‘God has called us together’
HUNTERSVILLE — Six men, all parishioners of St. Mark Church but of very different personalities and backgrounds, have come together to start a Holy Spirit-inspired public prayer group.
Several of the men met on a trip to the Holy Land in 2016. All are pursuing a deeper life in Christ in their daily lives and in their responsibilities as husbands, fathers, grandfathers and members of their faith community. All are feeling drawn to pray for the country, for families and for people struggling during these uncertain times.
For the past four months, they have been meeting each week at the church for prayer, Mass and to discuss how to proceed with their mission – “to be fed by God and to call ourselves, our Church and our country back to God.”
Return to God ministry member Paul Anatrella explains, “We all believe the Lord is calling us to this ministry, that God has called us together. We are being called by the Holy Spirit and now is the time. We want to give our fiat… All of us are tired of the moral demise of our country and the moral issues our Church is dealing with.”
John Nickl recalls an initial video conference call he and a few others had in July. “We talked about what was going on in the Church and in the country.” Soon afterwards, a few other men were invited to join their group of prayer warriors seeking to grow closer to Christ and witness to their faith. “And from that point on, all six of us have had the fire to go out into the world to do something for the Church and the country,” he says.
“We have to be open to the Holy Spirit,” adds Dave Stoughton. “There are many opportunities we face, and we have to be open to it. We need to see the face of Jesus in whoever we see in the public square. We have to remember that we are looking at the face of Jesus.
“We want to be peaceful and in the spirit. That is why we have prayer ministry to strengthen us.”
Charlie Magro insists the group’s peaceful prayer presence will prevail even in the face of any opposition they may encounter. “The people who are angry or confused, we know are wounded friends, our wounded brothers and sisters.”
Mannie Obregon says the effort is part of learning more about his faith. “I have been trying to get nearer to God. I have been learning a lot… It is creating a spark for me to learn and grow.”
“I am growing spiritually and emotionally and I am being sharpened,” echoes Cesar Marston. “We are building up each other and the Body of Christ. That’s our goal. My goal as a Catholic man is to lead people back to Christ, through prayer, and to bring more of them to heaven.”
— SueAnn Howell, Senior reporter
Return to God prayer events
The men of Return to God ministry are consulting with local officials to understand and adhere to guidelines for public prayer events. They have already held two public prayer events this fall. They plan to pray at 1 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 21, at Veterans Park in Huntersville. All are welcome. Questions? Email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
CHARLOTTE — U.S. Army veteran Mark Wilcox wrestled with life’s challenges after leaving the military. Originally from Michigan, Wilcox (pictured) fell on hard times after moving to Charlotte and ended up homeless. A local non-profit that works with veterans referred him to Catholic Charities Diocese of Charlotte. Soon they helped him find an apartment and furnish it, and they are continuing to assist him while he looks for employment.
Dozens of homeless veterans like Wilcox now have a roof over their head thanks to a new partnership between Catholic Charities, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and local assistance agencies.
It all started with the help of a $500,000 Supportive Services for Veteran Families grant from the VA that Catholic Charities received a year ago. With the money, the agency hired two case workers and subcontracted with the Charlotte-based Veterans Bridge Home to provide a range of supportive services to very low-income veterans and their families who are homeless or are in danger of becoming homeless.
Case workers accompany these veterans every step of the way – helping them to find an apartment, including helping them pay application fees and security deposits, utility hook-up fees and other costs that can often be a financial barrier to stable housing. They also help them navigate housing laws and tenant rules, and they connect them to other veterans’ services including VA benefits and health care.
Since that initial grant, Catholic Charities has received an additional $467,000 in federal CARES Act funding through the VA to support homeless veterans and prevent homelessness in veterans who are already housed.
Catholic Charities has placed 32 veterans in apartments and helped another 55 veterans pay their rent and avoid eviction. They have helped another 29 people pay their monthly utilities.
The VA grant does not cover all of what is needed to help move a veteran from homelessness to a home – things like household supplies, appliances, furniture and bedding. To assist with these critical needs, Catholic Charities has received $3,000 in private donations as well as a $4,000 grant from the Diocese of Charlotte Foundation.
The COVID-19 pandemic has prompted Catholic Charities to accelerate these efforts as families already in dire financial need have lost jobs and face eviction or utility shut-offs, and homeless veterans face even greater risks.
CARES Act funding has enabled the agency to temporarily house another 81 homeless veterans in hotel rooms while case workers searched for housing. They have also stepped up their prevention work – rent and utility payments for housed veterans to prevent eviction due to pandemic-related income loss.
When Catholic Charities launched this initiative a year ago, they estimated there were more than 300 known homeless people in Charlotte who could be eligible for this aid and their goal was to help at least 120 of them.
Sandy Buck, Catholic Charities’ Charlotte regional director, is grateful for the funding “to allow us to help the most vulnerable veterans access services and find a place to call home.”
“I have a special place in my heart for our veterans,” Buck said. “They sacrificed so much to protect our freedom and safety. They deserve all the assistance we can provide to support them in their civilian life.”
Wilcox said he is equally thankful. “It’s a blessing that I was connected with Catholic Charities and I am just grateful for them being there.”
— SueAnn Howell, Senior reporter