Founded: December 7, 1913

December 7, 1913 marked the conception of what would become St. Aloysius Catholic Church. It’s first Mass consisted of 12 Catholics and was held in the parlor of the home of Mr. and Mrs. John Callanan. Masses continued to be held at the Callanan home on the 5th Sunday of the month, four times per year.

In 1914, the Church received a grant in the amount of $1,500 from Dr. Joseph Kelly of Philadelphia to purchase and renovate an abandoned 7th Day Adventist Church located on 11th Ave. in Hickory near the present Episcopal Church of the Ascension. The cost of the church and lot was $750 with the remainder of the donation used for repairs. The parish was named St. Aloysius in memory of Dr. Kelly’s deceased son, Aloysius Kelly. On April 18, 1915, the Church was dedicated and a solemn High Mass was celebrated by Father Mark Cassidy, OSB. The frequency of visits by a priest was increased to one Sunday each month.

Beginning April 8, 1928, Father Anthony Meyers celebrated Mass on a weekly basis. A low Mass was celebrated at 7:45 a.m. followed by Sunday school. as the number of parishioners had increased to
nearly 50.

The Rev. Sebastian Doris, OSB, was serving St. Aloysius in 1936 when his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Doris, and aunt, Mrs. M. C. Vaughan of Augusta, Georgia, donated a total of $5,500 to St. Aloysius. With the donations, a fund drive was launched for a larger church and on April 23, 1937, land was purchased at the corner of Tenth Street and McComb Drive (now 2 nd Street and 9 th Avenue NE), the site of the present church complex. A small granite church was built that seated 120 parishioners. It was designed by Rev. Michael McInerney, OSB. Over the front entrance a specially designed stone crucifix was embedded in solid masonry with gold lettering stating, “God So Loved The World”. The new church was dedicated on September 25, 1938 with the Right Rev. Vincent Taylor, OSB, Ordinary of the Diocese of Belmont Abbey, presiding. By 1940, St. Aloysius had 60 members and was the only Catholic Church in Catawba County. Rev. Sebastian Doris, OSB, commuted from Belmont Abbey in Belmont to celebrate Mass on Sunday mornings and on Holy Days of Obligation. During World War II, an additional Mass was added on Sunday at 6:30 a.m. to meet the needs of naval cadets stationed at Lenoir-Rhyne College with the 9 a.m. Mass for parishioners. The 6:30 a.m. Mass was discontinued in 1944 as the war began winding down. 

In 1944, Hickory was moved from the jurisdiction of the Abbot of Belmont Abbey into the Diocese of Raleigh. Rev. William McShea was appointed as the first secular priest to serve as pastor. Father McShea also traveled to Morganton to celebrate Mass since Burke County was also part of St. Aloysius parish. In 1947, a granite rectory was added to the church complex under the pastorate of Father James King who was assigned to St. Aloysius from 1946 to 1953.

As Hickory grew, so did St. Aloysius Parish. Organizations and activities were added, religion classes were begun and a parish hall was constructed in the church basement. The Catholic Ladies Guild was formed in the spring of 1946 and sponsored parish picnics to unite the widely scattered parishioners. In 1956, a Catholic Men’s Club was formed which met monthly after the 11:00 Mass and sponsored a children’s Christmas Party and Church Nursery. The Men’s Club disbanded in 1958.

In 1959, a home with ten rooms was purchased for $12,525 for use as a School of Religion. The congregation continued to grow rapidly following the opening of a General Electric plant in Catawba County and the expansion of the furniture industry. By 1961, membership in the parish had increased to 405 people and a new church structure was needed. Adjoining property was purchased and a simple brick church was dedicated on May 10, 1963 by the Most Rev. Vincent Waters, Bishop of Raleigh. The new church was built to hold approximately 400 people and cost $86,000. The existing granite church was used for Sunday School classes and was later named Sebastian Hall in honor of Father Sebastian Doris. In November 1963, the first meeting of the Catholic Youth Organization (CYO) was held. Prior to this organization, there were no organized groups for Catholic youth in the area.

By July 1965, the congregation had grown to over 500 members consisting of 158 families with 155 children enrolled in religion classes. In 1968, the Ladies Guild became formally affiliated with the national office of the Confraternity of Christian Mothers.

By 1970, all parish debts were paid off. Fr. William Wellein became pastor in 1970 under the direction of the Diocese of Raleigh. Part of the rectory was renovated to ensure adequate office space and a part-time secretary was hired. With the assistance of Dario Santi, a parishioner and architect, the sanctuary was renovated to meet the standards for the new Rite of the Mass. Beginning in 1971 an additional Mass was added on Saturdays at 6:00 p.m., a weekly Sunday Bulletin was introduced and  church envelopes were mailed to parishioners to keep the parish census up-to-date.

In 1972, North Carolina was divided into two dioceses and St. Aloysius became part of the Diocese of Charlotte. Under Fr. Wellein, the custom of serving coffee between Masses was reinstated. A religious gift shop in the back of the old stone church reopened and was expanded. A Parish Advisory Council was formed with 16 elected and appointed members who met bi-monthly. The first parish pictorial directory was initiated and in October, the Catholic Men’s Club was reorganized with a new constitution. In December 1972, Boy Scout Troop 236 was chartered.

In 1973, Msgr. Eugene Livelsberger became pastor. Using property; acquired in Newton, he established the mission of S. Joseph the Worker and the first Mass was offered on Labor Day 1978. In December 1978, Fr. John Murray was assigned to St. Aloysius as the first parochial vicar (assistant) and spent much of his time at St. Joseph’s. Fr. Murray left in 1979 and in 1980, St. Joseph’s became a parish in its own right.

The first two deacons assigned to St. Aloysius were ordained in 1983 and were part of the first class of deacons in the diocese of Charlotte permanent diaconate program. They were Deacon Hugo May and Deacon Joe Garavaglia.

In 1984, Fr. Ed Sheridan became pastor. Membership in the church had grown to 360 families. In April 1985, at a cost of approximately $158,000, the parish bought two wooded lots between the existing church and educational building which was used to expand the parking lot from 13 to 100 spaces. The parish also hired its first full time paid Music Director (Mary Ann Studenberg) and its first full-time paid Director of Faith Formation (Sister Mary Norman, a Maryvale sister).

In 1987, when Fr. Wilbur Thomas became pastor there were 575 registered families and hundreds of children in the Faith Formation program resulting in a need for additional classroom space. In 1989, a new rectory at 9 th Ave. was purchased and the former rectory was turned into additional classrooms.

A Mass celebrated by Bishop John Donoghue of the Diocese of Charlotte was celebrated on December 7, 1988 to commemorate the parish’s 75h Anniversary. In 1991, ground was broken for a new church. The two houses used for education and the church office were razed n 1993 in order to expand the parking lot. The new church was designed to serve 800 families and seated 520. The building was constructed of stucco-trimmed stone-like materials to blend with the old rectory and the church was designed to interconnect with the other buildings on the site. The memorial stained glass windows from the 1963 church were cut out and installed in the hallway leading to the vestibule of the new church and near the altar. The altar, credence table, ambo and tabernacle were designed by liturgical designer, Ernst Schwidder. A triptych depicting the crucified Christ, risen Christ and Mary holding the Child Jesus was placed on the wall above the altar. Classrooms, a parlor, a large meeting space in the downstairs area, a small kitchen area, a music practice room and new offices were all part of the construction which cost 2.7 million dollars.

The dedication of the parish’s fourth church took place on August 28, 1993 and retired Bishop Begley served as the celebrant. The old 1938 church was converted into a chapel for daily Mass in 1998 and renamed Sebastian Chapel. The brick 1963 church was renovated in 1997 into Holy Family Hall with a full institutional kitchen and a religious article store in the rear. At the end of 1997, the St. Aloysius congregation had grown to nearly 3,000 individuals consisting of approximately 975 registered households and 575 students registered in Faith Formation (K-12). 

In the mid-1990’s, three thousand Hmong lived in the area of North Carolina between Morganton and Albemarle. Fr. Bill Tanguay, director of the East Coast Ministry to the Hmong, set up an office for six months of each year at St. Aloysius from 1995-2002. Because he was fluent in the Hmong language and understood their culture, he was an ideal person to minister to them, say Mass for them, organize group activities and in general tend to their pastoral needs.

Another group that added to our parish numbers and also contributed to our parish life was the Hispanic community. In August 1999, Fr. Ed Sheridan celebrated the first Mass in Spanish in Sebastian Chapel with 60 people in attendance. Word quickly spread and within weeks, the Mass was moved to the main sanctuary. In 2003, Fr. Enrique Gonzalez was assigned as St. Aloysius’ first Spanish-speaking parochial vicar. By 2003, a second Mass in Spanish was added on Saturday evening at 7 p.m. and a bilingual Director of Hispanic Ministry, Laura Garza, was added to the staff.

The increase in members also meant more programs. In 1996, Marie Martino became the first full-time youth minister. The high school youth met on Sunday evening. Some activities included overnight retreats in the mountains and beginning in 1999, attending the Catholic Heart Work Camp. A Sunday evening Mass, geared to youth was also begun.

In 2000, St. Aloysius sponsored its first Habitat for Humanity House with many members helping with the building of the home. Adults of the Parish, inspired by the youth, had their first adult mission trip to western North Carolina in 2004. The trip was followed by yearly trips to Mississippi to aid hurricane victims, as well as trips to a Philadelphia soup kitchen.

Fr. Robert Ferris became pastor in 2004 and a columbarium was built on the grounds with the first inurnment in 2004. In 2008, the plain glass windows behind the altar of the church were replaced with a stained glass mural of the Last Judgment and a new tabernacle was purchased and moved directly behind the altar, underneath the triptych. In 2011, a small house on 9 th Avenue was transformed into a Chapel of Perpetual Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament where parishioners keep vigil 24 hours a day, 7 days a week in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament. Also, a house on First Street was furnished for visiting clergy and guests and named St. Aloysius House. In 2013, two additional lots facing Highway 127 were purchased for future parking lot expansion or for future building. 

2013 also marked the 100 th Anniversary of our Parish. Planned events for the anniversary celebration included celebrating St. Aloysius’ feast day on June 23, the 25 th anniversary of the ordination of deacons, Tom Rasmussen and Ron Caplette. The following events also occurred: dedication of a bronze statue of a little girl releasing a butterfly called “Fly Away” was donated to the city and placed in McComb Park in a meditation garden, family night at the movies, a Mass in November officiated by Bishop Jugis followed by a dinner at Lake Hickory Country Club, and a concert and retreat with Sarah Hart, Jesse Manibusan and Steve Agrisano that was held during Advent.

On July 7, 2014, our current Pastor, Fr. Lawrence M. LoMonaco, joined the St. Aloysius community. In 2018, the Office Wing of the campus was dedicated to Carlotta Triplett, former Office Manager, who served the parish for 32 years beginning in September 1986 until her retirement on April 5, 2018. 

COVID emerged in 2019 and forced the closure of Churches and businesses but Fr. Larry and his staff remained resilient and the Church remained open. Live Masses were made available to parishioners online and Holy Communion was dispensed in the church parking lot immediately following the Masses. St. Aloysius was one of the first churches in the area to resume Masses in accordance with government requirements. Gradually, the number of attendees increased and restrictions were lifted. Thanks to our parishioners who supported our Parish, even through the worst of COVID, St. Aloysius remained solvent.

On August 15, 2021, the Adoration Chapel celebrated its 10th Anniversary which consisted of a bi-lingual adoration service followed by a meal in Holy Family Hall. In 2022, the 50 th Anniversary celebration for the Diocese of Charlotte was celebrated with various events taking place including a Festival/Picnic, 50 Hours of Adoration, Plating Grace, a couple’s cooking event and missions conducted by Fr. Leo Patalinghug, and a buffet-style luncheon was held on November 6, 2022 in Holy Family Hall following the 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Masses.

During his tenure, Fr. Larry has made significant improvements to the St. Aloysius campus which includes:

• Installation of new 22-gauge metal roof on the sanctuary and Holy Family Hall and new gutter system completed
• Installation of new roof, gutter system and new sewer line from basement to street, installed on the rental property facing Hwy. 127
• Installation of new roofs and gutter systems installed on both the Annex/Nursery and St. Aloysius House
• Installation of a more efficient cooling system in the Annex/Nursery
• A new 100 ton air-cooled chiller plant and control system which reduced energy consumption in excess of 40%.
• Restored St. Anthony Room previously damaged by water leaks from old roof 
• Two new confessionals installed in sanctuary
• Two Holy Water Fonts installed at entrance to Sanctuary
• Conversion of the original confessional and a portion of the adjoining usher’s closet into a Cry Room
• Reconfiguration of the usher’s closet with shelving added for storage
• The Flower Closet in Holy Family Hall converted to a food service and storage area for the different ministries that serve our parish
• Four new locking storage closets constructed in loft of Holy Family Hall 
• Installation of a new dimmable lighting system in the sanctuary which reduced power consumption by 600% and increased the amount of light by over 200%
• A landscaping/sitting wall added along the north (breezeway) entrance to the church for functionality and aesthetics 
• Sealed and restriped parking areas and handicapped signage 
• New carpet installed in parlor
• Repainted interior of main campus areas including sanctuary, adjoining hallways, ceilings, doorframes and trim
• Main bathrooms updated
• New water fountains installed in lower level
• Offices and kitchen in office area remodeled
• Door installed in Holy Family Hall to reduce noise from icemaker
• New doors installed on north side main entrance and south side lower level entrance
• Automatic door opener installed at main entrance
• Tile floors in main sanctuary of church cleaned and sealed
• Carpet replaced with tiles
• Sound System and exterior lighting upgraded
• 22 Security Cameras added throughout campus
• Maintenance Room built under Annex/Nursery
• Elevator replaced
• Two new flagpoles were added for Vatican and North Carolina state flags
• Bathroom and Bedroom for visiting clergy added above offices on 2 nd floor
• Numerous trees removed and pruned campus wide for safety, preventive maintenance and beautification
• Construction of 2 new parking lots resulting in 50 additional parking spaces added to campus
• Construction of new sidewalk at rear entrance to St. Aloysius house
• New Signage including the addition of a digital sign facing Hwy. 127
• Stained glass windows and ramp to Adoration Chapel installed
• Painted all Faith Formation classrooms
• Crucifix installed behind altar in Church Sanctuary
• Pews installed to replace chairs in Church Sanctuary
• Stations of the Cross added to Church courtyard
• Mary’s Garden constructed at Rectory
• Rental property adjacent to St. Aloysius House purchased
• Pews refurbished and seat cushions added
• New St. Aloysius website launched

OUR CLERGY THROUGH THE YEARS

Note: Prior to 1933, Fr. Mark Cassidy, OSB and Fr. Anthony Meyers also served St. Aloysius Parish