“A Little Parish With a Big Heart”
St. Elizabeth of Hungary, Farmville
The first Catholic Church in Farmville, NC, was a railroad car. The St. Peter, built in 1912 for the Catholic Church Extension Society, brought Mass to missions across the country until the 1930s. In the 20s, it was manned by the legendary Father Egbert Albert, C.P.
In Farmville, most of the Catholics were Lebanese merchants. When Fr. Albert died in 1929, this small group of Catholics began worshipping in the home of Wadir Hatem, who converted his dining room into a chapel. Father Michael Begley, later the first Bishop of Charlotte, would come each Sunday from the orphanage in Raleigh to celebrate Mass.
By 1931, though, a permanent church, St. Elizabeth of Hungary, had been built and was dedicated by Bishop William Hafey. It was many years before St. Elizabeth had a resident pastor, but throughout the years many priests, both Diocesan and religious, served the parish.
For a short time, the Church of St. Jude, Grifton, was a mission of the Farmville church. St. Elizabeth also served as a catechetical center for Eastern Carolina. From 1958-1970, Mission Helpers of the Sacred Heart were stationed in Farmville, teaching religion classes and doing census work and parish visiting. They worked extensively with lay volunteers known as “Mary Missioners,” who joined the Sisters in providing religious instruction in Farmville, Mount Olive, Jacksonville, Holly Ridge, Scotland Neck, Grifton, Tarboro, Roanoke Rapids, Smithfield, Newton Grove, Edenton, Plymouth, and Ahoskie.
In 1993 Sister Grace Campbell, IHM, was appointed Pastoral Administrator of St. Elizabeth. At the same time, Passionist priests from Greenville were assigned the duties of Canonical Pastor and Sacramental Minister, thus returning the sacramental care of the people of Farmville to the Order which had begun the ministry in the days of the railway car. Sister Grace served St. Elizabeth parish devotedly for twelve years, and was active in the community of Farmville, joining the Farmville Ministerial Association in inter-denominational prayer services, serving as guest columnist in the local newspaper and more. She also volunteered time and labor to the local Benevolent Ministries and Meals on Wheels.
When Sister left Farmville in 2005, Father Joseph J. Yaeger became St. Elizabeth’s first resident priest in eighteen years. A native of New York, Father Yeager moved to North Carolina 35 years ago with his family and is an alumnus of East Carolina University. While he praises the “peacefulness” to be found in a small agricultural town like Farmville, he acknowledges that the entire community is experiencing tremendous growth. “Our most pressing need as a parish,” he says, “is space.” The church seats 80 people “if they’re friendly,” Father Yaeger says. But the church property has room for expansion, and the parish is in the early stages of planning to fund and build a “gathering hall” with classrooms for the Sunday school.
The official church history describes St. Elizabeth as “a little parish with a big heart” filled with enthusiasm to the future: “Our journey of faith continues! St. Elizabeth, pray for us!”