Help support tomorrow’s priests today
CHARLOTTE — One thousand people in the Diocese of Charlotte have stepped forward so far to fund the St. Joseph College Seminary capital campaign.
To date, $17.1 million has been raised towards the $20 million goal for the new college seminary building project that was completed this fall.
A broad communication campaign continues to keep parishioners apprised of the status of the fundraising campaign, appealing to all of the faithful to play a part in raising the additional $2.9 million in pledges by Dec. 31.
In a Dec. 14 letter, Bishop Jugis asked the faithful to prayerfully consider a three-year pledge to help fund the college seminary.
“Your pledge is an essential building block in our quest to form many more good and holy priests for the Diocese of Charlotte. Let us promote and cultivate priestly vocations to serve our joyful and growing diocesan family,” he said.
With Gothic architecture and brickwork inspired by nearby Belmont Abbey, where in 1876 Benedictine monks planted the roots of Catholicism in western North Carolina, the two-story, 30,000-square-foot building includes 40 dorm rooms, a chapel, classroom and library, faculty offices, a refectory and kitchen, and a picturesque cloister walk where students can meditate and pray.
Twenty-seven men currently call St. Joseph College Seminary home.
The aim of the college seminary program is to nurture local vocations among the parishes and families in the diocese, close to home, before the men graduate and go on to major seminaries located elsewhere to complete their priestly formation and return for ordination to serve in the diocese’s growing parishes.
“As we journey through this season of Advent, preparing for the birthday of Jesus Christ and the celebration of Christmas, I ask for your prayerful consideration in this matter,” Bishop Jugis said.
“Our Lord has given us an extraordinary gift of a large number of young men who are discerning a vocation to the priesthood. We have gone from 16 men in formation to 41 in only five years, with 27 of these men in the first four years of their formation, the college seminary phase. In response, we are creating a place that will allow these young men to discern their vocations close to home, and close to you and the parishes that they will one day serve as priests,” he noted.
— SueAnn Howell, senior reporter
Support the St. Joseph College Seminary campaign
Pledge financial support for the college seminary by returning the pledge card included with the Dec. 14 letter from Bishop Jugis or go online to www.stjcs.org.
Donations can also be mailed to: St. Joseph College Seminary, c/o Development, 22 Arctus Ave., Mount Holly, NC 28120. Questions?
Contact Fredrik Akerblom, St. Joseph College Seminary development director, at 704-302-6386 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
A drive-through luminary display to honor and remember those who made an impact in our lives
BELMONT — Holy Angels celebrates its 65th anniversary with a powerful and inspirational luminary display.
The first Share the Light event will connect the community with Holy Angels, allowing supporters to drive through campus illuminated with candles, angels and a live progressive nativity scene with roles played by our residents.
On Saturday, Dec. 20 from 6 to 8 p.m., everyone is invited to drive through an audio-enhanced tour of the Holy Angels campus at 6600 Wilkinson Blvd. in Belmont.
"In this year filled with so many struggles and darkness, we wanted to help shine the light and be a beacon of hope for our community,” said Holy Angels President and CEO Regina Moody. “This is a perfect time for us to begin our 65 years of joy celebration!”
The community is invited to honor and/ or memorialize a loved one, friend or anyone else who made an impact in their lives. A donation of $25 for each luminary tribute and/or $250 for an Angel tribute with the name of the person or group is a very special way to share light and joy this season.
“We all know nurses, teachers and other front-line workers who went above and beyond this year to help and keep our country running,” Moody said. “Let’s celebrate these extraordinary heroes with a luminary or angel in their honor.”
Share the Light will be on what would have been the 65th birthday of Maria Morrow, the first resident of Holy Angels. They also consider this the birthday of Holy Angels.
In 1955, a desperate and overwhelmed mother left her infant child in the permanent care of the Sisters of Mercy. Medical professionals believed she wouldn’t live past three months old because of her medical disabilities. Maria left a remarkable legacy in her 54 years on Earth.
Now, Holy Angels celebrates her and all of the other residents, past, present and in the future in our 65 years of Joy for the Differently Able.
Holy Angels will invite the people being honored or the families of loved ones being memorialized to our first luminary display. These luminaries, angels and signs will be placed throughout the Holy Angels campus.
The public is invited on Dec. 20 to drive through campus and listen to the story of Holy Angels along with some Christmas music while experiencing this powerful light exhibit. With other Christmas events being canceled or minimalized this season, this is a chance to make family memories from the safe distance of your own car.
“We really hope this will make a lasting impression on our community, and becomes an annual tradition for many families for years to come,” Moody said.
Holy Angels was founded in 1955 by the Sisters of Mercy. The private, nonprofit corporation located in Belmont, NC, provides residential services and innovative programs for children and adults with intellectual developmental disabilities many with delicate medical conditions.
For more information, visit www.holyangelsnc.org/luminaries.
— Catholic News Herald