Retired High Point deacon
HIGH POINT — Deacon Thomas Jerome Kak passed June 25, 2021, at Hospice of the Piedmont following a brief illness. He was 86.
A funeral Mass and interment at Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in High Point will be held privately.
A Chicago native, Deacon Kak made High Point his home 50 years ago.
He was born July 22, 1934, and graduated from the University of Tampa with an undergraduate degree and the University of Notre Dame with a master’s degree in English.
He lived his life in service to others. He was employed as a teacher for several local schools including Westchester Academy and Guilford Technical Community College. In addition, he retired from the N.C. Employment Security Commission, where he worked as a career counselor. He and his wife spent many hours in the community volunteering time and talent with High Point Regional Hospital, the Community Clinic of High Point, Open Door Ministries, the High Point Museum and the High Point Theatre. He also performed in many plays for the High Point Theater.
Deacon Kak was ordained for the Diocese of Charlotte on June 11, 1989, by Bishop John F. Donoghue. He served as a deacon for 32 years, including 19 years as a deacon at his home parish, Immaculate Heart of Mary Church. He also was a member of the Knights of Columbus. In retirement from active ministry in 2008, he always expressed his love for the Church and served it with utmost humility.
Many in High Point knew Deacon Kak as a frequent contributor to the letters to the editor section of the High Point Enterprise. He was an avid reader and was often seen around town with his favorite companion, his dog.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Emily Ann Kak. Prior to her death, Deacon Kak and his wife were active members of the IHM parish community. They were involved in parish life, the liturgies of the church and in parish outreach into the community.
He is survived by his daughters, Emily “Phil” Gomez and her husband Rocky of High Point, Debra Lynn Welborn and her husband Robert of High Point, and Kali Griggs of Greensboro; grandchildren, Racheal Newman, Mackenzie Welborn, and Taylor and Tyler Griggs; and a great-grandson, David Byerly.
The family requests memorial contributions to be sent to Hospice of the Piedmont, 1801 Westchester Dr., High Point, N.C. 27262.
Condolences may be expressed online at www.wrightfs.com.
Wright Funerals-Cremations was in charge of the arrangements.
— Catholic News Herald
SHELBY — “Viva Cristo Rey!” parishioners of St. Mary, Help of Christians Church proclaimed as they said goodbye Wednesday to their pastor, Father Michael Kottar.
Father Kottar, 53, passed away May 22 after a battle with a rare brain infection called Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. He had served as a Catholic priest for nearly 28 years, half of which he spent at the Shelby parish.
A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated June 2 by Bishop Peter Jugis at the church, which was filled to capacity with Father Kottar’s parishioners, family and friends, and fellow priests.
As the funeral Mass ended and Father Kottar’s casket was processed out of the church, parishioners wiped tears from their eyes as they shouted, “¡Viva Cristo Rey! ¡Viva Cristo Rey! ¡Viva Cristo Rey! ¡Viva la Santísima Virgen María de Guadalupe! Que la Virgen de Guadalupe lo cubra con su Sagrado manto para que entre en el Cielo." ("Long live Christ the King! Long live Christ the King! Long live Christ the King! Long live the Blessed Virgin Mary of Guadalupe! May the Virgin of Guadalupe cover him with her sacred mantle so that he may enter in to Heaven.")
A close friend of Father Kottar’s delivered the homily. Father James M. Cox, pastor of Annunciation B.V.M. Church in Havertown, Pa., connected Father Kottar’s physical suffering in his final days with the sufferings of the saints he had a devotion to – among them, St. Therèse of Lisieux and St. Rita of Cascia. Like the saints, Father Cox said, “He was in fact looking forward to seeing God, knowing that nothing in this passing life could ever keep him from what mattered most: being with God.”
“As a faithful priest,” Father Cox said, “he presented himself to Christ on his own cross as a gift of love to Christ, seeking only to share in His resurrection on the last day. That is the hope of every Christian: everlasting life with God.”
In celebrating a funeral Mass for the repose of Father Kottar’s soul, Father Cox said, “we do so knowing that he goes before the throne of God as a priest, marked from the moment of his anointing. He carries with him all the prayers ever entrusted to him, every sin ever confessed, every cross he humbled to carry, and every Holy Communion with God he made possible through His grace each day.”
After the Mass, a private burial followed at Belmont Abbey Cemetery.
Michael T. Kottar was born Dec. 6, 1967, in Youngstown, Ohio, the son of Michael and the late Kathleen (Kropelak) Kottar. He attended Immaculate Heart of Mary School and Ursuline High School. He was drawn to a priestly vocation from an early age as an altar server, and after high school he went on to further his studies at the Pontifical College Josephinum in Columbus, Ohio. He earned a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from St. Alphonsus Redemptorist Seminary in Suffield, Conn., and in 1994 he earned a Master of Divinity from Mount St. Mary’s Seminary in Emmitsburg, Md.
He was ordained to the priesthood on May 28, 1994, for the Diocese of Metuchen, N.J., by Bishop Edward T. Hughes. He served in the Metuchen diocese for five years and in 1999, he moved to the Diocese of Charlotte. He served first at St. Matthew Church in Charlotte, considered one of the largest Catholic parishes in the United States. He then served as administrator at St. John Baptist de la Salle Church in North Wilkesboro, before moving in 2002 to the diocese’s smallest parish, Holy Redeemer in Andrews, where he served first as administrator and then as pastor.
In 2007, Father Kottar was appointed pastor of St. Mary, Help of Christians Church in Shelby and Christ the King Mission in Kings Mountain. He loved the mix of people and cultures there. He also had a passion for the outdoors, hiking, Caribbean cruises and reading history.
Throughout his priestly ministry, he was known as a defender of life, a champion of the poor, and a teacher who loved to lead Scripture studies and pilgrimages to sacred shrines. He was a gifted writer and eloquent speaker, which showed in the inspirational homilies he delivered.
He often preached that our purpose in this life is to give glory to God. Although his life was brief, he lived it fully – loving and serving God and, in his words, “meeting so many good people along the way.” He devoted his life to the Church and once was quoted as saying that people loved priests because they bring them closer to Christ. He had a deep love for Christ in the Eucharist, and he encouraged people – especially young men discerning a vocation to the priesthood – to pray the rosary and develop a relationship with the Blessed Mother.
In addition to his parish of 300 families at St. Mary and Christ the King, he is survived by his father Michael H. Kottar of Pickerington, Ohio; twin sisters Amy (Michael) Akers, also of Pickerington, and Renee (Gregory) Selby of Nazareth, Pa.; and four nieces and nephews: Paige, Benjamin, Kyra and Vincent. He was preceded in death by his mother.
In lieu of flowers, Father Kottar requested that memorial contributions be made to the Diocese of Charlotte Seminarian Education Fund. Donate by mail to 1123 S. Church St., Charlotte, NC 28203, or securely online at www.charlottediocese.org/development/donate_semed.
Cecil M. Burton Funeral Home of Shelby was in charge of the arrangements.
— Patricia L. Guilfoyle, Editor. Photos by Giuliana Polinari Riley, correspondent.
Related story: Facing death, priest turns farewell into teachable moment
Former CCHS teacher
BELMONT — Mercy Sister Mary Regina Werntz, 76, died March 11, 2021, at Sacred Heart Convent in Belmont. She had been professed as a Sister of Mercy for 59 years.
A private Memorial Mass will be celebrated on Thursday, March 18, 2021, at the Sacred Heart Chapel in Belmont. Sister Regina has donated her body to science with final interment in Dallas, Pa., among the Sisters of Mercy.
Born on Jan. 9, 1945, she was the daughter of Joseph M. Werntz and Constance Witt Werntz of Shamokin, Pa. After attending St. Joseph’s School in Shamokin and St. Cyril Academy in Danville, Pa.,
Regina entered the Sisters of Mercy of Dallas, Pa., in 1962.
Following completion of her novitiate studies, she graduated from Misericordia College in 1968 with a Bachelor of Science in elementary education with a concentration in music. From 1966 to 1977, Sister Regina taught at Catholic elementary schools in Harrisburg, Wilkes-Barre and Lancaster, Pa.; and Bayside, Bethpage and West Islip, N.Y.
After earning a master’s degree in theological studies from the University of Dayton in 1981, she taught high school religion classes at Mount de Sales in Macon, Ga.; Delone Catholic High School in McSherrystown, Pa.; Bishop Hoban in Wilkes-Barre; and Charlotte Catholic High School in Charlotte.
Sister Regina developed her communication skills as a staff writer for Union Scope at the Mercy Union Administration Center in Potomac, Md.; at TSM Creative Services in Pittsburgh; and as director of communications for the Dallas (Pa.) Regional Community.
She and Mercy Sister Mary Ann Brady were co-founders of RSM Creative Services, a unique service that provided hospitals and other Mercy ministries with materials to train lay staff in the spirit and heritage of the Sisters of Mercy. This led to serving in mission effectiveness offices at St. Edward’s Hospital in Fort Smith, Ark.; St. John’s Regional Health Center in Springfield, Mo.; and the Development Office at Mercy Health Center in Baltimore.
Her most recent years of ministry were spent in service to the Sisters of Mercy as a community life coordinator at Mercy Villa retirement convent in Baltimore and in the South Central Archives in Belmont.
Sister Regina was multi-talented and shared her gifts freely. She wrote a book of the sisters’ history, “Our Beloved Union: A History of the Sisters of Mercy of the Union,” published in 1989. She was steeped in Mercy history and loved to share stories about the order. She also played the piano with feeling and wrote numerous hymns based on scripture. Always interested in learning, she looked forward to attending the annual Scripture Institute each summer at Misericordia University in Dallas. In all things, she was creative, knowledgeable, compassionate, generous and outgoing.
Sister Regina was preceded in death by her parents and her brothers Philip, Norman and Joseph.
She is survived by her sister-in-law, Barbara Werntz Benjock, and nieces Linda Slagle of Hickory and Angela Werntz of Belmont.
Memorials may be sent to Sacred Heart Convent, 500 Sacred Heart Circle, Belmont, N.C. 28012 (care of: Mercy Sister Lee Ann McNally).
— Catholic News Herald
BELMONT — Mercy Sister Mary Hugh Mauldin, 83, died Thursday, April 22, 2021, at Sacred Heart Convent in Belmont. She was a Sister of Mercy for 65 years.
Because of pandemic restrictions, a private funeral Mass will be celebrated April 27, 2021, in the chapel at Sacred Heart Convent, followed by a private interment at Belmont Abbey Cemetery.
Born in Honolulu, Hawaii, she was part of a U.S. Navy family. Her parents were Dr. Hugh Edgar Mauldin, D.D.S., and Louellen Fitzgerald.
She earned baccalaureate and master’s degrees in mathematics from N.C. State University in Raleigh and a master’s degree in theology from St. Bonaventure University in Allegany, N.Y.
She taught in several elementary schools staffed by the Sisters of Mercy and made her mark in her years of teaching at Charlotte Catholic High School.
In addition, for 23 years, she taught math and theology at Limestone College in Gaffney, S.C. She was the first woman religious to hold a faculty position at the college – a 92-mile round trip from Belmont. While at Limestone, she earned its Fullerton Teaching Award four times, had a yearbook dedicated to her and was chosen a commencement speaker. On her retirement from teaching, the president of Limestone stated that Sister Mary Hugh was one of the college’s most respected and admired treasures.
Once she left the official classroom, Sister Mary Hugh ministered as an adult religious educator and gave talks in parishes in the Diocese of Charlotte. She was exceptionally well-known for this work.
Besides teaching, she enjoyed playing tennis, doing crossword puzzles and beautiful cross-stitch, reading and gardening. She was committed to music, especially liturgical music, and was the appointed director of liturgy at Sacred Heart Convent.
Her chosen motto was “Solum Jesum” (“Only Jesus”), which guided her religious life.
Deeply involved in community life, Sister Mary Hugh would often say, “I am not me, I am we” – indicating her attachment to community, family and friends.
She was preceded in death by her parents. Survivors include the Sisters of Mercy, her sister, Mary Feamster of Burlington, N.C.; her brother Hugh of Norfolk, Va.; and her nieces and nephews.
Memorials may be sent to the Sisters of Mercy, 101 Mercy Dr., Belmont, NC 28012.
McLean Funeral Home of Belmont was in charge of the arrangements.
— Catholic News Herald
BELMONT — Mercy Sister Mary Jerome Spradley died Saturday, Feb. 27, 2021, at Sacred Heart Convent in Belmont. She was 92 years old and had been professed as a Sister of Mercy for 72 years.
A private Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Tuesday, March 2, 2021, in Sacred Heart Convent Chapel.
Interment will follow at Belmont Abbey Cemetery. All services are private because of COVID-19 restrictions, but there will be a memorial celebration at a later date.
Born near Belmont in Stanley, Sister Mary Jerome enjoyed claiming Gaston County as her birthplace. She was the daughter of Espy Dewitt Spradley and Ferrill Edith Poole.
She graduated from the Mercy School of Nursing and, shortly afterward, realized her calling to the Catholic Church and to religious life. She earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in nursing from the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. She also graduated from the executive Graduate Program in Health Care from the University of South Carolina.
At age 35, Sister Mary Jerome was named administrator of Mercy Hospital. She served on various North Carolina Hospital Association committees. In addition, she served on the Governor’s Board of Ethics in North Carolina, as well as several other boards of directors in Sisters of Mercy ministries. She was a life member fellow in the American College of Health Care Executives.
Among her honors, she was named Outstanding Career Woman of the Year in Medicine and related fields by the Central Charlotte Association. She received honorary degrees from Belmont Abbey College and Sacred Heart College.
She served as a general councilor of the Sisters of Mercy of North Carolina and chair of the Sisters of Mercy of North Carolina Foundation.
Sister Mary Jerome’s life has been one of service – fulfilling her ring motto, “Now not I, but Christ.” – and her accomplishments were many and impressive. She is best known for faithfulness, dependency and consistency and for building construction. It was suggested that, at Mercy Hospital, she moved at least one wall per week. She may have accomplished almost everything she wanted, except learning to play the piano.
She was predeceased by her parents, her brother Scott, and her sister Ferrill. She is survived by the Sisters of Mercy; her nieces, Shirley Kennerly and Melissa Gorman, both of Concord; and her nephew, Scott, of Flagler Beach, Fla.
Memorials may be sent to the Sisters of Mercy, Belmont, NC, or the Sisters of Mercy Foundation, Belmont, NC 28012.
McLean Funeral Home in Belmont was in charge of the arrangements.
— Catholic News Herald