About St. Julia · Siler City, North Carolina
St. Julia Catholic Church is a bilingual, multicultural Roman Catholic parish in Siler City, North Carolina, within the Diocese of Raleigh and served by the Conventual Franciscan Friars (OFM Conv.). Located in the heart of Chatham County at 210 Harold Hart Road, the parish traces its roots to the first Catholic Mass celebrated in Siler City in 1953 and today numbers more than 1,100 registered families — roughly 80% Spanish-speaking — making it one of the most vibrant multicultural Catholic communities in central North Carolina. The current church building, dedicated in 2001, sits on about 15.5 acres of land just east of Siler City off Highway 64.
- Established
- 1961
- Patron
- St. Julia of Carthage (Julia of Corsica), virgin and martyr
- Rector
- Rev. Julio A. Martinez, OFM Conv. (Friar Julio)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Raleigh
Why belong here
St. Julia offers a rare combination: a small-town Catholic community in rural Chatham County with the liturgical richness of a large multicultural parish. Weekends bring five Masses in both English and Spanish, devotions such as a monthly First Friday Healing Service and Holy Hour, an active youth and young-adult ministry (Vox Ministries), a robust bilingual Faith Formation program from First Reconciliation through Confirmation (including RCIA for adults and youth), and pastoral support through social services. The Conventual Franciscan Friars give the parish a distinctively Franciscan, pastoral character rooted in hospitality to immigrants and the wider community.
Mass times at St. Julia
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM (and by appointment — contact Fr. Julio)
Adoration times
- Friday 7:00 PM – 10:00 PM — First Fridays only: Healing Service 7:00–8:00 PM followed by Eucharistic Adoration until 10:00 PM
- First Friday Holy Hour 8:30 AM – 10:00 AM (Exposition)
- Youth Holy Hour with Divine Mercy Chaplet — every third Friday 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Parish Identity & Welcome
St. Julia describes itself as 'a welcoming, multicultural Christian Catholic community in the heart of Chatham County, NC served by its people and the Conventual Franciscan Friars.' Bilingual in English and Spanish, the parish identifies as part of the Diocese of Raleigh and the Conventual Franciscan family (OFM Conv.). The Conventual Franciscans assumed administration in 1988, and the friars serving St. Julia reside at Our Lady of Guadalupe Friary in Pittsboro.
- Bilingual, multicultural Roman Catholic community
- Diocese of Raleigh
- Served by the Conventual Franciscan Friars (OFM Conv.)
Parish History
The parish's documented timeline begins in 1953 with the first Catholic Mass in Siler City, celebrated in the home of Mrs. Charles Ellis. The first church on West Third Street was consecrated in 1961 by Bishop Vincent S. Waters and was originally to be named St. Vincent de Paul. For its first 25 years the mission operated without a full-time pastor, served by priests from neighboring parishes. The 1980s brought a Hispanic transformation through new immigration to Siler City's poultry plants; the parish was elevated from mission to parish on July 1, 1999, and the present church was consecrated December 9, 2001.
- 1953 — First Catholic Mass celebrated in Siler City by Fr. Paul J. Byron
- 1961 — Mission church consecrated by Bishop Vincent S. Waters
- 1972 — Remained a mission of the Diocese of Raleigh when the Diocese of Charlotte was formed
- 1988 — Conventual Franciscan Friars take over administration
- 1989 — Fr. Hillary Micketinac introduces the first weekly Hispanic Mass
- 1990 — Sr. Anita Gutierrez, SSpS, hired as bilingual Pastoral Administrator
- 1997 — Fr. Daniel Quackenbush becomes first full-time pastor
- 1999 — St. Julia is elevated to parish status (July 1); Friary built in Pittsboro
- 2001 — Current church consecrated by Bishop F. Joseph Gossman on December 9
- 2017 — Parish purchases 10 additional surrounding acres
Clergy & Parish Staff
The parish is led by Pastor Fr. Julio A. Martinez, OFM Conv. (Friar Julio), a Conventual Franciscan of Our Lady of the Angels Province. He is supported by a bilingual administrative and ministry team.
- Rev. Julio A. Martinez, OFM Conv. — Pastor ([email protected])
- Brenda Stecher — Finance & Office Manager ([email protected])
- Anna Vasquez — Administrative Assistant — Spanish ([email protected])
- Kevin Pérez — Music Director, Spanish Music Ministries ([email protected])
- Tamara Hill — Music & Digital Media Coordinator, English Music Ministries ([email protected])
- Victoria Palacios — Director of Faith Formation ([email protected])
- Alex Graves — Maintenance
- Gloria Maldonado — Social Services
- Melton Hardy-Powell — Pastoral Council ([email protected])
Faith Formation & Sacraments
Registration for Faith Formation opens the first week of April and catechism classes begin the second week of September. The program prepares children and youth for First Reconciliation, First Communion, and Confirmation, with RCIA tracks for both adults and youth. Sacraments are celebrated on a published monthly cadence.
- Faith Formation / Formación de Fe — registration first week of April; classes begin second week of September
- First Reconciliation and First Communion preparation
- Confirmation preparation
- RCIA for Adults and RCIA for Youth
- Baptisms — 4th Saturday; baptism class (Plática de Bautismo) — 2nd Saturday at 1:00 PM
- Weddings — 1st and 3rd Saturday at 11:00 AM and 1:00 PM
- Quinceañeras — 2nd Saturday of the month at 2:00 PM
Music Ministries
Music at St. Julia is bilingual and multigenerational, with choirs, a youth music ministry, and even a children's/youth ukulele program. The parish describes its music as existing 'not for entertainment, but for the purpose of leading our vast congregation in prayer using several types of musical styles.'
- Vox Music Ministry — youth/young adults ages 12+; rehearsals Mondays 5:00–6:15 PM, August–May
- English Choirs (5:00 PM Saturday Vigil and 10:00 AM Sunday)
- Spanish Choirs — directed by Joaquin Gonzalez for the 12:00 PM Mass
- Children's Choir (Coro de Niños) — Monday 6:30 PM
- Youth Choir (Coro de Jóvenes) — Monday 6:00 PM
- Children/Youth Ukulele program
- Therese Walters — English 5:00 PM coordinator
- Anne Marie Schwankl — English 5:00 PM accompanist
Vox Youth & Young Adult Ministry
Vox Ministries is the parish's youth and young-adult outreach, billed as 'The voice of Christ: Youth Led, Youth Driven.' The ministry runs monthly Youth Holy Hour nights with Adoration and the Divine Mercy Chaplet, followed by a Young Adult Hang-Out with food, games, music and s'mores, and produces the 'Heart to Heart / De Corazón a Corazón' video series on YouTube.
- Vox Music Ministry — youth play at Mass once a month or serve in liturgical roles
- Youth Holy Hour & Adoration — every third Friday 7:00–9:00 PM
- Young Adult Hang-Out after Holy Hour — pizza, games, music, s'mores
- 'Heart to Heart / De Corazón a Corazón' — YouTube video series for youth and young adults
- Contact: [email protected]
Parish Groups, Devotions & Outreach
A network of small groups and devotions meets throughout the week, including charismatic prayer, men's Emmaus, the Juan XXIII group, an English Bible Study, a bilingual Scouting unit, and a Social Services office for parishioners in need.
- Renovación Carismática — Sunday 4:00 PM
- English Bible Study — Tuesday 9:00 AM
- Grupo Juan XXIII — Wednesday 7:00 PM
- Emaús Hombres (Emmaus for Men) — Thursday 7:00 PM
- Scouting America: St. Julia's Scout Unit 918 (bilingual)
- Communities of Spiritual Accompaniment
- Social Services — Gloria Maldonado
Contact & Visit
The parish office is open Tuesday through Friday from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM and is closed Saturday through Monday. Bilingual phone lines and a bilingual email make it easy for both English- and Spanish-speaking parishioners to reach the parish.
- Address: 210 Harold Hart Road, Siler City, NC 27344
- Phone (English): (919) 742-5584 — (919) 742-1364 (Español)
- Fax: (919) 742-4917
- Email: [email protected]
- Office Hours: Tuesday–Friday 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM (closed Sat–Mon)
- Website: https://www.stjuliasilercity.org/en/
- Pastor email: [email protected]
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Paul J. Byron1953
Celebrated the first Catholic Mass in Siler City in 1953.
- Fr. Hillary Micketinac, OFM Conv.1989
Introduced the weekly Hispanic Mass, establishing St. Julia's bilingual identity.
- Sister Anita Gutierrez, SSpS1990
Bilingual Mexican-American Pastoral Administrator hired by the Diocese of Raleigh.
- Fr. Daniel Quackenbush, OFM Conv.1997
First full-time pastor; led the building project for the current church.
- Rev. James (Jim) Fukes, OFM Conv.2006–
Pastor in the late 2000s; concelebrated the 50th anniversary Mass in June 2011.
- Rev. Julio A. Martinez, OFM Conv.current
Current pastor; serves under the Conventual Franciscan Friars of Our Lady of the Angels Province.