CHARLOTTE — Bishop Michael T. Martin, OFM Conv., announces the assignment of Father Jean Lambert Batamack as parochial vicar at St. Philip the Apostle Parish in Statesville, effective Oct. 5, 2025.
Father Batamack comes to the Diocese of Charlotte from the Diocese of Buea, Cameroon, where he was ordained for the priesthood on April 9, 2015, by Bishop Emeritus Immanuel Bushu.
Over the past decade, Father Batamack has served as a pastor, principal, school and hospital chaplain and as a college campus priest.
“I look forward to sharing the love and mercy of God and to live out my priestly ministry after the Heart of Christ and His Church,” Father Batamack said.
— Catholic News Herald
MOORESVILLE — Renovations are nearly complete on a chapel that will soon become the new home for the celebration of the Traditional Latin Mass in the Diocese of Charlotte.
The Chapel of the Little Flower opened for Masses on Sunday, Oct. 5. Father Brandon Jones, recently appointed chaplain to celebrate the TLM at the new chapel, will offer two Masses on Sundays – at 10 a.m. and noon – as well as Masses on holy days of obligation.
JonesThe chapel’s opening marks the final step in the diocese’s implementation of “Traditionis Custodes,” Pope Francis’ 2021 instruction that prescribes limits on the Traditional Latin Mass in dioceses around the world but allows bishops to set up alternate worship sites. The TLM follows prayers and a liturgical calendar that predate the reforms of the Second Vatican Council.
Located at 757 Oakridge Farm Hwy. in Mooresville, the Chapel of the Little Flower is located between the diocese’s two largest population centers, Charlotte and the Triad. The diocesan-owned property is adjacent to Curlin Commons, a senior apartment community. Its name is derived from nearby St. Thérèse Parish, honoring the way St. Thérèse of Lisieux described herself as “The Little Flower” – a symbol of her humility and trust in God.
Renovations, overseen by the diocese’s Construction and Real Estate Office, have included a new ceiling, flooring, lighting, sanctuary refitting, pews with kneelers, altar rail, family restroom, and full repainting. The $700,000 project was funded by the diocese.
The 5,000-square-foot chapel seats 364 people and features a white marble altar with a striking carved relief of the Last Supper.
The chapel's white marble altar features a scupltured relief of the Last Supper.In 2023, Bishop Peter Jugis called for “a smooth and orderly transition” in accord with “Traditionis Custodes” to foster unity in the Church. Latin Masses at four parishes in Charlotte, Greensboro and Tryon were granted a temporary extension by the Vatican’s Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments. That extension expired Oct. 2, and TLM Masses will be consolidated at the new chapel.
In a Sept. 26 letter sent to the four pastors and shared with TLM adherents, Bishop Michael Martin, OFM Conv., expressed empathy over the challenges of the TLM transition. Yet he encouraged them to engage regularly at their registered parishes and consider the new chapel like a shrine they might occasionally visit.
“I have listened to your stories of faithfulness and the ways the TLM has enriched your spiritual journeys,” Bishop Martin wrote. “I also know that God’s grace is not limited by our sacramental celebrations. Our faithfulness to the discipline of the Church can be a moment of grace which can bring fruits that we cannot imagine.”
“I invite you to accept this moment as an opportunity to profess our common belief in the power of the Holy Spirit to grace us in the celebration of the sacraments as the Church directs us,” he wrote.
For inquiries and more information about the Chapel of the Little Flower, go online to www.charlottediocese.org/TLMChapel or email Father Jones at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
— Patricia L. Guilfoyle