About Infant of Prague · Jacksonville, North Carolina
Infant of Prague Catholic Church is a bilingual (English/Spanish) parish in Jacksonville, North Carolina, belonging to the Diocese of Raleigh and situated in the heart of Onslow County near Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune. The parish serves a notably military-connected community — at least half of its school families are military — and runs one of the few PreK-12 Catholic schools in eastern North Carolina. Worship life centers on a perpetual adoration chapel that has been running 35 years, weekend Masses in English and Spanish, weekday noon Masses, and a robust collection of lay ministries, outreach programs, and a thrift store that serves neighbors in need.
- Established
- Parish community traceable to ~1920; school founded 1952
- Patron
- Infant Jesus of Prague
- Rector
- Rev. John V. (Victor) Gournas, V.F. (known as Fr. Vic)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Raleigh
Why belong here
Infant of Prague is one of the most active Catholic parishes in eastern North Carolina, with three Sunday Masses (including a full Spanish liturgy), five weekday Masses, perpetual adoration that has run for 35 years, and a PreK-12 Catholic school serving more than 400 students. The parish also has an unusually broad lay apostolate — Knights of Columbus, Catholic Daughters, Legion of Mary, Troops of Saint George, a young adult ministry, OCIA, and a thriving outreach ministry that runs a food pantry, thrift store, and resource center. For military families connected to Camp Lejeune, it offers the kind of long-tenure Catholic school continuity that makes moves between bases much easier.
Mass times at Infant of Prague
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Friday 10:30 AM – 11:45 AM (site lists ending between 11:45 AM and 12:00 PM)
- Saturday 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM
- Or by appointment: 910-347-4196
Adoration times
- Perpetual Adoration in the Adoration Chapel (210 N. Marine Blvd., entered through the back door of the church)
- Chapel is open to the public 8:00 AM to dusk
- To inquire about becoming an Adorer, contact the parish office
Parish Identity & Patron
Infant of Prague Catholic Church takes its name from the devotional image of the Infant Jesus of Prague. The parish lives out the saint's promise — 'The more you honor me, the more I will bless you' — as a kind of motto, especially visible in the way the school chapel expansion has been described as 'the love letter of the community to the God who blesses our efforts.'
- Patron: Infant Jesus of Prague
- Bilingual parish: English and Spanish Masses every weekend
- Member of the Diocese of Raleigh
History of the Parish
The Catholic community in Jacksonville traces back to around 1920, when about eight Catholics in the area traveled to Wilmington for Mass roughly once a month. By 1958 the parish was well established, with Rev. L. C. Newman as pastor, a rectory on Mildred Avenue at Chaney, a convent at 214 Marine Boulevard, and a school at 501 Bordeaux Street. Infant of Prague Catholic School itself was founded in 1952 as a PreK-8 school staffed by the Sisters of Mercy. The modern era has been defined by explosive growth, both in the school and in the parish's permanent-adoration and Hispanic ministries.
- c. 1920 — first Catholic families in Jacksonville travel to Wilmington for monthly Mass
- 1952 — Infant of Prague Catholic School founded as PreK-8 by the Sisters of Mercy
- 1958 — Rev. L. C. Newman is pastor; school is at 501 Bordeaux St.
- Last decade — enrollment grows ~95%, waiting pools develop
- 2022 — parish purchases 501 Anne St. property (originally listed at $2.2M) for the upper campus
- 2023-24 — upper campus opens for grades 5-12
- 2025-26 — enrollment surpasses 400 students; first high school graduation
- Jan. 2026 — new school chapel slated for completion
Clergy & Staff
The parish is currently led by a pastor, parochial vicar, deacon, and pastor emeritus, supported by a large lay staff for the parish, school, thrift store, and outreach programs. Fr. Vic Gournas writes a regular 'Notes from Fr. Vic' column on the website.
- Pastor: Rev. John V. (Victor) Gournas, V.F. (Fr. Vic)
- Parochial Vicar: Rev. Alberto Ortega
- Deacon: Deacon James (Jim) Marapoti
- Pastor Emeritus: Rev. Ernest Ruede
- Principal: Ms. Ann Laatsch
- Business Manager: Mr. Jose Cabrera
- Parish Secretary: Ms. Lisa Kuna
- Director of Enrollment: Mrs. Angelica Bernal
- Marketing Coordinator: Miss Trina Wilson
- Faith Formation Coordinator (name on site not fully captured)
- Data Manager: Ms. Misty Clark
- Outreach & Youth Coordinator (named on contact page)
- Facilities Manager, Bookkeeper, and additional parish and school secretaries
Devotions
Beyond the regular Mass schedule, the parish maintains traditional Catholic devotions including First Saturday observance and the Infant of Prague Novena (historically celebrated on Wednesday evenings, per the 1958 parish directory).
- First Saturday Devotion
- Infant of Prague Novena
- Adoration and Benediction via the Perpetual Adoration Chapel
Infant of Prague Catholic School (PreK-12)
Infant of Prague Catholic School (IOPCS) was founded in 1952 as a PreK-8 school staffed by the Sisters of Mercy and has operated for more than seventy years. A decade-long 95% enrollment surge prompted the parish to expand: in 2022 it purchased a building at 501 Anne Street with a steepled chapel and three-story education wing, which opened for grades 5-12 in August 2023. IOPCS celebrated its first high school graduation in 2025, and a new school chapel is slated for completion in January 2026. More than 54% of students receive tuition assistance, primarily via the NC Opportunity Scholarship, and at least half of the student body comes from military families at Camp Lejeune and surrounding installations.
- Founded 1952 by the Sisters of Mercy
- Lower campus (PreK-4): 501 Bordeaux St., Jacksonville — (910) 455-0838
- Upper campus (5-12): 501 Anne St., Jacksonville — (910) 378-2818
- Now Enrolling PreK-12
- First high school graduation: 2025
- New school chapel slated for completion January 2026
- Principal: Ms. Ann Laatsch
Faith Formation & OCIA
Catechesis at IOP runs from childhood through adult initiation. The parish's Faith Formation program serves children in grades 1-12, with the 3rd-8th grade track focused on the Life of Christ, the Sacraments, Prayer, and Moral Living; First Communion and Confirmation are prepared separately. Adults exploring Catholicism — including those unbaptized, Christians seeking full communion, and Catholics seeking Confirmation — walk the Order of Christian Initiation for Adults (OCIA) together, meeting Sundays 12:30-2:00 PM in the Parish Hall.
- Faith Formation for grades 1-12 ($60/child for 3rd-8th; $85/child for First Communion/Confirmation; $175 cap for families with 3+ children)
- Requires baptismal certificate, registration, Sunday Mass attendance, and parish involvement
- Two-year preparation process for un-baptized minors seeking initiation
- OCIA sessions Sundays 12:30-2:00 PM in the Parish Hall (Sept-May)
- Rite of Election held each February at Holy Name of Jesus Cathedral, Raleigh
- Contact: [email protected] or (910) 378-9869
Lay Ministries & Apostolates
The parish runs an unusually broad lay apostolate, with ministries grouped by life stage, devotional tradition, and liturgical service. Three choirs — English, Spanish, and Gregorian Chant — support the bilingual Mass schedule, while live-stream volunteers extend the parish's reach to the homebound.
- Youth Group (grades 6-12)
- Troops of Saint George (father/son Catholic adventure apostolate)
- Young Adult Ministry
- Faith & Fellowship (Catholic Millennials)
- Legion of Mary
- Men's Bible Study
- Knights of Columbus
- Catholic Daughters of America & Junior Catholic Daughters
- Emmaus y Ministerio Español
- Senior Social Nights
- Respect Life
- English, Spanish, and Gregorian Chant Choirs
- Liturgical Ministers (Sacristans, Extraordinary Eucharistic Ministers, Readers, Altar Servers, Hospitality)
- Live-Stream Ministry
Outreach: Food Pantry, Thrift Store, and Resource Center
IOP's Outreach Ministry serves neighbors in need through a food pantry, a thrift store, and a resource center that also coordinates bulk-item pickups and volunteer opportunities.
- Thrift Store — 119 Wilmington Hwy, Jacksonville — (910) 937-1543
- Outreach Resource Center — 327 Mildred Ave, Jacksonville — (910) 347-4196 ext. 409
- Food Pantry assistance
- Volunteer and donation opportunities, including bulk-item pickups
- Youth Formation programs connected to outreach
Columbarium & Meditation Shrine
The Infant of Prague Columbarium & Meditation Shrine offers a Catholic in-ground resting place on the parish campus for parishioners and their immediate families. It contains 300 niches, each able to hold one or two urns, with cast-bronze memorial plaques. The columbarium sits opposite the Adoration Chapel with landscaping and benches for visitors.
- 300 niches, each accommodating 1-2 urns
- Cast-bronze memorial plaques
- Located opposite the Adoration Chapel on the IOP campus
- Contact: Jenna Dewkett, (910) 347-4196 ext. 410
Sacraments
The parish celebrates all the usual sacraments and posts clear preparation requirements for marriage on its website. Infant of Prague asks engaged couples to begin at least six months ahead and to be registered members of the parish for at least six months before the wedding.
- Marriage: 6-month notice and 6-month parish registration required
- Wedding receptions can be held in the Parish Hall (contact [email protected])
- Baptism: baptismal certificate required for Faith Formation
- First Communion & Confirmation preparation
- OCIA for adult initiation
Visit, Connect, and Give
Newcomers can register online through the parish website, download the MyParish App for ongoing news and bulletins, and follow Sunday Masses via the parish's Facebook and YouTube livestreams. Tithing is handled through an online donation platform linked from the homepage.
- New Parishioner Registration available online
- MyParish App for parish news and bulletins
- Online tithing/donation platform
- Sunday Mass livestreamed at 10:30 AM (English) and 12:30 PM (Spanish)
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. L. C. Newmanat least by 1958
Listed as pastor in the 1958 Hill's Jacksonville (Onslow County) city directory, with rectory at Mildred Ave. (Cor Chaney), convent at 214 Marine Blvd., and school at 501 Bordeaux St.
- Rev. Ernest Ruederetired
Now Pastor Emeritus of Infant of Prague.
- Rev. John V. (Victor) Gournas, V.F.current
Current pastor; V.F. denotes Vicar Forane in the Diocese of Raleigh; writes the regular 'Notes from Fr. Vic' column.