About Christ the King · High Point, North Carolina
Christ the King Catholic Church is a diverse, multicultural Roman Catholic parish in High Point, North Carolina, belonging to the Diocese of Charlotte. Founded in 1940 as a mission to serve African-American Catholics and originally staffed by the Franciscan Friars of the Atonement, the parish has grown into a vibrant, multilingual community where as many as five languages — English, Vietnamese, Korean, and Spanish — are heard at its weekend liturgies. Today the parish is led by Father Joseph (Long) Dinh, a Vietnamese-born priest known as "the smiling priest," and serves approximately 1,000 registered households from across the Triad and beyond, including worshipers from Nigeria, Somalia, Ethiopia, Ghana, Pakistan, India, and Latin America. Sunday Eucharist is the heartbeat of parish life, and the church runs a lifelong Faith Formation program, youth ministry, Bible study, English-as-a-Second-Language classes, and active outreach through its African-American Ministry and Hispanic Center.
- Established
- 1940
- Patron
- Christ the King
- Rector
- Rev. Joseph (Long) Dinh
- Diocese
- Diocese of Charlotte
Why belong here
Christ the King welcomes Catholics of every background — English, Spanish, Vietnamese, Korean, African, Indian and more — into one body around the Eucharist. With daily and weekend Mass in multiple languages, lifelong Faith Formation, youth ministry, Bible study, ESL classes, the Hispanic Center, an active African-American Ministry, and outreach groups like the Women's Guild, 55+ Club and Young & Spirited, parishioners find abundant ways to pray, learn, serve and belong. As Father Dinh puts it, the parish sees its diversity not as a threat but as a gift, making Christ the King a living expression of the universal Church in the Triad.
Mass times at Christ the King
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 4:00 PM – 4:45 PM in the church's cry room
- By appointment (contact the parish office)
Adoration times
- First Friday — Adoration and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament (Friday evenings, ~7:30 PM – 9:45 PM)
- Church is open during the week for prayer until evening
Parish Overview
Christ the King Catholic Church sits near historic downtown High Point and serves as one of the most multicultural parishes in the Diocese of Charlotte. From its founding in 1940 as a mission to African-American Catholics through the Franciscan Friars of the Atonement, the parish has become a vibrant, multi-ethnic community where as many as five languages can be heard at a single weekend. The Diocese of Charlotte lists Christ the King as one of its parish churches, with Father Joseph (Long) Dinh as pastor since 2017.
- Diocese of Charlotte parish
- Located at 1505 E. MLK Jr. Dr., High Point, NC 27260
- Pastor: Rev. Joseph Long Dinh
- Deacons: Emmanuel Ukattah and Enedino Aquino
History of Christ the King Parish
Bishop Eugene F. McGuinness of Raleigh founded the parish in 1940 to serve African-American Catholics in High Point, inviting the Franciscan Friars of the Atonement of Graymoor, NY, to staff it. Father Bernardine Watson, S.A., was the first pastor, celebrating Mass in a funeral home and then a converted clothing shop before the colonial-style church on Kivett Drive was dedicated on December 14, 1941. The parish grew steadily over the following decades, built Christ the King School in 1949 (opened to 50 students in 1950) and continued under the Franciscan friars until they departed in 1991.
- 1940 — parish founded as a mission for African-American Catholics
- 1941 — colonial-style church on Kivett Drive dedicated Dec. 14
- 1949 — school building and convent built
- 1950 — Christ the King School opens with 50 students; Franciscan Handmaids staff it
- 1981 — Christ the King School closes; building converted to a day-care center (still operating on site)
- 1991 — Franciscan friars depart; parish becomes diocesan
- 1994 — Father Philip Kollithanath appointed (pastor through 2011)
- 2017 — Father Joseph Dinh named pastor
Faith Formation and Education
The parish's lifelong Faith Formation Program and Youth Ministry are central to its mission of Catholic education and teaching of the faith. Bilingual (English/Spanish) religious education is offered through the Hispanic Center, and the parish historically partnered with the Franciscan Sisters of the Atonement on this work.
- Lifelong Faith Formation Program
- Youth Ministry
- Bilingual Religious Education (English/Spanish)
- Bible Study groups
- English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) classes
Parish Life and Outreach
Christ the King's commissions and ministries touch every age and background. The African-American Ministry offers outreach to the local region, while the Hispanic Center supports English- and Spanish-speaking parishioners. Lay organizations including the Women's Guild, Altar Guild, 55+ Club, and Young & Spirited Group are active in parish and community service, and the evangelization commission runs a Visitation Ministry for homebound parishioners.
- African-American Ministry
- Hispanic Center
- Women's Guild
- Altar Guild
- 55+ Club
- Young & Spirited Group
- Visitation Ministry (homebound)
- Evangelization Commission
Christ the King School and Day-Care Center
Christ the King School opened its doors in September 1950 under the Franciscan Handmaids and served the African-American Catholic and non-Catholic communities of High Point, Thomasville and Greensboro. After lower enrollment and the sisters' recall to New York, the school closed in 1981; the diocesan education office converted the building into a day-care center that August, which continues to serve the area under private operation on the parish grounds today.
- School building & convent built 1949
- School opened September 1950 — 50 students, Franciscan Handmaids
- School closed 1981
- Day-care center operating since August 1981
Visit and Contact
Parishioners and visitors can reach Christ the King Catholic Church by phone, email, or in person during office hours Monday through Friday. The church is located near historic downtown High Point on East Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, with parking available on parish grounds.
- Address: 1505 E. Martin Luther King Jr. Dr., High Point, NC 27260
- Phone: (336) 883-0244
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: christthekinghp.org
- Office hours: Monday–Friday, 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM
- Church open for prayer Monday–Friday until evening
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Bernardine Watson, S.A.1941–1946
First pastor; originally celebrated Mass in a funeral home, then a converted clothing shop.
- Father Pius Keating, S.A.1947–1948
- Father Bartholomew Paytas, S.A.1949–1952
- Father Stephen Sullivan, S.A.1952–1954
- Father Ignatius McDonough, S.A.1954–1955
- Father Robert O'Farrell, S.A.1955–1961
- Father Bernardine Watson, S.A.1961–1964
Returned for a second term as pastor.
- Father Xavier Butler, S.A.1964–1967
- Father Adrian Ramanauskas, S.A.1967–1974
- Father Peter Tomaino, S.A.1977–1985
- Father Martin Madison, S.A.1986–1987
Part of the transition from friar-staffed to diocesan parish.
- Father Mark Traenkle, S.A.1988–1989
- Father Martin Madison, S.A.1990–1993
- Father John Hoover1993–1994
- Father Phillip Kollithanath1994–2011
Parochial administrator 1994–1997, then pastor; oversaw growth and renovation.
- Father Gnanapragasam Mariasoosai2011–2017
- Father Joseph (Long) Dinh2017–present
Vietnamese-born priest known as 'the smiling priest'; leads a multilingual, multi-ethnic parish.