‘Go to Joseph!’
CHARLOTTE — To commemorate the Year of St. Joseph, the Diocese of Charlotte has invited the Fathers of Mercy to preach three back-to-back missions in November at parishes in Huntersville, Kernersville and Arden.
Three, four-night diocesan missions will be led by Fathers of Mercy priests from Kentucky. Their primary apostolate is to preach parish missions and retreats, which are now given throughout the United States, Canada and Australia.
The first Year of St. Joseph Mission will be held Monday, Nov. 2, through Thursday, Nov. 5, at St. Mark Church in Huntersville. Mercy Father Joseph Aytona will lead this mission. He will preach at all weekend Masses Oct. 31-Nov. 1 before the mission begins.
The theme of Father Aytona’s mission is: “In Charge of His Household: St. Joseph, father of the Incarnate God.” Topics he will cover each evening are:
- Monday, Nov. 2: St. Joseph: Guardian, Provider and Universal Patron
- Tuesday, Nov. 3: Master of the Interior Life (How to Pray Always)
- Wednesday, Nov. 4: Terror of Demons and Patron of the Dying
- Thursday, Nov. 5: Model of a Perfect Eucharistic Adorer
St. Mark Church is located at 14740 Stumptown Road in Huntersville.
The second Year of St. Joseph Mission will be held Monday, Nov. 9, through Thursday, Nov. 12, at Holy Cross Church in Kernersville. Mercy Father Ricardo Pineda will lead this mission. He will preach at all weekend Masses Nov. 7-8 before the mission begins.
The theme of his mission is: “Go to Joseph!” Topics he will cover each evening are:
- Monday, Nov. 9: Husband of Mary and Virginal Father of Jesus
- Tuesday, Nov. 10: Master of the Interior Life: The Seven Sorrows and Joys of St. Joseph
- Wednesday, Nov. 11: St. Joseph the Worker: Model of Masculine Virtue
- Thursday, Nov. 12: True Devotion to St. Joseph, Patron of the Universal Church
Holy Cross Church is located at 616 South Cherry St. in Kernersville.
The third Year of St. Joseph Mission will be held Monday, Nov. 16, through Thursday, Nov. 19, at St. Barnabas Church in Arden. Father Pineda will also lead this mission, with the same theme as his mission in Kernersville. He will preach at all weekend Masses Nov. 14-15 before the mission begins Nov. 16, with nightly talks following the same schedule as above.
St. Barnabas Church is located at 109 Crescent Hill Road in Arden.
Missions will begin each evening at 6 p.m. with Eucharistic Adoration and confession until 7 p.m. The Chaplet of Divine Mercy will be prayed each evening at approximately 6:45 p.m. The mission conferences will be held in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament from 7 to 8 p.m. and end with Benediction.
All three Year of St. Joseph Missions are free and open to the public following each parish’s appropriate health and safety measures.
A special collection will be taken on the final day of each mission, to help pay for the priests’ travel and related expenses associated with the mission and compensate their community for providing a missionary to preach in the diocese.
— SueAnn Howell, Senior reporter
More online
At www.yearofstjoseph.org: Find educational resources, prayers and devotions, and “Year of St. Joseph” event details from across the diocese, as dates for special events are finalized.