About St. Gabriel · Greenville, North Carolina
St. Gabriel Catholic Church (formally St. Gabriel of the Sorrowful Mother Parish) is a diverse, historically Black-rooted Catholic parish in Greenville, North Carolina, belonging to the Diocese of Raleigh. Founded in 1936 by a Passionist priest, Father Maurice Tew, at the direction of Bishop William J. Hafey, the parish grew from an original 'mission to the colored' in West Greenville into a multicultural community of members from more than a dozen countries. Today St. Gabriel's serves English- and Spanish-speaking Catholics — and others — with daily and Sunday Masses, a bilingual liturgy on Tuesday evenings, Eucharistic Adoration, and full sacramental preparation. Its 88-acre campus on Dickinson Avenue includes the worship/education center, the St. Martin de Porres Parish Center, and the former convent/school that now houses a Head Start program.
- Established
- 1936
- Patron
- Saint Gabriel of the Sorrowful Mother
- Rector
- Rev. Romen A. Acero
- Diocese
- Diocese of Raleigh
Why belong here
St. Gabriel's is a small but deeply multicultural Catholic family — with members from more than a dozen countries worshiping side by side — that takes the sacramental and devotional life seriously. It offers a full English-and-Spanish schedule of daily and Sunday Masses, Eucharistic Adoration, weekly Confession, complete Faith Formation from Pre-Communion through Confirmation, an active Knights of Columbus council (Fr. Maurice Tew Council 15752), and beloved traditions such as the December Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe and a Holy Week Descendimiento procession centered on a 6-foot statue of the Crucified Lord donated by the Hispanic community. If you want a parish that is diverse, prayerful, and rooted in nearly 90 years of West Greenville history, St. Gabriel's welcomes you.
Mass times at St. Gabriel
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Tuesday 5:45 PM–6:30 PM (in the confessional; also by appointment)
- Saturday 2:30 PM–3:15 PM (in the confessional; also by appointment)
Adoration times
- Tuesday 5:45 PM–6:45 PM
Parish History
St. Gabriel of the Sorrowful Mother Parish traces its origin to 1935, when Bishop William J. Hafey of the Diocese of Raleigh appointed a young Passionist priest, Father Maurice Tew of Boston, to a weed-covered lot in West Greenville. With help from Northern benefactors, Father Tew built and dedicated the first church on March 1, 1936. Through the decades that followed — the rectory (1938), parish hall (1948), school and convent (1956), withdrawal of the Passionists (1965), their return (1987), the closure of St. Gabriel's School (1994) and its conversion into a Head Start program, the groundbreaking of the present 88-acre worship/education center (2003), the launch of John Paul II Catholic High School on-site (2010), and the construction of the St. Martin de Porres Parish Center (2012) — the parish has remained a diverse, multicultural Catholic community nearly 90 years after its founding.
- 1935 — Bishop William J. Hafey gives Father Maurice Tew the assignment
- March 1, 1936 — original church dedicated in honor of Saint Gabriel of the Sorrowful Mother
- 1938 — rectory built; 1940 — parish has 72 members
- 1948 — parish hall added
- 1956 — Catholic school and convent built; Sisters of Christian Charity teach for 30 years
- 1965 — Father Tew leaves due to declining health; diocesan priests staff the parish
- 1987 — Passionists return to staff St. Gabriel's
- 1994 — St. Gabriel's School closes; building becomes a Head Start program (serves 120+ preschoolers)
- 1990s — large influx of Spanish-speaking families
- September 2003 — groundbreaking for new worship/education center on an 88-acre farm; gift of $1,000,000 from Thomas Arthur in memory of Marie T. Ficklen
- August 23, 2010 — John Paul II Catholic High School inaugural class (25 students)
- 2012 — St. Martin de Porres Parish Center (10,000 sq ft) built
- 2014 — JPII graduates its first class and subsequently relocates
- Today — members from more than a dozen countries worshipping together
Parish Staff
St. Gabriel's is led by a small, mixed staff of clergy, religious, and lay faithful who handle sacramental ministry, Faith Formation, music, Hispanic ministry coordination, parish communications, and finances.
- Rev. Romen A. Acero — Pastor
- Sister Maria Sanchez ('Sister Angie') — Director of Religious Education and Interim Coordinator of Hispanic Ministry
- Mia Romero — Parish Secretary
- Karen Rainey — Music Director
- Fatima Zambrano — Parish Bookkeeper
Sacraments
St. Gabriel's celebrates all seven sacraments and provides preparation programs for children, teens, and adults. Contact the parish office — Sister Angie for Baptism, Confirmation, RCIA, and RCIC; the pastor for Anointing of the Sick; and the parish secretary at least 6–9 months ahead for weddings.
- Baptism: for children under 7 with pre-Baptismal class for parents and godparents; celebrated within Mass or on the 2nd Saturday at 12:00 PM without Mass
- Confirmation: two-year teen program beginning in 9th grade with sponsor, service project, and retreats; Adult Confirmation available
- Eucharist / First Communion
- Reconciliation: Tuesday 5:45–6:30 PM, Saturday 2:30–3:15 PM, or by appointment
- Anointing of the Sick: communal anointing at the first Tuesday 7:00 PM and first Wednesday 12:00 noon Masses; by appointment; emergency line 919-260-1873
- Matrimony: at least 9 months' notice recommended; Diocese of Raleigh course (English or Spanish); natural flower arrangements only
Faith Formation and Religious Education
Faith Formation at St. Gabriel's is coordinated by Sister Maria Sanchez ('Sister Angie'), who also serves as Interim Coordinator of Hispanic Ministry. Catechists help parishioners of every age — children, youth, and adults — grow in the faith received at Baptism.
- Catechists / Catequistas (Spanish-language formation)
- Pre-Communion and First Communion preparation
- Confirmation I and II (9th–12th grades)
- Rite of Christian Initiation for Children (RCIC, ages 7+)
- Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA, ages 18+)
- Adult Confirmation Program
- Sessions for adults completing Christian Initiation
- Pre-Baptismal sessions for parents and godparents
Liturgical Ministries
Parishioners serve the Sunday and weekday liturgies through a range of lay ministries coordinated by the parish. Outreach is welcomed in both English and Spanish.
- Altar and Sanctuary Care (Sacristans)
- Altar Servers / Monaguillos
- Baptism Coordination
- Eucharistic Ministers / Ministros de la Eucaristía
- Lectors (Readers)
- Music Ministries
- Hospitality and Ushers
Parish Devotions and Hispanic Traditions
St. Gabriel's keeps a number of devotional traditions alive, especially those brought by its Hispanic and Filipino parishioners. The parish's signature Holy Week observance centers on a 6-foot jointed statue of the Crucified Lord, the Cristo del Descendimiento, donated by the Hispanic community and imported from Bogotá, Colombia; during Good Friday the figure is taken down from the cross and laid in a handmade wooden casket donated by parishioner Leonardo Acosta and his family. Each December 12 the parish celebrates the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe with a bilingual Mass, the singing of 'Las Mañanitas,' traditional costumes, and a social with food and dancing.
- Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe — December 12 (bilingual Mass, 'Las Mañanitas,' costumes, food, social)
- Holy Week 'Descendimiento' procession with the jointed Crucified Lord statue from Bogotá, Colombia
- Handmade wooden casket for Holy Week donated by parishioner Leonardo Acosta and family
- Communal Anointing of the Sick — first Tuesday and first Wednesday of each month
Parish Organizations
St. Gabriel's Knights of Columbus Council 15752 — named the Fr. Maurice Tew Council in honor of the founding priest — meets on the parish campus. The parish also maintains FlockNote for parish-wide communication.
- Knights of Columbus Council 15752 — Fr. Maurice Tew Council (District 7, Region 6, Division I)
- Planning Meeting: 3rd Thursday, 7:30 PM
- Business Meeting: 1st Wednesday, 7:30 PM
- FlockNote (parish email/text communication)
Patron — Saint Gabriel of the Sorrowful Mother
Saint Gabriel of the Sorrowful Mother (born Francis Possenti, March 1, 1838, in Assisi, Italy) was a Passionist seminarian who died of tuberculosis at age 24 on February 27, 1862, before his ordination. Pope Benedict XV canonized him in 1920 and declared him a patron of Catholic youth, students, seminarians, novices, and clerics. The parish's devotion to his spiritual family — the Passionists — is at the root of St. Gabriel's Greenville identity.
- Born Francisco (Francis) Possenti in Assisi, Italy, March 1, 1838
- Entered the Passionist novitiate at Morrovalle; received the habit September 21, 1856
- Received the name Gabriel of the Sorrowful Mother; took vows a year later
- Died of tuberculosis at age 24 on February 27, 1862
- Canonized by Pope Benedict XV in 1920
- Declared patron of Catholic youth, students, seminarians, novices, and clerics
- Feast day: February 27; connected to the Passionist devotion to Our Lady of Sorrows (September 15)
Facilities and Campus
The current St. Gabriel's campus sits on an 88-acre parcel at 3250 Dickinson Avenue in Greenville. The worship/education center was constructed after the 2003 groundbreaking. The 10,000-square-foot St. Martin de Porres Parish Center, dedicated in 2012, serves as the parish gathering hall and formerly as a gymnasium for John Paul II Catholic High School. The former school building — closed in 1994 — now houses a Head Start program serving more than 120 preschoolers from the West Greenville neighborhood.
- Current 88-acre campus at 3250 Dickinson Avenue, Greenville, NC 27834
- Worship/education center (built after 2003 groundbreaking)
- St. Martin de Porres Parish Center — 10,000 sq ft multipurpose hall (2012)
- Former school building now home to a Head Start program (120+ preschoolers)
- Original West Greenville church site was less than three miles away
Visiting St. Gabriel's — Contact and Practical Info
Parishioners and visitors are warmly invited to worship with St. Gabriel's and to call ahead for non-liturgical business. The church office is open limited hours, and appointments are required outside those hours. Weekend and bilingual Masses are livestreamed on Facebook for those unable to attend in person.
- Phone: (252) 758-1504
- Fax: (252) 355-6128
- Email: [email protected]
- Office hours: Tuesday–Friday, 10:00 AM–2:00 PM (appointments required at other times)
- Sunday Mass livestream: 10:00 AM English and 12:30 PM Spanish via the parish Facebook page
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StGabrielGreenville/
- Website: https://www.stgabrielgv.info/
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Maurice Tew, CP1936–1965
Passionist priest from Boston; founded the parish in 1936 at Bishop William J. Hafey's direction, built the original church, rectory, parish hall, school and convent; the parish Knights of Columbus council (15752) is named 'Fr. Maurice Tew' in his honor.
- Diocesan priests1965–1987
Staffed the parish after the Passionists withdrew due to Father Tew's declining health.
- Passionists (Congregation of the Passion of Jesus Christ)1987–
Returned to staff St. Gabriel's in 1987; the parish remains rooted in the Passionist charism of Saint Gabriel of the Sorrowful Mother.