About Holy Spirit · Windsor, North Carolina
Holy Spirit is a small Catholic parish serving the community of Windsor, North Carolina, in the northeastern corner of the state (Bertie County). It belongs to the Diocese of Raleigh and, like a number of rural eastern-NC parishes, celebrates its Sunday Mass at a shared ecumenical worship space — Windsor United Methodist Church — while weekday Masses are offered at the parish rectory on Belmont Street. The parish is administered by a Glenmary Home Missioner and operates with the warm, close-knit feel typical of mission-era Catholic communities in this part of North Carolina.
- Patron
- Holy Spirit
- Rector
- Rev. R. Aaron Wessman, G.H.M.
- Diocese
- Diocese of Raleigh (Roman Catholic)
Why belong here
Holy Spirit offers a welcoming, intimate Catholic presence in Bertie County — a part of North Carolina with very few parishes. Because the Sunday Mass is celebrated in partnership with the local United Methodist Church, parishioners experience a rare ecumenical witness, and the weekday Masses held in the rectory chapel foster the close, family-like community that defines mission parishes. Visitors and newcomers can expect the warm hospitality of a small congregation served by a Glenmary priest devoted to rural mission ministry.
Mass times at Holy Spirit
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday 8:00–8:15 AM (at Windsor United Methodist Church, before Mass; described as Reconciliation/Confession/Spiritual Counseling)
- Friday 5:00–5:45 PM (at the Rectory, before Mass)
Holy Spirit Parish — A Catholic Mission in Windsor, North Carolina
Holy Spirit is a small Catholic mission parish in Windsor, the seat of Bertie County in northeastern North Carolina. It belongs to the Diocese of Raleigh and, because the Catholic population in this part of the state is tiny, the parish worships in an unusual dual arrangement: the Sunday liturgy is hosted by Windsor United Methodist Church, while weekday Masses are celebrated in the rectory on Belmont Street. The parish is pastored by a priest of the Glenmary Home Missioners, a religious community devoted to serving rural Catholic mission communities across the United States.
Worship Locations and Address
The parish rectory — also used for weekday Masses and the Friday confession slot — is at 403 Belmont Street, Windsor, NC 27983. The Sunday Mass and pre-Mass Sunday confession are held at Windsor United Methodist Church, 408 S. Queen Street, Windsor, NC. Parishioners and visitors should confirm the location when planning a visit.
- Parish mailing/rectory address: 403 Belmont Street, Windsor, NC 27983
- Sunday Mass and Sunday confession: Windsor United Methodist Church, 408 S. Queen Street, Windsor, NC
Sacraments
The Sacrament of Reconciliation is currently offered twice a week at scheduled times (Sunday morning before Mass at the United Methodist Church, and Friday afternoon before Mass at the rectory), as well as by appointment for spiritual counseling. The Eucharist is celebrated at every scheduled Mass, in English.
- Reconciliation (Confession) — Sunday 8:00–8:15 AM; Friday 5:00–5:45 PM.
- Eucharist — Sunday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday per the published schedule.
Clergy and Pastoral Leadership
Holy Spirit is currently served by a priest of the Glenmary Home Missioners (G.H.M.), a Catholic religious society that ministers to rural and under-served communities throughout the United States. His assignment was published in the Diocese of Raleigh's official priest-appointment announcement.
- Rev. R. Aaron Wessman, G.H.M. — Pastor, Holy Spirit Parish, Windsor (also Pastor of Saint Joan of Arc, Plymouth).
Diocese and Deanery
Holy Spirit is a parish of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Raleigh, the diocese that covers the eastern and central portion of North Carolina. Within the diocese, the parish belongs to the Albemarle Deanery — the cluster of Catholic parishes serving North Carolina's northeastern corner. Bishop Luis Rafael Zarama, the sixth Bishop of Raleigh, was installed on August 29, 2017, at Holy Name of Jesus Cathedral in Raleigh.
- Diocese: Diocese of Raleigh
- Deanery: Albemarle
- Parish neighbors in the deanery include All Souls Mission (Columbia), Holy Family (Elizabeth City), Holy Redeemer by the Sea (Kitty Hawk), Saint Anne (Edenton), Saint Charles Borromeo (Ahoskie), Saint Joan of Arc (Plymouth), Holy Trinity (Williamston), and the Outer Banks missions.
Community and Witness in Northeastern North Carolina
Holy Spirit's decision to celebrate its Sunday Mass at the local Methodist church is a quiet but powerful sign of mission: a handful of Catholics gathering faithfully in one of the most under-served parts of the state, sharing space with their Christian neighbors. For visitors and seasonal residents of Bertie County and the Albemarle region, this is the Catholic Mass.
- Sunday Mass shared with Windsor United Methodist Church
- Pastored by the Glenmary Home Missioners, who specialize in rural U.S. Catholic mission ministry
- Paired administratively with Saint Joan of Arc, Plymouth, NC
Contact and Practical Information
The parish can be reached by phone at (252) 794-5086 and by email at [email protected]. The official website is https://holyspiritwindsor.org/. Because the parish is small, scheduling inquiries, sacramental preparation, and visit coordination are typically handled directly by the pastor or rectory.
- Phone: (252) 794-5086
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://holyspiritwindsor.org/
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. R. Aaron Wessman, G.H.M.
Appointed Pastor of Holy Spirit Parish in Windsor (and Saint Joan of Arc, Plymouth) per the Diocese of Raleigh's 2018 priest appointments; a member of the Glenmary Home Missioners.