To further the mission and growth of the diocese, we are called to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ in all that we do. In keeping with our mission “to become ever more enthusiastically a leaven of service and a sign of peace through love in Piedmont and Western North Carolina,” Forward in Faith, Hope, and Love seeks to strengthen pastoral and temporal needs in the following areas:
Parish and Mission Support Services $6,000,000
Each day, the diocese provides essential services, including legal, tribunal, communications, human resources, administrative, and financial and stewardship education to 92 parishes and missions. The diocese’s Central Administration offers expertise and services in these areas that are often costly, labor intensive, and beyond the scope of parishes.
Forward in Faith, Hope, and Love will earmark $6,000,000 in an endowment to help sustain parish and mission support services rendered by diocesan offices.
The Cathedral of Saint Patrick $4,000,000
The Cathedral of Saint Patrick, the Mother Church of the Diocese of Charlotte, is a reflection of our humble beginnings and has been the site of many of the most important and solemn events in the life of the diocese.
The cathedral serves as a symbol of our faith for every member of our diocese and also for those in immediate communities as a parish and place of worship. Although members of the cathedral parish do their part to maintain the church and will have the opportunity to support the cathedral’s efforts through this campaign, as a diocese we are entrusted with the responsibility of preserving our Mother Church for future generations of Catholics and the community at large.
The cathedral should reflect our heritage of faith, spirit of hope, and legacy of service. To that end, Forward in Faith, Hope, and Love will earmark $4,000,000 to help restore, preserve and enhance our cathedral that generations of Catholics have grown to love. Plans for immediate restoration, renovation and enhancement priorities include building a Perpetual Adoration Chapel and Episcopal Crypt, expanding the sacristy, and renovating the sanctuary. The cathedral will fund these immediate priorities through Forward in Faith, Hope, and Love and parish resources.
Living Waters Retreat Center and Catholic Conference Center $1,500,000
The Retreat and Conference Centers serve the people of the diocese and share the broader evangelical call of the diocese to build up the Catholic community in the counties of western North Carolina. Each year, more than 1,100 people visit Living Waters Retreat Center and more than 115 groups host meetings at the Catholic Conference Center.
Living Waters Retreat Center is a ministry of the diocese located in beautiful Maggie Valley, surrounded by the Smoky Mountains. Living Waters is a special space for seekers to experience spiritual renewal and growth in a prayerful atmosphere. Living Waters Retreat Center, formerly a motel, was officially dedicated on the feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in 1982.
The Catholic Conference Center, built on 179 acres in the North Carolina foothills, provides a peaceful setting to conduct meetings, workshops and retreats, as well as other parish activities and diocesan events. It was constructed in 1988 as a centrally located venue for parishes, schools and other diocesan ministries but also opens its doors and offers hospitality to other congregations, civic, educational and governmental agencies, professional societies, and other organizations whose purposes are compatible with the teachings of the Church.
Committed to serving the needs of our sisters and brothers in Christ, Forward in Faith, Hope, and Love will earmark $1,500,000 for capital improvements to meeting and common areas and guest accommodations as well as technology improvements to the Living Waters Retreat Center and the Catholic Conference Center.