THE
HISTORY
OF
OUR LADY OF THE ROSARY CHURCH
In January of 1944, Holy Rosary
Church in
Lexington was one of two Catholic Churches in
Davidson County (The
County Seat). At that time there were 100,000
people in the county,
with less than 1 percent of the population being
Catholic.
The earliest known resident Catholics who came
to Lexington in 1917
were Mrs. J. V. Brown and family, Mrs. Sylvia
Leake Marsh, and Mr. J.
Lance Crump.
Prior to 1944, local Catholics traveled old
route 29 to worship at
Sacred Heart Church in Salisbury. In that year,
a mission was
established through the efforts of Charles
Coira, a Catholic
businessman. Father Thomas of St. Edwards
Parish in High Point
celebrated Sunday Masses in his home. Later in
April of that year,
Lexington became a mission of Sacred Heart
Parish in Salisbury and was
yet unnamed. Father Cletus Helfrich of
Sacred Heart Parish was
assigned pastor and conducted services for about
two years.
When there were approximately 15 Catholics in
Lexington in November
1946, Holy Rosary Parish was formally
established.
A house was purchased at 619 South Main Street
that was renovated for
use as a church and a rectory. Father D. Edward
Sullivan was the first
pastor who also served the Catholics of Asheboro
as a mission. In later
years, Thomasville and Mocksville became
missions of Lexington. Both
missions are now established parishes.
During the years 1952-58, industrial expansion
brought more Catholics
to Lexington. The corresponding growth took
place under the guidance of
Rev. Clarence Hill and Rev. Lawrence Hill. From
1952-54 Father Clarence
Hill served as Pastor. In 1954, this mission was
discontinued and the
membership was incorporated into Holy Rosary. In
1960, Father Peytus
from Christ the King Parish in High Point came
to conduct a small
African American Catholic Mission in the Ideal
Funeral Parlor, where
about 12 people attended.
By the mid-fifties, the facilities of the parish
had become inadequate.
Construction of a new church and adjoining
parish house was begun in
the fall of 1957 with financial aid from the
parishioners, the Ix
Foundation and the Extension Society. The
construction was
completed during Holy Week of 1958 and dedicated
by the Most Reverend
Bishop Vincent Waters on July 16, 1958. At
the time of the
dedication, there were only 45 families. In
1958, Father James Keenan
was assigned pastor. Mocksville became a
mission of Holy Rosary
and Thomasville became a mission of Immaculate
Heart of Mary, High
Point. Father Robert Shea was assigned
pastor in 1963. It
was also the first time that the Spaghetti
Dinner was started to raise
money for the Church---to purchase stained glass
windows for the
Church. The first dinner was held at The
Lion’s Den on Carolina
Avenue. It proved so popular with the
community that it became an
annual event.
In 1966 Father Ron McLaughlin was assigned
pastor. There was, at
this time a great
deal of racial tension and unrest. Father
McLaughlin was
instrumental in forming a
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Layman’s Christian Council. The goal
of the Council was to
join lay people from most of
the black and white local Churches. They
met monthly at the First
Presbyterian Church to resolve the many issues
at that time.
In 1979, a separate rectory was built behind the
Church. The
rooms adjoining the Church, which were formerly
the rectory, were
converted into office space. In 1977, the
Church was updated to
meet the requirements of Vatican II. Holy Rosary
was established in the
Diocese of Charlotte.
In 1977, Father Anthony Silvestri, an Oblate of
St. Francis DeSales was
named pastor. At that time a mobile unit was
purchased to accommodate
the many activities of the parish. A
statue of Mary was erected
on the front lawn and a crucifix from the Oblate
Seminary was given for
the sanctuary.
In June of 1978, the Swink property directly
behind the rectory was
purchased, later exchanged for the Allen
property on 7th Street behind
the VFW in order to create parking spaces.
The Altar and Rosary Society was formed and a
very popular Christmas
Bazaar was born and supported by the Lexington
Community, which became
an annual event helping to defray the expenses
of the parish.
The parish was blessed with two native sons who
were ordained to the
priesthood, namely Fathers Wilbur Thomas and
John Greer.
Oblate Father Joseph Travers became pastor in
1978. During his
pastorate a building on 7th Avenue was purchased
and used temporarily
for Religious Education Classes until another
building was purchased at
711 South Main Street, which was renovated to
accommodate classroom
space for Faith Formation, kitchen, and
storage. The Building was
named Our Lady of the Rosary Parish Center. In
1981, the Parish Church
had the title changed, which became known as Our
Lady of the Rosary
instead of Holy Rosary. Father Travers
added another building to
the church, which is presently the
sacristy. He also constructed
the altar and pulpit that is currently being
used.
In 1988, Father Joseph Schaefer, an Oblate was
assigned pastor.
Under his tenure, the sanctuary was completely
turned around; stained
glass windows were installed, and a statue of
the Resurrected Christ
graced the Sanctuary wall.
In 1988, the diocese took over the
administration of the parish
assigning Father Richard Hanson as pastor
followed by Father Joseph
Kelleher in 1991.
In 1998, the diocese once again entrusted the
administration of the
parish to the Oblates of St. Francis DeSales, at
the request of then,
Bishop Curlin. On July 1, 1998, Father
Albert J. Gondek was
assigned as pastor and installed by Bishop
Curlin on October 31,
1998. Under his leadership, the Church and
Rosary Hall were
updated and modernized, a parish house was
purchased and the former
house was converted into administrative offices.
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Because of the influx of the Hispanic population
in Lexington, an
estimation of about 3,000, a Hispanic Community
was born. On
September 16, 1999, a Spanish liturgy was
celebrated for the first
time. The Church was filled to capacity
and continues to be so at
our weekly Spanish Mass.
At the present time w are proud of all of our
accomplishments.
The facilities have been updated and
modernized. The Parish
Center is complete and our long rang goals have
been
accomplishment. This dream of our Parish
Center renovations and
expansion began in 2006 and our $264,000.00
project is now a reality.
In August, 2006 two Sisters of Providence of St.
Mary- of- the-Woods,
Indiana arrived and began to minister within the
parish.
In 2007 our parish council undertook the task of
amending and revising
our Mission Statement, Bylaws and
Commissions. We are now in
compliance with the directives from the Diocese
of Charlotte.
It is time for us now to concentrate more
aggressively on our internal
programs, religious formation and adult
instruction, our short and long
term goals, our on going policies and
updates. To help us
with that intent, we have established a new
position in our Church,
with a Pastoral Associate, Sister Katherine
French, SP who will assist
the pastor in every phase of our parish life and
activity. This
position will also include our Faith Formation
Program and the Faith
Development of the entire parish. To date
almost half of our
Faith Formation Program is of Hispanic
origin. The face of our
community is changing rapidly and we are working
in concert to
incorporate different cultures, traditions and
languages. We
presently have a strong ESL (English as Second
Language) Program and
our ardent desire and mission is unity and
evangelization.
With renewed hope and deep faith we move forward
to continue the Lord’s
work in our life time. With God’s help we
will accomplish the
good work that he has begun in us.
The pastors who have served Our Lady of the
Rosary Parish are as
follows:
1946 Rev. D. Edward Sullivan
1951 Rev. Hugh Kennedy
1952 Rev. Clarence Hill
1954 Rev. Lawrence Hill
1958 Rev. James Keenan
1963 Rev. Robert Shea
1966 Rev. Ronald McLaughlin
1971 Rev. Anthony Silvestri,
O.S.F.S.
1978 Rev. Joseph Travers,
O.S.F.S.
1983 Rev. Joseph Schaefer,
O.S.F.S.
1988 Rev. Richard Hanson
1991 Rev. Joseph Kelleher
1998 Rev. Albert J. Gondek,
O.S.F.S.
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