MURPHY — The members of St. William Church in Murphy – located in the heart of the Great Smokey Mountains in Cherokee County – are used to being known as the westernmost parish in the Diocese of Charlotte.
They now have another distinction – the small, welcoming parish of 280 households where members are greeted with a hug was the first to surpass its goal for “Making Room – For More to Know the Love of Jesus,” the $150 million philanthropic campaign that is the largest in diocesan history.
Parishioner Mary Welch, campaign committee chair, said they have raised $297,000 – 122% of their $244,000 goal.
Bishop Michael Martin visited the parish for the first time Aug. 30 to celebrate Mass and get to know the people who came together to reach their goal a little more than a month after their campaign launched in June.
“You have made commitments for blessings that are going to go well beyond St. William,” Bishop Martin told parishioners at a celebratory luncheon after Mass.
The “Making Room Challenge” will be conducted at the diocese’s 93 churches in four phases over the next two years. St. William is one of seven pilot parishes. It will invest in parishes, Catholic Charities, Catholic schools, under-resourced parishes and land acquisition for future growth.
Parishes keep 50% of the funds raised for local capital projects, ministry needs and endowments. Parishes that hit certain stretch goals will also retain 100% of any additional funds.
In the case of St. William, projects they would like to direct funds toward include refurbishing the sanctuary, repairing and recoating the roof, adding an electronic road sign and LED lighting to the outdoor pavilion, updating HVAC systems in the Seiglie Center and installing rubber flooring in the playground.
Peggy Strand, parish business manager, said their success was the result of a strong campaign committee chaired by Welch, who has a background in fundraising, and he generosity of parishioners
“St. William is full of loving people who love the Church and love each other,” she said.
Father Augustine Ogar of the Missionaries of St. Paul was embraced by parishioners after he was appointed parochial administrator in 2025. The initiative’s rapid success demonstrated the strength of the people he shepherds.
“It’s given me a lot of confidence in this parish community because being new here I needed to get to know the people and their abilities,” he said. “I’ve discovered the strength of this parish is their ability to come together and push for the common good.”
From Mass in a movie theater to a church of their own
The parish can trace its beginnings to Father Lane, who preached a series of lectures on the steps of the Cherokee County Courthouse in 1937. The following year, Father Ambrose Rohrbacher became pastor of St. John Church in Waynesville, which at the time included the state’s seven western-most counties. He and other priests from the diocese of Raleigh started to offer Mass in Murphy every fifth Sunday in private homes, a theater, a hotel dining room and even a funeral parlor.
The original St. William Church was built in 1952 and named after St. William of Vercelli, a 12th century Italian abbot and spiritual reformer. Although there were only five permanent Catholic families in town at the time, the church was built to seat 70. The Glenmary Home Missioners took over the parish in 1954 and the current church was completed in 1985.
The church has grown thanks in large part to retirees drawn to the mountains. So many came from Florida that parishioners joke about one part of the sanctuary housing “The Florida section.”
Members say the community is a tight-knit, caring group focused on showing Christ’s love to everyone who visits.
The moment someone comes through the door before Sunday Mass, Dixie Buckborough will offer them a hug.
She joined the parish 22 years ago when she and her husband moved to the mountains from Florida and immediately “fell in love” with St. William. Then, in 2013, he passed away and the parish was there for her.
“I got through it because of my church family,” Buckborough said. “Because of the love I felt here I started offering hugs at the door. and so many people say they want and need a hug.”
Buckborough often wears a shirt that says “You are enough” on the front and “The world is a better place because you are still in it” on the back. She said one week a woman came up to her with tears in her eyes and told her how much she needed to see that message.
Mercedes Engler is another transplant from Florida who found her spiritual home at St. William 18 years ago and sings in the choir.
“The people here are good – truly good and honest,” she said.
Bob Adams, who also moved from the Tampa Bay area, said the parish’s size helps to foster the sense of community.
“The parish is small and the people are great, and very giving,” he said. “You can see that through the fact that we met our campaign goal already.”
— Christina Lee Knauss. Photos by Christina Lee Knauss and Gabe Swinney.
