Catholic schools gear up for record enrollment

ANNIE FERGUSON arferguson@charlottediocese.org

Demand for Catholic education continues to surge as schools across the Diocese of Charlotte – from pre-K to grad school – welcome unprecedented numbers back to campus beginning next week.

Fresh off winning the prestigious “Catholic Organization of the Year” title from the national Catholic Education Foundation, the diocese’s school system expects an all-time record enrollment this year and has become a “destination diocese,” says Superintendent Dr. Greg Monroe.

The system’s 20 elementary, middle and high schools are welcoming new teachers and leaders from California and Connecticut, and Maryland and Michigan, among other states. Enrollment is up 12 percent from a decade ago – and almost 18 percent since the pandemic began in 2020. While an official count isn’t taken until October, more than 8,100 students (and climbing) had enrolled as of July 31.

“We’re gratified by our continued growth, as students and families recognize the value of a Catholic education,” Monroe says, “and we’ve reached the point that we are exploring new school construction to accommodate demand.” Belmont Abbey College, just west of Charlotte, is also on pace for record total enrollment. The liberal arts college run by Benedictine monks has already registered a record class of 650 new students, entering as freshmen, transfer or first-year graduate students. This follows last year’s record incoming class – thanks in part to new academic programs in business, leadership, nursing and data analytics, school leaders say.

St. Joseph College Seminary in Mount Holly is welcoming eight new seminarians on Sunday, bringing the current enrollment to 21 men who are discerning a call to the priesthood as they complete undergraduate studies in philosophy at Belmont Abbey College, in preparation for theological studies at the graduate level and a possible priestly vocation. Another 29 men are studying at the graduate level, and one is taking a pastoral year of service – bringing the total number of seminarians who are in formation for the diocese to a record 51.

To greet these burgeoning classes, students can expect to see a variety of improvements from new and renovated facilities to fresh paint – as well as new leaders, new academic programs, and welcome-back activities to help transition them back to studies.

Across the diocese, which encompasses the western half of North Carolina, here’s a sampling of what to expect:

Elementary And Secondary Schools

In the eastern part of the diocese, “Popsicles in the Park” will welcome back the youngest students at Our Lady of Grace School in Greensboro. Pre-kindergarten and kindergarten students and their families will gather at a park near the school Aug. 13 to meet classmates and teachers while enjoying frozen treats.

“The goal is to ease the back-to-school transition for our youngest Panthers,” says Principal Catherine Rusch. “Children and parents both leave the park with new friends and a familiar face in their classroom teacher.”

Across town, St. Pius X School plans a special night Aug. 19 at a baseball game – the Greensboro Grasshoppers vs. Bowling Green Hot Rods. The school choir will sing the National Anthem, and one lucky student will throw the first pitch.

St. Pius X students will also enjoy classes outside in the recently completed Lemnios Family Learning Pavilion, for academic and other gatherings.

In Winston-Salem, Our Lady of Mercy School is adding a conference room, renovating and installing restrooms, and upgrading technology thanks to a generous grant from Shea Homes. The school is also completing a $150,000 kitchen remodel funded by an anonymous donor.

“New kitchen equipment will make it possible for Our Lady of Mercy to offer hot meals again and nutritional support for its diverse student population,” said Emmett Sapp, the diocese’s construction director. “We couldn’t do some of these projects without the generosity of benefactors who understand the need to improve our facilities to accommodate our rapid growth.”

In the western reaches of the diocese, Immaculata School in Hendersonville is planning a special welcome for its new pastor, Father Andrés Gutiérrez. Students also will find themselves in a new competition, divided into six “houses” or teams named for religious orders, with points awarded for students who demonstrate good character and virtue throughout the year – the winning team receiving the “House Cup.”

Immaculata will also take advantage of its first year using the school’s new state-of-the-art STEM lab, which includes a hands-on collaborative work and experimentation space for inquiry-based learning.

Such STEM learning (in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) is growing across the diocese. Charlotte’s Our Lady of the Assumption School inaugurated its new SmartLab late last school year, where students work with robots and drones, computers and iPads, 3D printers and a laser engraver. The school is growing and has added an assistant principal for the first time: Laura Schmitt from Wyoming, Mich. St. Ann School in Charlotte also will see exciting changes, from a refurbished playground and new paint to a new principal Celene Little and assistant principal Anna Owens.

A new school year is a clean slate, says Father Timothy Reid, the diocese’s Vicar of Education for Catholic Schools. It’s “an opportunity to reflect on God’s blessings, and to set goals for the future.”

“My hope is that our school families will approach the new school year prayerfully and with the understanding that our Catholic schools exist not simply to impart academic knowledge,” he said, “but to provide formation in our Catholic Faith – and thereby form the whole person.

“We want all of our students to excel academically, but also to grow in virtue and in the knowledge of our Lord and our faith.”

High Schools

Charlotte Catholic High School kicks off the school year with its largest ever freshman class of 400 students, drawn by its academics, athletics, arts and Catholic culture. Planning ahead, school leaders last year expanded and renovated the south Charlotte high school, adding the $21 million MACS Fine Arts Center to accommodate its arts program and repurposed former art spaces in the existing building into additional classrooms.

Enrollment is also up at the three other high schools in the diocese: Christ the King in Huntersville, Bishop McGuinness in Greensboro, and Canongate in Arden. Canongate begins its first full year as an independent school recognized by Bishop Peter Jugis as an affiliate of the diocese.

Three of the high schools named new leaders this year: Christ the King and Canongate named new principals (see page 5), and Charlotte Catholic hired a new vice principal and an additional assistant principal.

And two high schools will have fulltime chaplains: Father Aaron Huber will serve at Christ the King in Huntersville and Father Jonathan Torres will serve at Charlotte Catholic. Newly ordained Father Christopher Brock will assist Bishop McGuinness High School’s chaplain Father Noah Carter.

High school athletic departments are also planning for growth with fundraising campaigns and events this fall. Bishop McGuinness’ “Spirit of Victory” campaign will help pay for new tennis courts, an additional practice field and outdoor restrooms. Christ the King is launching a capital campaign to upgrade to stadium-style bleachers around its football field, as well as add restrooms and parking.

Christ the King also begins its first full year of competition in its new gym, which opened in January. Charlotte Catholic repurposed space into a second

Catholic School Enrollment

Up approximately 18% over the past 5 years weight room, installed a golf simulator through the generosity of donors, and converted a classroom into a state-of-theart multimedia room with seating for 60, for classes and small group meetings.

(Far left) Volunteers at Our Lady of the Assumption School in Charlotte, including the St. Gabriel Parish Men’s Group, helped spruce up the school’s playground to get ready for the first day of school.

Pre-kindergarten students at Our Lady of Grace School in Greensboro enjoy meeting their new teachers last year. A similar “Popsicles in the Park” event is planned for Aug. 13.

St. Mark School’s staff began prepping the school for the upcoming school year. Wet paint signs could be spotted along the hallways. Staffers put together new desk, and the school nurse was hard at work cleaning her office.

Bishop McGuinness painted its athletic wing, upfitted five classrooms with collaborative learning furniture – and made way for more would-be pilots.

“Everybody wants to fly planes,” Head of School Jared Rashford said.

The school now offers three sections (with some three dozen students) of its aviation class, which teaches the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association curriculum and enables students to log simulator hours toward a private pilot’s license.

“We are overjoyed to welcome the largest incoming class in the college’s history this fall and to announce our new dual enrollment program with Kolbe Academy,” Thierfelder says.

“We are also profoundly grateful for the addition of new graduate degree programs, residential halls, health science labs, athletic facilities, and so much more.” element required by the Church in its new Program for Priestly Formation. The Church instructs that a priest now be dedicated in particular to mentoring first-year seminarians, and Bishop Jugis has assigned Father Brian Becker, former pastor of St. Margaret Mary Parish in Swannanoa, to this role.

In February the college unveiled a $100 million development plan and “Made True” capital campaign for a variety of improvements – with $80 million of the goal already in hand. The campaign follows a number of capital improvements recently completed or already underway.

The first-year seminarians will be detached from the normal academic progression of seminary life, which creates valuable opportunities, says Father Matthew Kauth, rector of the college seminary.

“We have a lot of freedom in this first year to concentrate on the basics of character formation, the life of prayer, and service to the local Church,” he says. “It also allows time for our seminarians to visit the many parishes across the diocese with Father Becker. We have tried these parish visits over the years, but it hasn’t been easy with their academic load.

“We want the seminarians to know the people they will one day serve and vice-versa, which also will help raise awareness of the seminary’s mission and cultivate vocations in local parishes.”

Belmont Abbey College

One of only 15 colleges and universities in the country recognized by the Cardinal Newman Society for its strong Catholic identity, Belmont Abbey College has seen growth, too – in enrollment and facilities.

The college will welcome its largest incoming class with a more than 15 percent increase in students compared to last fall. Part of the appeal is new master’s degree programs in Business Administration (MBA), Nursing Leadership (MSN), Leadership and Data Analytics.

“These programs will not only provide students with valuable knowledge and skills in their respective fields,” says Belmont Abbey College’s president Dr. Bill Thierfelder, “but also will help each of them develop as a whole person in order to lead a good and fulfilling life.”

In June, the college announced a new dual enrollment program, which enables high school students to take courses at the college in-person and online, and includes partnerships with Seton Home Study School and Kolbe Academy, an acclaimed Catholic homeschooling institution. Students can take their first dual enrollment course for free, and if they enroll at Belmont Abbey for college, the school reimburses their dual enrollment costs.

Parents: Tips for surviving back-to-school season

n Catch up on back-to-school information from your school, especially any updates to the start of the school day, handbook changes, uniform updates, school supply lists.

n Put bedtime and wake-up time routines back into place at least a week before school starts.

n Students who are new to changing classes and having a locker often find creating a list helpful for remembering what to bring home at the end of each day.

ST. JOSEPH COLLEGE SEMINARY

In Mount Holly, St. Joseph College Seminary is preparing to welcome its “Hotel” class, named for the eighth letter in the alphabet to signify its eighth incoming class of seminarians since the program began in 2016.

The college seminary is also finalizing plans for a new chapel and other buildings to facilitate its mission. It currently uses a banquet/lecture hall as its chapel, which cannot accommodate visitors, but the new larger chapel will be open for use by the faithful throughout the diocese.

The Hotel seminarian class includes eight men beginning discernment of a possible call to the priesthood. They will begin the year with an opening Mass at St. Ann Church in Charlotte, set for Aug. 6 at 10:30 a.m., with the faithful invited.

The new men come from parishes throughout the diocese, including St. John the Baptist in Tryon, St. Paul the Apostle in Greensboro, St. Ann and St. Vincent de Paul in Charlotte, Sacred Heart in Salisbury, St. Lucien in Spruce Pine, Holy Cross in Kernersville, and St. Michael in Gastonia.

This class will be the first to enter a special introductory program of instruction and discernment – a new n Talk about how as a family you will partner with the school this year, using their time, talent and treasure. n Talk about the return to school in a positive way. Remind students of the names of teachers, after-school caretakers, the principal and other special people in the school building. n Conduct fittings for kids receiving uniforms passed down from older siblings. Order more as soon as possible or ask your school about its gently used uniform closet. Donate uniforms that no longer fit.

In addition to the college seminarians, two major seminarians from the Lumen Dei community in Peru will be joining the college seminary this year as part of efforts to strengthen the diocese’s Hispanic ministry. The college seminary also recently hired a new music director after the unexpected death of former music director Tom Savoy last October.

The first phase of the seminary was completed and paid for in 2020 and plans are nearly complete for the second, final phase which will add a major chapel, offices, a piazza and welcoming hall to support visits, talks and retreats from local parishes.

Fundraising for the $22 million project is well on its way, with 88 percent of that goal already committed by generous donors during a silent phase. Construction is expected to begin next spring.

The chapel will offer a place priests can take their parishioners for Mass, and then move to common areas for fellowship, attend talks and have lunch.

“The plans have come along beautifully,” Father Kauth says, “and I’m thrilled we’ll be able to welcome the faithful and the larger community into what we’re doing here – and the extraordinary blessings God has bestowed.” n Make picking out a backpack or lunch box a special event. Take the opportunity to build independent habits as you encourage your child to organize their supplies and make packing lunch a team effort. Students can also participate in the care of their school uniforms, sports uniforms, and band and activity equipment. n Reuse school supplies if possible. n Enjoy every bit of summer left – think pools, parks, cookouts – especially between now and Labor Day.

— Catholic News Herald

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