeping the faith and avoiding worldly advice.

She says, “It all works, it all blends, but it is all under the umbrella of God.”

More online
At www.charlottediocese.org/faith-life/marriage-family-and-life: Find marriage resources

The event will be held in two locations – Charlotte and Greensboro – from 8 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. on Nov. 21 and is hosted by the Marriage, Family and Life Office in partnership with the St. John Paul II Foundation.

“The conference is a great example of coming together as the family of God,” said Brendan Dudley, the diocese’s marriage preparation, enrichment and family program director. “We hope this will be a springboard for all of our parishes to develop year-round marriage enrichment opportunities that will help couples grow in their love for Jesus.”

This year’s conference theme is “United in Love” and will feature keynote speakers from national and local platforms ready to share lessons on love and faith. Sessions will focus on three topics: Communion with the Holy Spirit, Finding common ground in Christ, and Forgiveness: the key to lasting unity.

The event will take place at St. Ann Church in Charlotte and at St. Pius X Church in Greensboro. Childcare will be available at both locations.

Local speakers Dr. Mario Sacasa, a marriage counselor with more than 20 years of experience, will be featured at the Greensboro program. Christine Wisdom, owner and executive director of Wisdom Integrative Counseling, will be featured at the Charlotte program.

Both programs will also include two couples. Deacon Jason Bulman,a theologian, and his wife Rachel Bulman, a podcaster and writer, will discuss marriage and children, contributing stories of their life together raising six children. Educators and speakers Colin and Aimee MacIver, known for their theological approach to faith formation, will focus on St. John Paul II’s Theology of the Body, the sacramental nature of marriage and discipleship.

Mass will be celebrated during the programs, and there will be an opportunity for confession and Eucharistic Adoration throughout the day. St. Ann will provide headsets for Spanish speakers who will translate the presentations simultaneously.

Register for the event online at www.forlifeandfamily.org/events/th26-cnc-e.

 — Lisa M. Geraci 

Six bishops met with diocesan and immigrant non-profit leaders Sept. 30 to discuss ongoing immigration enforcement actions, Church teaching on migration and best practices to support migrants affected by mass deportation policies.

The Charlotte diocese’s Communications Director Liz Chandler, Hispanic Media Coordinator Brian Segovia and Hispanic Ministry Director Steven Samol participated in seminars on local and global Church initiatives defending the dignity of migrants, immigrant testimonies, effective communication strategies, and diocesan and parish planning.

Diocesan leaders from across the South donned pins with the message “We Stand with Immigrants” and joined a press conference led by the bishops of Knoxville, Lexington and Memphis where they spoke in support of migrants.

“We have a responsibility to care for the dignity of each and every human person and to respect the rights and due process that are due to citizens and anyone who lives on U.S. soil,’ said

Knoxville Bishop Mark Beckman. “What we see needs a response not only of compassion, but also of justice. Let’s work together today to build a world where everyone has a home.”

Samol said the press conference was a powerful example of the Church’s prophetic voice on the moral issue of human dignity.

“What challenged me was not necessarily a change in my concern for migrants, but a deeper understanding that the Church’s response must begin with the person, not the policy,” Samol said.

Samol saw the conference as a calling to dive deeper into learning about the immigrant experience in the diocese.

“These are not anonymous statistics. They are parishioners, volunteers, parents, friends and neighbors. Sharing their stories can help our communities recognize the human impact of these realities and encourage greater solidarity and prayerful support,” Samol said. “Migrants are not an issue to be managed, but members of the human family.”

— Catholic News Herald

A Sept. 30 ribbon-cutting was held for the $6 million project that added six new tennis courts, a new practice field and outdoor restrooms. 

“We are celebrating 25 years in Kernersville this year, and it is really special to see your faces, the same ones that have been with us throughout this whole time and process,” President Jared Rashford said to the players, students, staff and donors who attended the event. “This marks the completion of our first major capital improvements to the campus in that 25-year period.”

Father Christopher Brock, campus minister, blessed the new courts before a real battle ensued against two current Villains players and state champions - Lucia Neves, a junior, and Luke Ansari, a senior. 

Neves won, but not for the last time that night. Afterward, the entire girls team fought hard to earn their first victory on their new home court against rivals South Davidson High School. 

This project may be the school’s first, but it will not be the last. 

“Other items in future plans include the construction of a new press box with a concession stand, construction of visitor bleachers and expanding our home section,” Rashford said. “And, in the main footprint of the building, we are looking at opportunities to expand some of the usable spaces for our St. Gabriel program.” 

The campus, which has seen its largest enrollment at 502, up 18% from five years ago, made some additional improvements over the summer, including renovating the chapel and redoing the floor, plus adding bleachers in the gym.  

“As we enter our 25th year here and look at the legacy we were given, we are building on that legacy through these projects,” Rashford said. “They are a testament to the school’s commitment to continue to build upon the solid foundation.”

— Lisa Geraci, photos provided

• Ad Meliora Endowment Fund: Financial support for facility improvements and beautification initiatives at Christ the King Catholic High School.
• American Schlafhorst Scholarship Endowment Fund: Scholarship assistance for students at Charlotte Catholic High School
• Archibong Family Endowment Fund: Tuition assistance for Bishop McGuinness Catholic High School students who are African American, Indigenous or students of color.
• Asheville Catholic School Endowment Fund: Financial support to retain quality teachers, offer scholarship assistance, provide continuing education for teachers and enhance the school’s curriculum.
• Joseph and Margaret Baldi Endowment Fund: Tuition assistance for children of parishioners at St. Leo the Great Catholic Church to attend St. Leo Catholic School in Winston-Salem.
• Heidi Hogan Bell Memorial Endowment Fund: Provides for the general needs of Charlotte Catholic High School.
• Bishop McGuinness Catholic High School Endowment Fund: Provides for the general needs of this school in Kernersville.
• Joan W. Books Endowment Fund: Tuition assistance for children of Immaculate Conception Catholic Church to attend Immaculata Catholic School in Hendersonville.
• Don and Mary Gay Brady Endowment Fund: Tuition assistance for students at Our Lady of Grace Catholic School in Greensboro.
• Elizabeth Allen Brown Endowment Fund: For the general needs of Catholic elementary and secondary schools and Catholic campus ministries in the Asheville area.
• Father Pat Cahill and Michael Miller Endowment Fund for Academic Support: Academic support at Asheville Catholic School.
• Carr and Jurczyk Family Endowment Fund: Faculty member awards at Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic School.
• Molly Cassidy Scholarship Endowment Fund: Scholarship assistance to parishioners of St. Pius X Church to attend St. Pius X School, both in Greensboro.
• Catholic Education Endowment Fund: Scholarships for students attending Catholic elementary schools in the diocese.
• Charlotte Catholic High School Alumni Association Board Discretionary Endowment Fund: For the general needs of Charlotte Catholic High School at the board’s discretion.
• Charlotte Catholic High School Alumni Association Scholarship Endowment Fund: Scholarships for graduating seniors to attend a college of their choice.
• Charlotte Catholic High School Endowment Fund: Benefits Charlotte Catholic High School.
• Sister M. Joanice Cohen & Sister M. Elizabeth Fowkes, IHM Endowment Fund: Financial support to promote long-term recruitment, training and development of teachers at Immaculata Catholic School in Hendersonville.
• Cornelius Alexander Davis II Tuition Assistance Endowment Fund: Tuition assistance for students at St. Leo the Great Catholic School in Winston-Salem.
• Digger Dawson Scholarship Endowment Fund: Scholarship assistance for students from Immaculate Conception Catholic Church attending Immaculata Catholic School in Hendersonville.
• Derhofer Family Endowment Fund: Tuition assistance for students at Bishop McGuinness Catholic High School in Kernersville.
• Deussen Scholarship Endowment Fund: Scholarships for Catholic high school education in the greater Charlotte area.
• Stephen and Jessica Dey Options Endowment Fund: Benefits the “Options” programs at diocese schools.
• Diocesan Educational Endowment Fund: Tuition assistance for students within the diocese attending a Catholic elementary or high school.
• Faucette Endowment Fund: Financial assistance for the educational ministry of the diocese’s schools.
• Barbara Fellerhoff and Jim Coddington Endowment Fund: Tuition assistance for students at of Asheville Catholic School.
• FFHL Tuition Assistance Endowment Fund: Established through Forward in Faith, Hope, and Love Diocesan Campaign, this fund provides tuition assistance for Catholic schools in the Diocese of Charlotte.
• Gayden and Janell Gauthier Family Endowment Fund: Technology and infrastructure updates and tuition assistance for students of Immaculate Conception Catholic Church to attend Immaculata Catholic School, both in Hendersonville.
• Mary Gay and Don Brady Endowment Fund: Tuition assistance for faculty members’ children in the Piedmont-Triad area Catholic schools to attend Bishop McGuiness Catholic High School in Kernersville.
• O’Brien and William Edward Gibbs Endowment Fund: Tuition assistance for students at Asheville Catholic School.
• Gismondi Family Scholarship Endowment Fund: Scholarship assistance for children of St. Mark Catholic Church parishioners to attend Christ the King Catholic High School in Huntersville.
• Bobby Grant Memorial Endowment Fund: Tuition assistance for students attending Bishop McGuinness Catholic High School in Kernersville.
• Megan Healy Scholarship Endowment Fund: Scholarship assistance for students at St. Patrick Catholic School in Charlotte.
• Edith and George Hilbert Endowment Fund: Financial support for the education of students at Asheville Catholic School.
• Holy Family Catholic Church Scholarship Endowment Fund: Catholic school tuition assistance (K-12) for members of Holy Family Catholic Church in Clemmons.
• Holy Trinity Catholic Middle School Endowment Fund: Supports the general needs of Holy Trinity Catholic Middle School.
• Immaculata Catholic School Scholarship Endowment Fund: Scholarship assistance for students at this school in Hendersonville.
• Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic School Endowment Fund: Tuition assistance for students at this school in High Point.
• Roger Kavanagh Tuition Assistance Endowment Fund: Tuition assistance for students at St. Pius X Catholic School in Greensboro.
• Knights of Columbus 11911 of St. Eugene for Asheville Catholic School Endowment Fund: For the general needs of this school.
• Isaac A. Kohl Scholarship Endowment Fund: Scholarship for students matriculating from St. Pius X Catholic School to Bishop McGuinness Catholic High School.
• Leeolou Family Scholarship Endowment Fund: Scholarship assistance for Mecklenburg Area Catholic Schools families.
• LeFeber Endowment: General needs of Immaculata Catholic School in Hendersonville.
• LoBianco Family Endowment Fund: Tuition assistance for students attending diocesan Catholic schools.
• Alexander and Brenda Lyerly Endowment Fund: Scholarship assistance for children with financial need to attend Catholic schools in the Diocese of Charlotte.
• Lorraine J. Malphurs Endowment Fund: Student testing fees at St. Pius X Catholic School in Greensboro.
• Manley Endowment Fund: Tuition assistance for students of families at St. Eugene Catholic Church to attend Asheville Catholic School.
• Catherine McAuley Scholarship Endowment Fund: Scholarships to Catholic students attending Mecklenburg Area Catholic Schools.
• Bryant McDermott Endowment Fund: Scholarship assistance to students of Charlotte Catholic High School and Holy Trinity Middle School in Charlotte.
• Francis J. McGrail Scholarship Endowment Fund: Scholarship assistance to students of Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic School in High Point.
• Leonard F. McGinley Family Endowment Fund: Tuition assistance for children of Holy Family Catholic Church in Clemmons.
• Lee McGuiness Endowment Fund: Benefits the Charlotte Catholic High School Alumni Association.
• Sandy McMonagle Endowment Fund: Tuition assistance for students at Our Lady of Mercy Catholic School in Winston-Salem.
• Mecklenburg Area Catholic Schools (MACS) Education Endowment Fund: Assistance to the nine MACS schools in the Charlotte area.
• Mecklenburg Area Catholic Schools (MACS) Special Needs Endowment Fund: For MACS’ students with special needs.
• Dr. Stanley Michalski Jr. Endowment Fund: Assistance for the MACS band programs.
• Katelyn Mitchell Student Athlete Scholarship Endowment Fund: For the benefit of a student-athlete in sixth, seventh or eighth grade at St. Pius X Catholic School in Greensboro.
• Eleanor C. Murphy Educational Trust Scholarship Endowment Fund: Provides scholarships for students from Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Salisbury.
• Monsignor Lawrence C. Newman Endowment Fund: Tuition assistance for students at Our Lady of Mercy Catholic School in Winston-Salem.
• Victor M. Nussbaum Jr. Educational Endowment Fund: Tuition assistance for students at St. Pius X Catholic School in Greensboro.
• Chris and Margaret Onulak Endowment Fund: General needs of Asheville Catholic School.
• Our Lady of Grace School Endowment Fund: General needs of this school in Greensboro.
• Our Lady of the Assumption Catholic School Fund: General needs of this school in Charlotte.
• Poutré Family Endowment Fund: General needs of Immaculata Catholic School in Hendersonville.
• Quinn Family Endowment Fund: General needs of Immaculata Catholic School in Hendersonville.
• George L. Repass Memorial Tuition Endowment Fund: Tuition assistance for students at Bishop McGuinness Catholic High School in Kernersville.
• Sister Geri Rogers Endowment Fund: Tuition assistance for students of Our Lady of Mercy Catholic School in Winston-Salem.
• Clark G. Ross Scholarship Endowment Fund: Scholarship assistance for Catholic high school students from Catholic parishes in Mecklenburg, Iredell, Cabarrus and Rowan counties.
• Clark G. Ross St. Therese Catholic Church Scholarship Endowment Fund: Assistance for college age parishioners at St. Therese Catholic Church in Mooresville.
• Ruggieri Family Endowment Fund: Tuition assistance at Bishop McGuinness Catholic High School.
• Sacred Heart School Catholic Endowment Fund: General needs of this school in Salisbury.
• Sheridan-Mangan Endowment Fund: Tuition assistance for students at Asheville Catholic School.
• Monsignor Joseph S. Showfety Endowment Fund: Tuition assistance for students enrolled in Catholic grade school or high school and reside in Guilford or Forsyth County.
• Monsignor Joseph S. Showfety Bishop McGuinness Catholic High School Endowment Fund: Tuition assistance for students of this school.
• Sisters of Mercy Scholarship Endowment Fund: Tuition assistance for students at St. Michael Catholic School in Gastonia.
• Sisters of St. Joseph Endowment Fund: Tuition assistance for Bishop McGuinness students.
• Victoria Sleeman Scholarship Endowment Fund: Scholarships for students of Immaculate Conception Catholic Church to attend Immaculata Catholic School in Hendersonville.
• Frank Spinks Endowment Fund: Professional development activities for the staff at Immaculata Catholic School in Hendersonville.
• Mary Spinks Endowment Fund: Scholarship assistance to minority students at Immaculata Catholic School in Hendersonville.
• Michelle Stanley Scholarship Endowment Fund: Tuition assistance at St. Mark Catholic School in Huntersville.
• St. Ann Catholic School Endowment Fund: General needs of this school in Charlotte.
• St. Frances Cabrini Scholarship Endowment Fund: Tuition assistance for St. Pius X Catholic School students from first-generation families.
• St. Gabriel Catholic School Endowment Fund: General needs of this school in Charlotte.
• St. Joseph Scholarship Endowment Fund: Scholarship assistance for students at Asheville Catholic School.
• St. Lawrence Council (1695) Student Scholarship Endowment Fund: Financial assistance for the educational needs of council members’ and deceased members’ children.
• St. Leo Catholic School Endowment Fund: General needs of this school in Winston-Salem.
• St. Mark Catholic School Endowment Fund: General needs of this school in Huntersville.
• St. Mary’s Catholic Church Scholarship Endowment Fund: Tuition aid for the children of parishioners from St. Mary’s Catholic Church who attend Our Lady of Grace Catholic School or St. Pius X Catholic School, both in Greensboro, or Bishop McGuinness Catholic High School in Kernersville.
•  St. Matthew School Endowment Fund: General needs of this school in Charlotte.
• St. Michael School Endowment Fund: General needs of this school in Gastonia.
• St. Patrick Catholic School Endowment Fund: General needs of this school in Charlotte.
• St. Pius X School Endowment Fund: Tuition assistance for students at this school in Greensboro.
• Michael Sullivan Endowment Fund: For general fine arts department needs at Charlotte Catholic High School or non-profit support compatible with known interest of Michael Sullivan.
• Theresa Lasecki Talbert Scholarship Endowment Fund: Tuition assistance for students at Bishop McGuinness Catholic High School in Kernersville.
• Remo and Carolyn Termini Endowment Fund: Scholarships for students attending Asheville Catholic School.
• John Michael Thompson Endowment Fund: Tuition assistance for students at Sacred Heart Catholic School in Salisbury.
• F. Joseph Treacy Endowment Fund: Scholarship assistance for students in all nine MACS schools.
• Villalon Family Endowment Fund: General needs of Bishop McGuinness Catholic High School.
• Sabrina Watt Endowment Fund: Tuition assistance for students attending MACS schools.
• Florence B. Werden Memorial Endowment Fund: General needs of Immaculata Catholic School in Hendersonville.
• Kurtis D. Williams Flight Scholarship Endowment Fund: Flight-related assistance for aviation students at Bishop McGuinness Catholic High School in Kernersville.
• Sister Paulette Williams Scholarship Endowment Fund: Scholarships for graduating Charlotte Catholic High School seniors to attend a college of their choice.
• Mary Jane Winfrey Endowment Fund: General needs of Asheville Catholic School.
• Woelfel Family Endowment Fund: Students’ educational purposes at Our Lady of Grace Catholic School in Greensboro.
• Wos-Dejoy Endowment Fund: Tuition assistance for students at St. Pius X Catholic School in Greensboro.
• Sister Emma Yondura Endowment Fund: Tuition assistance for students at St. Leo Catholic School in Winston-Salem.

Endowments aid students, schools
Over $9.0 million has been distributed from 106 endowments to directly benefit students and schools.

Across the diocese, students will be returning to expanded campuses, renovated classrooms and new programs, including the transition to a different stye of learning at Holy Trinity Catholic Academy. (Photos by Troy C. Hull | Catholic News Herald) CHARLOTTE — More than 8,000 students are gearing up to return to Catholic schools across the Diocese of Charlotte beginning Aug. 17, with many to be greeted by improved facilities, new programs, new leaders and new families.Cubbies and lockers will once again be full as students come back to classrooms starting Aug. 17.

The diocese’s only standalone middle school has a new name to reflect its new approach: Holy Trinity Catholic Academy in Charlotte has begun its transition toward blending the advantages of single-sex and co-ed classes for a more tailored educational experience. Other schools from the mountains to the Triad will unveil new athletic and other facilities, including Charlotte Catholic, Christ the King and Bishop McGuinness high schools.

Enthusiasm for Catholic education continues to remain high, school officials said, with enrollment in diocesan schools holding steady. Many schools are near capacity following years of continued growth.

“There is a great deal to be excited about,” said Dr. Greg Monroe, superintendent of Catholic schools. “Our schools are continuing to grow in different ways, but what is most encouraging is the strong culture taking shape across the diocese.”

He stressed the important contribution Catholic schools make in educating both the mind and the spirit of students.

“We have excellent educators, committed families and school leaders who understand that Catholic education is about strong academic achievement – but also about something more. It’s about forming young people in faith, character and wisdom as disciples of Christ.”

In western North Carolina, the second school year after Hurricane Helene is feeling more like a return to normal.

Last year, some school families had to leave to find new homes or employment after residences and businesses were damaged or destroyed, said Margaret Beale, principal of Immaculata Catholic School in Hendersonville.

This year, “we’re still seeing some impacts, a few school families that are having to move particularly because a parent’s job never came back after the storm, but in general, everything has settled down,” Beale says. “Everything here is busy, and we’re excited to begin the new year.”

The halls at Our Lady of the Assumption in Charlotte are filled with activity as walls get a fresh coat of paint before students return to campus. Many schools took the summer months to upgrade facilities.

What’s new for 2026-27:

Blended education

Holy Trinity Catholic Academy’s shift toward blended education embraces different learning styles to provide students the best of both worlds, school leaders say. Beginning with sixth graders only this year, single-sex instruction will be offered in core classes such as English and math, while co-ed instruction will continue in electives and extracurricular activities. This approach will phase in over three years, with seventh and eighth grade following over the next two years.

The school is also seeing progress on its three-phase, $11.7 million enhancement project. Thanks partly to a grant of more than $1 million from Shea Homes, the existing athletic field has been regraded, and new drainage and synthetic turf will go in this fall, along with lighting and team benches. As part of the project, the fine arts classrooms are being upgraded with modernized flooring, lighting and instructional equipment.

“While our name has changed, our mission remains the same,” said Kevin Parks, who is beginning his second year as Holy Trinity president after 17 years as principal. “Our new name reflects our enduring commitment to academic excellence, intentional faith formation, and preparing students to lead with confidence, compassion and integrity.”

Parks will work alongside Principal Robert “Bobby” Conrad, beginning his second year in the role, to see that the exciting changes are successful.

At St. Ann School in Charlotte, crews work to complete audiovisual and lighting improvements in the gym and to install acoustic panels in the cafeteria.

Upgrades at high schools

Charlotte Catholic High School is completing the first phase of an $8.5 million program of improvements that include upgrading the football field and sideline to premium artificial turf and renovating its media center into a multi-faceted student life center. Both will be ready for students’ return, said Kurt Telford, who is returning to his role as principal after a two-year stint as head of school. Michael Seeley joins Telford as the school’s president, a role that focuses on long-range planning, community relationships, financial and operational management and fundraising.
Charlotte Catholic has also been raising money to help transform a recently acquired building next to the campus into a Computer, Technology and Engineering Innovation Center, which will house career and technical education. Telford said work on that project is expected to begin this fall.

Christ the King High School in Huntersville will have a new playing surface for its athletic field with expanded bleachers that seat more than 1,000 people, as well as new restrooms and better accessibility. Teams will begin using the new facilities this fall, and a ribbon-cutting is set for Sept. 11.

“Everything is going along better than ‘according to plan,’’’ said Principal Mark Tolcher. “It’s going along great!”

Work is progressing on its $12 million expansion that will increase the school’s footprint by 21,000 square feet to 73,271. The project includes adding a new entry to the gym and a north lobby equipped with concession stands, ticketing booths and a Crusaders Spirit Store for the school’s athletics, band, musical and theatrical events.

Other perks include an expanded weight training area, a chorus and band studio, two additional classrooms, an industrial design workspace and a larger cafeteria with a full kitchen to prepare meals on site. The expansion is expected to be completed after Christmas break.

“The expansion offers us not just an increased footprint but also the ability to offer different programming and an enhanced education experience for both students and faculty,” Tolcher said.

Bishop McGuinness High School is hitting a milestone this year with enrollment reaching more than 500 students for the first time in about 15 years, said President Jared Rashford.

After a successful start last year, Bishop McGuinness is also expanding its St. Gabriel Program, which serves students with intellectual disabilities, to cater to a broader range of learners.

“Through individualized instruction, dedicated teachers and an expanded peer partner program that fosters both academic and social inclusion, we are helping students with diverse learning needs become fully integrated members of the Bishop McGuinness community,” said Principal Claire Willis.

Improvements to the school’s athletic facilities are expected to be complete by the end of August, including construction of six lighted tennis courts and outdoor restrooms and picnic facilities,

Rashford said. The gym floor was replaced and seating increased to accommodate about 800. New flooring is also being laid in the chapel, and the chairs are being reupholstered.

Students from Charlotte Catholic High School help volunteers from St. Gabriel donate used furniture to classrooms in need.

Other summer projects:

Immaculata Catholic School in Hendersonville recently began renovations of the St. Elizabeth Ann Seton House on Oakland Avenue, adjacent to the campus. It serves as home for Principal Beale and several religious sisters and eventually will be used to house teaching interns.

St. Gabriel School donated two truckloads of furniture to schools in need as it updated its classrooms with furniture that adapts to varied uses. Students at St. Patrick School in Charlotte will return to classrooms with gleaming restored wooden floors. Over the summer, carpet in all the classrooms was removed and the original cedar floors, which are more than 90 years old, were restored, said Principal Nicholas Calametti.

At St. Gabriel School, students are returning to new furniture in 14 classrooms, a retiled lobby floor and ongoing athletic field improvements including a new track, new sod and an irrigation system, said Assistant Principal Deven Dickerson.

St. Leo School in Winston-Salem underwent a $2.2 million replacement of its roof and HVAC system. “It is a major project that has long been needed, and it is expected to be done before school starts,” said Emmett Sapp, director of construction and real estate for the Diocese of Charlotte.

St. Mark School in Huntersville replaced the natural turf on its athletic field with artificial turf. The next phase of the project includes installing a playground.

Sacred Heart School in Salisbury is completing an art room funded by a $166,000 Shea Homes grant. To convert a shared space into a fully functional art room, a wall was sealed and soundproofed, storage for art supplies and a sink were incorporated, and interior finishes were upgraded to promote creativity. Existing furniture was replaced with flexible seating to accommodate students of varying ages.

St. Ann School in Charlotte is spotlighting students with audiovisual and lighting enhancements to its performance stage in the gym, as well as the installation of acoustical panels in the cafeteria, all funded by its annual fund.

— Christina Lee Knauss

More than 8,244 students return to schools from Asheville to Charlotte to Greensboro starting this week, with most of the diocese’s 20 schools at or near capacity following years of steady growth.

Bishop Michael Martin urged them and their parents via a series of video messages to put Jesus at center of their lives and to share Him with others in their classrooms and communities. His uplifting message “let them hear your voice” set the tone for a new academic year filled with faith, fellowship and a love of learning.

Read about some improvements and upgrades at the Catholic schools. 

— Photos by Troy C. Hull, Brian Segovia, Lisa M. Geraci, Christina Knauss, Kevin Eagan and provided 

Holy Trinity Catholic Academy

Holy Trinity Catholic Academy’s eighth graders kicked off their school year this morning with a warm welcome from Principal Kevin Parks. The newly named academy will welcome seventh-graders on Tuesday, followed by sixth-graders on Wednesday.

The diocese’s only standalone middle school has a new name to reflect its new approach. Holy Trinity Catholic Academy in Charlotte has begun its transition toward blending the advantages of single-sex and co-ed classes for a more tailored educational experience. 

Our Lady of the Assumption School

St. Matthew School

 All smiles as students return to St. Matthew School in Charlotte for the new school year. 

St. Michael School

 The sound of “Happy first Day!” greeted parents and students alike as St. Michael School teachers and staff welcomed everyone back for the 2026-27 school year in Gastonia.

Charlotte Catholic High School

Charlotte Catholic High School is completing the first phase of an $8.5 million program of improvements that include upgrading the football field and sideline to premium artificial turf and renovating its media center into a multi-faceted student life center. Charlotte Catholic has also been raising money to help transform a recently acquired building next to the campus into a Computer, Technology and Engineering Innovation Center, which will house career and technical education. Telford said work on that project is expected to begin this fall. 

Across the diocese 

Before speaking with students, Bryan reflected on the role his Catholic faith has played in his journey from athletics to co-founder of the Lay Mission Institute, an apostolate devoted to inspiring lay Catholics. A former UC Berkeley gymnast, Bryan found success on NBC’s reality show where competitors tackle complex obstacle courses.

He became known as “The Papal Ninja” due to his yellow and white wardrobe emblazoned with the papal crest and his desire to use his platform to convey a deeper message. He encouraged students to recognize that their talents can serve a purpose beyond personal achievement.

“The gift of faith isn’t just about me and Jesus,” Bryan said. “It’s about walking and doing with Him, and you can’t ask for anything better than that.”

During a school-wide question-and-answer session, students eagerly quizzed Bryan about everything from how long he has been an athlete to the challenges he has faced in competition. The conversation also included lighter moments, including a student challenging Bryan to a push-up contest.

Bryan welcomed the questions and interacted with the students enthusiastically, giving them an opportunity to learn about the discipline required to become an elite athlete. He taught that success is not simply about physical strength. It also requires commitment, patience and the willingness to keep moving forward when obstacles arise, he said.

The event offered St. Ann students a glimpse into the world of American Ninja Warrior while imparting a deeper lesson about faith and using one’s gifts with purpose.

—Troy C. Hull

Bishop Michael Martin joined school officials, diocesan staff, students, parents and benefactors for the blessings and ceremony, which included prayer, Scripture readings and reflections.

Michael Seeley, the new president of Charlotte Catholic, remarked on what the improvements mean for the school’s tight-knit community.

“Today is about much more than a remodeled building and new turf,” Seeley said. “Today is about the people of our Charlotte Catholic community. It’s about the people who had a vision for what Charlotte Catholic could and can become…the people who believed in that vision enough to invest in it, and about the young people who will make memories here for years to come.”

Seeley started his position while the premium turf was being placed and work on the student life center, located in the former library space, was going on.

“When I arrived at Charlotte Catholic this summer, one of the things that struck me immediately was the strength of this community,” Seeley said. “There is a deep affection and passion for this school, a pride in its history, a commitment to its Catholic identity and a genuine belief that what happens here matters.”

He noted that the field, which will serve sports ranging from football to lacrosse and soccer, offers something for every student: “A freshman who’s not sure she belongs finds a team. A kid who has never been pushed that hard finds out what he is capable of…a group of teenagers learns that they are responsible to somebody other than themselves.”

The Student Life Center, which offers expansive space for collaboration as well as quiet spots for individual study, will be “a place for students to gather…to connect …to serve … to build community.”

Bishop Martin talked about the Aug. 21 football game he attended and the fan excitement he saw. He noted that he met a group of students who were enjoying the Friday night game and then had to get up the next morning to take SATs in preparation for college. That kind of commitment, he said, illustrates the life Catholic students should try to live.

“Don’t’ be afraid of hard things and don’t think are the last hard things you’re going to have to do,” he said. “Throughout our lives, Jesus invites us to the cross … Learn that and embrace it the way Jesus did. Say ‘I’m willing to do what’s hard for the sake of a greater glory.’”

After the ribbon-cuttings, a reception was held in the Student Life Center and guests were invited to the new student commons area, which gives students a place to rest and gather during breaks between classes.

Senior Liana Grasso, who is on the dance team and serves as student body vice president, said the improvements have brought a real sense of excitement to the school.

“I honestly can say this is bringing us in the right direction – there’s a fun-filled school spirit vibe,” she said. “You could really tell the excitement the students had when they were around the new football field on Friday night.”

The improvements are being funded by “Grounded in Tradition: Focused on the Future,” an $8.5 million capital campaign launched in February for the multi-phased project. Its next phases will include transforming a small office building adjacent to the campus into the Computer, Technology and Engineering Innovation Center, which will support classes in engineering, robotics and other technologies.

The final phase of the project is a new field house with flexible space for sports performance, recovery and athletics training as well as other classes and activities.

The total cost of the improvements is expected to be $10.5 million, including a $2 million contribution from the Mecklenburg Area Catholic Schools Capital Fee. Choate Construction is the contractor of the project and Little and Associates are the architects.

— Christina Lee Knauss. Photos by Troy C. Hull

The classroom of St. Gabriel’s PACE teacher Nicole Walton is filled with smiles and laughter as students absorb lessons geared toward the way they learn best. (Lisa M. Geraci)

“They see what your kid CAN do, and they capitalize on that,” said Anna Friemel, parent of Walker, a student enrolled in the program. “They can do things. It’s just a little different.”

PACE stands for Providing an Appropriate Catholic Education, and for the Friemel and Campbell families, the difficult challenge of finding a Catholic education for their children led them to Greensboro – a place they likely would have never known existed if not for St. Gabriel’s PACE.

Now, among the nine students in special education teacher Nicole Wilton’s multi-sensory classroom for children K-3, Walker Friemel and Austin Campbell learn, socialize and practice their faith, all in the same building as their siblings.

The children move about freely. Sometimes they take a break to spin in circles, give hugs or pretend they are dinosaurs, but in general they work at their skill level. Some sit on bean bags happily fidgeting while reading 4th-grade science magazines, while the others work on gluing colorful alphabet puzzles together. The classroom incorporates flexible seating, movement breaks, and sensory supports based on individual student needs.

“We meet them where they are and go from there,” Wilton said.

Austin and Walker returned from classes they attend with their grade-level peers. Before sprinting to the soft couches, they made a beeline for the visitors in the room – their moms.

Mothers Katy Campbell and Anna Friemel hugged them and smiled – still overjoyed by their progress.

Walker spied Father Casey Coleman in the corner and yelled, “Get to Mass, Father Coleman!”

Everyone laughed – a laugh that never would have happened two years before.

Chris and Anna Friemel moved 800 miles from their home in Central Arkansas to give Walker better educational opportunities.

The Arkansas travelers

Chris and Anna Friemel are 800 miles from their hometown in Central Arkansas with no regrets.

Walker, their 7-year-old son with autism, attended Catholic school in Arkansas, but the lack of special programs meant he was unable to thrive.

“How could I go to church on Sunday and teach our neurotypical daughter that we are to love everyone and see them for what they can do, and then turn around and tell her that there is no place for Walker?” Anna Friemel cried at the memory. “We really just needed a miracle, somebody to serve both of our children at the same school, and to see them for what they can do.”

Chris Friemel, who was in Greensboro for business, met Father Casey Coleman at Our Lady of Grace Church. He confided in the pastor that they were pouring resources into Walker’s education to no avail.

Father Coleman shared the St. Gabriel’s PACE program’s successes, and Chris carried that news home to his wife. They followed Father Coleman’s advice and started praying. Months later,

Chris Friemel was offered a transfer to Greensboro.

Both children started school in August of 2025 and are thriving.

“This is a divine program. Just the fact that our children are seen the same. There is just so much support,” Anna Friemel said.

 The students are part of the larger school and faith community.

From Washington to Greensboro

Katy Campbell homeschooled her son, Austin, who has autism, when they lived in Washington state but wasn’t making progress. When she tried to enroll him in her local parish school, he was rejected.

“They’d tell everyone every kid deserved a Catholic school education,” Katy said. “To show up and be made to feel like it was ‘every child except yours’ – that was a major emotional gut punch.”

One day, Katy’s sister randomly called and said she was transferring to Greensboro.

“I had no idea where Greensboro was, but I started researching, and then I saw this Catholic school program for autistic children,” she said.

Excitedly, she left her four children with her husband and drove 2,325 miles to Greensboro.

“It only took me four days, but I was driving like 10 hours a day,” she laughed. “I walked in the school, and they gave me a tour. I was instantly impressed.”

It was all she needed. They moved, fueled by their faith in God and love for their children.

Two years later, they are part of a loving faith community at Our Lady of Grace and a school where all their children can thrive.

“The dream is for all Catholic schools to have something like this, but until we get there, sensitivity, deep listening and compassion go a long way,” she said.

What every student deserves

According to the CDC, 1 out of 36 children nationally is diagnosed with autism. Out of those, only 1%-2% attend private schools, the majority attending public schools, due to the national shortage of specialized programs.

Principal Catherine Rusch has prioritized the growth of St. Gabriel’s, OLG’s continuum of support for students with diverse learning needs. Through St. Gabriel’s PACE and St. Gabriel’s Quest, approximately 40 students are now served across the school.

“This is the way God wants us to live,” Rusch said. “The dignity of the human being isn’t about picking the human beings you want to include. It is about recognizing the dignity of every person, from conception to natural death, no matter how God made them.”

— Lisa M. Geraci

The 2013 FFHL campaign funded capital projects, endowments and other needs across the growing diocese. Included in the $65 million campaign was a tuition assistance endowment available to the diocese’s 20 schools.

This year’s funds are going to five diocesan schools that applied for the 2026-2027 school year: Asheville Catholic School, $59,456; Bishop McGuinness High School in Kernersville, $83,557;

Our Lady of Grace School in Greensboro, $21,314; Sacred Heart School in Salisbury, $23,888; and St. Michael School in Gastonia, $6,785.

The funds are expected to help participating Catholic families who have the greatest financial need.

The FFHL Tuition Assistance Endowment, with a market value of over $5 million, is administered by a committee consisting of the diocese’s schools superintendent, chief financial officer and members of the diocesan school board. Available income from the endowment is distributed to qualifying diocesan schools that apply each year for student financial aid.

An endowment is a permanent fund, the principal of which is never touched, but the income from which can be used according to the wishes of the donor organization or person. Endowments provide a way to generate income and help sustain the long-term strength and viability of the recipient parish, school or ministry.

To date, a total of $1,409,324 in distributions from the FFHL Tuition Assistance Endowment has been awarded to the diocese’s schools.

“The FFHL campaign continues to have a significant and meaningful impact in our diocese,” added Jim Kelley, diocesan director of development. “The over $1 million in tuition assistance that has been distributed to date helps students receive an education that will literally change their lives.”

To qualify for the funding, the school must receive local parish support of at least $500 per participating Catholic student and must have awarded all of its tuition assistance funds it already has for that school year. Schools that do not receive $500 per student in parish support may be considered if there are extenuating financial circumstances that preclude this level of support.

Qualifying schools may request funds from the endowment for participating Catholic students with a financial need.

The FFHL Tuition Assistance Endowment is one of seven endowments funded through the FFHL campaign.

— Catholic News Herald

“This is an exciting night for us all, as we add to the legacy of Christ the King,” said Principal Mark Tolcher. “From our humble beginnings some fifteen years ago, the school has grown from twenty-eight students to over four hundred and fifty.”

This milestone is the first planned for CTK, as later this fall they will open its building expansion, a $12 million project that started last October. It will expand the footprint of the school with new classrooms, a larger cafeteria, a band room and a Crusaders shop. 

“This year we celebrate fifteen years of Faith, Reason, and Mission at CTK” President Shaileen Riginos said. “You may have already noticed the Marian Grotto taking shape, or the greenhouse Father Cuppett has taken on near the cross that stands at the highest point. Soon, a Holy Family statue will watch over this field as well.

“We invite you to keep believing in the mission as we lay the stones for the next fifteen years and fifteen after that.”

Lead donor Jim Phillips said the new improvements were indeed a great feat. Yet, the spirit of the school must keep focus on the end goal, reminding the Crusaders that the Catholic faith is the cornerstone that must keep them grounded, and the greater responsibility is to get the Crusaders' student body to heaven. 

“There will be exciting victories, difficult losses, and countless memorable moments. But it will also be a classroom without walls,” Phillips said. “Here, students will learn to trust their teammates respond to adversity, respect their opponents, and put the needs of the team above their own. They will learn that God has given each of them unique abilities, and that those gifts come with a responsibility to develop and use them well.”

— Photos provided

Bishop Michael Martin blessed and dedicated both buildings and spoke to a gathering of donors, students, staff and members of the Holy Trinity community.

During his remarks, he talked about the role the upgrades will have in the lives of students and staff and called Holy Trinity a “light on a hill” that can be a symbol of Catholic identity and education to people who pass by on busy Park Road, which runs in front of the school.

“This project is an example of what we do well in diocesan schools and what they do well at Holy Trinity  – we remember the past, draw on the old traditions and respond to the needs of the present,” said Dr. Greg Monroe, superintendent of schools.

Renovations to the two buildings were part of the first two phases of an $11.5 million, three-phase enhancement project at the school, which includes a grant of more than $1 million from Shea Homes for upgrades to the athletic field and fine arts classrooms.

Wharton Smith was the contractor for the project, and Little Architects handled the design.

In the administration building, science classrooms were rebuilt with new cabinetry, flooring, hanging ceilings and lighting, and an additional classroom was added for theology. The nurse’s office was reconfigured, all administrative offices redone and a conference room added.

In the Begley Building, the formerly open-air, two-story library was closed in to add nine new classrooms, and the library was relocated to another part of the building. Ceilings and lighting were redone throughout the building, and a stairway was added indoors so students won’t have to go outside to access the second floor. Four offices and new bathrooms were added. Both buildings also have new HVAC systems.

President Kevin Parks said the renovations add to the school’s rich history. The administration building dates to 1953 and is the oldest building on Holy Trinity’s campus, while the Begley building – named after Bishop Michael Begley, the first bishop of the Diocese of Charlotte – was added in the 1970s.

“There is something particularly meaningful about taking buildings with this much history and preparing them for another generation,” Parks said. “We are not leaving that history behind – we are building upon it.”

As Monroe noted: “This is proof of the continued growth and investment in the diocese. It’s exciting to think of what this building will continue to offer to the school and the diocese in the future.”

New signage was also added to the front of the school for the beginning of this school year.

Principal Bobby Conrad said he was excited about the upgrades to Holy Trinity, which he said now looks very different from when he was a student there in the 1990s.

“All of these new classrooms are great, because we had 11 teachers who floated from space to space last year,” Conrad said. “The teachers like it and the students seem to really, really like it as well. This took a lot of cooperation and effort, and now our teachers and students are enjoying the fruits of the project.”

After the ceremony Bishop Martin took a tour of the Begley Building led by a group of student ambassadors and stopped to talk with students in several of the classrooms.

The newly renovated buildings were the latest chapter in what is a year of innovations for Holy Trinity. This year the school changed its name to Holy Trinity Catholic Academy to reflect its new approach to education. The school has started a transition toward blending single-sex core classes and co-ed electives to offer students a more tailored educational experience. This instructional method will be phased in over the next three years, being implemented this academic year for the sixth grade, the seventh grade the following year, and the eighth-grade level during the 2028-2029 year.

— Christina Lee Knauss

Beloved Belmont eatery Spruced Goose Station has reponed as goose + co. with an expanded selection of original art and the same fabulous food and coffee. (Photos provided)

Spruced Goose Station – a beloved local cafe created by and supporting local nonprofit Holy Angels, has reopened as goose + co. The newly modernized café experience has “fresh feathers,” but guests can still count on the same great coffee, delicious food and meaningful mission at the heart of it all.

“The goose is still part of who we are, but the ‘+ co.’ speaks to what we hope happens here every day,” said Kerri Massey, Holy Angels president and CEO. “Come for the coffee and great food, but stay for the company – including our crew members, who make this place so special.”

Holy Angels celebrated the grand reopening of goose + co. Sept. 30. The first 50 customers received a branded tote bag, and free coffee coupons were given out. Changes to the nest include new seating, community games, and walls covered with original artwork created by Holy Angels residents with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

“We wanted this space and brand to better reflect the sense of community and belonging at the heart of all our sponsored businesses and programs,” Massey said. “We want everyone who walks through these doors to feel: You are seen. You are known. You belong.”

Earlier this year, Holy Angels closed Bliss Gallery in Belmont and began exploring new ways to share resident artwork with the greater community. Now, the walls of goose + co. serve as a gallery showcasing pieces created through the organization’s Creative Arts program, where residents and participants develop new skills and express themselves in ways that are uniquely their own.

“Seeing our residents’ art brightening the walls brings new meaning to the space,” Massey said. “Our crew members have always built wonderful relationships here, and now the artwork gives them another way to share their creativity with the community. We hope it will spark connection, start conversations and remind us all of the beauty, dignity and creativity within every person.”

The night was full of praise and festivities including a Holy Hour and Rosary, Mass, procession and reception. 

The Eritrean Catholic Community of Charlotte joined in as special guests. Parochial Administrator of OLR, Father Huver Navarro, presided over the Mass alongside concelebrant Ge'ez Rite priest, Father Michael Debesay. 

In his homily, Father Navarro noted the history of the parish, which was established in 1946 by a congregation of just 15 families. 

He then shared his secret recipe for a strong spiritual life and a way to gain continual spiritual renewal for the next 80 years – a daily dose of the holy rosary. 

“We give thanks to the Lord for the last 80 years. It is obvious our patroness of devotion has been at hand in the lives of the people,” said Father Navarro. “In a very special way…she accompanies each one of us. That is why here we promote this weapon of mass devotion, the rosary, which should be prayed by every child, by everyone, by every mother, and by every woman, because with that instrument…we will win the victory of our faith.”

A new tabernacle greeted the full house of more than 200 parishioners; a gift bought with the donations of generous parishioners and funds raised by the Lady’s Guild. While it was blessed during the Mass, Father Navarro reminded his flock of its importance.  

“Why is the tabernacle there? Three reasons.” Father Navarro said. “To let us know the ever-present presence of the Lord in the temple… The consecrated Host will be there to take to the sick and the dying…and to come together to adore the Lord.”

After Mass, the Ge’ez Rite community sang a traditional Eritrean song, and in return parishioners shared a tradition of their own, dancing the Matlachines. The ritual is rooted in Mexico and has been integrated into the community.     

Barbara Seuberling, a parishioner since 1970, attended Mass with her great-granddaughter. She was all smiles as she reminisced about the long line of children, grandchildren, and now her first great-grandchild, who grew up in the parish.

“It was always very small. When my children made their communions, there were only maybe two Catholics in the whole school. There weren’t many Catholics in North Carolina, until a lot of people moved here,” Seuberling said. “Now, we have a very lively and thriving community… This is really revived. The Spanish community has made it much more vibrant.” 

Amanda Passmore, leader of the Lady’s Guild, celebrated with her two children, who are both altar servers, well past their bedtime. She helped host the reception, which included a smorgasbord of Hispanic and American food, and looks forward to a future filled with faith. 

“I love our church. I love our people. I love the Church family. I love this,” Passmore said. “With the help of Father Huver and Father Oscar, we have really come together as an English- and Spanish-speaking congregation and my hope is that our efforts will continue, all for and through the Lord.”

— Lisa M. Geraci. Photos by Sergio Lopez and Lisa M. Geraci

ASHEVILLE — Rain fell outside St. Lawrence Basilica Saturday, but for the first time in years, water was no longer a threat to the historic church. After a $7.7 million restoration to stop leaks and repair extensive damage, the 117-year-old Asheville landmark reopened its doors to a joyful celebration.

Bishop Michael Martin joined parishioners, donors and community members Oct. 10 to celebrate the completion of the first phase of a massive renovation project to preserve one of Asheville’s most treasured landmarks.

The “Restoration and Reopening” celebration came nearly a year after the renovation project officially launched last October. Although Masses and sacraments continued throughout construction, the basilica had been closed to visitors on weekdays. Now, its doors will be open daily once again.

Funded by parishioners and donors from across the country, the first phase focused on stopping water intrusion and stabilizing the historic structure. Work included replacing the copper-clad roof on the basilica’s iconic elliptical dome, installing new storm drains, gutters and cornices, stabilizing masonry over one of the side chapels, restoring the dome’s oculus skylight, and repairing damage from Hurricane Helene.

The work marks the first phase of a multi-year restoration effort that could ultimately exceed $30 million.

Plans to restore St. Lawrence Basilica date back two decades. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, it was designed and built under the supervision of renowned Spanish architect Rafael Guastavino Sr. His distinctive tile vaulting can also be seen in New York landmarks including Carnegie Hall, Ellis Island, Grant’s Tomb and Grand Central Station.

“Just over a year ago I stood here and asked you all to look up at the dome and remember how you felt the first time you entered the basilica,” said parishioner Mary Everist, president of the Basilica Preservation Fund, the non-profit organization focused on the restoration. “This breathtaking space amazes all who walk through those doors. This basilica brings heaven and Earth closer to one another through its beauty and majesty and stands as a testament to our faith in the divine. Now, thanks to the hard work and tireless effort of so many people, this masterpiece will be here to inspire future generations as well.”

Bishop Martin opened Saturday’s celebration with a ceremonial ribbon-cutting.

Monsignor Roger Arnsparger, the basilica’s pastor and rector, thanked everyone who contributed to the renovation effort, saying that donations of every size helped make it possible.

“We took on something so wonderful to replicate what was done when the parish first took on building this beautiful church, back when there were so few Catholics in the area at the time,” Monsignor Arnsparger said.

Just as he did when the renovation work kicked off last year, Monsignor Arnsparger held up a silver trowel that Guastavino had presented to the basilica’s first rector and that was used to seal the church’s cornerstone in 1906.

Long-time parishioner Lonnie Gilliam, a founding member of the Basilica Preservation Fund, carried a box containing the names of project donors that will be placed in the basilica’s archives.

Bishop Martin recalled visiting the basilica in 2024 and seeing firsthand the damage that water had caused. He marveled at the progress and praised the community’s commitment to preserving the basilica for future generations.

“You’ve taken something that has been given to us and you’ve allowed it to be a gift for the ages, entrusted it to the care of the future and allowed us to continue to find a home here where we worship, where we’re graced in so many ways and where we can find a connection with one another and with our God,” he said.

Emmett Sapp, the Diocese of Charlotte’s director of construction and real estate, said the work accomplished two critical goals.

“Phase one had two jobs – stop the water and make this building safe – and that work is done,” Sapp said. “Why does this matter? For Asheville, this basilica is part of the skyline and the soul of downtown – a place of beauty and peace for people of every faith. After Hurricane Helene, a restored basilica on this hill is a sign of hope. For our diocese, it is one of our great treasures – a spiritual home for the whole region.”

The celebration also featured remarks from Shannon Brown, project manager for John G. Waite Associates, the project’s architects; Aaron Ernst, senior project manager for North Carolina-based Blum Construction; and Jennifer Cathey of the North Carolina State Historic Preservation Office.

It also included several special musical selections, including the processional hymn “O God Beyond All Praising,” set to the melody “Thaxted” from British composer Gustav Holst’s work “The Planets” – chosen because of the theme of looking up and contemplating the heavens through the basilica’s beautiful interior.

The choir also offered Anton Bruckner’s “Locus Iste” and a Santus and Hosanna composed by Guastavino himself, who also was an accomplished musician. The piece is regularly performed at the basilica on special feast days and was doubly meaningful because of the day’s celebration of Guastavino’s architectural beauty.

— Christina Lee Knauss. Photos by Jason Blanco Media.

Watch online – Watch the recording of St. Lawrence Basilica’s “Restoration and Renovation” celebration:

CHARLOTTE — Students at St. Ann School gathered in prayer for a living rosary Oct. 8, celebrating their Catholic faith and honoring Hispanic Heritage Month.

During the schoolwide assembly, students participated in the living rosary as the school choir filled the gathering with sacred music. In recognition of Hispanic Heritage Month, one decade of the Rosary was recited in Spanish.

The gathering offered students the opportunity to deepen their devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary while celebrating the diverse languages and cultures that make up the universal Catholic Church.

The Catholic News Herald had a little extra help capturing the special occasion. St. Ann student Charlie Weiss stepped in as our newest photography assistant, lending a hand behind the scenes as we documented the school's celebration of faith and community.

— Photos by Troy C. Hull and Charlie Weiss

The Maximilian Kolbe Fraternity of the Order of Franciscan Seculars (OFS) hosted the service celebrating the transition of the saint from earthyl life to death and eternal life. St. Francis was the leader of a spiritual movement that Catholics around the world continue to follow 800 years later.

The service was presided over by Father Stephen Hoyt, pastor of St. Charles Borromeo in Morganton, who, before serving as a diocesan priest, was a religious Capuchin friar and now serves as the spiritual director of the secular order.

During the entrance procession, the empty brown habit, laid on a canvas stretcher, was placed on the steps of the altar. The empty habit represents “the little poor man” who entered heaven just as he entered religious life - stripped of all earthly possessions, even his clothes.

While the secular Franciscans read the historical accounts from the night of his death, hymns were sung, just as they were on his deathbed - St. Francis is known for his fondness of music.

Franciscan Friars Minor, Father Casey Cole and Father Tito Serrano, also took part in the festivities.

Father Cole, read John 13:1–15, known as “The Washing of Feet,” the precise reading St. Francis requested on his deathbed. Father Cole knows why so many still make the pilgrimage to a small crypt in Italy to venerate the man - his humility.

“It is that humility that made him so attractive then and so inspiring to us today,” Father Cole said. “But humility is not simply littleness…not simply poverty, and certainly not passivity… He was humble before God, who stands for the truth. In fact, if we know him well, we know he was a bit fiery sometimes. He was a man with conviction that stood against the world, against sin, and against greed and had no problem talking about it.”

Father Cole explained that even facing death or disapproval, St. Francis stood up for truth.

“He had no problem correcting, no problem standing up for the truth. Not to put

people down or make people feel bad but to inspire us to reach higher,” he said. “What good is it if we don’t correct someone that is in sin?”

After the service there was a reception where the attendees celebrated with light refreshments. One was St. Francis’ favorite dessert, almond mostaccioli, which he was brought on his deathbed but unable to consume.

 — Lisa M. Geraci 

CHARLOTTE — Faithful across the Diocese of Charlotte gathered Sunday, Oct. 4, to kick off Respect Life Month and form Life Chains as a public witness to the dignity of all human life.

“Our united prayers, sacrifices and efforts to protect human life and heal the wounds inflicted by abortion remain as important as ever,” said Bishop Daniel E. Thomas – Bishop of Toledo, Ohio, and chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Pro-Life Activities – earlier this year. “Let us remain steadfast in our commitment to ensure that every human life may be protected in law and welcomed in love, and that abortion may be unthinkable.”

In the Diocese of Charlotte, Father John Putnam opened the annual Life Chain Sunday at St. Mark Church in Huntersville praying “may His Lordship to watch over the life chain. We ask you to bless us and may our witness be true and faithful and may it be the instrument in which hearts are changed.”

More than 80 people prayed along Stumptown Road. Father Christopher Angermeyer and Father John Cuppett also prayed with the group. Deacon Tom Martin and his wife Heather also lead the Rosary.

Around the diocese, many lined busy streets to witness for life. 

For details about these and other Life Chain events, go online to www.lifechain.org.

— Photos by Lisa M. Geraci, Georgianna Penn and provided

More than 220 people gathered at The Museum of the Waxhaws to sign a petition formally asking Bishop Michael T. Martin to establish a new parish.

The petition was signed in front of the Dillon Wellhouse, where on May 29, 1840, delegates from Mecklenburg and Anson counties came together to ask North Carolina’s governor to establish Union County.

“Once I heard this story, I said, ‘You mean there’s a spot right here that symbolizes where a group of people from this area wrote to a higher authority asking for establishment of something?’” said Father Benjamin Roberts, priest-in-charge for the community. “I said this is exactly where we need to do the petition for the parish.”

Although this step might not have been technically necessary to establish a parish in Waxhaw – members of St. Matthew Parish in Charlotte had already signed the initial petition to carve out a new parish from its territory, which includes Waxhaw – Father Roberts said the process itself was important.

“This community needs to do this,” he said, noting that the effort had helped bring people together. “It’s just a beautiful new beginning,” agreed St. Matthew parishioner Carissa Scibor, who brought her family to sign the petition. “I think our churches should be a place where we go out and we spread.”

As the petition noted, “With our signatures on the attached pages, we pledge our commitment to building up the Church in this community.”

For Ann Whipp, who has been attending church in Waxhaw since she moved there from Lake Norman two months ago, it was important to be present to add her signature.

“I think it’s very important to build God’s kingdom and to be part of the community, and I wanted to be part of the community in Waxhaw,” she said. “It is the center of my life focused on Christ, and wherever He is we will go.”

— Trish Stukbauer, Photos by Troy C. Hull 

Here are a few scenes from around the diocese. 

— Photos by Troy C, Hull and provided

More than 100 pets and their owners gathered at St. Matthew Church for the annual Blessing of the Animals, celebrating the feast of St. Francis of Assisi. Father Herbert Burke led the blessing near the parish’s statue of St. Francis, welcoming a lively assortment of dogs, cats, and even several birds.

Deacon Rich McCarron blessed pets at St. Mark in Huntersville, including Daisy, Father John Putnam’s pet.

At St. Mark in Huntersville, Deacon Rich McCarron blessed preschooler’s stuffed animals and pictures of their pets Wednesday. 

Dr. Matthew Harrison pioneered an abortion-reversal pill in 2007. The treatment has been credited with saving countless lives and is now available in all 50 states and 86 countries.

The event, which took place Sept. 17 in Charlotte, had many local priests, deacons and religious sisters in attendance. Yet it was the father of a local priest – Father Matthew Harrison, campus minister for High Point University – who took center stage among the crowd of 200 guests.

Dr. Matthew Harrison, a local physician and father of seven, was the recipient of the 2026 Proudly Pro-Life Award – one of National Right to Life’s highest honors.

Harrison, a parishioner of St. Mark Church in Huntersville, is known for his medical breakthrough – the abortion reversal pill – which is credited with saving 8,000 babies and is available in all 50 states and more than 86 countries.

“Dr. Matthew Harrison represents the very best of the pro-life movement – courage in the face of uncertainty, compassion for a mother in crisis, and an unwavering determination to save a child’s life,” said Carol Tobias, president of National Right to Life.

“His willingness to act when a mother turned to him for assistance helped launch an effort that has given thousands of women a second chance to choose life for their babies,” she said.

Harrison discovered the reversal method in 2007, when he received an emergency call. A frantic mother had ingested a dose of the abortion pill and regretted her decision. He worked quickly, preparing a progesterone hormone that was readily available in his office.

“The abortion pill blocks the progesterone receptor,” Harrison said. “I just knew that if I gave some progesterone, it would outcompete the abortion pill and reverse the effects.”

It worked, and now that child is a living, breathing testimony at 19 years old.

The progesterone-based reversal pill can in many cases nullify the effects of the abortion pill if taken within 72 hours of the first dose.

Demand for the reversal pill is surging due to easy access to the abortion pill through clinics and by mail order, making it responsible for 75 percent of the nation’s abortions. To combat it, pro-life organizations, clinics and centers have adopted the use of the reversal pill.

“We can start right outside the abortion clinic,” Harrison said. “They can get right in the mobile unit and get them an ultrasound. We can start the reversal process immediately.”

Harrison took the award and adoringly gifted it to his 91-year-old mother, the woman responsible for stirring the courageous fight within her son.

In 1973, right after the Roe v. Wade decision, his mother lost her sixth child in her womb.

“I remember I was there in the chapel at the hospital where we were having the baby’s funeral,” he recalled. “I saw all these doctors crying and upset, and it seemed strange to me, even at 8 years old, that they were all crying for our baby, but at the same time they supported the right for a mother to end the life of another child. That planted the seed.”

The child she lost that day has now saved so many through her son, but as Tobias points out, the war continues.

“What we do matters,” Tobias told the crowd. “And National Right to Life cannot do this work from Washington alone. Our strength has always come from the partnership between the national organization and strong state affiliates.”

Elisabeth Laskowski, director of North Carolina Right to Life and a parishioner of St. Mark Church, agrees. As she commended the efforts of those praying on the frontlines at abortion clinics and thanked God for the recent closing of “A Woman’s Choice” in Greensboro, she said there is more work to be done.

“Since Roe was overturned four years ago, North Carolina is now the No. 2 most popular abortion destination in the country, unfortunately,” she said. “Plus, there has been a surge in monthly abortion pills mailed into our state. We went from 250 monthly shipments in 2023 to 750 in 2025.”

At the gala, the organization announced a campaign to combat abortion tourism and chemical abortions called “Don’t Swallow the Lie.”

Harrison’s wife, Kathleen, stood by his side. She is a fighter, too, and not only in front of abortion clinics or volunteering at pregnancy centers.

She had four priests celebrate 81 Masses as she intently prayed for her then-Protestant husband’s conversion. In 2015, following the “nine-times novena,” Harrison came fully into the faith on Pentecost Sunday.

The following year their son Matthew went to seminary. Now, Brian, their younger son, is in his second year as a seminarian in Rome. The power couple has become a great Catholic example to pro-life supporters and families around the world.

— Lisa M. Geraci 

Father Jason K. Barone was appointed pastor of the newly elevated Our Lady of the Mountains Parish in Highlands, effective Sept. 8. He had served the Catholic community there as parochial administrator since 2019.

Father Augustine O. Ogar, M.S.P., currently serving as parochial administrator of St. William Parish in Murphy and Immaculate Heart of Mary Mission in Hayesville, has been appointed pastor of the parish and mission effective Oct. 1.

Partnering with rural parishes enables Catholic Charities to reach people who may have difficulty traveling to Asheville for assistance, said Jesse Boeckermann, Catholic Charities’ Western Region official.MARS HILL — Nearly two years after Hurricane Helene devastated western North Carolina, a small Catholic parish in Madison County is building on the relationships forged during the disaster to help local children facing food insecurity.

St. Andrew the Apostle Parish, the only Catholic church in Madison County, became an emergency relief center after Helene – distributing food, water, clothing, batteries, cleaning products and other necessities to residents regardless of faith.

The parish’s mission, Sacred Heart in Burnsville, provided similar assistance in neighboring Yancey County. Both churches are led by Father Anthony Mbanefo, MSP.

The relief effort introduced many people in the wider community to St. Andrew and led to a new partnership with Mars Hill Elementary School, said Kelly Hansen, parish secretary/assistant.

After emergency operations wound down, school officials asked whether the parish could continue helping local families. Parishioners responded by providing weekend food bags each Friday for more than 60 children identified as being at risk for food insecurity.

This school year, Catholic Charities Diocese of Charlotte’s Western Regional Office has joined the effort – providing reusable bags, supplemental food donations and funding for food.

A core group of about 10 parishioners, led by Vicki Fedor, gathers weekly to pack the bags. A great-grandmother and former school employee, Fedor is passionate about ensuring children have the nutrition they need to succeed in school.

The parish and Catholic Charities also partnered Aug. 12 for a back-to-school giveaway for Madison County students. A grant secured by Catholic Charities from The David and Susan Schoenholz Foundation provided new backpacks and school supplies for elementary, middle and high school students.

Hansen said the outreach grew directly from the parish’s response to Helene.

“Our two churches rose to the challenge through our relief centers,” she said. “This brought our parishioners closer together as they spent countless hours volunteering to serve those affected by Helene’s devastation.”

Partnering with rural parishes also enables Catholic Charities to reach people who may have difficulty traveling to Asheville for assistance, said Jesse Boeckermann, Catholic Charities’ Western Region director of external engagement.

“The relationship between Catholic Charities and these two rural parishes is a working example of how to support a community,” Boeckermann said.

For St. Andrew parishioners, the ministry also echoes their patron: the Apostle who brought the boy with five barley loaves and two fish to Jesus before the feeding of the 5,000.

Today, their small parish continues that legacy – bringing what it has to Christ and sharing it with neighbors in need.

— Donna Bange

Belmont Abbey College’s Family Day celebration Sept. 18 was particularly joyful this year as the college celebrated 150 years.

U.S. News & World Report also named Belmont Abbey College the 3rd-highest-ranked regional college in North Carolina, underscoring its growing national recognition. The college is the highest-ranked Newman Guide college in the region – an annual ranking of Catholic colleges created by the Cardinal Newman Society.

“These rankings affirm what we hear consistently from our students and families: Belmont Abbey’s greatest strength is the quality of the education and formation students receive here,” said President Dr. Jeffrey W. Talley. “Our faculty are deeply invested in their students, and our community challenges them to pursue excellence while preparing them to lead lives of purpose and service.”

This national recognition comes as Belmont Abbey maintains stable enrollment –its 1,693 students represent its second largest enrollment in a decade – and welcomes its largest class of traditional non-athlete students in eight years. Officials attribute the growth to interest in the college’s academic program offerings as well as its distinctive approach to Catholic higher education.

“This recognition in the U.S. News rankings validates what we see every day: that more students and families are seeking an education dedicated to forming the whole person,” said Jesse Dorman, vice president of enrollment. “The strength of this year’s incoming class reflects the appeal of a Belmont Abbey education – an education that combines academic excellence, a close-knit community, and a strong Catholic identity. We are excited to welcome these students and see how they grow during their time at the Abbey.”

The nursing program welcomed 33 students this year, including 18 direct admits and 3 honors students, bringing total enrollment in the program to 125 students. Belmont Abbey’s unique motorsport program continues to attract students –including 12 female students – with 24 new students exploring the field through an introductory course.

The program is committed to educating and graduating more female students while helping to expand opportunities for women in the motorsport industry. This momentum reflects the appeal of combining a liberal arts education with the specialized knowledge and professional skills needed to pursue careers in dynamic fields such as motorsports and nursing.

The Fall 2026 enrollment comes as Belmont Abbey celebrates its 150th anniversary, making it a milestone year for the college and its community. Founded in 1876, the college has remained committed to an education rooted in the Catholic intellectual tradition and its Benedictine identity.

— Belmont Abbey College

— Photos provided by St. Leo School

Dr. Carl Semmler is moving from his leadership roles at Christ the King High School in Huntersville into a new administrative position designed to increase collaboration in the diocese’s growing school system. Meanwhile, three recent hires from across the country have been chosen to lead at Christ the King and at Charlotte Catholic High School and St. Matthew School in Charlotte.

Carl Semmler

Semmler, who served as Christ the King’s principal for six years and as president for the past three, will be the diocese’s new executive director of Catholic Identity, Operations and Capital Improvements for Catholic Schools.

He will work closely with leaders across all 20 Catholic schools to strengthen Catholic identity, support school operations, and oversee facilities planning and capital improvement initiatives.

During his tenure at Christ the King, Semmler oversaw the quadrupling of the school’s footprint and a 73% increase in enrollment. He brings 30 years of experience in Catholic education across three dioceses, including more than two decades in educational leadership.

“Dr. Semmler is a respected Catholic educator whose experience, leadership and commitment to our mission have already had a tremendous impact on our diocese,” said Dr. Greg Monroe, superintendent of schools. “Having served successfully as both a principal and president, he understands the opportunities and challenges our schools face each day. I am grateful for his willingness to serve in this new role and know he will be a tremendous resource for our principals and school leaders.”

“We are blessed with exceptional teachers and school leaders, and I look forward to partnering with them as we continue strengthening Catholic education across the Diocese of Charlotte,” Semmler said.

Shaileen Riginos

After a national search, Christ the King looked across the state line to name veteran South Carolina educator Shaileen Riginos as its new president.
Riginos, who is 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.

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.”

“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,” Monroe said.

Tonya Eaton

Veteran educator Tonya Eaton has been named principal at St. Matthew School in Charlotte. 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.

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

“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,” Monroe said, “and she will be a great fit for our school system with her past experiences and skillset.”

“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.”

Michael Seeley

Charlotte Catholic High School has named Michael Seeley, a long-time education leader and administrator, as its president.

Most recently he was president of the Lafayette Catholic School System in Indiana, where he provided strategic and operational leadership across multiple campuses, overseeing enrollment, advancement, finances, governance and long-range planning.

Seeley has more than two decades of senior leadership experience in both Catholic and independent school settings, including the University of Notre Dame, Phillips Exeter Academy and Culver Academies. He has done extensive work in institutional advancement, admissions and enrollment management, and also worked closely with boards, donors and diocesan leaders.

As president of Charlotte Catholic, Seeley will focus on the school’s long-range planning, community relationships, financial and operational management and fundraising. He will partner in leading the school with longtime principal Kurt Telford.

“I am looking forward to this new chapter, which not only allows me to work with Michael but also to return to my true love of working closely with students and teachers as principal,” Telford said.

Seeley added, “I look forward to working alongside dedicated and passionate students, teachers, staff and families as we fulfill our shared mission to graduate not only scholars and athletes but disciples of Christ.”

— Catholic News Herald and Diocese of Charlotte Catholic Schools Office