Crowds of parishioners overflow into the parking lot of Our Lady of Guadalupe Church during Ash Wednesday. CHARLOTTE — With more than 6,000 people packing into eight weekend Masses – and 10,000 overwhelming the church at Easter – Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish may finally get some relief as the booming congregation takes its first steps toward building a church.
The parish currently worships in a 14,000-square-foot multipurpose building that doubles as a church and activity center, with basketball goals and storage for hundreds of chairs that volunteers set up, then put away, again and again, depending on the day’s activities.
The largest predominantly Hispanic parish in the diocese, Our Lady of Guadalupe ranks second in Mass attendance among the diocese’s 93 churches and exemplifies the larger trend of growth among Hispanic Catholics.
“Population growth in Charlotte consistently ranks among the highest in the country as people move to this area seeking job opportunities, better quality of life and nice weather,” said Emmett Sapp, the diocese’s director of construction and real estate.
“The fastest growing demographic is the Hispanic population, which historically has been predominantly Catholic. Parishes are doing everything they can to accommodate this influx, and it’s wonderful to see faith communities like Our Lady of Guadalupe maturing to a place where building a church home is within financial reach as they become a larger part of the fabric of our diocese.”
A glimpse of the future
The parish still has a long process of design and fundraising ahead before construction can begin, but diocesan leaders have approved the project to move forward with engaging professionals to create schematic designs for a new church with targeted seating capacity of 1,500 people and costs likely exceeding $10 million. Initial designs and cost estimates are expected by fall, to be followed by more detailed design documents – all of which require diocesan approval. Fundraising is expected to begin in January.
Our Lady of Guadalupe leaders recently offered the parish a glimpse of what the 32-acre campus might look like a generation from now. Church leaders shared architectural renderings that include a new church along with at least three multipurpose buildings on manicured grounds along Tuckaseegee Road.
“We still have a long way to do, but we have begun,” says Vincentian Father Marvin Navas, pastor. “This first step means that a dream that has been in the hearts of many can become reality… I feel that many people feel that sense of joy with this first step.”
Established in 2007, Our Lady of Guadalupe’s redevelopment coincides with a 36% spike in the city’s Hispanic population over the past decade, according to U.S. Census estimates.
North Carolina has seen dramatic growth among Hispanics since 1990, when the estimated 77,000 Hispanics made up just 1.2% of the population. By 2020, thanks to the state’s diverse economic opportunities and relative affordability, some 1.1 million Hispanics accounted for 10% of the population.
Other parishes are also experiencing this growth among Hispanics, who now make up at least half of the Catholics living in the diocese.
At Our Lady of Guadalupe, the parish juggles scheduling conflicts with eight weekend Masses and hundreds of organizations and groups competing for the space.
“The space we currently have is actually large, but it is too small now for our community,” Father Navas said. “Every Mass is full, but we also have meetings there and catechism classes in the same space. Sometimes we have canceled different activities to accommodate others. We are reaching our limit.”
A community center
This parish community has seen many changes, beginning in 1972 when the diocese’s first shepherd, Bishop Michael J. Begley, established the Hispanic Catholic Center to serve immigrants and connect them more fully with the diocese.
The cultural center on Tuckaseegee Road was dedicated in 2002 to Our Lady of Guadalupe. In 2007, it was elevated to parish status under that name, reflecting its role as the spiritual home for Hispanic Catholics in Charlotte.
Today, Our Lady of Guadalupe’s presence extends far beyond the church walls and is positioned as a leader in faith and outreach.
The parish serves as a trusted hub for medical and social service referrals, partnering with providers such as Novant Health, and anchors one of the diocese’s busiest food pantries. Since 2012, Casa Marillac has provided weekly food distributions to more than 300 families in collaboration with Second Harvest Food Bank.
The parish also sustains a vibrant community through liturgies and faith formation, and its annual Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe draws people from across the diocese for an all-night celebration of prayer, song, dance and cultural expression that symbolizes a shared Hispanic devotion.
In the summer of 2025, parish leaders shared their pastoral plan with Bishop Michael Martin, explaining the need to build a church and other campus facilities for the future. They then went to work developing a master plan for the next 20 years, charting a possible path for development.
“With the master plan as a backdrop, the parish will now start developing a schematic design and gathering construction cost estimates for the new church,” Sapp said. “By early 2027, the parish should be ready to unveil plans for the new church and begin fundraising in conjunction with the diocese.”
“The dream has always been with us within this community,” Father Navas said. “We have a dream that the Virgin of Guadalupe, who came down to Tepeyac, will also come down to this new Tepeyac.”
— Brian Segovia