One of the First
St. Paul, New Bern
Travel to the Historic District of downtown New Bern, NC, and you will find an artifact that recalls the beginnings of Catholicism in North Carolina, a time when the territory was the responsibility of John England, first Bishop of Charleston, SC, and Catholics in a few towns were beginning to become numerous and prosperous enough to build churches. The cornerstone of St. Paul Church was laid by Bishop England in 1840. The building was completed the next year, but the Bishop died in 1842 and the church would not be dedicated until his successor visited North Carolina in 1844. Although it is rarely used for liturgical events today, St. Paul is the oldest Catholic church still standing in North Carolina.
Travel to the suburban outskirts of New Bern, and you will find one of the newest, largest and many would say most beautiful churches in the Diocese, a testament to the growth of Catholicism in North Carolina since those early days. The new St. Paul Church was dedicated in 2004, and comfortably seats 1200. It sits among tall pine trees on a sprawling campus with a Family Life Center, a school and a convent. The campus has been home to St. Paul’s congregation since 1983.
The recent growth of the Catholic Church in North Carolina has followed several scenarios. One of these, the influx of relatively prosperous Northern professionals seeking a new home for their retirement, is to a large extent the story of St. Paul. Father Ernest Ruede, pastor since 1997, estimates that this population makes up about half his congregation.
“It was highlighted when we were planning the new church,” he says. “I asked for volunteers for the expansion committee, and we had architects, electricians, heating technicians, demographers. If we had gone out and hired people we couldn’t have had a broader base of talents and experience.” St. Paul and its mission, St. Peter the Fisherman in Oriental, serve young families as well, including some military families from the Camp Lejeune Marine Base and the Marine Air Station at Cherry Point. Father Ruede characterizes the entire parish as talented and generous: “They’re successful, but also cooperative. When a project needs doing, they take it and run.” The Parish Directory of Services is convincing evidence of this: It lists more than 80 volunteer ministries.
Challenges? The pastor mentions communicating the full meaning of stewardship. “Our people respond to need with great generosity,” Father Ruede says. “But the other reason we give is to show our gratitude for the blessings we’ve received.”