CLEMMONS — Father Michael Buttner, longtime pastor of Holy Family Church, retired July 21 after 19 years at the parish. Father Buttner celebrated 42 years of priestly ministry this past February.
He is a 1972 graduate of Belmont Abbey College and spent 20 years as a monk at Belmont Abbey, serving as the registrar of Belmont Abbey College for 15 years before becoming a priest of the Diocese of Charlotte in 1994. He served as pastor of St. Francis of Assisi Church in Lenoir for seven years before being assigned to Holy Family Parish.
Father Buttner celebrated a farewell Mass at the parish June 28 in honor of his retirement. Father Brian Cook and Father Marcel Amadi concelebrated.
“It was lovely. We filled the church as much as we could,” Father Buttner said. “We had a few hundred people socially distanced. We couldn’t shake hands, everyone was wearing masks – so it was hard to properly thank people, though.”
At his retirement Mass, Father Buttner says he thanked Bishop Peter Jugis “for having confidence in me to build the new church (which was dedicated in 2005). I also thanked (the late) Bishop Curlin who had faith in me (to serve as pastor).”
In his retirement interview with the Catholic News Herald, Father Buttner recalled that when he received the assignment at Holy Family, “Bishop Curlin said to me, ‘As soon as you get there you need to build a new church.’ So I had my marching orders.”
He noted that the wonderful thing was that Bishop Jugis, as Father Buttner came into his assignment, “trusted me and allowed me to stay here for a long duration.”
“Continuity always helps,” he noted.
He thanked Deacon John Harrison and Deacon Steffen Fohn, who he said “helped make all of it happen” during his tenure at the parish.
Father Buttner also shared a humorous story of when Father Julio Dominguez served as a deacon at Holy Family, during the summer before his ordination in 2002.
“He gave his first deacon’s homily to the parish in English. So that was a big step for him,” Father Buttner said. “These were his words: ‘Growing up I always thought the Holy Spirit spoke only Spanish, because that is all I knew. But after hearing Father Michael’s Spanish, I know that the Holy Spirit speaks in many languages!’”
Father Buttner said he is looking forward to a restful retirement.
“I will stay in the Winston-Salem vicariate,” he said. “I know oftentimes churches need assistance when their regular priests go on vacation. I will help out at penance services and school Masses. I will definitely do that – not right away, but in the long term. I have been a priest for 42 years, so I am ready for some time off.”
Chris Parker, chair of the parish’s pastoral council, said in 19 years, Holy Family has grown to over 2,500 families, making it the sixth largest parish in the diocese.
“Father Michael’s dedication, hard work and enthusiasm have led this parish to this great moment,” Parker said. “We thank Father Michael for his 42 years of priestly ministry. We thank him for being our pastor for 19 years. We wish him well as he enjoys his retirement.”
— SueAnn Howell, Senior reporter
Pictured: Father Michael Buttner, now retired pastor of Holy Family Church in Clemmons, was tasked by the late Bishop William Curlin with building a new church upon his arrival at the parish in 2001. The new church was dedicated by Bishop Peter Jugis in 2005. (Photo provided by Holy Family Church)
Watch the farewell Mass
Farewell messages to Father Buttner
Father Michael, thank you for the 42 years of your priestly ministry. Thank you for the 19 years you served as pastor, leader, teacher and counselor for the parishioners of Holy Family. And on a more personal note, thank you for your steady and gracious support and guidance during both my formation to the diaconate and my first two years as a new deacon. Congratulations! I wish you blessed retirement!
— Deacon Steffen Fohn
I met Father Michael soon after he became our pastor at Holy Family, in Clemmons. His furry companion Kay made the actual introduction one day after morning Mass. His homilies were always insightful and easily understood by young and old. During his ministry at Holy Family, our congregation outgrew our original church, and he helped in raising the funds to build a new church and our family center. He was instrumental in our having a cemetery/columbarium come to fruition. He is a quiet but strong leader, with a special way of having people volunteer for various ministries. His door was always open and his greeting: ‘Hi, how you doing.’ My personal involvement in multiple ministries is an example of this. May God continue to bless him in his retirement.
— Carole Scagnelli, Liturgy Committee
I had the privilege of working for Father Michael for 19 years. It’s very difficult putting into words the impact he has had on my life. He led with kindness, and his staff always felt appreciated and loved. I have witnessed him administering the anointing of the sick to several of our elderly parishioners; he is a gentle soul who gave them peace and assurance of God’s love and mercy. He will be greatly missed.
— Vicki Meyers
Father, you have impacted and formed the faith of so many over your almost 20 years at Holy Family – old and young alike. You have been a calming presence in a turbulent world. Shortly after you came to Holy Family, Sept. 11 impacted our country, and now your tenure has been book-ended with a life-altering pandemic. Please continue to pray for Holy Family in your retirement, as we will continue to pray for you. Your wisdom, kindness and calming presence make you the man we all love so much. God bless you, Father Michael, as you have blessed all of us at Holy Family.
— Chris Parker, Farewell Mass June 28
MOORESVILLE — Parishioners at St. Therese Church honored Father Mark Lawlor, pastor, on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of his priestly ordination June 3. We thank God for his ministry, and pray that he will have many more happy and healthy years of priestly service in the Church.
— Photos provided by Lisa Cash and Dan Callaghan
