Catholics called to conversion of heart as Lent ends and Easter nears
CHARLOTTE — A week of liturgies commemorating Jesus’ passion, death and resurrection began March 24 with Palm Sunday.
Outside St. Patrick Cathedral, parishioners enjoyed golden sunshine and spring breezes as they gathered at the Marian Grotto for the traditional Palm Sunday Gospel proclamation and procession that recalls Jesus’ triumphant entrance into Jerusalem only days before His crucifixion.
Father Christopher Roux, rector of the cathedral, urged the people gathered not just to relive the historical event, but to act in their own lives.
“As Our Lord entered Jerusalem, the people, in honor of the Messiah, laid their cloaks and palm branches on the ground as a symbol of the One who is coming in,” Father Roux said. “Today we carry branches, but let us, instead of leaving those branches at the feet of Our Lord, let us leave our hearts and our lives at His feet – thanking Him for that which He has done for us, and offering our lives in service of Him in this world, to bring Him into every corner that we enter into.”
Waving bright green palm fronds and singing joyfully, the congregation then processed into the cathedral as the Mass continued.
“Forty days we’ve waited to shout Hosanna in the highest,” said Marie Davis, who traveled from Greensboro with her husband to attend Palm Sunday Mass at the cathedral. “With this beautiful day comes the reality that we are in need of a savior, not just a king. That we are sinners and His passion and death open the doors to heaven for us.”
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For his homily on the day’s Gospel from Mark, Father Roux reflected on the different types of onlookers present at Jesus’ crucifixion.
“I had heard once that there were three types of people beneath the cross of Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ,” he said. “The first type were those who were sympathetic. The second were those who were empathetic. The sympathetic and empathetic are those types who see something happening and feel sorrow, or see it and actually suffer with the one who is suffering. But then there’s the third type, the one who is antipathetic. The ones who hate…those who hated Christ, who hated suffering, who hated everything He stood for.”
He noted the words in the Gospel passage, when the crowd – which once had welcomed and cheered Jesus as He entered the holy city – now jeered and shouted, “Crucify Him!”
“You and I would say we would never be among those individuals, and yet how do we live our lives? Do we live our lives trying to root out sin, the sin that causes Christ to go to the cross in the first place?” he asked the congregation. “Or does Palm Sunday just give us (a palm) to tie into knots, and Holy Week means we can go to the beach or golfing?”
The past 40 days of Lent have offered us the opportunity to purify our hearts, minds and souls and to prepare for the celebration of Our Lord’s resurrection, and Father Roux called parishioners to rise to the occasion.
“This, the holiest of all weeks, let us not be antipathetic to what Christ goes through for us. Let us not even be sympathetic and only sorry that He did,” he said. “Let us be empathetic and put our hearts right there on the cross with Him and promise Him that our hearts will change. That we will seek holiness of life, so that His death may not be in vain for us. That one day, being holy, we may be with Him in heaven.”
— Spencer K.M. Brown. Photos by Troy Hull and provided.
Palm Sunday across the diocese
School announces $4M investment plan
CHARLOTTE — Holy Trinity Middle School has announced a three-year, $4 million investment plan that will include campus-wide building improvements, additional teachers and staff, and a new learning model that blends single-sex and co-ed classes for a more tailored educational experience.
In a March 15 letter to parents, Catholic Schools Superintendent Greg Monroe and Principal Kevin Parks said the plan will “build on our shared success and reimagine how we prepare students to face today’s challenges – with character, confidence and Catholic values.”
The changes are being phased in starting this fall, with the goal of opening in Fall 2026 with a new name – Holy Trinity Catholic Academy – “to better reflect the specialized education we provide,” the letter said.
Holy Trinity is one of the largest schools in the diocesan system of 20 schools, with approximately 1,000 students.
Parents have mostly applauded the changes, said Parks, who also is working with parents to answer questions and listen to concerns.
Parents are telling Parks they like the addition of single-sex classes, he said, and are thrilled with plans to add teachers and improve the campus, as Holy Trinity’s five buildings date from the mid-1950s to the mid-1990s.
“I am counting on our parents and students to help us shape a new era of education at Holy Trinity,” Parks said. “As stakeholders, their guidance and feedback will be the backbone of everything we do.”
BLENDED LEARNING
Holy Trinity will offer single-sex classes in core subjects such as English and math, while a variety of electives as well as extracurricular activities and events will remain co-ed. The curriculum will be the same for girls and boys, but will be customized to better accommodate different learning styles and developmental needs.
Two single-sex classes will be added this fall, with possibly another class in Fall 2025, as school leaders phase in and evaluate the changes. But much of campus life throughout the day will remain co-ed – before and after school, during class changes, and in clubs, activities and many elective classes.
On its communications webpage detailing the investment plan, school leaders explained “Holy Trinity has a long tradition of success, with a faith community of students who perform well above the national average. Yet many parents are looking to us to help prepare their children to navigate a world increasingly driven by social media pressures and a contentious culture.”
School leaders researched blended learning for more than a year, working with experts and visiting all-girls and all-boys schools in Massachusetts and South Carolina.
“Our new learning approach really will offer the best of both worlds by blending the advantages of single-sex and co-ed classes,” Parks said. “There will be plenty of opportunities for boys and girls to work and learn together, as well as for them to express themselves in single-sex classes without embarrassment or distraction. This model will also expand leadership opportunities for both boys and girls.”
Single-sex schools have a long tradition in the Church, especially in the Northeast, but are less common in the South. Over the decades in western North Carolina, girls-only and boys-only
Catholic schools have operated in Asheville, Belmont, Charlotte, Hickory and Winston-Salem, among other places.
Tara Bork has two daughters at Holy Trinity and is excited about the changes, especially for girls.
“I think this is another pathway to make these children the best versions of themselves – happy, well adjusted, challenging themselves, confident as they can be, ready to walk into high school,” said Bork.
She credits her experience at an all-girls high school for helping her become more assertive and successful: “It gave me an opportunity to be more true to myself. We were able to discuss things without having to worry about boys’ reactions. When you don’t have all the emotional distractions and can be in a safe environment, you can learn in the way that’s best for you.”
The two other Catholic schools in the Charlotte area that offer grades 6 through 8 – St. Mark and Our Lady of the Assumption – will continue to be co-ed for families who prefer that option.
MORE TEACHERS, STAFF AND TRAINING
Reflecting its new learning model, Holy Trinity will operate as a Boys Division and a Girls Division under one roof, with new positions being added to lead each. The school will also add up to six teachers, as well as a dean of curriculum and instruction.
Three teachers will be added this fall, with more hired over the next two years.
The additional teachers will instruct the religion classes, freeing up other teachers to focus on their subject area of expertise, school leaders said.
That will help reduce some class sizes and group students in classes with others of similar abilities, Parks said.
In addition, the school’s leadership will shift to a “president-principal” model, similar to the diocese’s three high schools.
Parks will be promoted to president, focusing on strategic planning and community relations, while a new principal will oversee the school’s day-to-day operations.
To achieve the more tailored instructional approach, Holy Trinity is adding professional development – from workshops led by national experts to group studies to individual coaching and classroom observations – to help equip teachers with the latest research and strategic teaching methods.
“We’re excited to see the evolution of Holy Trinity, and we appreciate the support and collaboration of our teachers, staff and parents in this transformation,” said Catholic Schools Superintendent Dr. Greg Monroe. “We are committed to providing a vibrant Catholic culture at all 20 of our schools to help our students grow academically, spiritually and socially.”
CAMPUS IMPROVEMENTS
Parents will begin seeing some of the changes as soon as this spring, when renovations to Holy Trinity’s campus on Park Road will get under way.
Facility improvements will include:
• Reconfiguring entrance, administrative offices and front lobby
• Refreshing science labs with new flooring, cabinetry, furniture and equipment
• Expanding teacher office space and conference areas
• Renovating Begley Library to create additional learning spaces and repair stairways
• Installing new flooring, windows and doors in the administration building
• Installing new lighting in buildings across campus
• Improving common areas and outdoor learning spaces
• Renovating bathrooms in Begley and administration buildings
• Replacing HVAC in the Gym and Mercy building
• Expanding fencing and adding a gated campus entrance and exits to improve security and traffic flow
Most of the work will take place over the next three summers and is scheduled for completion by Fall 2026. School leaders are currently reviewing and finalizing plans with architects and selecting contractors.
School leaders said Holy Trinity’s tuition will not increase as a result of these changes.
— Catholic News Herald
Learn more
At https://charlottediocese.org/schools/holy-trinity-resources: Learn more about the changes coming to Holy Trinity