BELMONT —The statue of St. Joseph outside Old St. Joseph Church in Mount Holly now displays an official plaque recognizing the Sisters of Mercy and their service for more than 100 years in western North Carolina.
Sister Maria Goretti Weldon was instrumental in relocating the statue from St. Joseph’s Hospital in Asheville after the Sisters of Mercy sold the hospital to Mission Health in October 1998.
It seemed appropriate that it would find a new home at Old St. Joseph Church, which opened in 1843 and is the oldest standing Catholic church in the state. Now affiliated with Queen of the Apostles Church in nearby Belmont, St. Joseph Church has been refurbished in recent years but is used only for special occasions.
The Sisters of Mercy’s maintenance staff cleaned the statue of St. Joseph and installed the new plaque, which was dedicated Sept. 25 in a blessing ceremony led by Father Frank Cancro, pastor of Queen of the Apostles.
The staff also set up for the ceremony, attended by a dozen sisters and friends. The plaque reads: “Dedicated to the glory of God and those who serve with compassion / This statue, from St. Joseph Hospital, is donated by the Sisters of Mercy who have ministered in healthcare in Asheville since 1900.”
Pictured with the St. Joseph statue are (from left) Sister Maria Goretti Weldon, Sister Antonette Schmidt and Sister Jane Marie Davis, all of whom served at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Asheville, where the statue originally stood.
— Beth Rogers Thompson