About St. Catherine of Siena · Wake Forest, North Carolina
St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Church is a Roman Catholic parish in Wake Forest, North Carolina — a fast-growing suburb north of Raleigh — serving the faithful of northern Wake County from its campus at 520 West Holding Avenue. Founded in 1940 and named after the patron saint of its benefactress, papal countess Katherine E. Price, the parish grew from a granite Gothic chapel on South Main Street into a Romanesque 1,700-seat worship complex completed in 2009. Today it is a multi-generational, bilingual community (English and Spanish) with a parish school (PreK-3 through 7th grade), daily and weekend Masses, perpetual adoration, a parish-school faith formation program, and a deep bench of outreach ministries.
- Established
- 1940
- Patron
- St. Catherine of Siena
- Rector
- Rev. Jeffrey A. Bowker
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Raleigh
Why belong here
St. Catherine of Siena is a large, bilingual parish rooted in 80+ years of Catholic life in Wake Forest but still actively growing — a place where families can worship at one of five Sunday Masses (including a Spanish Mass), send their children to a PreK-3 through 7th-grade Catholic school, deepen their faith through perpetual daily adoration and ongoing faith formation, and put their faith into action through ministries like the Knights of Columbus, Catholic Parish Outreach Food Pantry, Night to Shine for individuals with disabilities, the Prayer Shawl ministry, and St. Camillus ministry to the homebound.
Mass times at St. Catherine of Siena
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday: 3:00 PM – 4:30 PM
- Wednesday: 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM
Adoration times
- Monday: 5:00 AM – 10:00 PM
- Tuesday: 5:00 AM – 10:00 PM
- Wednesday: 5:00 AM – 10:00 PM
- Thursday: 5:00 AM – 10:00 PM
- Friday: 5:00 AM – 10:00 PM
- Saturday: 5:00 AM – 10:00 PM
- Sunday: 5:00 AM – 10:00 PM
Parish History
St. Catherine of Siena was founded in 1940 and named for the patron saint of papal countess Katherine E. Price of Greenwich, Connecticut, who funded its construction out of granite from Rolesville, NC, designed by architect Frank Frimmer of Tampa. The parish has grown from a small Gothic chapel on South Main Street — preceded by Mass in a railroad chapel car — to a Romanesque 1,700-seat complex on West Holding Avenue, completed in 2009. Over the decades St. Catherine's has founded two daughter parishes (St. Eugene's in Wendell in 1947 and Our Lady of the Rosary in Louisburg in 1999) and grown from a handful of pioneer families to more than 450 families by the time it moved to Holding Avenue in 1997.
- 1940: Dedication of the original granite Gothic church on S. Main St.
- 1947: Founded daughter parish St. Eugene's in Wendell
- 1948: Wake Forest became headquarters of the Missionary Apostolate (Madonna of the Highways trailer-chapel)
- 1988: Purchased 18.625 acres on West Holding Avenue for $172,212.50
- 1997: Moved into new multi-purpose building with school
- 1999: Founded daughter parish Our Lady of the Rosary in Louisburg
- 2002: Completed new permanent rectory on Tyler Run Drive
- 2009: Dedicated new Romanesque 33,000 sq ft church (1,700 seats, $9 million)
Faith Formation & Religious Education
The Faith Formation program at St. Catherine of Siena serves children from Kindergarten through High School, with parallel English and Spanish tracks. Catechists are lay faithful parents trained in curriculum and classroom process under the Director of Religious Education. The Kindergarten program uses Loyola Press' Finding God; Elementary and Early Middle School use the Augustine Institute's Word of Life series; Year 2 First Communion prep uses Ascension's Renewed and Received.
- Director of Religious Education: Kerry Urdzik (Ext. 108)
- Faith Formation Assistant Director: Kelsey Tuning
- Elementary Faith Formation (K – Early Middle School)
- First Communion Preparation (Year 2, 2nd grade and older)
- Spanish Faith Formation / Formación de Fe en Español
- Registration for 2026-2027 school year now open
St. Catherine of Siena Catholic School
St. Catherine of Siena Catholic School shares the parish campus and offers a PreK-3 through 7th-grade Catholic education, with school phone 919-556-7613. The school opened with the parish's first kindergarten class in 1997 under the multi-purpose building and has grown one grade at a time, currently serving preschool through seventh grade.
- Principal: on staff (see Staff Directory)
- Lead School Administrative Assistant / Admissions
- Curriculum: PreK-3 – Grade 7
- Phone: 919-556-7613
Music & Liturgical Ministries
The parish Music Director leads liturgical music for weekend and feast-day Masses, working alongside volunteer choirs and cantors. English and Spanish music ministries serve the parish's bilingual liturgy, including the Quinceañera ministry and Hispanic celebrations.
- Music Director: Matthew Sprinkle (Ext. 402)
- English parish choir and cantors
- Spanish-language liturgical music for the 1:00 PM Sunday and 7:00 PM Thursday Spanish Masses
Outreach & Charity
St. Catherine's field a substantial outreach program, supporting the local Catholic Parish Outreach Food Pantry and partnering with many community organizations. The parish is also a regular host of Night to Shine, the Tim Tebow Foundation's annual celebration for individuals with special needs.
- Catholic Parish Outreach Food Pantry
- Operation Harvest — food for the homebound
- Brown Bag Ministry — food for those in need
- St. Camillus Ministry — Eucharist for the homebound
- Prayer Shawl — crochet / knit for those in need
- Threads of Love — handmade items for hospitals
- Night to Shine — annual gala for individuals with disabilities
Parish Groups & Fellowship
Men's, women's, and family fellowship is rooted in long-standing organizations that combine service and community. For children and teens, the parish supports a robust roster of character-formation programs and parent-child fellowships.
- Knights of Columbus — men's service & fellowship
- Bella Brigata — women's service & fellowship
- American Heritage Girls — girls' character formation
- Boy Scouts
- Fraternus & Fidelis — boys' & girls' youth mentorship
- Troops of St. George — father & son fellowship
Ministries Hispanos / Ministerios en Español
A parallel set of ministries in Spanish supports the parish's Hispanic community, with formation, marriage enrichment, youth outreach, and Marian devotions. A dedicated Hispanic Ministry Coordinator oversees pastoral care for Spanish-speaking parishioners.
- Formación de Fe (Catequesis) — Spanish Faith Formation
- Ministros de Eucaristía — Eucharistic Ministers
- Ministerio de Hospitalidad — Hospitality
- Ministerio de Quinceañeras — Quinceañera ministry
- Ministerios de Matrimonios y Parejas — Marriage & Couples
- Virgen de Guadalupe — Our Lady of Guadalupe devotion
- Renovación Carismática Católica — Charismatic Renewal
- Misioneros de María Inmaculada — Missionaries of the Immaculate Mary
- Escuela de San Andrés — Spanish catechetical school
- Hispanic Ministry Coordinator: Jessica Marin (Ext. 117)
Clergy & Staff
The parish is led by its current pastor with the assistance of three parochial vicars and two deacons. Lay staff run faith formation, music, school administration, business, and parish-office operations. Parish office hours are Monday–Friday, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM, phone 919-570-0070.
- Pastor: Rev. Jeffrey A. Bowker
- Parochial Vicar: Rev. Agustin Alonso Sigaran Donis
- Parochial Vicar: Rev. Basile Sede Noujio
- Parochial Vicar: Rev. Javier Castrejón Flores
- Deacon: Rev. Mr. Brad Watkins
- Deacon: Rev. Mr. Ramon Ferrer
- Director of Religious Education: Kerry Urdzik (Ext. 108)
- Faith Formation Assistant Director: Kelsey Tuning
- Hispanic Ministry Coordinator: Jessica Marin (Ext. 117)
- Office Manager: Joyce Gaston (Ext. 104)
- Pastoral Administrative Assistant: Melanie Cabrera (Ext. 101)
- Business Manager / Business Administrative Assistant: Anna Petrone (Ext. 105)
- Music Director: Matthew Sprinkle (Ext. 402)
- Maintenance Supervisor: Greg Davis (Ext. 136)
- School staff: Cathy Schwarz, Ivy Pesa, Shari Pender
- Parish fax: 919-570-0071
Visiting & Contact
The parish campus sits at 520 West Holding Avenue in Wake Forest, NC, just north of Raleigh. The parish office is open Monday–Friday, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM. Mass times, directions, and confession/adoration schedules are all listed on scswf.org, and 'Get Directions' is offered via the contact page on the Diocese of Raleigh site. Inquiries: 919-570-0070 or [email protected].
- Address: 520 W. Holding Avenue, Wake Forest, NC 27587
- Phone: 919-570-0070
- Email: [email protected]
- Fax: 919-570-0071
- School phone: 919-556-7613
- Office hours: Monday–Friday, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Edward L. GrossMarch 27, 1940 – April 1944
First resident pastor of the parish; installed by Bishop McGuinness.
- Rev. J. Jerome HickeyApril 1944 – January 1946
Second resident pastor.
- Rev. James TevlinJanuary 1946 – April 1948
Founded the first daughter parish, St. Eugene's in Wendell, in 1947; celebrated monthly Mass for Irish Travelers encamped locally.
- Rev. John HylandApril 1, 1948 – 1949
First superior of Bishop Vincent S. Waters' Missionary Apostolate; Wake Forest became headquarters for the Madonna of the Highways trailer-chapel.
- Rev. John F. RouecheMarch 31, 1949 – c. early 1950s
Served Wake Forest and Wendell.
- Rev. Frederick A. Koch1950s
- Rev. Cranor F. Graves1950s
- Rev. James R. Jones1950s
- Rev. Robert E. McMahonMay 29, 1959 – February 1962
Also diocesan Vice-Chancellor; oversaw 1959 repairs to stained glass and roofs and a new heating system.
- Rev. Ronald McLaughlinFebruary 1962 – June 1962
Brief four-month assignment.
- Rev. Francis R. Moeslein1960s
- Rev. Francis Donnellan, S.S.E.1960s
Implemented the decrees of Vatican II in the liturgy (Mass facing the people, vernacular).
- Rev. John B. Para, S.S.E.until August 1965
- Rev. Joseph N. Couture, S.S.E.1966 – c. 1970
- Rev. Oliva Langlois, S.S.E.1965; returned 1970
Returned for a second term; the first Parish Council was established during his pastorate in 1977.
- Rev. William L. Pitts1978 – early 1980s
Steered the parish through the 1979 lightning strike on the bell tower and subsequent repairs.
- Rev. Francis Moesleinsummer 1983 – 1985
- Rev. John A. RanalliJuly 9, 1985 – May 1987
The parish's 16th pastor; shared time with St. Eugene's in Wendell; shepherded creation of the Ladies Guild (Nov 1985) and the Parish Finance Council (1986).
- Sister Joanne DiGiovanni, RSM (Pastoral Administrator)May 1987 – July 1987
Pastoral administrator appointed by Bishop Gossman after Fr. Ranalli's reassignment.
- Rev. Thomas J. GaulJuly 11, 1987 – c. 1993
- Rev. Richard W. Turner1993 – mid-1997
Oversaw construction of the multi-purpose building on West Holding Avenue; the parish had grown to 450 families when it moved to the new campus in 1997.
- Rev. Thomas Tullymid-1997 – c. 2000
Watched the parish school grow from pre-school and kindergarten, adding a grade each fall.
- Rev. Robert J. KusJuly 11, 2000 – July 2006
Oversaw the school's growth to PreK-3 through 7th grade and construction of the permanent rectory on Tyler Run Drive (completed January 2002).
- Rev. John G. ParishJuly 2006 – November 2007
Assigned by Bishop Gossman to succeed Fr. Kus.
- Rev. Philip TigheNovember 8, 2007 – ?
Installed on the same weekend as the annual Fall Harvest Days Festival; came from Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Rocky Mount.
- Rev. Jeffrey A. Bowkerpresent
Current pastor.