About St. Dorothy · Lincolnton, North Carolina
St. Dorothy Catholic Church is a growing Roman Catholic parish serving Lincolnton and Lincoln County in western North Carolina, part of the Diocese of Charlotte. The parish began more than 75 years ago with four families gathering for Mass in a funeral home and has grown to more than 400 families, with a vibrant weekend liturgy in both English and Spanish. Today's parish combines a traditional full schedule of daily and weekend Masses, daily confessions, First Friday overnight Eucharistic Adoration, an extensive faith-formation program for children and youth, adult formation ministries such as Emaus and OCIA, and active outreach through the Knights of Columbus, Legion of Mary, Pro-Life group and several community ministries serving the poor in Lincoln County. St. Dorothy's is currently in a $3 million 'Building for Future Generations' capital campaign to add a Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration chapel, classrooms and offices.
- Established
- 1944
- Patron
- St. Dorothy of Caesarea
- Rector
- Rev. Michael John Carlson
- Diocese
- Diocese of Charlotte
Why belong here
St. Dorothy's is a mid-sized, multi-generational parish where newcomers can worship in either English or Spanish, find daily and weekly confessions, and pray through First Friday overnight Adoration. Families with children can plug into Faith Formation (PreK–5th), Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, Confirmation prep (6th–8th), Fidelis/Fraternus youth mentoring, and a Youth Ministry with regular outings; adults can join OCIA, the Emaus Group, Women's Scripture Study, or FORMED. A Knights of Columbus council (since 1984), Legion of Mary, Pro-Life group, Family Life Commission and several community ministries — meals to the homebound, Hesed House of Hope, the Crisis Pregnancy Center, the local soup kitchen and a Two-Can Food program — make it easy to live the faith in service to Lincoln County.
Mass times at St. Dorothy
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Monday 11:15 AM
- Tuesday 11:15 AM
- Wednesday 4:15 PM
- Thursday 9:45 AM
- Friday 11:15 AM
- Saturday 3:00 PM – 4:45 PM
Adoration times
- First Friday 3:00 PM through First Saturday 10:00 AM (overnight Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament)
- Legion of Mary meets weekly 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Parish History
From four families meeting at the old Warlick Funeral Home to today's 400+ family parish, St. Dorothy's has grown steadily since 1944. The parish is named for Dorothy M. Winter, in whose memory her husband funded the first church building in 1958 through the Catholic Extension Society. After years as a mission of St. Therese in Mooresville and then Our Lady of Consolation in Charlotte, St. Dorothy's was named a parish by Bishop Michael J. Begley in June 1976. The current sanctuary was completed after ground was broken on February 22, 1994, and Bishop Peter Jugis consecrated the new altar on February 6, 2012 — the Feast of St. Dorothy. The parish now looks toward the future with a $3 million 'Building for Future Generations' capital campaign.
- 1944 — Became a mission of St. Therese, Mooresville (Father Edward Beatty)
- 1958 — Original 1,260 sq ft church built, named for Dorothy M. Winter
- 1969 — Became a mission of Our Lady of Consolation, Charlotte
- June 1976 — Named a parish by Bishop Michael J. Begley
- 1977 — 6,900 sq ft building begun
- February 22, 1994 — Ground broken for current church
- February 6, 2012 — Bishop Peter Jugis consecrates new altar
Clergy & Staff
The parish is currently served by Father Michael Carlson, ordained to the Diocese of Charlotte on June 22, 2019 and pastor of St. Dorothy's since July 9, 2024. He is supported by a parish office manager and music ministry staff.
- Fr. Michael Carlson — Pastor (ordained June 22, 2019; at St. Dorothy's since July 9, 2024)
- Mrs. Alison Speed — Office Manager
- Ginny — Organist & Choir Director
Faith Formation & Religious Education
St. Dorothy's runs a year-round Faith Formation program for children using the Augustine Institute's Word of Life curriculum, supplemented by Catechesis of the Good Shepherd for ages 3–12 and Confirmation prep for grades 6–8. Registration for the 2026–2027 year opened Sunday, April 25 between the Masses; the program is free, though donations are accepted. Classes are held Sundays 10:15–11:45 AM and Wednesdays 6:00–7:30 PM, with strict Mass-attendance and class-attendance expectations for sacramental preparation.
- Faith Formation PreK–5th — Sundays 10:15–11:45 AM and Wednesdays 6:00–7:30 PM
- Catechesis of the Good Shepherd — ages 3–12
- Confirmation Classes — grades 6–8
- FORMED.org online Catholic resource library
- Remediation classes for First Communion students
Youth Ministry
Beyond the classroom, middle-school and high-school youth gather regularly for fellowship — quoting Matthew 28:19, 'Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations.' Recent activities include a charter-bus zoo trip and regular nights of food, films and faith.
- Fidelis & Fraternus — faith-based mentoring for young people
- Youth Ministry nights (movies, fellowship, outings)
- Charter-bus trips (e.g., Zoo Trip May 9)
Adult Faith Formation
Adults can grow in the faith through several ongoing programs: OCIA for those exploring Catholicism, the global Emaus Adult Faith Formation program that meets every Thursday, a weekly Women's Scripture Study, and parish-wide access to FORMED.org.
- OCIA — Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (Become Catholic)
- Emaus Group — Thursdays 7:00 PM, first-grade classroom; open to community 2nd & 3rd Thursdays (contact Ruben Lopez, 704-308-7315)
- Women's Scripture Study — Wednesdays 11:00 AM (contact Georgina Kalivoda)
- FORMED.org — parish subscription to thousands of Catholic resources
Parish Ministries
St. Dorothy's is supported by a wide range of parish-based ministries that serve the spiritual and practical needs of members — from prayer and adoration to outreach, women's fellowship, evangelization and youth mentoring.
- Legion of Mary — Marian prayer and service apostolate
- Knights of Columbus Council 8664 — chartered March 13, 1984
- Family Life Commission — serves church families and individual families
- Divine Mercy Group — coordinates annual Divine Mercy Sunday
- St. Dorothy's Emaus Group — adult formation and retreats
- Return to God — monthly public prayer evangelization
- Domestic Church — Polish-origin program for married couples
- Confraternity of Christian Women — prayer, community, service
- First Friday Adorers — cover overnight Adoration shifts
- Homebound Parishioners — visits and prayer support
- St. Dorothy's Pro-Life — March for Life trips, Baby Bottle drive, supports Lincoln County CPC
- Love Thy Neighbor — provides rides to Mass
- Fidelis & Fraternus — youth faith mentoring
- Collection Counters — weekly offertory counting (ages 35+)
Community Outreach Ministries
Beyond the parish walls, St. Dorothy's parishioners volunteer with local agencies serving the poor, homeless, hungry and crisis-pregnant in Lincoln County and the wider Charlotte Diocese area.
- Meals to the Homebound — weekday 10:30 AM – noon delivery (contact Ralph Zello, 704-735-0063 or Mimi at CMLC, 704-732-0383)
- Hesed House of Hope — shelter, meals, fellowship, overnight assistance
- Missionaries of the Poor (MOP Monroe) — food, clothing, supplies, shelter meals in Union County
- Crisis Pregnancy Center of Lincolnton — counseling and material support
- CMLC Soup Kitchen — serving meals, especially weekends (Mitzi Williams, 704-732-0383)
- Two-Can Food Program — non-perishable food donations
Building for Future Generations — Capital Campaign
St. Dorothy's is currently in the midst of a $3 million capital campaign to expand the parish campus. As of the most recent reporting on the parish site, $2,445,980.05 in pledges (82% of goal) has been received, with $1,121,583.71 paid.
- Goal: $3,000,000
- Total Pledges Received: $2,445,980.05 (82% of Goal)
- Amount Paid: $1,121,583.71
- Project: Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration chapel, additional classrooms, office space, new bathrooms
Visit, Contact & Office Information
Parishioners and visitors are welcome to stop by during office hours or contact the parish office by phone. The parish bulletin and online calendar carry any last-minute schedule changes.
- Address: 148 St. Dorothy's Lane, Lincolnton, NC 28092
- Phone: (704) 735-5575
- Emergency line: (704) 740-7672
- Office hours: Monday–Friday 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM (closed Saturday & Sunday)
- Website: http://www.stdorothys.com/