CHARLOTTE — The Diocese of Charlotte has named new leaders for two key ministries, part of ongoing efforts to expand outreach and better serve its rapidly growing Catholic population.
Steven Samol will relocate from the Dominican Republic to serve as director of the Hispanic Ministry Office at a time when more than half of the diocese’s 565,000 Catholics are Hispanic.
Dawn Fitzpatrick will lead the renamed Marriage & Family Life Office, overseeing diocesan initiatives to support couples and families and promote a culture of life.
“Steven and Dawn are talented, experienced leaders who will help us deliver on our commitment to develop missionary disciples and share the Gospel,” said Monsignor Patrick Winslow, vicar general and chancellor, in an April 10 email to clergy and staff.
Both will begin limited virtual work this week and start full-time onsite April 27.
STEVEN SAMOL
A bilingual ministry leader, Samol has more than 20 years of experience in leadership and project management in Catholic ministry, healthcare, government and international development.
He most recently served with the Encounter School of Ministry, a Catholic-based training program, where he provided leadership formation and discipleship training for hundreds of English- and Spanish-speaking students.
Born in New York City to a Puerto Rican father and Dominican mother, Samol has lived and worked internationally. He met his Cuban-born wife, Sayli, in Spain while serving in a Catholic ministry dedicated to evangelization through art and media.
He holds master’s degrees in marketing and business administration as well as a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering from the Instituto Tecnológico de Santo Domingo. He also has a master’s degree in marriage and family from the Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family, part of The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C.
He will coordinate all areas of Hispanic ministry across the diocese. Working with pastors and parish leaders, he will support pastoral needs, promote fuller participation in parish life, and oversee implementation of the National Pastoral Plan for Hispanic Ministry. He will also advance leadership formation, evangelization programs and discipleship initiatives, serving as a vital bridge between the Hispanic faithful and diocesan offices.
Having lived, studied and worked in several countries, Samol said he finds joy in helping people from diverse cultures find common ground through their shared faith and grow by enriching one another.
DAWN FITZPATRICK
Fitzpatrick brings more than 20 years of experience in family and pro-life ministry. She most recently served as executive director of the National March for Life Education and Defense Fund in Washington, D.C., and previously led the Respect Life Office for the Archdiocese of Chicago.
She has also served in youth and adolescent catechetical ministries for parishes in the Archdiocese of Baltimore and the Diocese of Charleston, South Carolina, and worked in business as a corporate trainer and college instructor of public speaking and communications.
Fitzpatrick holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from Shippensburg University and a master’s degree in communication studies from Bloomsburg University, and graduate certificates in theology and Theology of the Body.
She will lead initiatives supporting marriage and family life, and will assist parishes in developing local ministries aligned with Church teaching and the diocese’s pastoral priorities.
She and her husband, Deacon Michael Fitzpatrick, have been married for 35 years and have two daughters and a granddaughter.
Samol succeeds Father Julio Dominguez, former Vicar of Hispanic Ministry, and Fitzpatrick succeeds Father Peter Ascik, former director of the Family Life Office.
The changes reflect Bishop Michael Martin’s emphasis on placing qualified lay leaders in administrative positions while assigning priests to roles where they are uniquely qualified to focus on parish ministry, sacramental life and pastoral care.
— Christina Lee Knauss