CHARLOTTE — Members of St. Joseph Vietnamese Church and the local Vietnamese community welcomed in the Lunar New Year during the parish’s annual Tet Festival Jan. 27-29.
The three-day celebration for the “Year of the Rooster” included live music, traditional Vietnamese food and games, as well as performances by the Charlotte parish’s own Hidden Dragon Lion Dance team.
— Photo gallery below by John Cosmas | Catholic News Herald
Photo gallery:
HENDERSONVILLE — Catholics and Lutherans in the Hendersonville area joined together in prayer Jan. 22 at Grace Lutheran Church to mark the 500th anniversary of Martin Luther’s efforts to reform the Church.
Mirroring a similar ecumenical prayer service by Pope Francis held last fall in Sweden, the service stressed thanksgiving, repentance and our commitment to Jesus’ prayer to the Father “that they may be one as We are one.”
Capuchin Franciscan Father Martin Schratz, pastor of Immaculate Conception Church, and Rev. Greg Williams of Grace Lutheran Church presided at the service.
— Photo provided by Margaret Cavagnaro
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.
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
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
