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,
As we are approaching the end of our liturgical year, today’s readings speak about the last things. Prophet Daniel in the first reading foresees the day when those who “sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some shall live forever” (Daniel 12:2). Others, however, “will be an everlasting horror and disgrace” (Daniel 12:2). Jesus also describes a separation. On the last day, God will send angels to “gather his elect from the four winds, from the end of the earth to the end of the sky” (Mk.13:27). Jesus also stresses that no one knows when the last day will come, not the angels, not even the Son, only the Creator, the Father (Mk.13:32).
Many people of today are indeed concerned about the end of time and many contemporary “prophets” have erroneously predicted about the end of time. People are concerned because they have certain areas of fear in their lives. Some are afraid due to their health or financial situation. Some are afraid of war, terror or being going to die sooner than they expect. Fear, anxiety and confusion may drive them out of the circle of faith. They are indeed spiritually dead.
From our faith we believe that the end of time will come in God’s time and the Lord will judge us accordingly. But the message from the Gospel is: those who trust in the Lord, and who live His life to the best of their ability have nothing to fear.
So “Do not be afraid. Trust in God. He will care for you.” We need to do our best to get out of the fear mindset and live as people of the faith we profess. God is infinitely stronger than all the forces of the world. He loves us as His people. And He loves us more than we can fathom. If we do everything we can to be open to His Presence, He will take care of us even if we were to be alive on the last day. St. Augustine put it this way: “If we do not resist the first coming of the Lord, then we will have no reason to dread His second coming.” By that he means if we live according to the way Jesus told us to live when He came to be one of us, then we have no reason to fear when He comes again at the end of time.
Today’s readings tell us that God is in control. As Christians, we do our best to give ourselves to Jesus. Jesus has given Himself to us for that very reason, so that we, in turn, can give ourselves to Him. As people united to the Lord Jesus who brings life through death, united to Him, we trust that our loving Savior will care for us, for the end of time is not only the day of judgment, it is also the day of salvation for those who trust in Him.
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.