HENDERSONVILLE — After nearly 30 years, the Capuchin Franciscan order is leaving Immaculate Conception Church.
Father Martin Schratz, pastor, Father Roberto Perez and Father Praveen Kumar Turaka are leaving the parish July 9. The order is withdrawing from this and other parishes in its province due to declining vocations and the advancing ages of its friars.
Father Christian Cook will serve as pastor and newly ordained Father Britt Taylor will be parochial vicar.
“It’s been an excellent journey, it really has. I came to the diocese in 1997,” said Father Schratz, who has been pastor of Immaculate Conception for the past seven years. “Bishop Curlin invited us in. There was a need for priests. Hopefully, we did a good job in fulfilling the needs of the diocese.”
Father Schratz, a Philadelphia native, served as pastor of Our Lady of Consolation Church and St. Thomas Aquinas Church, both in Charlotte, prior to the time the order withdrew from those parishes. Immaculate Conception was the only remaining parish served by the Capuchin Franciscans in the diocese. The order also formerly staffed St. Matthew Church in Charlotte, St. Helen Mission in Spencer Mountain, and the Catholic Conference Center in Hickory.
Father Schratz said he has enjoyed reaching out to the men and women coming into the Church through the diocese’s RCIA Commission, which he has chaired.
“As a Capuchin, it’s important that people have an understanding of our Franciscan roots and how important it is to have that spirit. Hopefully, we teach that in our works. We are pilgrims and strangers. We want to fill people with a commitment to Jesus, not just to the friars – so that when we go, you’re still alive with passion for Jesus. We’re the messengers, we’re not the message. Our job is to get people in love with Jesus.”
Parishioners at Immaculate Conception Church are thankful to the friars for their leadership, vision, love and service to the parish.
The parish’s latest newsletter detailed some of the friars’ contributions to the century-old parish. The current church building came about because of Father Robert Salamone and Father John Aurilia. Brother Michael Malloy worked with schoolchildren, and Father John Salvas ministered to the growing Hispanic population in the parish.
Father Nick Mormando envisioned the future and oversaw the building of St. Gerard’s House for families dealing with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Father Schratz recognized the need for more space to house the parish’s expanding programs and ministries. He also launched a capital campaign to buy what is now the St. Joseph’s Center.
Margaret Cavagnaro, a parishioner for 40 years, said they are really going to miss the friars.
“They’re just so loving,” Cavagnaro said. “They have done so much service for our parish, and it has grown so much the last 28 years. I can’t say enough good things.”
She said Father Martin had faith in her abilities to be able to work on the electronic newsletter he started at the parish, even when she wasn’t sure she could.
“I love each and every one of our priests. Father Martin is just very special to me, and he believed in me.
“Father Roberto is just amazing. He is kind and generous and he’s so amazing with the Hispanic community. Father Praveen has helped in the ‘attic,’ where we give items to those in need. They all work with people in the community. They’ve been amazing.”
Father Schratz embraced the Hispanic ministries at Immaculate Conception Church, noted parishioner Javier Diaz. Over the past 10 years Diaz has been at the parish, he said, he has seen the Hispanic ministries he’s involved in – extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion, lectors and the men’s prayer group – grow under the clergy’s leadership. In turn, people’s faith has been strengthened.
“I’ve gained great confidence in wanting to be in the Church and wanting to be serving the Lord from his great example,” Diaz said of Father Schratz.
The friars have worked to merge the communities to worship as one, Father Schratz noted.
“We do a lot more things bilingually, and more events have been attended by both communities, equally,” he said. “The sheep are entrusted to us as shepherds. We minister them all at the same time. It has been great to see that grow.”
Immaculate Conception Parish also has a new mission: “We are a joyful Catholic Community of disciples of Jesus Christ, moved by love, to seek the lost and the broken and bring them home.”
“Not a mission statement, that’s just a statement,” explained Father Schratz. “We came up with a mission, a way of life. The faithful are living their faith, and being Christ for others. It’s easier to teach by example. People see that.”
Father Schratz is going to St. Francis of Assisi Church in Hackensack, N.J. He said he will miss the mountains of North Carolina as he transitions to city life, but he is excited to live closer to his mother and be near the order’s province headquarters in order to spend more time with his fellow Capuchin Franciscans.
Father Schratz asked for prayers as the parish transitions its leadership, and he encouraged people to continue to pray for more religious vocations.
Said Cavagnaro, “I’m looking forward to the new priests. It will be a new chapter. We are looking forward to see-ing new things and what will happen next.”
— Kimberly Bender, Online reporter