About Our Lady of Lourdes · Raleigh, North Carolina
Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church is a thriving parish in Raleigh, North Carolina, founded in 1954 on land donated to the Diocese of Raleigh by James Joseph and Rosalie W. Fallon in 1938. The parish serves a bilingual community with Mass celebrated in both English and Spanish, and it operates a respected parish school (Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School) that has educated generations of Raleigh-area children since opening its doors two months before the parish itself was officially established. Today the parish is led by Father Nicolas Rapkoch (Administrator) along with two parochial vicars, three deacons, and a full lay staff, and is distinguished by a 24/7 Perpetual Adoration Chapel, an active ministry directory, and a deep tradition of Catholic education shaped over seven decades by the Sisters of the Holy Cross, Sisters of Mercy, Sisters of Notre Dame, and Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (IHM).
- Established
- 1954
- Patron
- Our Lady of Lourdes
- Rector
- Reverend Nicolas Rapkoch (Administrator)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Raleigh
Why belong here
Our Lady of Lourdes offers a richly bilingual Catholic home — with Mass in English every day and Sunday plus a weekly Spanish Mass — anchored by a 24/7 Perpetual Adoration Chapel that few parishes can match. Families find a full K-8 Catholic school (operating at capacity), robust faith formation from preschool through high school (including OCIA/RCIA for adults), active men's and women's ministries like That Man Is You, and an unusually deep history of religious sisters — Holy Cross, Mercy, Notre Dame, and IHM — who have shaped the community since 1954. Add in the St. Bernadette recreation center, the longstanding ecumenical relationships with neighboring Ridge Road Baptist, Highland Methodist, and Raleigh Moravian congregations, and the warm parish culture of the Anderson Heights neighborhood, and you have a parish that has welcomed and formed Raleigh Catholics for more than seventy years.
Mass times at Our Lady of Lourdes
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Wednesday 12:00 PM–12:30 PM (English and Spanish, also by appointment) — held in the upper level of the church (confession room, left of glass doors inside church entrance) and lower level (Parlor, follow signs)
- Saturday 3:00 PM–4:00 PM (English and Spanish, also by appointment) — same locations
Adoration times
- Perpetual Adoration — Adoration Chapel open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, in the same building as the parish office
- First Friday 6:00 PM — additional Mass followed by Holy Hour
History of Our Lady of Lourdes Parish
The parish traces its roots to a 1938 donation of twenty acres of Anderson Heights land by James Joseph and Rosalie W. Fallon to the Diocese of Raleigh. Bishop Vincent S. Waters sent a priest to Lourdes, France to petition for religious sisters for the diocese — when that prayer was answered, he named the new parish in honor of Our Lady of Lourdes. Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Elementary School opened in October 1954 with 115 students from Sacred Heart Cathedral School, and the first parish Mass was celebrated December 5, 1954, with Reverend Francis J. Tait installed as first pastor.
- 1938 — Fallon family donates 20 acres in Anderson Heights
- 1954 — School opens (Oct) and first parish Mass (Dec 5)
- 1955 — First patronal feast celebrated
- 1960 — First lay parish advisory council established
- 1965 — St. Michael the Archangel, Cary, opens as mission church
- 1976 — New church building dedicated
- 1993 — Fallon Center completed
- 1997 — Perpetual Adoration Chapel, parish offices, and new school dedicated
- 2015 — St. Bernadette Center and church expansion dedicated
- 2024 — 70th anniversary celebrated
Pastorate & Clergy
The parish is currently led by Administrator Reverend Nicolas Rapkoch (named in 2025), supported by two parochial vicars and three deacons. The parish website and the Diocese of Raleigh both list the full current clergy team.
- Reverend Nicolas Rapkoch — Administrator
- Reverend Kenneth Oguzie, C.Ss.P. — Parochial Vicar
- Reverend Clyde Timberlake (Tim) Meares — Parochial Vicar
- Deacon Byron Champagne
- Deacon Myles Charlesworth
- Deacon Paul Bradley (Brad) Magill
Parish Staff & School Leadership
Beyond clergy, Our Lady of Lourdes is served by a lay staff including a Hispanic Ministry Coordinator, Financial Administrator, Business & Facilities Manager, Director of Music, Children's Faith Formation, Youth Faith Formation & OCIA, Marriage Preparation & Wedding Coordinator, Communications Director, OLL News / Photography Coordinator, Reception, and the leadership of Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School (Principal Cindy Frey and Assistant Principal Maria House).
- Rogelio Raya — Hispanic Ministry Coordinator
- Candace Sperati — Director of Music
- Bernadett Horvath — Marriage Preparation & Wedding Coordinator
- Adrianne Magill — Communications Director (Parish and School)
- Cindy Frey — Principal, Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School
- Maria House — Assistant Principal
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Faith formation at Our Lady of Lourdes is designed as lifelong learning, with programs for children, youth, and adults rooted in Sacred Scripture and Tradition. Children's classes meet every other Sunday from 10:15–11:15 AM in the Elementary School Building; middle and high school youth ministry is distinct from faith formation and focuses on spiritual life, service, and full participation in parish life. Adult inquiry gatherings (OCIA/RCIA) welcome those interested in learning more about the Catholic Church.
- Children's Faith Formation (Preschool–Grade 5)
- Children's Liturgy of the Word — CLOW (4 yrs–1st grade) at the 9 AM Mass
- Nursery (ages 2–3) at the 9 AM Mass
- Youth Faith Formation (Grades 6–12) — including two-year Confirmation prep for rising 9th graders
- Middle and High School Youth Ministry (Grades 6–12)
- Adult Faith Formation / OCIA (RCIA) inquiry gatherings
Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School
Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School has provided faith-based, academically rich education to the families of Raleigh and surrounding areas since 1954. Founded by the Sisters of the Holy Cross, the school has also been served by the Sisters of Mercy, the Sisters of Notre Dame, and the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (IHM). The school is at capacity across all classrooms and is planning further renovation and expansion.
- Founded 1954 — first principal Sister M. Bettina Batchelder, CSC (Sisters of the Holy Cross)
- Current principal: Cindy Frey; Assistant Principal Maria House
- Religious communities who have served on faculty: Sisters of the Holy Cross, Sisters of Mercy (Belmont), Sisters of Notre Dame, IHM
- Campus includes the original 1954 school building (grades 6–8, renovated) and a newer school building for grades 1–5
- Website: https://olls.org/
Parish Ministries & Community Life
The parish supports a wide directory of ministries that span men's fellowship, women's groups, Marian devotion, Hispanic ministry, music and liturgy, family and youth work, and ecumenical outreach. The parish's oldest lay ministry — the St. Bernadette Altar Guild — has been active since the parish's founding year of 1954.
- That Man Is You — Catholic men's ministry (Fri mornings 6:00–7:30 AM)
- St. Bernadette Altar Guild (founded 1954)
- Legion of Mary
- Hispanic Ministry (Rogelio Raya)
- Homeschool Ministry
- Music Ministry — Candace Sperati
- Communications & OLL News / Photography — Adrianne Magill, Jannine LeBlanc
- Annual ecumenical union service with Ridge Road Baptist, Highland Methodist, and Raleigh Moravian churches (since 1975)
Sacraments
The parish prepares members for the full sacramental life of the Catholic Church, from Baptism through Marriage and Anointing of the Sick. Children's sacraments are prepared through Children's Faith Formation; Confirmation requires a two-year preparation period beginning in rising 9th grade. Adults seeking initiation or full communion participate in the OCIA process.
- Baptism — preparation through the parish office
- First Reconciliation & First Eucharist — through Children's Faith Formation
- Confirmation — two-year preparation via Youth Faith Formation
- Marriage — Bernadett Horvath, Wedding Coordinator
- Anointing of the Sick — by request through the parish office
- OCIA (RCIA) — for adults inquiring into the Catholic faith
Facilities & Campus
The Anderson Heights campus combines historic and modern buildings serving worship, school, faith formation, and parish life. The original 1954 church is now the school cafeteria; the current church was dedicated in 1976 and expanded in 2015; the Fallon Center (1993), Perpetual Adoration Chapel and parish offices (1997), and the St. Bernadette Center (2015) round out the campus.
- 2906 Anderson Drive — main parish / church address
- 2718 Overbrook Drive — parish offices
- Perpetual Adoration Chapel — same building as parish office, open 24/7
- St. Bernadette Center (28,385 sq ft) — gym, stage, locker rooms, music room, meeting rooms, offices
- Fallon Center — multi-purpose social and faith formation facility
- School cafeteria — housed in the original 1954 church building
Get Involved / Contact
Parishioners and visitors can reach the parish office at (919) 861-4600 (fax 919-861-4620). Communications / event submissions go through Communications Director Adrianne Magill at [email protected] or 910-861-4613. The parish is on Facebook at facebook.com/ourladyoflourdescc and livestreams Mass on its website and YouTube channel.
- Parish office: 919-861-4600
- Email: [email protected]
- Facebook: facebook.com/ourladyoflourdescc
- Website: ourladyoflourdescc.org
- School website: olls.org
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Reverend Francis J. Tait1954–1961
First pastor of Our Lady of Lourdes; installed by Bishop Vincent S. Waters at the dedication of the temporary church on December 5, 1954.
- Reverend Michael A. Carey1961–1970
Second pastor; oversaw early growth of the parish school and Anderson Heights community.
- Reverend Francis J. Tait1970–1978
Returned as third pastor; led the early-1970s building campaign that produced the new church dedicated in 1976.
- Reverend Monsignor James E. McSweeney, V.G.1978–1983
Fourth pastor.
- Reverend Raymond Donahue1983–1988
Fifth pastor.
- Reverend Joseph G. Vetter1988–1989
Sixth pastor.
- Very Reverend Jeffrey Ingham, V.F.1989–2000
Seventh pastor; oversaw completion of Fallon Center (1993) and the 1997 dedication of the Perpetual Adoration Chapel, parish offices, and new school building.
- Reverend Monsignor Tim O'Connor, V.F.2000–2006
Eighth pastor; led the 50th anniversary celebration in 2004.
- Reverend John J. Forbes2006–2017
Ninth pastor; launched the 2012 'Our Lady of Lourdes Dreams' campaign and oversaw the 2015 dedication of the St. Bernadette Center.
- Reverend Edward Burch2017
Pastoral Administrator in 2017.
- Reverend James F. Garneau2018–2019
Tenth pastor.
- Reverend Patrick (Pat) Keane2019–2025
Eleventh pastor; celebrated the 70th anniversary Mass in October 2024.
- Reverend Nicolas Rapkoch2025–present
Named Administrator of Our Lady of Lourdes Church in 2025.