Around the Diocese
News
For Catholic Charities Elder Ministry events, scroll to the bottom of this page.
For Diocese of Charlotte Office of Family Life events and information, scroll to the bottom of this page or visit https://charlottediocese.org/faith-life/family-life. Please scroll to see information on upcoming events including the Together in Holiness Conference and the 14th Annual Catholic Men’s Conference.
Catholic Charities offers Supportive Services for Veterans (SSVF). We are dedicated to helping very low-income veteran families in Mecklenburg County who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. Our services include outreach, housing search and placement, eviction prevention, security deposits, rental assistance, child care expenses, transportation assistance, and assistance obtaining Veterans Affairs (VA) and other benefits. Veterans, please call Supportive Services Supervisor Tonya Lawrence at 704-370-3257. Let us work together to end homelessness among veterans.
The Order of Malta runs a pen pal program for those in prison, and we are looking for volunteers to write inmates. This only takes a few minutes of your time each month and a stamp. The program is anonymous and presents us with a way to be true to our call to visit Christ in prison. If you are interested in volunteering, email Maltapenpalprogram@gmail.com. We provide all of the necessary support and direction.
Room At The Inn is a Catholic agency that operates housing and programs for single, pregnant women and single mothers with children suffering from homelessness throughout North Carolina. For more information, click here. Room At The Inn currently needs $25 gif cards for Christmas. If you would like to donate, please mail to: Room At The Inn; PO Box 13936; Greensboro, NC 27415.
Birthright of Charlotte, a pro-life pregnancy center is located at 4435 Monroe Road in Charlotte. For more information, click here. Training for office volunteers providing one-on-one assistance is scheduled for Monday, Dec. 4, or Thursday, Dec. 7, at 10 am or 6 pm. To volunteer and offer financial assistance, contact Executive Director Hank Chardos at hank@birthrightofcharlotte.org or 803-543-8144.
HOM/Catholic Charities furnishes apartments for refugee families settling in the Charlotte area. HOM needs good-condition used furniture and new and good-condition housewares. Furniture collections are the third Saturday of every month except December. Housewares and smaller household items can be scheduled for a pickup anytime. To schedule a pickup, email homfurniture.donate@gmail.com. Furniture and items currently needed include: dressers, sofas, end tables, nightstands, coffee tables, kitchen tables, lamps, pictures and artwork, throw pillows bathroom rugs, toasters, bathroom hand towels, small kitchen trash cans , cutting boards, napkins, face tissues, toothbrushes, deodorant, new queen and twin bedsheets, new or gently used queen and twin comforters and blankets. Please note that we are unable to accept the following items: bed frames or mattresses, cribs, used bed linens, glass tables, large armoires, TVs and electronics (working flat screens TV’s with a stand are acceptable).
St. John Neumann Catholic Church will offer a women’s retreat: Jesus You Take Over on Dec. 9 from 9 am to 2 pm at Belmont Abbey. The cost is $20. Please register by Dec. 4. For more information and to register, email Manon Reiher or call 704-535-4197.
The Catholic Conference Center will host a New Year’s Retreat. Let a certified “coach” guide you through some time-honored spiritual practices in this year’s retreat, Spiritual Exercises for the New Year. Enter the year spiritually renewed and well-equipped with some techniques to keep you spiritually fit throughout the year. In addition to engaging presentations, there is Mass, confession, Matins, Vespers, and Adoration. Plus time to simply reflect upon the New Year in our sacred spaces, enjoy the gas logs in our lounge, or explore the beautiful grounds of the Catholic Conference Center in Hickory, NC. Two nights, Dec. 30 to Jan. 1. As a special treat, there is a New Year’s Eve banquet with some traditional festivities. The last two years have sold out, so register now at https://catholicconference.org/new-years. For more information email info@catholicconference.org or call 828.327.7441.
Catholic Conference Center in Hickory will offer a one-night retreat “Art as Spiritual Therapy” from Jan. 12 to 13. Spend a day away destressing from the holidays, renewing your own creative spirit, and praying for the people in your life. These sessions are hands-on. With some guidance from expert presenters, you are invited to open yourself up to the creative powers locked within. In the process, you will leave with a new awareness of God’s presence guiding you and acting in your life. Click here to register.
You Can Help Your Marriage – Do you feel alone? Are you frustrated or angry with each other? Do you argue … or have you just stopped talking to each other? Does talking about it only make it worse? Retrouvaille (pronounced retro-vi with a long i) helps couples through difficult times in their marriages. This program has helped tens of thousands of couples experiencing difficulties in their marriage. For confidential information about Retrouvaille or to register for the September program, beginning with a weekend Jan. 19-21, in the Charlotte area, contact Bill and Lyn Folsom at 727-343-6701 or email: 3062ac@helpourmarriage.org or visit the web site at www.HelpOurMarriage.org
Healed and Restored will offer a bilingual women’s retreat on Saturday, Jan. 20, from 8 am to 3 pm at St. Mark Catholic Church Parish Center. Guest speaker Eliza Spaedy is an author, speaker and Director of Restored and Healed. Breakfast and lunch are included in the $20 registration fee. Click here for more information and to register.
2023 Worldwide Marriage Encounter Weekends (WWME) Fall into love all over again! Remember why you fell in love and get the tools you need to keep your marriage on the right path. Sign up today to attend one of the upcoming 2023 Worldwide Marriage Encounter Weekends on May 3 to 5 in Hickory, NC and Jan. 26-28 in North Myrtle Beach, SC. Early sign up is recommended. Click here for more information or contact us applications@NCMarriageDiscovery.org or 704-315-2144.
Catholic Health Care Ethics Conference – Health care professionals are invited to the seventh annual Converging Roads health care ethics conference on March 16 from 8 am to 6:45 pm at the Cathedral of St. Patrick in Charlotte. This one-day conference will explore the theme of Compassion for the Sick and Dying and offers continuing education for health care professionals rooted in the Hippocratic and Catholic ethical tradition. Registration is $75 to $159 based on CME/CNE inclusion. This conference is presented by the St. John Paul II Foundation, the Diocese of Charlotte, and Belmont Abbey College. Click here for more information or email heather@forlifeandfamily.org.
St. Philip Neri Catholic Church in Fort Mill, SC has a singles group for men and women 45 years old and older. They have monthly meetings as well as social events throughout the year. If you are interested in joining or would like more information, contact Judy at spnsingles45@gmail.com.
Catholic Charities Elder Ministry
For more information on Catholic Charities Elder Ministry, contact Program Director Elder Ministry Sandra Breakfield at 704-370-3220 or sandrab@ccdoc.org.
Diocese of Charlotte Office of Family Life
The Diocese of Charlotte Office of Family Life offers a Catholic apostolate for men and women who experience same-sex attractions and for their family members and loved ones. Whether you experience same-sex attractions (Courage) or you have a family member or loved one who identifies as LGBTQ+ (EnCourage), you are not alone. Join the Courage and EnCourage family and discover an apostolate that provides confidential support for living by the Catholic Church’s teachings on chastity and keeping family bonds intact. To learn more, visit https://Couragerc.org. To inquire about our local Courage chapter, email courage@rcdoc.org and local EnCourage chapter at encourage@rcdoc.org.
Save the date for the 14th Annual Catholic Men’s Conference of the Carolinas on Saturday, February 10, 2024 at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church in Charlotte.
For more information on Diocese of Charlotte Office of Family Life, email FamilyLife@rcdoc.org or call 704-808-4507.