About Immaculate Conception · Forest City, North Carolina
Immaculate Conception Catholic Church is a Latin-rite parish in Forest City, North Carolina, set in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains and part of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte. The parish began in 1950 as a small mission church and was raised to parish status in 1972 when the Diocese of Charlotte was erected. Today the 30-acre campus is anchored by a 650-seat, Gothic-inspired stone church opened in 2010, with the original 1950 church still in daily use as a chapel. Worship is offered in English and Spanish, with a faithful lay staff, two permanent deacons, and a long-tenured pastor, Very Reverend Fr. Herbert T. Burke, V.F., who has served the parish since 2001.
- Established
- 1950
- Patron
- The Blessed Virgin Mary, under the title of the Immaculate Conception
- Rector
- Very Reverend Fr. Herbert Thomas Burke, Jr., V.F.
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte
Why belong here
Immaculate Conception offers the full rhythm of Catholic life — four weekend Masses (including a Sunday Mass in Spanish), daily Masses in the original 1950 chapel, regular confessions, and several hours of Eucharistic Adoration each week — all on a 30-acre campus in the Blue Ridge foothills. Rooted in a 75-year Catholic presence in Rutherford County and led by a pastor who has shepherded the parish for more than two decades, the community is supported by two permanent deacons and a robust network of lay ministries. Visitors and newcomers are explicitly welcomed, and there are clear paths into the faith through RCIA, formation for the Lay Carmelites, fraternal life with the Knights of Columbus, and prayer groups for both men and women.
Mass times at Immaculate Conception
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 4:15 pm – 4:45 pm (main church)
- Wednesday 6:30 pm – 7:00 pm (main church)
Adoration times
- Thursday 12:30 pm – 8:00 pm (chapel)
- Friday 12:30 pm – 1:30 pm (chapel)
- Saturday 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm (main church)
- Sunday 8:00 am – 9:00 am (main church)
- Sunday 10:30 am – 11:30 am (main church)
- Sunday 2:30 pm – 3:00 pm (main church)
- Every Fourth Thursday–Friday: 12:30 pm Thursday – 12:00 pm Friday (chapel, overnight Adoration)
Our Story: From 1950 Mission to a 650-Seat Stone Church
Immaculate Conception began in 1950 as a small mission church built on four acres in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The community had no resident priest for its first 19 years; visiting priests from Shelby and elsewhere tended the mission. In 1969 Father Kenneth Parker became the first resident pastor, and in 1972 — when the Diocese of Charlotte was formed — Immaculate Conception was raised to parish status. Under the long pastorate of Father Gabriel Meehan (1985–2001) and then Father Herbert Burke (2001–present), the parish expanded its campus to roughly thirty acres and, in 2010, dedicated a large, Gothic-inspired stone church seating 650, with the original 1950 church preserved as the daily-Mass chapel.
- 1950 — Church dedicated by Bishop Vincent S. Waters of the Diocese of Raleigh
- 1969 — First resident pastor, Fr. Kenneth Parker
- 1972 — Becomes a parish with the creation of the Diocese of Charlotte
- 1978 — New rectory and parish hall dedicated by Bishop Michael J. Begley
- 2001 — Fr. Herbert Burke arrives; adjacent lots purchased
- 2010 — 650-seat stone, Gothic-inspired church opened; original church becomes the chapel
Clergy and Staff
The parish is led by Very Reverend Fr. Herbert Thomas Burke, Jr., V.F., who was ordained in June 1992 by Cardinal James Hickey at St. Matthew Cathedral in Washington, D.C., and assigned to Immaculate Conception in 2001. He is also Vicar Forane for the Gastonia Vicariate (appointed 2015), an Air Force veteran, the author of eight books, and produces homily videos for a YouTube channel. He is assisted by two permanent deacons — Deacon Andy Cilone (ordained May 29, 1983, in the Diocese of Charlotte's first diaconate class, and named 2017 Forest City Citizen of the Year) and Deacon David Rutter Faunce (ordained April 14, 2018, by Bishop Peter Jugis) — and by parish secretary Sharon Date, who has served since September 2001.
- Pastor: Very Rev. Fr. Herbert Thomas Burke, Jr., V.F.
- Permanent Deacon: Andy Cilone
- Permanent Deacon: David Rutter Faunce
- Parish Secretary: Sharon Date
Parish Ministries and Groups
Immaculate Conception supports a rich mix of lay-led ministries, fraternal organizations, and third-order religious communities. Schedules and events for all are published in the parish bulletin, and most groups can be contacted directly via the emails below.
- RCIA – Becoming Catholic ([email protected])
- Knights of Columbus Council 12266, "Immaculate Heart of Mary" ([email protected])
- Daughters of the Visitation
- Men's Prayer Group ([email protected])
- Mystical Rose of Carmel – Third Order Lay Carmelites (Penny Watkins, T.O.Carm., 828-436-5161)
Becoming Catholic (RCIA)
The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults welcomes those who have never been baptized, baptized Christians from another tradition seeking full communion with Rome, and Catholics seeking the sacraments of First Holy Communion and/or Confirmation. Each year at the Easter Vigil, candidates are initiated into the Catholic Church; inquiries are handled at the parish office.
- Contact: [email protected]
- Initiation celebrated at the Easter Vigil each year
Third Order Lay Carmelites — Mystical Rose of Carmel
The Mystical Rose of Carmel is the parish's Lay Carmelite (T.O.Carm.) community. It began as a Carmelite Spirituality Study Group and, after about three years of formation, was established as an official community. Formation mirrors that of the Carmelite friars, nuns, and sisters over six years (Phase I: 1 year; Phase II: 2 years; Phase III: 3 years), culminating in temporary and then final profession of promises to the Prior Provincial of the Carmelites of the Most Pure Heart of Mary Province and the Prior General in Rome. Members commit to daily Eucharist when possible, daily meditation (often Lectio Divina), Morning and Evening Prayer from the Liturgy of the Hours, regular spiritual reading, monthly community meetings, and wearing the Brown Scapular.
- Formation Class: 4th Saturday of the month, 11:30 am, Parish Hall
- Community Meeting: 4th Saturday of the month, 2:00 pm, Parish Hall
- Contact: Penny Watkins, T.O.Carm., 828-436-5161 or [email protected]
- Candidates must be practicing Catholics at least 18 years old
Knights of Columbus Council 12266
Immaculate Conception hosts the Knights of Columbus Council 12266, named "Immaculate Heart of Mary," part of North Carolina District 14. The council meets in the Parish Hall and is a primary vehicle for Catholic men's fraternity, service, and parish fundraising.
- Council Number: 12266 ("Immaculate Heart of Mary")
- Planning Meeting: 1st Sunday at 7:00 pm
- Contact: [email protected]
Prayer and Devotional Groups
In addition to the Lay Carmelites and Knights, the parish supports two lay-led prayer communities for ongoing formation and fellowship.
- Daughters of the Visitation — women's devotion and fellowship
- Men's Prayer Group — men's prayer and fraternity ([email protected])
Sacraments
Reconciliation is offered weekly on Saturday afternoon and Wednesday evening (see Confession section above). Adult initiation is handled through RCIA. Couples preparing for marriage and families preparing for infant baptism should contact the parish office; sacramental preparation is coordinated through the parish secretary.
- Reconciliation: Saturday 4:15–4:45 pm; Wednesday 6:30–7:00 pm
- RCIA for adult Baptism, Communion, and Confirmation
- Marriage and infant baptism: contact the parish office
Holy Week and Liturgical Year
The parish publishes a yearly Holy Week schedule centered on the Paschal Triduum, with Palm Sunday on the regular weekend schedule.
- Palm Sunday — regular weekend Mass schedule
- Holy Thursday — Mass at 7:00 pm
- Good Friday — Liturgy at 3:00 pm
- Easter Vigil — Mass at 7:00 pm
- Easter Sunday — regular Mass schedule
Visit Us
Immaculate Conception Catholic Church is located at 1024 West Main Street, Forest City, NC 28043, in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The parish phone line is (828) 245-4017 and email is [email protected]. Visitors and newcomers are explicitly welcomed at every Mass.
- Address: 1024 West Main Street, Forest City, NC 28043
- Phone: (828) 245-4017
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: immaculateconceptionforestcity.org
- Facebook: Immaculate Conception Catholic Church of Forest City, NC
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Lawrence Newman1950
Monsignor; launched the effort to start the mission from Shelby
- Fr. Desmond Keenan1950–1951
Mission priest
- Fr. William Pearson1951–1952
Mission priest
- Fr. Michael Carey1952–1957
Mission priest
- Fr. T. F. Carney1957–1958
Mission priest
- Fr. Thomas Clements1958–1960
Mission priest
- Fr. Pat Gallagher1960–1962
Mission priest
- Fr. John Reagan1962–1963
Mission priest
- Fr. James Keaney1963–1968
Mission priest
- Fr. Kenneth Parker1969–1970
First resident pastor of the mission
- Fr. Frank Cintula1970–1972
Last mission priest before parish status
- Fr. Joseph L. McCarthy1972–1976
First pastor after Immaculate Conception became a parish in 1972
- Fr. Paul C. Wilderotter1976–1979
Dedicated new rectory and parish hall in 1978 with Bishop Begley
- Fr. Jim Stuber1980–1985
- Fr. Gabriel Meehan1985–2001
Long-tenured pastor before Fr. Burke
- Fr. Herbert T. Burke2001–present
Air Force veteran, ordained 1992 by Cardinal James Hickey; appointed Vicar Forane for the Gastonia Vicariate by Bishop Peter Jugis in 2015