CHARLOTTE — Amid an ongoing health concern, Bishop Peter Jugis announced Thursday he will not officiate at the Diocese of Charlotte’s two upcoming ordination liturgies, which instead will be celebrated by the archbishop of Atlanta.
Bishop Jugis said he has been dealing with an “evolving health issue” and that medical tests recently revealed he has only one functioning kidney. His condition, he said, “is not life threatening but at times affects my ability to travel or participate in long liturgies and other occasions.”
At the bishop’s request, Archbishop Gregory Hartmayer, OFM Conv., will preside at the June 3 diaconate ordination of seven seminarians and at the June 17 ordination of three men to the priesthood. Both Masses are scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. and will last about two hours each. The public is invited to attend the liturgies, which will be held at St. Mark Church in Huntersville.
Monsignor Patrick Winslow, the Charlotte diocese’s vicar general and chancellor, said the bishop is managing his condition and that he will be saying Mass, conducting business, and attending as many Church functions as possible. In April the bishop, who is 66, celebrated liturgies throughout Holy Week including a lengthy Easter Vigil Mass at St. Patrick Cathedral with more than 300 people in attendance.
“Bishop Jugis remains devoted to his ministry shepherding the people of our diocese, and we thank everyone for keeping him in their prayers,” Monsignor Winslow said. “On occasion, I and other senior clergy will represent the bishop when he cannot attend.”
It was a little over a year ago that Bishop Jugis began experiencing symptoms that prevented him from presiding at some occasions, including the ordination Masses last June. Archbishop Hartmayer assisted by presiding over one of those liturgies: the ordination to deacon of Christopher Brock, Chinonso Nnebe-Agumadu and Peter Rusciolelli. Archbishop Hartmayer now returns to ordain them as priests.
Archbishop Hartmayer has led the Archdiocese of Atlanta since May 2020. Prior to that, he served as Bishop of Savannah, Ga., for nine years. As archbishop, he also is the most senior cleric for the Atlanta Province, which includes the dioceses of Charlotte, Raleigh, Savannah and Charleston, S.C.
“I am looking forward to returning to North Carolina to represent Bishop Jugis in presiding over these ordinations for the Church of Charlotte,” Archbishop Hartmayer said. “Its thriving vocations program is a testament to his leadership and the faith of the people of the Charlotte diocese, and I can't wait to share in their joy at this happy occasion.”
— Catholic News Herald
Fifth-graders from St. Patrick School pitched in at the Catholic Charities’ food pantry in Charlotte – organizing and stocking shelves and packing bags of food to be distributed to people in need. (File, Catholic News Herald)CHARLOTTE — As schools let out for summer vacation and prices of food continue to rise, Catholic Charities’ food banks across western North Carolina are expecting an increased demand on household supplies.
In 2022, Catholic Charities’ food banks distributed more than 562,000 pounds of food to nearly 14,000 families in need. With children out of school and unable to receive school-provided meals, a greater struggle is placed on families. Prices of food and household goods continue to rise, leaving little or no wiggle room for many family budgets.
“There’s a common saying about food insecurity that I find sums up the needs of families, especially those with children, after school closes for the year: Hunger doesn’t take a summer vacation,” says Gerry Carter, executive director of Catholic Charities Diocese of Charlotte.
“For most of us, childhood memories of summer vacations involve thoughts of being outside, playing games, just being kids. But for many families served by our food pantries, summer vacation includes the reality that food will not be plentiful – that there simply won’t be enough to eat. We’re exceptionally proud of our partnerships with parishes and community groups to lessen the pain of hunger in our local communities during the summer months and throughout the year.”
— Spencer K.M. Brown
How can you help?
Financial donations are an effective way to help serve people in need and enable Catholic Charities to assist participants and buy food. Learn more and make donations via:
ONLINE: www.ccdoc.org(click on “Donate”)
MAIL: Make checks payable to “Catholic Charities” and send to: Catholic Charities, Central Processing, 1123 S. Church St., Charlotte, NC 28203-4003
PHONE/EMAIL: Contact Virginia Garramone, director of development, at 704-370-3349 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Food pantries
To make a delivery to any of these locations, call for an appointment at least 24 hours in advance:
CHARLOTTE FOOD PANTRY:
Call 704-370-3262 or text 704-268-9821
Hours: Tuesdays 10 a.m.-noon, Thursdays 1-3 p.m.
ASHEVILLE FOOD PANTRY:
Call 828-255-0146
Hours: Wednesdays 11 a.m.-1 p.m.
WINSTON-SALEM FOOD PANTRY:
Call 336-727-0705
Hours: Thursdays 9-11:30 a.m.
Need assistance?
Catholic Charities offers services to people across western North Carolina. Go online to www.ccdoc.org or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for help.