New parish to branch out of St. Matthew, one of the nation’s largest parishes
St. Matthew Parish’s satellite campus in Waxhaw is expected to become the home of a new parish, erected to serve the thriving Catholic community in that part of Union County. (Troy C. Hull, Catholic News Herald)
CHARLOTTE — For the first time in decades, the Diocese of Charlotte is moving toward creating a parish in the Charlotte area, an unmistakable sign of the region’s surging Catholic population.
St. Matthew South in Waxhaw, the thriving satellite campus of St. Matthew Parish, may become the permanent spiritual home for thousands of Catholics in southern Mecklenburg and Union counties.
The historic step, approved by Bishop Michael T. Martin, OFM Conv., in consultation with diocesan and parish leaders, comes as the number of Catholic families in the area has increased 38% over the past decade.
“This is a moment of celebration – and a testament to the work of the Holy Spirit,” Bishop Martin said. “People are finding a home at our Waxhaw campus, and we want to honor the faith and engagement of this growing Catholic community by creating an independent parish.”
“Growth is the challenge of our time,” he said, “and we must manage this growth so it leads to deeper faith in Jesus.”
Details about the new parish – including its name – are some of the next steps the community will need to discern. Bishop Michael T. Martin, OFM Conv., is appointing Father Benjamin Roberts to help build what will be the diocese’s first new parish in decades. Parishioners react to the news.
Once the community is prepared, the process of establishing the parish will take as little as a few months. The pace will be determined by the people and their readiness to move forward, diocesan leaders said. The process will become official with a decree from the bishop.
The new parish will continue using the St. Matthew South building at 4116 Waxhaw-Marvin Road. The 32-acre campus includes a 16,000-square-foot multipurpose facility that doubles as the church and classroom space.
Exact parish boundaries have yet to be determined, but the territory is expected to include portions of Union County within the 28173 ZIP code.
Approximately 4,000 Catholic families live in that area – up from 2,900 when St. Matthew South opened in 2014. Local Catholics have the option of attending Mass in Waxhaw, at St. Matthew’s main campus in Charlotte, or at neighboring churches in Monroe or across the state line in Indian Land, South Carolina.
Parishioners who currently belong to St. Matthew Parish will not be required to join the new parish. Instead, diocesan leaders said families living within the new parish area will be invited to participate as the community takes shape.
About 1,600 people attend three Masses at St. Matthew South in Waxhaw on the weekends. To accommodate the area’s rapid growth, the diocese is taking the first steps toward creating a new parish there in collaboration with parishioners.
HISTORIC MOVE
This marks one of few times the diocese has erected a parish by dividing an existing parish.
In 1997, St. Mark in Huntersville was formed from territory drawn from multiple surrounding parishes. In 2007, St. Joseph Vietnamese in Charlotte was elevated from a community to a parish. Most recently in 2022, the diocese elevated St. Jude in Sapphire to parish status from a mission of Brevard’s Sacred Heart Parish.
The transition marks a significant moment for St. Matthew Parish, which – with more than 11,000 registered families – is among the largest Catholic parishes in the United States. Diocesan leaders say the creation of a Waxhaw parish reflects the Church’s constant mission to reach out and serve more people.
“We are not dividing our parish – we are expanding the Church’s presence,” said Father Patrick Cahill, St. Matthew’s pastor. “This is about strengthening our unity by ensuring that every person has a place where they can belong, worship and grow in faith.”
Father Cahill will work in collaboration with diocesan leaders and the future Waxhaw pastor as boundaries are defined, parish resources are separated, and families in the new territory are identified – all part of laying the groundwork for a new parish community.
GROWING FAITH COMMUNITY
A new parish will allow for more pastoral care while strengthening a sense of community closer to home, Father Cahill said.
The Waxhaw campus already hosts three weekend Masses that draw a total of about 1,600 people, large faith formation classes for children and adults, weekly confessions and Eucharistic Adoration, as well as social activities such as coffee and donuts after Sunday Mass.
St. Stephen Maronite Community also uses the facility for its liturgies.
For Father Cahill, the historic moment comes full circle. In 2008, he celebrated the first Mass for Waxhaw-area Catholics at Weddington High School. The community eventually moved to using St. Margaret of Scotland Episcopal Church in Waxhaw before the current facility was built.
“The people there have been asking for a church there since my first days at St. Matthew,” Father Cahill said. “It’s beyond exciting to see the growth and progress that has been made.”
“Now we get to birth a new parish from St. Matthew. How many parishes get to be a part of something that special? Especially during our parish’s 40th anniversary year, seeing something like this unfold is a sign of God’s love and abundance.”
— Patricia L. Guilfoyle
About St. Matthew’s Waxhaw Campus
Mass schedule: 4 p.m. Saturday, 9:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. Sunday
Address: 4116 Waxhaw-Marvin Road, Waxhaw, NC 28173
Learn more
What is a parish? A parish is a community of the Christian faithful stably constituted in a particular Church, whose pastoral care is entrusted to a pastor under the authority of a bishop. A parish exists to care for all the souls within its territory, no matter what their faith background,
How is a parish created? A Catholic parish isn’t formed informally or by popular demand – it is canonically erected by the bishop according to Church law. The process is governed primarily by the Code of Canon Law (especially canons 515-520).
When can a parish be created? A parish is created when there is a real and stable pastoral need, such as to relieve rapid population growth or overcrowded existing parishes, or if geographic distance makes Mass and sacraments difficult to access. After consulting with his Presbyteral Council and diocesan staff, the bishop issues a written decree officially erecting the parish that defines its territory, assigns a name, and appoints a pastor.
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