OUR CLERGY
Father Joseph Dinh
Emmanuel Ukattah, Deacon
Enedino Aquino, Deacon
Father Joseph Dinh
Emmanuel Ukattah, Deacon
Enedino Aquino, Deacon
Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
It has been traditional to reflect on the end of time as we are approaching the end of our liturgical year. It is important for us to understand this, from a biblical perspective, the end of the world is not such a tragic event because the end also announces the beginning of a new one, a new heaven and earth that will bring life, hope and joy to the people of God.
In today’s Gospel, Jesus spoke directly about the end of time. He used apocalyptical language, the language of the Book of Revelation. Jesus looked at the Temple and he told the disciples that the Temple would be torn down, because all material things would come to an end sooner or later. Then the disciples asked the big question, the question that so many people nowadays want to know: “When would it happen?” (Luke 21:7).
Every year self-proclaimed prophets come out from nowhere telling people that they have an answer to this question. Every year newspapers carry advertisements from someone who has the reasons to proclaim that the world is coming to an end very soon. When? Everyone wants to know when, and people love to predict about the end of time but no one wants to hear what Jesus says in the Gospel: “But about that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father” (Mt. 24:36). So what Jesus tries to say is that: “Don’t fall for anyone telling you when the end of the world is coming. Don’t listen to him, avoid him!” Remember Jesus’ words in today’s Gospel: “For many will come in my name and say, ‘I am he!’ and, ‘The time is near!’ Do not follow them” (Luke 21:8).
Here Jesus makes a vital point that his true followers should not be concerned about when the end is, rather they should be concerned of their preparation and readiness for the end. And that is at the heart of our Church’s teachings about the end of time. We need to have a lifestyle that is a continual coming towards the Lord. Yes, the world will come to an end, but we have no cause for panic. Only those who ignore the Lord need to panic. Am I ready for the day I come to meet the Lord is the question we should ask ourselves daily?
Today we pray for the courage to live as the children of hope and faith. Let us be prepared and ready when the Lord comes to us.
May God bless us all!
Fr. Joe
Christ the King Church was founded in 1940 to serve the African-American Catholics in High Point, and has since become a multi-ethnic parish celebrating both the diversity and unity of the Catholic faith and tradition. Then-Bishop Eugene F. McGuinness of Raleigh invited the Franciscan Friars of the Atonement of Graymoor, NY to staff the new mission in High Point in 1940. Father Bernardine Watson served as the first pastor, originally celebrating Mass in a funeral home. Through the generosity and perseverance of Father Watson and several benefactors, a clothing shop was acquired for use by the mission. While Mass continued to be celebrated there during much of 1941, the mission community members also turned their attention to building a new church and rectory on Kivett Drive. The new colonial-style church was dedicated by Bishop McGuinness Dec. 14, 1941.
During the 1940s and into the ’50s, the Christ the King parish community continued to grow. A school building and convent were built in 1949, and in 1950 the Franciscan Handmaids arrived from New York City to staff the school. The African-American communities, both Catholic and non-Catholic, of High Point, Thomasville and Greensboro were served by the new Christ the King School, which opened its doors to 50 students in September 1950. The friars continued their pastorate in High Point for the next several decades, cultivating a faith community that became continually more culturally diverse over time. A stained-glass window behind the church’s choir loft depicts that diversity, with Jesus surrounded by four individuals representing the African, Asian, European and Indian bloodlines that make up much of the parish community today.
Lowering enrollment, financial difficulties and the recalling of the sisters to New York forced Christ the King School to close in 1981. The diocesan office of education converted the school for use as a day care center, which began its operation in August 1981. That same year, Franciscan Sisters of the Atonement arrived at Christ the King Church to conduct the religious education program and other ministerial work, including assisting at the day care center. The center, still located on parish grounds, is now privately operated and continues to serve the area.
Upon the friars’ leaving High Point in 1991, Christ the King Church became a diocesan parish in December of that year. Fathers Martin Madison and John Hoover served the parish until December 1994, when Father Philip Kollithanath, was appointed to Christ the King Church. Assisting in the advancing growth of the Christ the King community have been many commissions and ministries focusing on the spiritual , educational, multicultural and evangelical dimensions of the parish. Parishioners gather to engage in Bible study , to learn English as a Second Language, to put their faith into action in the local community and to celebrate their ethnicity. A Hispanic center and bilingual religious education program provide sharing and learning opportunities for English and Spanish speaking parishioners, and the parish African-American Ministry offers outreach programs benefiting the local region. The Women’s Guild, Altar Guild, 55+ Club and Young & Spirited Group are active in parish and community services, and the evangelization commission provides for the spiritual needs of homebound parishioners through its Visitation Ministry. The community of Christ the King Church looks ahead to expansion and renovation projects that will accommodate the needs of a growing parish. One hundred and sixty-one households currently make up the parish registry.