CHARLOTTE — Catholic health care workers from around the Diocese of Charlotte gathered after work Aug. 16 at Dilworth Neighborhood Grille to meet and learn more about the newly formed Catholic Health Professionals of Charlotte.
Over 50 health care professionals including several physicians attended the organization’s inaugural event. Among the attendees were the founding doctors of the group: Dr. Matt Harrison, Dr. Meghan Lemke of St. Mark Parish, and Dr. Julia Saluke of St. Michael the Archangel Parish in Gastonia.
“It was heartwarming to see so many Catholic health professionals from varied specialties and geographic locations come together. We were blessed with an excellent turnout which affirms the desire within our healthcare community to connect and support one another through our shared spiritual beliefs,” Lemke said.
Harrison agreed. “It was a great opportunity to reconnect with old colleagues and to meet new ones who are not only dedicated to the delivery of quality and compassionate health care, but also in deepening their Catholic Faith. We look forward to the growth of this vibrant group of professionals and hope others will join throughout the diocese.”
Also present at the event was the group’s new chaplain, Father Cory Catron, parochial vicar of St. Vincent de Paul Parish in Charlotte, who recently obtained a degree in bioethics from the University of Mary.
Father Catron remarked at the importance of the event, “I was excited and encouraged by the great turnout for the event. It was amazing to see not only a full house, but one full of such a diversity of health care practices and specializations. What we see here is the beginnings of a great force for good for serving the needs of Catholic professionals in the healthcare field in the region, and in turn support for them to provide greater service through their vocation to care for others.”
Before the evening concluded, the group paid a special tribute to their new patron, St. Gianna Molla, a wife, mother and doctor who died in 1962 from complications after the removal a tumor that endangered her unborn baby’s life. She died a few days after giving birth and was canonized by St. John Paul II in 2004.
Catholic Health Professionals of Charlotte is designed to support Catholic health care workers both professionals and spiritually and to promote the Catholic faith in the fields of medicine and science. It is open to all Catholic physicians, nurses, nurse practitioners, dentists, medical students, and other health care workers in the diocese.
The group will host its next event, a dinner presentation, on Oct. 4 at St. Vincent de Paul Church. To learn more, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
— Jessica R. Grabowski, Special to the Catholic News Herald. Jessica R. Grabowski is the Respect Life Program Director for the Diocese of Charlotte.
Asheville Catholic School exceeds $620,000 with largest amount distributed
CHARLOTTE — The Diocese of Charlotte Foundation recently reached a milestone: giving out more than $10 million from its endowments.
The foundation provides a means for people and organizations to provide long-term financial stability for the diocese and more than 181 recipient parishes, schools and ministries. It now tops $55 million in assets with 268 endowments.
An endowment is a permanent fund in which the principal is never touched, but the income from it can be used according to the wishes of the donor organization or individual. Endowments provide a way to generate income and help sustain the long-term strength and viability of the diocese and its parishes, schools and ministries.
The $10 million was distributed from 146 of these endowments. For the other 122 endowments, distributions will be made when the recipients have a particular need.
The Asheville Catholic School Endowment Fund, established in 1997 with an initial gift of $395,000, has given out $620,000 over the past 22 years – the largest amount distributed to a single recipient. The endowment has grown to $605,000 and will continue to provide distributions every quarter, depending on how financial markets grow or decline.
“We have been blessed to receive so much support from this endowment,” said Principal Mike Miller.
“The donors who have been so generous in helping to create and grow our endowment have helped hundreds of students over the last decade at Asheville Catholic School. The disbursements have gone to subsidize tuition assistance, fund professional development for our teachers, and provide a high quality education for all of our students,” he said.
“The Asheville Catholic School staff have been good stewards of these funds in making sure they were utilized for the greatest benefit to our students. This is the best way we can show our appreciation to those who generously gave to Asheville Catholic through this endowment,” he said.
The school has five other named endowments that have been established over the years.
Jim Kelley, diocesan development director, said that to date, more than 1,100 people in the Diocese of Charlotte have notified his office that they are making an estate gift to a diocesan entity in their will or estate plan.
Since the foundation was established in 1994, Kelley has seen endowment gifts range from the thousands to the millions of dollars, and donors will continue supporting the Church through endowments as a way to keep giving long into the future.
Kelley said he is gratified to see these endowments being put to good use for the benefit of parishes, schools and ministries throughout the diocese.
“These distributions provide funds that change people’s lives. This is all done because individuals or entities established endowments because they love the Church and they want to provide for its future here in western North Carolina. It’s a wonderful gift, people making these endowments,” he said.
— SueAnn Howell, Senior reporter
Learn more
Interested in setting up an endowment? Individuals can establish an endowment in the diocesan foundation by leaving a bequest in their will, a beneficiary designation from a retirement plan, a gift of real estate, a gift of life insurance, cash or securities sufficient to set up an endowment, or a life income arrangement such as a trust or annuity.
For details about setting up an endowment to benefit the Church in western North Carolina, contact Gina Rhodes at 704-370-3364 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..