$45 million to strengthen Catholic education, form faithful leaders, support future clergy and renew the Catholic Conference Center.
The future of the Church depends on people formed to know, live and share the Gospel. Making Room will create enduring support for students, families, teachers, lay leaders, seminarians, deacons and retreat ministries.
Psalm 78:4
More than 8,000 students attend 20 Catholic schools in the Diocese of Charlotte. Enrollment has grown nearly 20% since 2020, reaching record levels.
Opportunity Scholarships have helped make Catholic education accessible to more families, but tuition, activity fees and supply costs remain beyond the reach of many. Schools must also continue recruiting, forming and retaining outstanding teachers and staff.
Making Room will establish or enhance endowments that provide reliable, long-term funding for Catholic education throughout the diocese.
Thousands of catechists and lay leaders serve in our parishes, ministries and schools. The growing needs of the Church call for deeper, ongoing formation that strengthens their spiritual lives and equips them to teach, lead and evangelize.
A diocesan survey found that 45% of regular Mass-goers had not participated in a class or workshop about the Catholic faith. Only 35% strongly agreed that their parish equips them to answer questions about their faith.
These invested funds will generate ongoing support for formation that helps clergy, staff, lay leaders and parents work together to share the Gospel.
In 2026, 44 seminarians were enrolled at St. Joseph College Seminary or Mount St. Mary’s in Cincinnati, and 14 men were pursuing formation as deacons.
These future priests and deacons will teach the faith, celebrate the sacraments, serve people in need and bring the Church’s ministry into daily life. Yet priests and deacons are retiring faster than new leaders are being ordained.
Making Room will provide enduring financial support for the education and formation of seminarians and deacons serving the growing Church of western North Carolina.
The Catholic Conference Center in Hickory is the diocese’s primary retreat space. It offers 50 hotel-style rooms, meeting spaces for groups of 20 to 240 people and 180 acres of mostly natural land.
Built in the late 1980s, its aging facilities and limited capacity no longer fully serve the needs of parishes, ministries and the people who gather there for retreat, renewal and connection.
Making Room will invest $10 million to renovate, modernize and expand the conference center. An additional $2 million will support endowments that help keep the center affordable and accessible.