About St. Patrick · Fayetteville, North Carolina
St. Patrick Catholic Parish in Fayetteville, North Carolina, is the oldest Catholic parish in the state, established on August 6, 1821 by Bishop John England of the Diocese of Charleston. The parish grew out of the small Catholic worship community Bishop England organized during his first visit to Fayetteville and was formally placed under the patronage of Saint Patrick on February 4, 1824; the first church building was consecrated on March 17, 1829 — the first Catholic church dedicated in North Carolina. Today it is a diverse, multicultural community of more than 1,750 families at 2844 Village Drive, serving English, Spanish, Vietnamese, French, and Eastern Syriac Rite Catholics under the Diocese of Raleigh. The current worship space, the parish's fifth church building, was dedicated on April 10, 2014.
- Established
- 1821
- Patron
- Saint Patrick
- Rector
- Rev. Gregory P. Lowchy
- Diocese
- Diocese of Raleigh
Why belong here
St. Patrick is the oldest Catholic parish in North Carolina and one of its most diverse — a single parish where English, Spanish, Vietnamese, French, and Eastern Syriac Rite Catholics worship side by side each week. With over 1,750 families it offers an unusually rich range of liturgies, plus a parish school (Pre-K through 8), faith formation for children and adults, youth ministry, Hispanic ministry, a young adult group, music ministry, a nursery, and a History and Archive Ministry that preserves the story of North Carolina Catholicism. It is a place where nearly two centuries of Catholic life on the Cape Fear meets the immigrant communities of today.
Mass times at St. Patrick
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:00 - 4:30 PM
- Wednesday 5:00 - 6:30 PM
Adoration times
- Wednesday 5:00 - 6:30 PM (Benediction at 6:30 PM)
- First Friday 9:30 - 11:30 AM (begins after 9:00 AM daily Mass, concludes with Benediction at 11:30 AM)
History of St. Patrick Parish
St. Patrick traces its roots to Bishop John England's first visit to Fayetteville in 1821. On August 6 he wrote in his journal that he commenced a church, and on August 11 celebrated Mass, secured a room for worship, and named John Kelly and others to lead prayer and instruction between his visits. The parish was placed under the patronage of Saint Patrick in 1824 and Bishop England consecrated the first church on March 17, 1829 — the first Catholic sanctuary dedicated in North Carolina. The original chapel was lost in the Great Fire of 1831; the parish rebuilt, shared priests with Raleigh and Wilmington, and finally received a full-time priest, Father James Gibbons, in 1867.
- Established August 6, 1821 by Bishop John England
- Placed under patronage of Saint Patrick, February 4, 1824
- First consecrated Catholic church in North Carolina, March 17, 1829
- Chapel destroyed in Great Fire of 1831
- Father James Gibbons assigned 1867 (later Cardinal)
- Father Thomas Price assigned 1896 and 1900 (later founder of Maryknoll)
The Five Church Buildings
St. Patrick has worshipped in five successive buildings since 1821. The original chapel near Liberty Point served for more than a century before the parish relocated to Arsenal Avenue in 1936; that church, dedicated March 17, 1938 and seating 200, is now Archangel Michael Maronite Catholic Church. The fourth church on Village Drive was dedicated December 8, 1963, and the present-day worship space — the parish's fifth church — was dedicated on April 10, 2014.
- 1st church: consecrated March 17, 1829; destroyed 1831
- 2nd church: near Liberty Point, served 100+ years
- 3rd church: Arsenal Avenue, dedicated March 17, 1938 (now Maronite)
- 4th church: Village Drive, dedicated December 8, 1963
- 5th church: current worship space, dedicated April 10, 2014
Bicentennial Celebration (2021)
St. Patrick marked 200 years as a parish on August 6, 2021 with a Mass of Thanksgiving and Celebration. The Diocese of Raleigh's NC Catholics NOW program visited the parish to interview Father Greg Lowchy, pastor, and parish historian Harry Doody, with longtime parishioners Kay Owens, Mary Kosterman Hopkins, and Martha Beck Wood, and Heidi Bleazey of the Fayetteville Area Transportation and Local History Museum, which hosted a St. Patrick exhibit.
- Bicentennial Mass of Thanksgiving and Celebration, August 6, 2021
- Featured in Diocese of Raleigh NC Catholics NOW series
- Exhibit hosted at the Fayetteville Area Transportation and Local History Museum
History and Archive Ministry
The parish's History and Archive Ministry is responsible for preserving the heritage of North Carolina's oldest Catholic parish. Its mission is to collect, categorize, preserve, and safely store historic documents and artifacts; maintain and update displays in three museum cases in the social hall and church; and work with the City of Fayetteville and Cumberland County on the historic preservation and archaeological survey of the St. Patrick Catholic Cemetery. The ministry also reaches out to the wider Fayetteville faith community through guest speakers and seminars, continuing the ecumenical outreach that has been a hallmark of the parish since 1821.
- Contacts: Tim Fitzpatrick, Kelli Walsh, Harry Doody
- Three museum display cases in the social hall and church
- Partnership with City of Fayetteville Historic Properties Manager
- Maintenance of the historic St. Patrick Catholic Cemetery
Faith Formation
Faith formation at St. Patrick covers the whole life of the parish — children, youth, adults, and the wider Hispanic community. Online registration for Elementary Faith Formation, Middle School and High School Youth Ministry is handled at the parish office, with registration for the 2025-2026 year running August 1 to September 1. A separate Adult Faith Formation and Hispanic Ministry is led by a dedicated director, and a Child and Youth Faith Formation director oversees younger students.
- Family / Elementary Faith Formation
- Middle School and High School Youth Ministry
- Child and Youth Faith Formation (Director: Carlos Cortes)
- Adult Faith Formation and Hispanic Ministry
- Faith Formation Administrative Assistant (Zaida Nieves)
- Online registration open August 1 – September 1 each year
St. Patrick Catholic School
St. Patrick Catholic School is the oldest private school in the city of Fayetteville. It opened in 1937 as a parish ministry of St. Patrick Catholic Church with an enrollment of 33 students, staffed by four Sisters of Providence. Today the school serves 226 students in Pre-K 4 through 8th grade with more than 30 staff members at 1620 Marlborough Road, adjacent to the church. Students attend Mass weekly and serve as altar servers, readers, cantors, and choir; each month a class leads the school in praying the rosary, and Advent prayer services are led weekly by the student council. Outreach projects include Loaves and Fishes, Catholic Charities Baby Shower, and Rice Bowl.
- Founded 1937 — oldest private school in Fayetteville
- Originally staffed by four Sisters of Providence
- 1620 Marlborough Road, Fayetteville, NC 28304
- 226 students, Pre-K 4 through Grade 8
- Phone: 910-323-1865
- Weekly Mass with student altar servers, readers, cantors, choir
- Monthly class-led rosary; weekly Advent prayer services
- Outreach: Loaves and Fishes, Catholic Charities Baby Shower, Rice Bowl
- 90 tuition-assistance scholarships available
Hispanic Community (Comunidad Hispana)
The Spanish-speaking faithful of Fayetteville gather for a weekly 12:30 PM Sunday Mass, which is livestreamed on YouTube, and participate in Hispanic Ministry coordinated through the Adult Faith Formation office.
- Sunday Mass at 12:30 PM en Español
- 12:30 PM Spanish Mass livestreamed on YouTube
- Adult Faith Formation and Hispanic Ministry leadership
Music and Liturgical Ministries
Liturgical music at St. Patrick is led by a Director of Music Ministry and an Organist, supporting the parish's many weekend and weekday Masses including the English, Spanish, Syriac, French, and Vietnamese celebrations.
- Director of Music Ministry
- Organist (Brian Cash)
- Music supports English, Spanish, Syriac, French, and Vietnamese Masses
Family, Youth, and Young Adult Life
Beyond faith formation classes, St. Patrick supports parishioners of every age through a Family Life Ministry, a staffed Nursery during Mass, a Middle School and High School Youth Ministry, and a Young Adult Group — all listed on the parish's Faith Formation page.
- Family Life Ministry
- Nursery (Nursery Director on staff)
- Youth Ministry (middle and high school)
- Young Adult Group
Knights of Columbus
St. Patrick is the host parish for Knights of Columbus Council 2838, named 'Cardinal Gibbons' in honor of the young Father James Gibbons who served the parish in 1867 before being elevated to Cardinal. The council is part of District 22, Region 7, Division III of the North Carolina Knights of Columbus.
- Council 2838 'Cardinal Gibbons'
- Host Parish: St. Patrick Catholic Church
- District 22, Region 7, Division III
Clergy and Staff
The parish is led by Pastor Rev. Gregory P. Lowchy with two parochial vicars, Rev. Ross T. Williams and Rev. Tyler Sparrow, and three deacons: Deacon Joshua O. Klickman, Deacon Vincent (Vince) Mescall, and Deacon Gerardo Segundo Mercado Roman. Supporting the parish's liturgical, formation, fiscal, and facilities ministries are a Pastoral Associate, Director of Music Ministry, Organist, Director of Adult Faith Formation and Hispanic Ministry, Director of Child and Youth Faith Formation, Faith Formation Administrative Assistant, Nursery Director, Fiscal Services Manager and Assistant, Facilities Operations Manager and Assistant, Marriage Records Clerk, and Parish Administrative Assistant.
- Rev. Gregory P. Lowchy — Pastor
- Rev. Ross T. Williams — Parochial Vicar
- Rev. Tyler Sparrow — Parochial Vicar (910-475-1198)
- Deacon Joshua O. Klickman
- Deacon Vincent (Vince) Mescall
- Deacon Gerardo Segundo Mercado Roman
- Pastoral Associate (Ines Benarroch)
- Director of Music Ministry (Anne Rogers)
- Organist (Brian Cash)
- Director Adult Faith Formation and Hispanic Ministry
- Director Child and Youth Faith Formation (Carlos Cortes)
- Faith Formation Administrative Assistant (Zaida Nieves)
- Nursery Director (Teresa Holmes)
- Fiscal Services Manager (Joanne Messer)
- Fiscal Services Assistant (Amy White)
- Facilities Operations Manager (Danny Dickens)
- Facilities Operations Assistant (Angel Rojas)
- Marriage Records Clerk (Amanda Toth)
- Parish Administrative Assistant (Yolanda Flores)
Contact, Address, and Visiting
St. Patrick is located at 2844 Village Drive, Fayetteville, NC 28304-3813. The parish office is reachable at (910) 323-2410 (phone), (910) 323-3006 (fax), and [email protected]. Sunday Mass is livestreamed at 10:00 AM (English) and 12:30 PM (Spanish) on the parish's YouTube channel.
- Address: 2844 Village Drive, Fayetteville, NC 28304-3813
- Phone: (910) 323-2410
- Fax: (910) 323-3006
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://www.stpatnc.org/
- YouTube livestream for Sunday 10:00 AM and 12:30 PM Masses
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Thomas Murphy1859
Wrote to the bishop requesting a full-time priest for Fayetteville.
- Father James Gibbons1867
First full-time priest assigned to the parish; later became Cardinal and authored 'The Faith of Our Fathers,' translated into 12 languages.
- Father Thomas Price1896, 1900
Founder of Maryknoll; assigned to St. Patrick on two occasions.