WAXHAW — The Catholic Community of Waxhaw joyfully gathered July 1 at their church on Waxhaw-Marvin Road to watch their new shepherd, Father Benjamin Roberts, offer his first Mass on the first day of his new assignment.
Father Roberts drew laughter and applause less than a minute into his homily
“In the last 12 years, many priests have stood at this altar, many priests have celebrated Mass, and many priests have introduced themselves to you, and I get to say something that none of them ever did – I live here,” he said.
Father Roberts has been appointed to serve as priest-in-charge of the Catholic Community of Waxhaw alongside Father Patrick Cahill, pastor of St. Matthew Parish. The thriving former satellite campus of St. Matthew Parish is taking steps toward becoming a separate parish in response to the area’s growth. Together, the two priests will work with parishioners through the process of establishing the new parish.
Mass attendees received green wristbands reading “Catholic Community of Waxhaw” on one side and “Growing with the Love of Christ” on the other – a theme embraced by the congregation of about 1,600, which has worshiped at the Waxhaw campus for more than a decade.
Father Roberts quickly put his new flock at ease, joking, “I would have preferred that the Gospel reading (Matthew 8:28-34) for the evening did not end with the words, ‘but when they saw Him they begged Him to leave.’”
After shared laughter, he explained that Jesus was asked to leave because His presence required a mission the people of Gadara were unwilling to embrace. But “every grace that God gives comes with some kind of mission. It comes with some kind of response,” he said.
Father Roberts pointed to his own assignment as an example. After serving as pastor of Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Monroe for 14 years, Bishop Michael Martin asked him to take on the new role. At the time, he was staring at an image of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in his living room. After some discernment, Father Roberts looked to the Blessed Mother and humbly accepted.
“I am living proof that saying yes to God’s call brings about God’s grace,” he said.
Though surprised by the assignment, he trusted God had something more in mind.
“The work that we are about to do together is the work that God graced us with,” Father Roberts said. “It is not the work God does in me, it is not the work that God does in you, it is the work that God does in us.
"To build up His Church. To build a church. But ultimately, to grow with the love of Jesus. That is why I feel sorry for the people that asked Jesus to leave, because they never got to know the joy of being loved by Him...but what they missed is ours.”
Father Roberts, who grew up in nearby Lancaster, South Carolina, is already a familiar face to many Catholics in the region.
Nancy Weber, who has attended Mass at the Waxhaw campus for six years, said the occasion was especially meaningful because she had known Father Roberts since his time at Sacred Heart Parish in Salisbury.
“I have known Father Benjamin since he entered seminary. I love him, and where he goes, I would be willing to follow. He is wonderful,” she said. “We are thrilled this will become a parish. It is long overdue.”
Pam Machaud, who has been reluctant to call any particular church her home, said she believes she has finally found it.
“We sort of bounced around… Two weeks ago, we were introduced to Father Benjamin and got extremely excited,” she said. “We never built a parish, and it is something that I am in awe of… Father Roberts sounds so positive about us coming together as a church. It is not just his Church, or our Church, it is all our Church together… You always find the home you are supposed to be at, and this is the home where we are supposed to be.”
— Lisa M. Geraci. Photos by Troy C. Hull.
Find Mass times and more info about the new Catholic community in Union County: https://stmatthewcatholic.org/ccow/
