About Mother Teresa of Calcutta · Cary, North Carolina
Mother Teresa of Calcutta Catholic Church is a parish in Cary, North Carolina, part of the Diocese of Raleigh. Inspired by its patron saint, the parish describes itself as a welcoming community engaged in service to Christ and committed to the evangelization of His people with great love. The congregation began in 2000 as an overflow Mass from St. Michael the Archangel Church, grew for over two decades as a mission church, and was formally elevated to parish status on January 1, 2023. Bishop Luis Rafael Zarama dedicated the community's first permanent worship center in late 2022 at 1125 Mother Teresa Drive, Cary, NC 27519.
- Established
- 2000
- Patron
- Saint Teresa of Calcutta (Mother Teresa)
- Rector
- Rev. Daniel D. Oschwald
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Raleigh
Why belong here
Mother Teresa Catholic Church is a tight-knit, service-oriented parish whose culture of helping and welcoming grew out of more than two decades of small-parish intimacy — including years when members met in borrowed spaces like Green Hope High School and Bond Park. Today the 500+-family community offers daily and weekend Mass, First Saturday Adoration, Saturday confessions, an active Faith Formation program for children (Shine, Grow, and Love tracks), music ministry, and parish-wide outreach such as a blood drive, Vacation Bible School, and ongoing support for a sister parish in Uganda. The new worship center on Mother Teresa Drive — with its wave-shaped wooden ceiling and a narthex designed for fellowship — was built to feel like home, and the parish expressly invites new members to share in that warmth.
Mass times at Mother Teresa of Calcutta
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM
Adoration times
- Saturday 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM (First Saturdays only)
- Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament after the 9:30 AM Mass until noon (First Saturdays)
Parish Story & History
Mother Teresa Catholic Church is a relatively young parish whose roots go back to August 20, 2000, when Monsignor John Wall of St. Michael the Archangel in Cary celebrated the first overflow Mass in the Green Hope High School auditorium. Seventeen people attended that first Mass. Over the next 22 years the small community worshipped in borrowed spaces — including Bond Park and Green Hope High School — while rotating priests came weekly to celebrate Mass. Bishop Michael Burbidge gave the community its name, Mother Teresa, in 2016. In 2015, Father Daniel Oschwald was assigned to the mission; he would go on to serve as administrator for seven years before becoming the parish's first pastor when it was formally elevated to parish status on January 1, 2023. Bishop Luis Rafael Zarama dedicated the new worship center on December 10, 2022.
- First Mass: August 20, 2000 — Green Hope High School auditorium, 17 people present
- Named 'Mother Teresa' in 2016 by Bishop Michael Burbidge
- Father Daniel Oschwald assigned to the mission in 2015
- New worship center dedicated by Bishop Luis Rafael Zarama on December 10, 2022
- Elevated from mission to parish on January 1, 2023
Worship & Building the Parish Home
For two decades the community had no permanent tabernacle — after every Communion, the reserved Eucharist had to be transported home or to St. Michael. The 2022 worship center ended that long chapter. The new building is a multi-purpose structure: it serves as the gathering space for Mass now and will become a parish hall once a dedicated church is built on the same campus. The architecture was designed by and for parishioners. The asymmetrical wooden arch of the roof and ceiling flows over the space in the shape of a wave or wing; large windows extend down from the ceiling to frame the trees outside; wooden arch beams and columns support the structure; and a carpeted floor with flexible chairs allows the room to host larger events. A large narthex — separated from the worship space by a glass wall and wired into the sound system for overflow — preserves the 'marketplace' fellowship feel of the old Green Hope cafeteria.
- First permanent tabernacle installed in 2022 (Our Lady of Lourdes, donated by a parishioner)
- Wave-shaped wooden ceiling with large windows framing the trees
- Large narthex with overflow capability
- Building intended to convert into a parish hall once a dedicated church is built
Parishioner-Crafted Features
Many of the most distinctive elements of the new worship space were made by members of the parish itself — a tangible expression of the community's culture of service and craftsmanship.
- Reredos behind the altar — designed by Michelle Eckhart
- Interior design and furnishing — Harry Chalker's company
- Sanctuary furnishings — built by John McGuire
- Indoor Stations of the Cross — created by Ed DelCogliano
- Portrait of Mother Teresa in the narthex — painted by Bill Gurecki
- Gratitude Tree in the narthex — made by Dan Fuccella with Ashley Steinlage
Mass & Sacraments
The parish celebrates Mass in English every day of the week, with a Vigil Mass on Saturday evening and two Sunday morning Masses. Confessions are heard Saturday mornings, and First Saturdays feature extended Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament following the morning Mass. The parish office can be reached at (919) 623-1751 to schedule Baptisms and other sacramental preparations.
- Saturday Vigil: 4:30 PM (English)
- Sunday: 8:30 AM and 10:30 AM (English)
- Weekdays: Tuesday 5:30 PM; Wednesday–Friday 9:30 AM; First Saturday 9:30 AM
- Morning Prayer at 9:15 AM on Fridays
- Confessions: Saturday 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM
- Adoration: First Saturday 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM (and after the First Saturday Mass until noon)
- Sacraments of Initiation: Baptism, Eucharist, Confirmation
Faith Formation for Children
Mother Teresa Catholic Church runs a Faith Formation program organized into three named tracks that follow children through their growth in the faith. The directors of each track are listed on the parish's 'Our People' page.
- Faith Formation – Shine (Nicole Swannack)
- Faith Formation – Grow (Kim Wisniewski)
- Faith Formation – Love (Alan Fontaine)
- Children's Liturgy of the Word
- Vacation Bible School: Hometown Nazareth
Music & Liturgy
Music is led by Music Director Cindy FitzGerald. The parish also celebrates a special Teen Mass as part of its calendar of liturgies.
- Music Director: Cindy FitzGerald
- Teen Mass (special celebration on the parish calendar)
Outreach & Service
Service is a hallmark of the parish community. Of roughly 515 registered families, about 275 are active volunteers — a number parishioner-leaders consider an undercount. The community runs a Mercy Ministry, hosts a parish blood drive, and has a long-running relationship with St. Matia Mulumba Parish in Uganda that began through visiting Ugandan priest Father Charles Lugenda.
- Mercy Ministry (coordinator listed on 'Our People' page)
- Parish blood drive
- Young Families Gathering
- Support for St. Matia Mulumba Parish in Uganda: water infrastructure, solar panels, construction, a vehicle, and $20K in pandemic emergency food relief
- Cultural Masses celebrating the parish's Indian, Vietnamese, Malaysian and other communities
Parish Staff & Leadership
The parish is led by Pastor Rev. Daniel D. Oschwald and supported by two deacons, a parish administrator, and a team of lay staff and ministry leaders. The Pastoral Council Chair and Finance Council Chair are listed on the 'Our People' page.
- Pastor: Fr. Daniel Oschwald
- Parish Administrator: Angela Sentosa
- Business Manager: Michelle Yeh
- Administrative Assistant: Juliana Lucas
- Music Director: Cindy FitzGerald
- Communications: Matt Young
- Bulletin/Web Editor: Brian Irving
- Faith Formation – Love: Nicole Swannack
- Faith Formation – Shine: Alan Fontaine
- Faith Formation – Grow: Nicolle Pollaci
- Deacon: Jorge Victor Rosende
- Deacon: Michael (Mike) Walsh
Visiting & Practical Info
The parish is located at 1125 Mother Teresa Drive in Cary, NC 27519, and can be reached at (919) 623-1751. The parish office is open Tuesday 12:00 – 5:30 PM and Wednesday through Friday 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM. The Pastoral Council meets on the third Wednesday via Zoom (Meeting ID: 822 2122 0428, Passcode: Leadtheway). The parish publishes a weekly newsletter, Mother Teresa News, and updates are also shared on its Facebook page.
- Address: 1125 Mother Teresa Drive, Cary, NC 27519
- Phone: (919) 623-1751
- Office hours: Tue 12:00–5:30 PM; Wed–Fri 9:00 AM–2:00 PM
- Weekly newsletter: Mother Teresa News
- Pastoral Council: third Wednesday, Zoom (ID 822 2122 0428, passcode Leadtheway)
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Monsignor John Wall2000 (founding, as pastor of St. Michael the Archangel)
Presided at the first overflow Mass on August 20, 2000, in the Green Hope High School auditorium; founding pastor of the parent community at St. Michael the Archangel.
- Rev. Daniel D. Oschwald2015–present
Assigned to the mission in 2015; served as administrator for seven years; became the parish's first pastor when the community was elevated to parish status on January 1, 2023.