CHARLOTTE — Church repairs, new classrooms, new rectories and even a new road – the Diocese of Charlotte Properties Office anticipates these and other major projects in nine parishes and schools this year.
The diocesan Properties Office works in conjunction with parishes and Catholic schools around western North Carolina on building projects and needed improvements.
Anthony Morlando, the office’s director, notes the following are all on his calendar or under consideration for the new year:
- Christ the King High School, Huntersville: Construction continues on a 27,000-square-foot expansion that includes 15 classrooms, cafeteria, band room and shop space. A new, second entrance road to the school is also being completed for better access, safety and future growth.
- Charlotte Catholic High School, Charlotte: Creation of an “Athletic Hall of Fame” in the hallway leading to the gymnasium. The CCHS Athletic Association and the Alumni Association are funding the beatification project to paint the walls, provide environmental graphics and a legacy wall documenting past CCHS athletic achievements and awards using both print graphics and electronic signage.
- Our Lady of the Assumption School, Charlotte: A new 2,400-square-foot “cafetorium” space is currently in the design phase. A $300,000 grant from a private donor will help fund the new cafetorium as well as the conversion of the existing library into a new STEM lab which will include audiovisual room updates and a new maker space at the school to provide students a creative space to learn through making. The grant will also help fund new technology, such as network and technology improvements.
- Old St. Joseph Church, Mount Holly: This project includes making critical repairs to the historic structure, with an anticipated completion date of March 17 to coincide with St. Patrick’s Day events traditionally celebrated at the church.
- St. Andrew the Apostle Church, Mars Hill: A new rectory is under construction on the church’s property.
- St. Charles Borromeo Church, Morganton: A new rectory is under construction on the site of the former rectory, which had burned down.
- St. Lawrence Basilica, Asheville: The process of soliciting quotes has begun to enlist a firm that will conduct an analysis of the historical building’s condition and the repairs it will need in the future.
- St. Patrick Cathedral, Charlotte: Design work is under way on improving the cathedral’s overall lighting levels as well as energy efficiency.
- St. Philip the Apostle Church, Statesville: An 8,500-square-foot Social Hall is currently in design to be built on the site of the old rectory, next to the parish administrative building.
- St. Joseph College Seminary, Mount Holly: A land study has been completed and design/development drawings are in the final phase. Once those are completed, the project will be sent to the general contractor for current pricing estimates, which will then be reviewed by the Chancery, expected to be sometime in February. Fundraising for construction of the college seminary will begin later in 2018.
This is probably not a comprehensive list, diocesan officials note. More parish projects are anticipated on the horizon after the diocesan “Forward in Faith, Hope and Love” campaign concludes by the summer of 2019, after which time parishes may launch their own new capital campaigns.
— SueAnn Howell, Senior reporter
CHARLOTTE — The example of the Jesuits inspires the work of Mecklenburg County’s new district attorney.
Spencer Merriweather, a member of St. Peter Church in Charlotte, was appointed district attorney for Mecklenburg County last fall by Gov. Roy Cooper, when former District Attorney Andrew Murray left upon being nominated as the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. The 39-year-old Democrat is the first African-American to serve in the post, and he came highly recommended by his Republican predecessor.
An assistant district attorney for 11 years, Merriweather draws a strong line between his work ethic and his Ignatian spirituality.
He converted to Catholicism in 2012, but his love of the faith did not begin there.
Raised in the Lutheran church in Mobile, Ala., he was introduced to Catholicism when he went to St. Ignatius Catholic School, where he was enrolled from kindergarten until the eighth grade.
Mobile, with its French and Spanish colonial roots, has had a strong Catholic presence for more than 300 years, and Merriweather notes that he couldn’t help but become acquainted with the Catholic faith while growing up there.
As he pursued his education and career goals into adulthood, Merriweather began attending Mass at Catholic churches nearby.
During his undergraduate years at Princeton University, Merriweather attended Mass at its Aquinas Institute. While working as a congressional staffer in Washington, D.C., he regularly went to Mass at St. Matthew’s Cathedral. Then he frequented Immaculate Conception Church in Durham while pursuing a law degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
“Keep in mind, I was still not Catholic even though I was attending for such a long time,” he notes.
When he moved to Charlotte to practice law, Merriweather immediately sought a way to make a difference in the community – following the example of his parents, and inspired by the Jesuits of St. Peter Church in uptown Charlotte.
“Almost immediately upon my arrival, I started going to St. Peter Church,” he recalls, where he “felt an immediate sense of warmth.”
“The liturgy at St. Peter is a blessing,” he said. “The message always emphasizes the importance of pursuing justice, making it a Catholic priority to serve not only within the confines of the church, but within our larger community. St. Peter has a fully captivating Jesuit staff, blessed with great priests. In all the Catholic churches I have attended, I have always been blessed with wonderful priests. I finally converted and went through the RCIA program at St. Peter’s because that parish gave me a sense of mission and a feeling that I could make a difference. St. Peter’s lives by the ethic ‘all are welcome’ and that is felt throughout the congregation.”
Merriweather’s faith life and his choice of profession were also inspired by the example of his parents.
“My parents, both teachers, were always giving with their time,” he says. “Community service has always been their center. Watching and being a part of their services to the community made me yearn to make a difference. When I thought of a career path, it was hard for me to imagine something that did not include serving others.”
Merriweather is a strong advocate for survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence and serves as a member of the board of Safe Alliance. He is also the incoming president of the Mecklenburg Bar Foundation Board.
Merriweather takes the responsibility of his position very seriously.
“Every single case that is presented to me is difficult because someone’s life will be affected no matter what the outcome. As the DA, it is my responsibility to apply the law equitably and fairly without bias and prejudice. I am fortunate to work with a dedicated and fair-minded staff of 86 prosecutors who are not about keeping score, not about winning – but people who are prepared to argue vigorously to defend justice.”
Merriweather also says he is committed to building trust in the local criminal justice system.
“Where I stand,” he says, “trust in our criminal justice system is vital because if we don’t have trust we cannot hold people accountable for their actions. I need witnesses who feel comfortable coming forward. I need jurors who understand the importance of being a part of the trial process. If jurors and witnesses do not trust and prioritize the criminal justice system, it falls apart. Every time, before a big trial, I stress with the jurors the importance of their role. After military service, being a juror is one of the greatest ways one could serve his country. Having a fair trial with a jury of peers is of crucial importance.”
Currently, Merriweather is working on establishing an “Expungement Clinic” because, he says, “sometimes the community needs to give ex-offenders, who have outgrown their mistakes, a hand up and release them from what they have already been held accountable. These people have distanced themselves from past transgressions. Allowing them to move on without their past holding them back advances not only the ex-offender but the community as a whole.”
Merriweather also believes, “Treating mental health and addiction while holding people responsible for the crimes they commit helps to create a path of recovery while reducing crime.”
Above all, he says, “Demonstrating a Christian heart in the work I do is a priority.”
Merriweather also continues to be involved at St. Peter’s, where he “has been a real blessing to our confirmation program,” notes Jesuit Father John Michalowski, parochial vicar. “He brings an enthusiasm for Jesus Christ and for the Catholic faith. His sharing with the young people about where he finds God reveals the depth of his prayer life. He is able to find God in both his personal and professional life. St. Ignatius would be delighted.”
— Lisa Geraci, Correspondent