HAYESVILLE — Parishioners of Immaculate Heart of Mary Mission in Hayesville gathered recently for a special Mass and Pay-Off Party (“POP”) to celebrate paying off its mortgage in July, after just 10 years. The parish, a mission of St. William in Murphy, outgrew the church it had built in 1984.
The new construction involved taking on large debt and a challenging project of converting a former power sports equipment facility into a church. The mortgage, along with a capital campaign that achieved 97% returns on pledges, outfitted the 30,000-square-foot facility with a beautiful church, a fully equipped kitchen, the Sister Terry Fellowship Hall, meeting spaces, classrooms and storage space.
At a celebration after Mass, Father Alex Ayala, pastor, said, “My hopes and prayers for this community of the Immaculate Heart of Mary is that we continue to show faith.
That we continue to work together to do God’s work. That we continue to be blessed by the generous support of our parishioners and the talents of our volunteers. And that, like the mustard seed, we continue to grow.”
— Victoria Ewing Ware, correspondent