About St. Therese · Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina
St. Therese Catholic Church is a Roman Catholic parish in Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina, part of the Diocese of Raleigh. Nestled on the Atlantic shoreline, it serves about 800 households and roughly 2,000 registered parishioners while also welcoming vacationers and visitors drawn to its barrier-island setting. The parish describes itself as a joyful and welcoming community united in Christ, promoting discipleship through community, outreach, and service. Worship is offered in English with a daily noon Mass Tuesday through Friday, a Saturday Vigil, and two Sunday Masses.
- Established
- 1944
- Patron
- St. Therese of Lisieux (St. Therese, the Little Flower)
- Rector
- Reverend William J. Upah
- Diocese
- Diocese of Raleigh
Why belong here
St. Therese offers a rare combination: a barrier-island Catholic parish with a full schedule of daily and Sunday Masses, a resident pastor, and an active parish life of around 2,000 registered members. Parishioners can pray the Rosary before weekday noon Mass, spend time in Eucharistic Adoration on Thursdays, join the Knights of Columbus, or help stock St. Joseph's Food Pantry in nearby Burgaw. The community explicitly welcomes vacationers and visitors, and its small size makes it easy to know fellow parishioners — all within walking distance of the Atlantic.
Mass times at St. Therese
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 4:00 PM – 4:45 PM (or by appointment through the Parish Office)
Adoration times
- Thursday 12:30 PM – 4:30 PM (Eucharistic Adoration)
About St. Therese Parish
St. Therese is a socially active Catholic Church nestled by the sea on Wrightsville Beach. The parish describes itself as united through Jesus Christ on a journey toward full Communion with God, striving to create a community that develops, reinforces, and shares the Christian faith, values, and collective gifts of its members. Its mission statement is: 'St. Therese is a joyful and welcoming Catholic Parish, united in Christ, promoting discipleship through community, outreach, and service.' With about 800 households and 2,000 registered parishioners, the parish welcomes vacationers and anyone seeking Word, Sacrament, and the peace of its oceanside setting.
- Pastor: Reverend William J. Upah
- Operations Director: Joe Baiunco
- Music & Liturgy: Kevin Donnelly
- Office Manager: Heather McLaren
- Approximately 800 households / 2,000 parishioners
Parish History
The site was donated by the Corbett family in the early 1900s so parishioners of St. Mary Parish in Wilmington could attend summer Mass on the beach. A small frame church called Our Lady Star of the Sea was built, and a resident pastor was assigned in 1938. In October 1944 a new brick church was dedicated as the Church of St. Therese, the Little Flower. The parish has weathered multiple hurricanes — Hazel (1954) destroyed the rectory, and storms in 1993 and 1996 caused further major damage — and each time rebuilt and expanded.
- Early 1900s — Corbett family donates beach site for summer Mass
- Frame church built and named Our Lady Star of the Sea
- 1938 — first resident pastor assigned
- October 1944 — new brick church dedicated as St. Therese, the Little Flower
- 1954 — Hurricane Hazel damages church; destroys rectory
- 1963 — addition doubles church capacity
- 1976 — St. Mark Parish built to serve growing Catholic population
- 1990 — new offsite rectory purchased; former rectory converted to offices/classrooms/parish hall
- 1993 and 1996 — major hurricane damage, followed by full renovation
- 2001 — adjacent Grabowski Education Building purchased
Sacraments
All sacramental inquiries — Anointing of the Sick, Baptism, Confirmation, First Communion, Funerals, and Weddings — are coordinated through the Parish Office at 910-256-2471 or [email protected].
- Anointing of the Sick
- Baptism
- Confirmation
- First Communion
- Funerals
- Weddings
Faith Formation & Religious Education
St. Therese offers Faith Formation, Sacramental Preparation, and OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults / Adult Formation) for parishioners. Children's faith formation classes are held at neighboring St. Mark Parish; registration is announced in the parish bulletin each fall. Those interested in OCIA or adult faith formation are encouraged to contact the Parish Office.
- Faith Formation for children (held at St. Mark Parish)
- Sacramental Preparation
- OCIA — Order of Christian Initiation of Adults
Parish Ministries & Outreach
Parish life is supported by a network of liturgical and outreach ministries. Worship ministries include altar servers, extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion, lectors, sacristans, and ushers, while pastoral ministries include the Ministry to the Sick & Homebound and the St. Joseph's Food Pantry, which delivers weekly food donations to Burgaw to help the poor and working poor of the area. The parish also hosts a Knights of Columbus council.
- Altar Servers — Richard Ronnie
- Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion — Heather McLaren (910-256-2491)
- Lectors — Kathleen Aux (703-973-1276)
- Ushers — Pam McCallion
- Collection Counters — Sue Williams (419-656-7259)
- Ministry to Sick & Homebound — Parish Office
- St. Joseph's Food Pantry — Jane Yemma (910-547-4243 / 910-799-3360)
- Knights of Columbus — Grand Knight Frank Bio ([email protected])
- Finance Council — Corby Johnson
Music & Liturgy
Liturgical music at St. Therese is directed by Kevin Donnelly, the parish's Music & Liturgy coordinator. Contact for music and liturgy matters is [email protected].
- Music & Liturgy Director: Kevin Donnelly ([email protected])
Giving
The parish supports online giving through its Online Giving page and welcomes second and special collections via mailed envelopes, pew envelopes, or online donations. Food donations for St. Joseph's Food Pantry may also be left on the kitchen counter in the Parish Hall prior to Mass; only unopened items within their 'Sell By' or 'Use By' dates are accepted, with healthy, low-sodium, reduced-sugar, and whole-grain items especially requested.
- Online Giving via catholicwb.org
- Second and Special Collections — envelopes in pews, mailed, or online
- On-site food donations for St. Joseph's Food Pantry
Contact & Office Hours
The Parish Office is located at 209 South Lumina Avenue, Wrightsville Beach, NC 28480. Office hours are Monday through Thursday, 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM, and Friday, 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM. The office is closed on holidays and Holy Days; holiday schedules are posted on the website and Facebook page.
- Phone: (910) 256-2471
- Email: [email protected]
- Address: 209 S Lumina Ave, Wrightsville Beach, NC 28480
- Office Hours: Mon–Thu 9:00 AM–4:00 PM; Fri 9:00 AM–12:00 PM
Patroness — St. Therese of Lisieux
The parish is named for St. Therese of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face, popularly known as 'The Little Flower of Jesus.' Born in Alençon, France, on 2 January 1873 to the blessed Louis and Zélie Martin, she died in 1897, was canonized by Pope Pius XI in 1925, and was proclaimed a Doctor of the Church by Pope John Paul II on 19 October 1997. Her feast day is celebrated on 1 October.
- Feast day: October 1
- Canonized 1925 by Pope Pius XI
- Doctor of the Church — proclaimed 19 October 1997 by Pope John Paul II