CHARLOTTE — Close to 50 faithful Catholics with umbrellas endured pouring rain to attend the Candlelight Walk for Life in uptown Charlotte Sunday evening, Jan. 22.
The event was held to mark the actual anniversary date of Roe v. Wade, the decision legalizing abortion in the United States.
While the rain extinguished most of the candles, the fire within the souls of pro-life supporters continued unabated as the event began in front of St. Peter Church on Tryon Street and concluded with the faithful walking toward and praying at the federal courthouse on nearby West Trade Street. The faithful were also joined by Father Christopher Roux, rector and pastor of St. Patrick Cathedral.
The event was organized by the Catholic Pro-Life Action Network of Charlotte (CPLAN) to host a local memorial event on the actual anniversary date of Roe v. Wade since the Washington, D.C., March for Life, which occurs on the anniversary date, was rescheduled to Jan. 27 due to the presidential inauguration.
For more information about C-PLAN, go to www.prolifecharlotte.og or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
— Mike FitzGerald, correspondent, with photos provided by Andrea Hines
Washington, D.C.— Parishioners from the Diocese of Charlotte joined Bishop Peter Jugis and priests and seminarians in standing up for life in Washington during the March for Life.
Bishop Jugis led the faithful in praying a rosary in front of the Supreme Court Building. Students from Charlotte Catholic High School, Christ the King High School and Belmont Abbey College are also pictured.
— Photos by SueAnn Howell, Catholic News Herald and provided via social media.
HUNTERSVILLE — Brendan Keane has stepped down as principal at Christ the King High School, and Assistant Principal Michael Smith has been named interim principal for the remainder of this academic year.
Keane had served as principal of the Huntersville school since June 2014.
Citing the desire to spend more time with his family, Keane left to start a new job Jan. 23 as co-director of the Eagle Impact Rugby Academy in North Carolina. He had already worked with EIRA as a regional coach for the Carolinas since 2013, and as an U16s head coach in 2015 and as an U17s head coach in 2016.
"After much thought and prayer, and with regret, I have decided to step down as the principal of Christ the King Catholic High School at the end of the first semester," Keane told parents in a Jan. 10 letter.
"The past few years serving the community at CTK have been the highlight of my career in education. The parents, students, faculty, staff, and supporters of Christ the King are second to none in your endeavor to create a community pursuing an excellent and holistic educational experience for everyone involved. The willingness of each of you to try something new and step out on the edge to create not only a school, but also athletic teams, clubs, support organizations, plays, musicals and a myriad of other programs is inspiring and humbling. So too is the generosity with which members of the community give their time, talents, and treasure to support the school in its mission and growth. I will never be able to thank you enough for giving me the opportunity to get to know you, to see your passions, and to be part of the amazing work going on at CTK," he wrote.
Christ the King High School has about 230 students, making it the smallest of the Diocese of Charlotte's three high schools. It opened in a temporary location in Mooresville in 2011 and moved to its current 100-acre location just outside Huntersville in 2013 to serve the growing Catholic population north of Charlotte. The school graduated its first senior class in 2015.
The Diocese of Charlotte schools office aims to appoint a new principal before the start of the next academic year, Dr. Janice Ritter, superintendent, said.
"I am confident we will find a leader who can build on the great foundation which has been laid these past few years," Ritter wrote in a letter to parents. "I know Mr. Keane takes with him the good wishes of the CTK stakeholders, and likewise Mr. Smith will have the support of those same stakeholders. I am confident the students, staff and parents of CTK will continue to be the strong community it has shown itself to be and will work together during this transition."
— Catholic News Herald
CHARLOTTE — Bishop Peter J. Jugis announces the following appointments, effective Dec. 21, 2016:
Deacon Miles C. Merwin has been appointed a permanent deacon for St. Margaret of Scotland Church in Maggie Valley, and Deacon Webster A. James has been appointed a permanent deacon for Holy Spirit Church in Denver.
Deacon Merwin and his wife Polly are seasonal residents of Maggie Valley. They also have a home in Collierville, Tenn., where when in residence he serves the Church of the Incarnation Parish. He was ordained on March 4, 2000, for the Diocese of Memphis, Tenn., and he brings with him 16 years of experience as a permanent deacon in parish assignments. In addition, he serves as an advocate for the Memphis Diocese Tribunal and is invested in the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem, which supports the Christian presence in the Holy Land.
Deacon James and his wife Celia recently moved to Denver from Goldsboro, where he served at St. Mary Parish, to be closer to their children and grandchildren. He was ordained on Nov. 12, 2004, for the Diocese of Raleigh. He brings with him 12 years of experience as a permanent deacon in parish assignments, where he has had extensive roles such as director of faith formation and Catholic chaplain at Wayne Memorial Hospital and Three HC, a hospice center in Eastern North Carolina.
— Deacon John Martino
HUNTERSVILLE — St. Mark Church offered a special Solemn High Orchestral Latin Mass with the Carolina Catholic Chorale Jan. 15.
The Mass was originally scheduled for Jan. 8, the Feast of the Holy Family on the Extraordinary Form calendar, but the liturgy was rescheduled due to inclement weather.
Nearly 600 people attended this first Solemn Latin Mass at the parish, which featured the chorale providing music from Antonio Caldara’s “Mass in A Major” as well as several pieces from Mozart.
Father Joseph Matlak, pastor of St. Basil the Great Ukrainian Rite Mission in Charlotte, offered the Mass with Father Jason Barone from St. Ann Church as deacon and Father Jason Christian from St. Thomas Aquinas Church as subdeacon.
The Huntersville parish plans to offer more Latin Masses on Fridays during Lent.
— Photos by John Cosmas and Mike FitzGerald | Catholic News Herald
