We've Come This Far by Faith // Nosotros hemos llegado tan lejos por fe
This statement is a powerful testament to a long life sustained by faith and perseverance. It is our declaration of living through many trials, changes, and seasons, and attributing the survival and success of St. Benedict the Moor Catholic Church not to luck or personal ability alone, but to a deep, abiding belief in God.
Eighty-five years represent a full and lengthy lifetime of the church with countless moments of triumph, struggle, and decision. This timespan would include historical changes/events, shifts in society, and advancement in technology. The Church has endured
personal and spiritual trials such as hardships, loss and adversity; and the changing world views that had to be navigated in a world that has seen dramatic transformations in cultures and values.
“By Faith” indicates that this journey has been guided and strengthened by the spiritual beliefs of the Catholic Church. We trusted and did not try to control every outcome but instead trusted in His divine plan. Faith provided strength and endurance for difficult periods, believing that there was a larger purpose at work. Our beliefs offered us hope in times of uncertainty, providing a sense of
security that everything would ultimately work out for the good.
The phrase, ”We’ve Come this Far by Faith,” is our expression of gratitude and deep reflection, celebrating our life at St. Benedict the Moor as a living testament to the enduring power of faith.
Esta declaración es un poderoso testimonio de una larga vida sustentada por la fe y la perseverancia. Es nuestra declaración de haber superado muchas pruebas, cambios y etapas, y de atribuir la supervivencia y el éxito de la Iglesia Católica de San Benito el Moro no solo a la suerte ni a la capacidad personal, sino a una profunda y constante creencia en Dios.
Ochenta y cinco años representan una vida plena y prolongada para la iglesia, con innumerables momentos de triunfo, lucha y decisión. Este lapso incluye cambios y acontecimientos históricos, transformaciones sociales y avances tecnológicos. La Iglesia ha superado pruebas personales y espirituales, como dificultades, pérdidas y adversidades; y ha experimentado los cambios en la visión del mundo que ha tenido que afrontar en un mundo que ha presenciado transformaciones dramáticas en culturas y valores.
"Por fe" indica que este camino ha sido guiado y fortalecido por las creencias espirituales de la Iglesia Católica. Confiamos y no intentamos controlar cada resultado, sino que confiamos en su plan divino. La fe nos brindó fuerza y resistencia durante los momentos difíciles, creyendo que había un propósito mayor en juego. Nuestras creencias nos ofrecieron esperanza en tiempos de incertidumbre, rindándonos la seguridad de que, al final, todo saldría bien.
La frase, “Hemos llegado hasta aquí por la fe”, es nuestra expresión de gratitud y profunda reflexión, celebrando nuestra vida en St. Benedict the Moor como un testimonio viviente del poder perdurable
Fr. Frank O'Rourke's 50th Anniversary Mass
Fr. Frank O'Rourke, previous pastor of this parish, is celebrating his 50th Anniversary of Ordination to the Priesthood. You are invited to join him for the 11:00 AM Mass on Sunday, November 23, Feast of Christ the King at St. Gabriel Catholic Church (3016 Providence Road, Charlotte, NC). The Mass will be livestreamed at www.stgabrielchurch.org/livestream
Misa del 50 aniversario del padre Frank O'Rourke
El padre Frank O'Rourke, anterior párroco de esta parroquia, celebra su 50.º aniversario de ordenación sacerdotal. Están todos invitados a acompañarlo en la misa de las 11:00 h del domingo 23 de noviembre, fiesta de Cristo Rey, en la iglesia católica de San Gabriel (3016 Providence Road, Charlotte, NC). La misa se transmitirá en directo por www.stgabrielchurch.org/livestream.
St. Benedict the Moor is looking for volunteers for our Education Commission to coordinate and assist children with their school work along with educating parents on how to teach their children about not getting carried away with modern technology. If you are interested please contact Fr. Yumo or forward your details to the office at stbenswscr@gmail.com
San Benito el Moro busca voluntarios para nuestra Comisión de Educación para coordinar y ayudar a los niños con sus tareas escolares, además de educar a los padres sobre cómo enseñar a sus hijos a no dejarse llevar por la tecnología moderna. Si le interesa, comuníquese con el Padre Yumo o envíe sus datos a la oficina: stbenswscr@gmail.com
Lectors for October // Lectores para septiembre
Daily Lectors
Monday: Open
Thursday: Glenn Lanham
Friday: Gabriella Holland
November 2: Gabrielle Mortis
November 9: Denise Warner
November 16: Rose Hinson
November 23: Harold Holmes
November 30: Bernardo Carrillo
Parish Council Meeting // Reunión del Consejo Parroquial
The St. Benedict the Moor Parish Council meeting will be held on Monday, November 10, 2025 in the Fellowship Hall at 7:00 PM.
La reunión del Consejo Parroquial de San Benito el Moro se llevará a cabo el lunes 13 de noviembre de 2025 en el Fellowship Hall a las 7:00 p.m
Votive Candles
In order to keep up with current inflation the votive candles will now be priced as noted below: //Para mantenerse al dia con la inflación actual, las velas votivas ahora tendrán el precio que se indica a continuación.
Donations for the small candles are now $1.00 // Las donaciones para las velas pequeñas ahora son de $1.00.
Donations for the large candles are not $5.00 // Las donaciones para las velas grandes ahora son de $5.00
Knights of Columbus Meeting
The Knights of Columbus will meet on Monday, November 17 in the Fellowship Hall at 7:00 PM. The meetings will continue on the third Monday of each month in the Fellowship Hall at 7:00 PM
Los Caballeros de Colón se reunirán el lunes 17 de noviembre en el Salón de la Fraternidad a las 7:00 p.m. Las reuniones continuarán el tercer lunes de cada mes en el Salón de Compañerismo a las 7:00 p.m
Scan QR Code
Scan the QR Code to the right to go to St. Benedict the Moor You Tube Channel. --->
Escanee el código QR a la derecha para ir al canal de YouTube de St. Benedict the Moor.
VANCO Online Giving // Donaciones en línea de Vanco
Vanco Online Giving
If you would like to donate to St. Benedict the Moor online you can scan the QR Code on the back page of the bulletin.
Si desea realizar una donación a San Benito Moro en línea, puede escanear el código QR en la última página del boletín.
St. Benedict the Moor YOU TUBE Channel // Canal de YOUTUBE de San Benito el Moro
Please use the YouTube scan code above to subscribe to St. Benedict the Moor YouTube channel. We need at least 150 individuals to subscribe.
Usa el código de escaneo de YouTube que aparece arriba para suscribirte al canal de YouTube de San Benito Moro. Necesitamos al menos 150 suscriptores.
St. Benedict the Moor parishioner honored for 69 years of service to God
WINSTON-SALEM — Nearly every Sunday morning for the past 69 years, Willie King has taken part in the same ritual of faith and service at his home parish of St. Benedict the Moor.
He arrives before 9 a.m. at the church, an inviting red brick building perched at the crest of a rolling green lawn on East 12th Street.
He goes inside, laughing and chatting with others preparing for Mass. His demeanor changes as he dons a black cassock and white alb, then with a quiet reverence lights the candles on the altar. As Mass begins, King walks down the red-carpeted aisle, a path walked weekly since childhood, ready to perform the rubrics that are second nature to him.
Now 84, Willie King has been an altar server and coordinator of altar servers at St. Benedict the Moor for nearly 70 years, a milestone few people reach in any kind of ministry, or job for that matter. What makes it even more remarkable is that those years of service unfolded in a parish where his grandparents were among the founding families.
St. Benedict the Moor was established in 1940 to serve the Black Catholic population in Winston-Salem at a time when Jim Crow-era segregation was in effect, including at churches. Black Catholics were relegated to sitting in separate sections or at the back of churches.
“My grandparents would walk over 10 miles to St. Leo the Great, the only other church in the city at the time, every Sunday for Mass, but when they got there they could only sit in the last two rows,” King recalls.
Black Catholics in Winston-Salem appealed to the Diocese of Raleigh, which encompassed all of North Carolina at the time, and in 1940 Bishop Eugene McGuinness created St. Benedict the Moor Parish to serve the population. Before construction of the church was completed, the congregation met for Mass in private homes and at nearby Howard Robinson Funeral Home.
When St. Benedict the Moor opened in 1941, named for an African-Italian saint, King’s grandparents had only four miles to walk to Mass. And in 1943, Willie King became the first baby baptized at the new parish. Even though his mother and father weren’t Catholic, they allowed him to be raised in the faith.
“They were OK with me coming up in the Catholic Church because back then my grandparents sort of ruled the nest,” King explains with a smile.
Every Sunday almost without fail, he walked with his grandparents to Mass. “I don’t care how cold or how hot it was, we were going to church!”
He trained to be an altar server and soon found himself serving both the 7 and 9 a.m. Masses on Sundays.
His skills were also in demand during summers in 1956 and 1957 when he attended the Diocese of Charlotte’s former Our Lady of the Hills Catholic summer camp near Hendersonville, the first racially integrated camp in the region.
King spent 12 years in Catholic schools, attending elementary school at St. Benedict Academy and high school at St. Anne Academy, now both closed. He later graduated from Tennessee State University and worked for an electrical supply company in Winston-Salem.
He met his wife Gloria, and they married in 1964 and attended St. Benedict the Moor all through their marriage. He loves to tell the story of how they met at a soap-box derby race in Winston-Salem where both were spectators. That race made national news, he remembers, “because someone got real wise and put a magnet in one car and cheated.”
The couple raised their daughters, Tonjua and Tawanna, in the Catholic faith, and both went on to higher education at Catholic universities.
And all through those years, King was a constant presence on the altar, serving at daily and Sunday Masses and training the parish youth how to do the same.
“I literally never remember him sitting beside our family during Mass when I was a child because he was always on the altar,” says daughter Tawanna “TK” King. “It means a lot that my dad is such an integral part of this parish. I remember seeing the kids look up to my dad, and him training them how to be altar servers.”
Like her father, TK was baptized at St. Benedict the Moor, and he trained her to become the parish’s first female altar server.
Over the years, King has played many other roles at the parish: usher, extraordinary minister of Holy Communion, and member of the parish council and the buildings and grounds committee.
But serving at Mass is closest to his heart.
“It just comes naturally to me,” he says. “And it’s still a very important role for me because we don’t have many young people at the church these days.”
King’s dedication is noted by everyone who regularly attends St. Benedict the Moor, and his status at the parish is that of elder statesman. His nickname among friends and fellow parishioners? “King Willie.”
After a recent 9 a.m. Mass, King stood outside the church. Elegant in a blue shirt, slacks and straw hat, he shook hands, talking and laughing with people, his conversations peppered with his quick, easy sense of humor.
Father Melchesideck Yumo, St. Benedict the Moor’s pastor, says King’s ease with everyone he meets and his strong faith have made him a beloved figure among parishioners.
“He has been a great example of fidelity and commitment to service to the altar of God,” Father Yumo says.
Fellow parishioner Harold Holmes says it is “impossible” to describe the many contributions King has made to his home church.
“He has served in more roles than we can recall,” says Holmes, chair of the parish council. “His service is just a singular outstanding contribution to the life of the parish.”
The parish honored King in May during a special celebration marking his 69th anniversary. It was a “very emotional” event for him, King describes, a chance to see how much his service to the parish has meant to others. Although the day was dedicated to him, he still asked that the ceremony be dedicated to his late wife Gloria.
And, even with 69 years behind him, King says he has no plans to slow down anytime soon.
“Serving on the altar has brought me closer to my faith through the Mass,” he adds. “I’ll keep on being an altar server until they roll me out.”
— Christina Lee Knauss. Photos by Troy Hull
See pictures below!
