About St. Andrew the Apostle · Mars Hill, North Carolina
St. Andrew the Apostle Catholic Church is a Roman Catholic parish in the small college town of Mars Hill, North Carolina, serving as the Catholic presence in Madison County and the broader Western North Carolina mountains. Along with its mission church, Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Burnsville (Yancey County), the parish covers an enormous 764 square miles of mountainous terrain. The parish ministers to a bilingual English-and-Spanish-speaking community and is led by Fr. Anthony Mbanefo, MSP, PhD, as pastor. Worship is centered on the Holy Eucharist, with daily Mass, Adoration before weekday Masses, and the Sacrament of Reconciliation before every weekend Mass.
- Patron
- St. Andrew the Apostle
- Rector
- Rev. Anthony C. Mbanefo, MSP, PhD
- Diocese
- Diocese of Charlotte
Why belong here
St. Andrew the Apostle welcomes both English- and Spanish-speaking Catholics across Madison and Yancey Counties with daily Mass in both languages, Eucharistic Adoration before every daily Mass, and the Sacrament of Reconciliation before every weekend Mass. The parish also operates the St. Andrew Food Pantry as a concrete outreach to neighbors in need, and the parish office staff (including bilingual secretary Kelly Hansen) makes it easy to get connected, registered, or helped in an emergency. For anyone moving to the Mars Hill or Burnsville area — or for Spanish-speaking Catholics who might otherwise have to drive over the mountain for Mass — St. Andrew's is a small but mission-driven Catholic home.
Mass times at St. Andrew the Apostle
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- 30 minutes before each weekend Mass
- Before Sunday Mass or by appointment
Adoration times
- The hour before daily Mass (8:00 AM before Tuesday & Thursday 9:00 AM English Mass; 11:00 AM before Wednesday 12:00 PM Mass; 6:00 PM before Monday 7:00 PM and Friday 7:00 PM Spanish Masses)
About Our Parish
St. Andrew the Apostle Catholic Church in Mars Hill, together with its mission church Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Burnsville, serves as the Roman Catholic presence in Madison and Yancey Counties in Western North Carolina. Together the two churches cover 764 square miles. The parish mission is to be 'the presence of Christ in our service to each other' and to grow in Catholic faith 'through celebration of the Holy Eucharist.' Pastor Fr. Anthony Mbanefo, MSP, PhD leads the parish with parish secretary/assistant Kelly Hansen.
- Pastor: Rev. Anthony Mbanefo, MSP, PhD
- Parish Secretary/Assistant: Kelly Hansen
- Covers 764 sq mi in Madison and Yancey Counties
- Sister church / mission: Sacred Heart, Burnsville
Sacred Heart Mission Church — Burnsville
Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Burnsville (20 Summit Street, Burnsville, NC 28714) is the parish's mission church, sharing the same pastor and parish office. It provides Sunday and weekday Masses for Catholics in Yancey County and adds the parish's only Wednesday and Friday daily Masses plus its only Sunday 11:30 AM English and 1:30 PM Spanish Masses.
- Address: 20 Summit Street, Burnsville, NC 28714
- Same phone: (828) 689-3719
- Yancey County's Catholic mission church
St. Andrew Food Pantry
The St. Andrew Food Pantry is one of the parish's named outreach ministries, serving neighbors in need across the parish's vast 764-square-mile mission area. The parish posts periodic notices on its website (e.g., scheduled closure dates) to keep the community informed.
- Operated by the parish
- Announcements posted on the parish website
Contact, Directions & Office Hours
Parish office hours are Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., with Friday available by appointment. The office is closed Mondays and all Holy Days of Obligation. In an emergency (e.g., last rites), parishioners can text or call Kelly Hansen's cell at 910-515-9111.
- Office: Tue–Thu 10:00 AM–2:00 PM; Friday by appointment
- Closed Mondays and Holy Days of Obligation
- Mailing address: PO Box 1406, Mars Hill, NC 28754
- Emergency line: 910-515-9111
Directions to St. Andrew the Apostle (Mars Hill)
From I-26 West, take Exit 11, turn left at the stop sign, go approximately 1.5 miles staying straight through the stoplight in the middle of Mars Hill and through the Mars Hill College (now Mars Hill University) campus. After passing tennis courts on the right and leaving the town limits, take the first right onto Brook Street. The paved road climbs a hill and dead-ends at the church parking lot.
- Exit 11 off I-26 West
- Adjacent to Mars Hill University campus
- Parking lot at the end of Brook Street
Directions to Sacred Heart (Burnsville)
From I-26 West, take Exit 9 and travel about 16 miles to Burnsville. Turn left at the stoplight just past McDonald's (on the left). At the stop sign for the Town Square, turn right, then take the first right (the Courthouse is on the right). At the bottom of the hill, turn first left onto Summit Street; the church is about 100 feet on the right.
- Exit 9 off I-26 West
- Approx. 16 miles to Burnsville
- Near the Yancey County Courthouse
Diocese of Charlotte
St. Andrew the Apostle is a parish in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte. The diocese lists Fr. Anthony C. Mbanefo as Parochial Administrator and confirms the parish's bilingual Saturday/Sunday schedule (5:00 PM Spanish Vigil, 9:00 AM English Sunday).
- Diocese of Charlotte
- Listed at charlottediocese.org/parishes/st-andrew-the-apostle/