VALE — Mother Mary Louis, 93, foundress of the Maryvale Sisters, entered the arms of her heavenly Father on Thursday, June 8, 2023.
A gathering of friends will be held from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, June 14, 2023, at St. Aloysius Catholic Church, located at 921 2nd St. N.E. in Hickory.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11 a.m. Thursday, June 15, 2023, at St. Aloysius Catholic Church with Father Edward Sheridan officiating. Viewing will be held for one hour before Mass.
Burial will follow in the Maryvale Sisters Cemetery in Vale.
Mother Mary Louis was born Sept. 12, 1929, in Middletown, Conn., to the late Alexander and Rose Zampini Mangine. Mother Mary Louis was the foundress of the Maryvale Sisters in 1961 with Father Norman St. Martin. She was a faithful servant to the Lord and her religious community.
Survivors include the Maryvale Sisters: Sister Mary Michael, Sister Mary Clare and Sister Mary Francis; and several nieces and nephews.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to: The Mother Mary Louis/Maryvale Sisters Outreach Projects, 2522 June Bug Road, Vale, N.C. 28168.
Warlick Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements.
— Catholic News Herald
CHARLOTTE — Deacon Bernard William Wenning Jr. passed away May 16, 2023. He was 87.
The funeral Mass was celebrated May 25, 2023, at St. Gabriel Catholic Church in Charlotte.
He was born Sept. 4, 1935, and grew up in West Long Branch, N.J., living there until he was 21 years old. He graduated from Red Bank Catholic High School in 1954. He initially worked for William’s Sign Painting in West Long Branch until he joined the U.S. Navy in 1955. He was stationed at Boeing Air Force Base in Washington, D.C., for four years.
He married his bride, Dot, in 1957. In 1963, the family moved to Vienna, Va., where he volunteered with the Vienna Volunteer Fire Department and served as its president for several years. He worked for the Federal Aviation Administration as an air traffic controller at both Dulles International Airport and Reagan National Airport in Washington, D.C. In 1978, the family moved to Charlotte when Ben accepted the position of Deputy Chief of the Tower at Charlotte Douglas International Airport. He worked in that capacity until his retirement.
On June 18, 1988, he was ordained a permanent deacon for the Diocese of Charlotte at St. Gabriel Church, and it was at that parish that he began his ministry as a deacon. He served in that calling for 22 years.
In 1990, Deacon Wenning was the first deacon assigned to the Airport Chaplaincy at Charlotte Douglas International Airport, serving on the Airport Chaplaincy Board. It was then that he also started to take on diocesan responsibilities. As the ministry of permanent deacons evolved, Deacon Wenning served as assistant director of post ordination affairs, as vicar of the Charlotte region, and as administrator and director of the Permanent Diaconate for the diocese.
At St. Gabriel Parish he taught RCIA classes and worked in the Marriage Encounter Program, along with his many other deaconate duties and responsibilities. Ben truly was a deacon's deacon, a mentor, and a friend to many. He retired in 2007.
He enjoyed camping with his wife and children, vacationing at the beach, and going on cruises.
He loved his church activities and St. Gabriel Parish community. He was artistically gifted and enjoyed framing artwork, woodworking, painting, spending time with his Marriage Encounter friends, and being the president of his neighborhood’s HOA. He was the “designated pot stirrer” each Christmas season, as he helped his wife Dot make homemade fudge. Spending time with Dot and the family brought him the most pleasure.
He was known as “Mr. Wonderful” to his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He was a big practical joker and was well known for his hilarious sense of humor and witty responses.
He is survived by his wife of 66 years, Dot Wenning; his five children and their spouses: Michael (Lydia), Cathy, Linda (Doug), Mark (Alisa) and Mary (Jeff); 15 grandchildren and their spouses: Emily, Malena (Daniel), Ben, Matthew (Sarah), Michele (Kirk), Davy, Jessica (Ryan), Kelley, Zack, Tanner, Tori, Jeffrey (Amber), Rachael and Kate; 10 great-grandchildren: Kiley, Emma Grace, Lathan, Paisley, Christian, Bryson, Avery, Ava, Riley and Walker; his brother Joe (Gioconda); his sisters: Barbara Ann (Frank), Louise (Joe) and Millie (Dan); multiple nieces and nephews; and a large community of friends.
He was preceded in death by his mother and father, one sister, three brothers and his grandson, Michael.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Center for Pediatric Behavioral Health in Wilmington in honor of his grandson Michael, who passed away unexpectedly on March 2, 2023. Michael, who was employed as associate director for the center’s Early Learner Program, was excited about the new space that CPBH had been planning, and the ability to install an outdoor playground for the center’s children. All donations will fund the installation of the new playground, which will be dedicated to Michael. Donations can be made via www.centerforpediatricbehavioralhealth.com or by mail to: Center for Pediatric Behavioral Health, 720 James Dr., Wilmington, N.C. 28403. Donations are non-tax deductible.
Carolina Funeral Service & Cremation Center was in charge of arrangements.
— Catholic News Herald
SYLVA — Father James P. Cahill, 93, passed away Wednesday, April 19, 2023, at his residence.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11 a.m. Tuesday, April 25, 2023, at St. Margaret of Scotland Catholic Church, located at 37 Murphy Dr. in Maggie Valley. Inurnment will follow the Mass at St. Margaret’s Columbarium.
A native of Philadelphia, Pa., he was born Sept. 12, 1929, the youngest child of the late Joseph and Helen (Hentschel) Cahill.
He earned a bachelor’s degree from Boston College before entering the Jesuits in 1947, studying at the adjoining Jesuit seminary, Weston College (now Weston Jesuit School of
Theology) in Cambridge, Mass. He was ordained a priest on June 17, 1961, by Cardinal Richard Cushing, Archbishop of Boston.
He served in the Diocese of Charlotte for several years, first at St. Patrick Cathedral in Charlotte from 1986 to 1991, and then as pastor of St. Mary Mother of God Catholic Church in Sylva from 1991 until his retirement in 2002. He also served as vicar forane of the Smoky Mountains Vicariate, where he helped as needed in parishes.
Upon retirement, he gave the homily at the diocese’s annual priest jubilarian Mass, where he said a priest’s ministry is about sharing God’s love, peace and joy with others. “If I can take God’s peace and His love, and the joy of being with Christ, and convey that to another human being, I feel that my life as a priest is doing something remarkable.”
Those who knew Father Cahill knew he had a favorite phrase: “ORP,” or “old retired priest.”
In addition to his parents, Father Cahill was preceded in death by his siblings, one sister and two brothers.
Wells Funeral Home of Waynesville is in charge of arrangements.
— Catholic News Herald
BELMONT — Benedictine Father Francis Phillip Forster, a monk and priest of Belmont Abbey, died peacefully in the Lord on Thursday, May 11, 2023. He was 90.
The body will be received at Belmont Abbey at 7 p.m. Monday, May 15, 2023, followed by vespers and visitation. The rosary will be recited at 9 a.m. Tuesday, May 16, 2023, in Mary Help of Christians Basilica on the campus of Belmont Abbey, followed by the funeral Mass at 9:30 a.m. Burial will follow at the abbey cemetery.
Father Francis was born Sept. 2, 1932, in Willard, Ohio, the youngest of five children. He spent his early years on the family farm. After graduating from high school, he served in the U.S. Air
Force from 1951 to 1955 during the Korean Conflict, achieving the rank of staff sergeant. Following his discharge, he entered Belmont Abbey College, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in philosophy in 1960.
While in college, he entered the novitiate at Belmont Abbey and made his profession of vows on July 11, 1958. He was ordained a priest on June 4, 1964.
Father Francis served for 51 years in the faculty and administration of Belmont Abbey College, from 1958 to 2009. His first appointment was as instructor in the Department of Philosophy. He then served for many years as registrar and director of institutional research, then as director of data processing.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Philip F. Forster and Frances Leitz Forster, and his three brothers, Bernard Forster, Robert Forster and Eugene Forster.
He is survived by the monks of Belmont Abbey; his sister, Mary Ann Forster; and numerous nieces and nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews.
Memorial donations may be made to: Belmont Abbey College, 100 Belmont-Mt. Holly Road, Belmont, N.C. 28012.
Condolence messages may be shared at www.McLeanFuneral.com.
McLean Funeral Directors of Belmont is in charge of the arrangements.
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Read more about Father Francis Forster’s life at Belmont Abbey: https://belmontabbey.org/our-monks/
KERALA, India — Father Joseph C. Ayathupadam, a retired priest of the Diocese of Charlotte, passed away Saturday, April 8, 2023, in India, aged 89. Over more than 60 years of priestly ministry, Father Ayathupadam had gone with trust to wherever God called him – as parish priest, missionary, hospital chaplain, and devoted supporter of Indian Catholics in the Carolinas.
His funeral Mass will be celebrated at his childhood parish of St. Sebastian’s Church, in Neyyassery, Kerala, India, on Thursday, April 13, 2023.
Locally, a Mass for the repose of the soul of Father Ayathupadam will be celebrated at 10 a.m. Saturday, April 15, 2023, at St. Mary’s Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, 715 E. Arrowood Road in Charlotte.
He was born on Jan. 17, 1934, in Kerala, India, the son of Chacko Mathew Ayathupadam and Anna (Poovanthuruthil) Ayathupadam.
He attended schools in his home parish of St. Sebastian before entering St. Joseph’s Pontifical Seminary, Mangalapuzha in Aluva, Kerala – the major seminary for the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, in 1954. Founded by the Apostle Thomas, the Syro-Malabar Church is the second largest Church among the 23 Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with the pope.
He was ordained a priest on March 12, 1961, at St. George’s Cathedral in Kothamangalam, Kerala, by Mar Mathew Pothanamuzhi, the first bishop of the Eparchy (Diocese) of Kothamangalam, India.
He began his priestly ministry in the Kothamangalam eparchy, serving in parishes there for 13 years. He also earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Karnatak University in Dharwad, India. He then traveled to Eldoret, Kenya, where he served for three years as a parish priest and school principal – missionary work that he described as one of his most memorable as a priest.
“The poverty and simple faith of the people in Africa inspired me,” he said in a 2011 interview with the Catholic News Herald. “During Mass, you would hear them speak and sing in three different languages, yet they came together as one community.”
From Africa Father Ayathupadam traveled to the Archdiocese of Halifax-Yarmouth in Nova Scotia, Canada, and after spending 10 years as a hospital chaplain there, he applied for a job as hospital chaplain in the warmer climate of the Carolinas. He served at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Asheville from 1987 to 1988 before moving to St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Parish in Charlotte to serve as parochial vicar.
In 1990, he was incardinated in the Charlotte diocese, where he continued to serve in various parishes: St. Leo the Great Catholic Parish in Winston-Salem, Our Lady of the Mountains Catholic Mission in Highlands, St. Joseph of the Hills Catholic Parish in Eden, and Our Lady of the Annunciation Catholic Parish in Albemarle. In his last assignment before retiring in 2006, he served as pastor of Holy Spirit Catholic Parish in Denver, where he oversaw the building of an activity center to accommodate the parish’s growing needs.
Father Ayathupadam was also instrumental in building Charlotte's Syro-Malabar Catholic community. In the early 2000s, when he was still pastor of Holy Spirit Parish, an informal Malayalee Catholic group gathered under his leadership. From 2000 to 2006, he served as spiritual leader for the growing Indian community in the Charlotte area, occasionally celebrating Holy Qurbana (Mass) at St. Vincent De Paul and St. Thomas Aquinas churches in Charlotte.
After retiring, Father Ayathupadam continued to remain active from his home in Fort Mill, S.C., helping parishes in South Carolina as well as continuing to support the local Malayalee Catholic Community by celebrating Holy Qurbana at St. Philip Neri Catholic Church in Fort Mill every month until 2012. More recently, he had moved back to India to be close to family.
In 2021, Father Ayathupadam celebrated his 60th anniversary of ordination.
Looking back on his decades of ministry, Father Ayathupadam reflected in 2011 that the greatest part about being a priest was “to serve the people as my brothers and sisters.”
“There is no retirement for a priest because the vocation is life, and we are priests forever until the last breath. And hopefully after that moment we’ll be at the altar in heaven,” he said.
Father Ayathupadam is survived by his sister Thressiamma Joseph; and nephews and nieces: George, Paul, Philomina, Mary, Saly and Gracy.
He was preceded in death by his parents and immediate family members Matthew, George, Rosamma and and Sister Angel.
— Catholic News Herald