‘Making room for Jesus’
St. Barnabas Church breaks ground on a new parish center June 11, a remarkable accomplishment since the capital campaign launched less than two weeks before Tropical Storm Helene tore through the area. After taking a six-week pause to help families rebuild and to serve as a distribution center for supplies, the parish resumed its fundraising campaign and reached its goal of $2.3 million. The new center will provide much-needed classroom space, a kitchen and room for social activities. (Christina L. Knauss | Catholic News Herald)ARDEN — The 200 people gathered outside St. Barnabas Church on June 11 could not contain their joy and excitement as shovels launched dirt into the air, a soft breeze blew, and the sky started to melt into the soft pinks and golds of a mountain sunset.
The occasion was pretty straightforward – groundbreaking for a new parish center for the south Asheville parish of roughly 1,200 households – but the sense of celebration was elevated because of what the parish went through to reach this milestone.
This joyful evening came just nine months after the Arden parish, like most of Asheville, took a hard hit from Tropical Storm Helene’s fearful sweep through western North Carolina. The parish’s $2.3 million “Make Room for Jesus” capital campaign launched less than two weeks before Helene hit on Sept. 27.
The parish took a physical hit from the storm through the loss of more than 30 trees that used to shade its outdoor Stations of the Cross. Worse, some parishioners experienced severe damage to their homes. Yet through it all, St. Barnabas became a vital supply hub for surrounding communities, filling its social hall with food, diapers and other needed items. “Sister parishes” elsewhere in the diocese donated to help make up offertory shortfalls in the wake of the storm.
And despite all of that and a necessary six-week pause, the parish reached its goal of $2.3 million. The storm could not stop parishioners’ desire to have an expanded space for education, outreach, evangelization and fellowship.
“We’ve been through a lot as a parish,” said Father Adrian Porras, pastor, in a heartfelt homily at a Mass he celebrated before the groundbreaking.
“We’ve been through a hurricane, but that didn’t derail us. … I thank all the people of St. Barnabas for sharing their treasure. We prayed a lot, and we’ll continue to pray until we cut the ribbon. … We’re growing, we’re vibrant and we’re looking ahead!”
The groundbreaking took place on the feast day of the parish’s patron saint, Barnabas, one of the early disciples who traveled with St. Paul to spread the Gospel.
The total cost for the parish life center is $6.3 million, funded through $2.2 million in savings, the $2.3 million raised through the capital campaign and a term loan of $1.8 million.
Mary Jo Goodman, capital campaign chairperson, noted, “We reached this exciting point thanks to the dedicated support of Father Adrian, the tireless work of our team and the incredible strength, generosity and prayers of our parish community,”
Goodman who moved to Asheville 12 years ago with her husband Steve, said, “This groundbreaking truly marks a new, exciting chapter for St. Barnabas. It’s not just about what we build today, but the vibrant future we are building for.”
A history of growth
Prior to the mid-1960s, Catholics in south Asheville either St. Lawrence Basilica downtown or drove to Immaculate Conception Church in nearby Hendersonville.
St. Barnabas was launched as a mission in 1964 by Bishop Vincent Waters of the Diocese of Raleigh, with 36 families as original members.
The first building for the mission church was purchased and renovated in August 1964, the first Mass celebrated in November, and the building dedicated by Bishop Waters on Dec. 6, 1964. St. Barnabas was officially designated a parish on Dec. 20, 1964, with Father Joseph Maule as its first pastor. In those early years, Father Maule’s rectory was a mobile home.
The parish thrived between the late ’60s and early ’80s and outgrew the original building. In 1983, the site for the current church at 109 Crescent Hill Road was purchased and a groundbreaking was held. While the church was being built, parishioners attended Mass under a tent, in the rectory, and in borrowed space at a roller rink and local churches. The church was dedicated by Bishop Michael Begley on July 22, 1984.
More building and renovations have continued over the years as St. Barnabas continued to grow. During the 1990s, expansion and renovations of the current church were completed, including an enlarged sanctuary and social hall space. Bishop William Curlin dedicated those additions in July 1994.
Father Porras arrived at St. Barnabas in July 2008 and soon realized the need for another building project to accommodate the parish’s continuing growth. From those humble beginnings of only 36 families, the parish has become home to 1,200 households, a diverse congregation that includes people of all ages and ethnicities, including a vibrant and growing Hispanic community.
a vision realized
The vision for a new parish life center started more than a decade ago – in 2013, when the parish launched a dedicated building fund. In 2016, parishioners Dennis and Mary
Kushler left a $3.5 million endowment to the parish. The following year, the parish began diligently saving earnings from that endowment, putting them directly into the building fund.
In 2023, input from a comprehensive parish survey further highlighted the need for a new parish center, and the diocese approved the preliminary phase of the project in December of that year. The “Make Room for Jesus” campaign launched in September 2024 and did not lose steam even through the pause caused by Helene. Fundraising included many weeks of food sales by the Hispanic community.
The parish received permission from the diocese in March to begin construction, with a tentative goal of completing the 12,000-square-foot parish center by June 2026. The building will include a large kitchen, classrooms and space for social activities.
Long-time parishioners Dave and Betsy Cypcar say the new center can’t come soon enough to the church they’ve called home for 32 years and which helped form the faith of their three children.
“This parish has been growing so fast in recent years that people are tripping over each other on days when more than one activity is going on,” Dave Cypcar said. “We volunteer at the weekly food pantry, and it’s been outgrowing the wing where it’s located. This has become the Catholic point of contact for south Asheville, and it’s going to continue to grow. We were excited to take part in the capital campaign because we love this parish. It’s a nice mix of people, there are tons of activities, and the members are very engaged in the life of the parish.”
— Christina Lee Knauss
