Our History

A Brief History of Good Shepherd Catholic Church

Good Shepherd Parish had a humble beginning in a number of Hope Mills residents’ homes. These “pioneers” were mostly members of St. Patrick’s Parish and had to travel a long distance to attend religious activities. So, with the permission of Bishop Gossman, and joined by Father Thomas Sanford an Associate Pastor at St. Patrick’s, the plans began for a Mission Church in Hope Mills. On January 31, 1981, Father Sanford celebrated the first Mass as a guest in the Hope Mills Presbyterian Church on Main Street. In September of 1981, fifteen acres of land and a small house located at Oak Street and Lake Forest Road had been purchased for $110,000 as the future site of the Church facility. On November 18, 1981, the parish was established by the Most Reverend F. Joseph Gossman, Bishop of Raleigh. Over the next four years the Good Shepherd congregation would celebrate Mass in several locations to include the Reeves-Bulla Funeral Home Chapel on Main Street, the Hope Mills Community Center on Rockfish Road, and the “First Mass” Presbyterian Church. A portable altar, Crucifix, candles, etc., went everywhere, lovingly and dutifully unpacked, set-up, taken down, repacked and transported to the next site.

In 1983, at the request of Bishop Gossman, Father John Carcich was named Pastor and given the charge of building the Church. After finding abundant plans and spirit, Father John also discovered there were no funds available. Therefore, the former Pallotine Father went back to his roots and secured a $200,000 grant. With this money, a $30,000 loan from the Diocese, free labor from the Fayetteville Technical Institute Building Trades Department, and a six-man building committee led by John Hoffman, then an Air Force Major, the Good Shepherd Church facility was built over a ten-month period and formally dedicated on October 14, 1984. The 9,600 square foot Church cost a total of $281,000 to build, landscape and furnish – a remarkable feat.

In 1987, Father Joseph Bumann became our Pastor. Father Bumann was with us for only twenty-two months until he was tragically killed in an automobile accident near Newton Grove. His gentle spirit is still missed greatly.

Father Phillip, who became our fourth Pastor in 1989, was able to complete another remarkable feat – “burning the mortgage.” During this period Good Shepherd also embarked on one of its many ambitious charitable activities – the funding and construction of a house for Habitat for Humanity. Father Phillip had salted away the seed money, but most of the funds came from a variety of fundraisers, all planned and carried out by the incredibly giving members of Good Shepherd.

In 1992, the Very Reverend Gerald L. Lewis, Vicar General of the Diocese, who served as our Pastor for ten months, followed Father Phillip.

Following Father Lewis, Father Joseph Gaul became the sixth Pastor of Good Shepherd in 1993. He oversaw the rapid growth of the congregation and the facility. Perhaps, more and most important however, was his maturing and institutionalization of our outstanding Religious Education Program. Bulging at the seams, this effort was no less than phenomenal, with over one hundred dedicated parishioners carrying out God’s work of teaching His children and evangelizing the community.

After the medical retirement of Father Gaul, whom Bishop Gossman assigned as our Pastor Emeritus, the Good Lord and Bishop Gossman blessed Good Shepherd with Father Thanh N. Nguyen, who is our current Pastor. Father Thanh continues to make the Religious Education Program a huge success along with many other ministries within Good Shepherd Parish.

Upon his arrival to the parish, Father Thanh continues to furnish the new Social Hall and purchases equipments for the kitchen to make it work for church's functions and activities. In addition, the overflow parking lot has been paved to provide more parking spaces for parishioners and visitors. He also requests grant from the Diocese to purchase land to establish the Catholic Mission of St. Isidore, serving the Catholic Hispanic population in Stedman, North Carolina.

No history of a Parish, brief as this one is, would be complete without mention of the Knights of Columbus, Council 8857. Our Council has rewritten the record books, won many awards at the State level, and even garnered National acclaim, all in Christ’s Name for those less fortunate.

At the risk of singling out one parishioner, this history must mention the twenty-three plus years of untiring service, continuity, and administrative expertise that Barbara Harold brought to the Parish Office. Thank you Barbara for all of your hard work. You are dearly missed in the parish office.

Along the way, we were blessed with three wonderful Assistant Pastors, Father Trent Watts, Father John Kelly and Father Mark Betti. They each brought a unique temporary presence, loving service, and formed lasting relationships; and each are dearly missed. In November 2004, we were delighted to add two Deacons to our Parish family, Deacon Juan “Nay” Henriquez and Deacon Patrick Snyder. Each one continues to serve and enrich the parish with dedication and love.

Deacon Nay has become the Pastoral Administrator for our Parish Mission, Saint Isidore, in the Stedman area. The Mission began on January 6, 2002, with the participation of 28 adults and 16 children, which has increased to the current attendance of over 100 people each week.

Finally, this history is about Christ and His boundless impact on the lives of thousands of past and present Catholics of Hope Mills and its surrounding communities. We are most fortunate to be a part of His Blessings and Salvation Plan. Good Shepherd Catholic Church is not a building, but a living community of Christians that will progress into the future, secure in the past, and in the Palm of His Hand.