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Catholic News Herald

Serving Christ and Connecting Catholics in Western North Carolina

BELMONT — Belmont Abbey College is offering incoming first-year students help to get ready for college life: a free course to jump start their college career. When new students submit their enrollment deposit by March 1, they will automatically qualify for a free summer course preceding their first fall semester.

“With so much in flux these days we thought offering our new incoming first-year students an easy first step would give them a smooth transition to college life,” said Dr.

Travis Feezell, provost. “We also wanted to reward those who are ready to make the commitment, and are ready to start their Abbey career.”

Eligible courses have been selected from the core curriculum and will include Western Civilization I, Rhetoric and Writing, Introduction to Psychology, The American

Constitution, and Introduction to Scripture. By taking a summer course before the beginning of the fall semester, new incoming students will enter their freshman year at least three credits ahead – allowing more flexibility in future terms and potentially shortening the timeline to graduation for some students.

To be eligible, students must apply, be accepted, and then deposit by March 1.

— Belmont Abbey College

011521 Heritage SocietyHENDERSONVILLE — Members of the Catholic Heritage Society were special guests at a Mass offered in their honor Dec. 15 at Immaculate Conception Church. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the diocesan Mass normally celebrated by Bishop Peter Jugis was canceled.

Father Christian Cook, pastor of Immaculate Conception Church, celebrated the Mass for the parish’s own Catholic Heritage Society members. The Catholic Heritage Society is comprised of people who make planned gifts to benefit the diocese or any of its parishes, schools, ministries or agencies, or have established an endowment with the Diocese of Charlotte Foundation.

The group is comprised of more than 1,300 people across western North Carolina, some of whom are leaving gifts to the foundation in their wills.

Since 1994, the foundation has distributed more than $11.5 million to nearly 150 recipient parishes, schools and ministries.

For information about how to become a Catholic Heritage Society member, or to create a planned giving committee at your parish, contact Gina Rhodes, diocesan director of planned giving, at 704-370-3364 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

— Photo provided by Gina Rhodes