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,
Today’s gospel is talking about a wedding in Cana. We all like weddings, mostly we like the joyful and happy atmosphere of weddings. We like the food, music, dancing and laughing of weddings. However, the wedding ceremony itself is another issue. Since most family members are involved in the wedding, sometimes, arguments may take place between two generations as we can say, between parents and children when they discuss the wedding ceremony. Should the father walk with the bride or the bride walk by herself? Should they preserve all classic wedding traditions or just follow American traditional weddings? Should the music be traditional or modern?
For all of us here, a wedding can be seen as an encounter of the two generations, of the old and new generations. The wedding at Cana in today’s gospel is the same. From our faith we can see an encounter of the Old and New Testaments. The old is represented by the wedding families, the old rituals and the water, the new is represented by Jesus, his disciples and the new wine. And Mary, our blessed mother is the one who calls forth an initiation for the transformation of the old as she advises the servants: “Do whatever he tells you.”
The old rituals and waters were transformed into new wine by Jesus as a sign of a new creation, a new law of love and sacrifice for others. The new wine should not stay in the old stone jars, they should be poured out for others. In the same way, the new law of love should be carried out and revealed to all.
Through Baptism we have become the New Testament people and we are the new wine of the Lord. Just like the new wine should not be kept in the old jars, our new wine of faith, love and compassion should be poured out for others to taste the goodness of the Lord. Only when we are willing to share ourselves with others, we are able to bring God’s love and peace to the people we meet in our life. People do not see Jesus, they see us. All that we do and behave in our daily life will help people recognize the presence of the Lord in their life.
Let us joyfully share the joy and blessings of our life with others.
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.