A Bilingual Catholic Community on the Edge of Wendell
Saint Eugene Catholic Church sits in eastern Wake County, serving the town of Wendell, North Carolina, and the surrounding farmland and new neighborhoods that have grown up around it. From its mailing address at PO Box 188 to its parish campus on Lions Club Road, St. Eugene presents itself as one of the most deliberately bilingual congregations in the Diocese of Raleigh: a single Roman Catholic parish in which English and Spanish worship, formation, and ministry are woven together every day of the week.
The parish is pastored by Missionhurst-CICM missionaries from the Congregation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, the same religious family that traces its spiritual lineage to St. Eugene de Mazenod, the Bishop of Marseille for whom the church is named. The parish is home to about 930 registered families.
A Parish Built by Immigrants
The roots of St. Eugene stretch back further than the church itself. On July 15, 1916, Isaac and Zahiya Kannon, along with their daughter Eunice, became the first Catholics in Wendell, having moved from Sacred Heart Cathedral in Raleigh after arriving in the United States from Lebanon in 1905. In 1918, Namy and Julia Joseph opened their living room for Mass, and Bishop Waters of the Diocese of Raleigh sent a succession of four priests to serve the small Catholic community, including Fathers Robert F. McMillan, John A. Beschel, Jerome Hickey, and James H. Tevlin.
For nearly three decades Mass was celebrated in private homes and, from 1946, at the Wendell Women's Club. Fr. Jerome Hickey proposed building a permanent church, and the Todd family donated a lot on U.S. Highway 64. The first Mass in the new building was celebrated in 1947, and the church was dedicated on August 1, 1948, with 51 founding parishioners and Fr. Frederick A. Koch as the first resident priest.
Growth was slow through the early decades; average Sunday attendance hovered around 57 from 1947 to 1975. In September 1975, Fr. Michael Shugrue and parishioner Ed Kannon purchased twenty acres for a future church, and Fr. Joe Gaul completed the first phase of a twenty-year master building plan in time for a new dedication on November 18, 1990. By then the parish had grown to 584 members, double its 1982 count. Pastor Scott Carpenter later converted the original Highway 64 church building into the White Dove Wedding Chapel in 1998.
Mass in English and Spanish
The parish celebrates the Eucharist every day of the week, with five weekend Masses and a daily Mass schedule that gives both languages a full voice in parish life.
On Saturday evening, English-speaking Mass is offered at 5:00 p.m. and a Spanish Mass follows at 6:30 p.m. Sunday brings English Masses at 7:30 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. and a Spanish Mass at 12:00 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, an English Mass is celebrated at 8:00 a.m., and a Spanish Mass is offered on Tuesday evenings at 7:00 p.m.
The Sacrament of Reconciliation is heard every Wednesday from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., and Eucharistic Adoration fills the church on Thursdays from 8:30 a.m. until 9:00 p.m. Adorers may sign up for a weekly holy hour or simply drop in during the open hours to spend time in prayer before the Blessed Sacrament.
The Missionhurst-CICM Family
St. Eugene is served by priests of Missionhurst, the American branch of the Congregation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (CICM), an international missionary society founded in 1816 by Eugene de Mazenod. The parish pastor is the Reverend Frederic M. Mizengo, CICM, with the Reverend Ange Masuta, CICM, serving as parochial vicar.
The CICM connection is woven through the parish's recent history. In 2002, Fr. Charles Phukuta Khonde, CICM, and his missionary pastoral team planted the seeds of what would become St. Eugene's signature community event: the International Food and Music Festival. First held in September 2003, the festival draws on the diverse backgrounds of the parish's own families, with food booths, a silent auction, kids' games, a food drive, and live music. In 2011, the festival was a "Best Local Festival" nominee in Triangle East magazine. The parish has also hosted bilingual Masses to mark holy days such as the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and a Migrant Worker Ministry walks with seasonal farmworkers in the area, gathering for a farewell Mass each year.
Patron of Families in Difficulty
The church takes its name from St. Eugene de Mazenod (1782 to 1861), a French bishop who founded the Oblates of Mary Immaculate and was canonized by Pope John Paul II on December 3, 1995. The son of a French political family who had fled the Revolution to Italy when Eugene was eight, he was ordained in Paris in 1811 and devoted his ministry first to prisoners, young people, and servants before gathering other priests into a missionary congregation approved by Pope Leo XII in 1826. He was named Bishop of Marseille in 1837, where he rebuilt seminary life and deepened the spiritual formation of his priests. The Oblates of Mary Immaculate, his order, now serve as missionaries in dozens of countries, including North America. Eugene is honored as patron of families in difficulty, and his feast day is May 21.
Faith Formation for Every Age
The Office of Faith Formation, directed by Xenia Del Cid, walks children, teens, and adults through every stage of Catholic initiation. Children's faith formation sessions are offered four times a week in two languages: Sundays from 10:15 to 11:40 a.m. in English, Tuesdays from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. in English, Wednesdays from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. in Spanish, and Fridays from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. in Spanish. The two-year sacramental preparation for First Communion begins in first grade, with parallel tracks in English and Spanish.
Confirmation preparation is built around a two-year program for teens entering ninth grade, with regular faith formation classes, prayer and worship experiences, retreats, service opportunities, and parish involvement. Teens who have been away from faith formation for at least a year begin with the parish's Reignite program, a refresher designed to rebuild confidence in the basics of Catholic belief before continuing toward the sacrament.
Adults who want to become Catholic, complete their initiation sacraments, or simply learn more about the faith walk through the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults, OCIA. The parish offers both English and Spanish OCIA opportunities, with weekly sessions covering Scripture and Catholic teaching, open discussion, prayer, and community fellowship. The journey culminates at the Easter Vigil, when catechumens are baptized, confirmed, and receive their first Communion.
A Special Place for Every Child
Hearts of Grace is St. Eugene's special needs ministry, created to walk with children and families who need a more flexible approach to faith formation. Through adaptive lessons, sensory-friendly activities, and monthly meetings from September to May, Hearts of Grace helps each child grow in relationship with Jesus and prepare for the sacraments at their own pace. The ministry is woven into the parish's broader sacramental preparation so that no family is left to figure it out alone.
Children's Liturgy of the Word welcomes younger children during Sunday Mass with readings and an interactive reflection geared toward their age, giving them a regular place at the Lord's table alongside their parents.
Sacraments Across the Life Cycle
The seven sacraments are central to parish life. Infant Baptism is celebrated once a month for children up to age six, with parents asked to be registered parishioners and practicing Catholics, and godparents required to have received Baptism, First Communion, and Confirmation and to be at least sixteen. Older children in grades one through eight enter a longer preparation that may include First Reconciliation and First Communion. Adults who have never been baptized enter through OCIA, and the parish welcomes Christians from other denominations as well as baptized Catholics seeking First Communion or Confirmation.
Couples preparing for marriage are asked to contact the parish office at least six months before their chosen wedding date. The Anointing of the Sick is offered by request to anyone facing serious illness, surgery, or the frailties of age, and is available by calling the parish office during business hours or the emergency line outside of office hours.
Outreach That Feeds Wendell
St. Eugene's outreach reaches well beyond the parish campus. The Brown Bag Ministry, one of the largest and longest-running programs, prepares almost a thousand lunches every week for distribution through local partners. Volunteer crews gather on Saturday mornings at 9:00 a.m. to assemble the meals, with sponsorship tiers ranging from snack items to a full week of sandwich meat. Donations are tax-deductible and can be dropped in the Sunday offertory or mailed to the parish office.
The Knights of Columbus Council at St. Eugene continues the parish's Can-A-Week program, collecting non-perishable food in barrels placed around the parish campus for distribution to local food banks. The parish Community Garden grows produce organically for the Wendell United Methodist Church food pantry, part of the NC Food Bank network. Volunteers handle planting, harvesting, and maintenance throughout the growing season.
Respect Life coordinates the parish's outreach to mothers and families in difficult pregnancies, maintaining relationships with Birth-choice in Raleigh, In His Hands in Smithfield, and Project Rachel Post-Abortion Healing. The Prayer Blanket Ministry sews fleece blankets, shawls, and rosaries for the sick of the parish, with bilingual prayer packets attached; the group meets on the first and third Fridays of each month at 10:00 a.m. The Seasons of Hope ministry gathers those who have lost loved ones for prayer and mutual support.
The Ladies Guild gathers women of the parish aged eighteen and older for spiritual enrichment, fellowship, and service. Meetings are held in the Parish Hall on the second Thursday of each month from September to May, with a social hour at 6:30 p.m. and the meeting at 7:00 p.m. The Guild hosts funeral receptions for bereaved parish families and supports the requests of the pastor throughout the year. Each Sunday morning at 11:15 a.m., members of the Spanish-speaking community gather to pray the Holy Rosary before the noon Mass.
Liturgical Ministries at the Heart of Mass
Behind every Sunday celebration is a wide network of liturgical volunteers. Boys and girls who have made their First Communion may serve as altar servers, with separate English and Spanish coordinators and training provided. Lectors proclaim the Sacred Scriptures at Mass, and Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion assist the priests in distributing the Eucharist. The Music Ministry draws on the cultural backgrounds of the parish to lead song in both languages, with separate choirs for English and Spanish Masses that combine for bilingual celebrations on Holy Days. Ushers and Ministers of Hospitality welcome visitors at the door, distribute worship aids, and help direct processions.
A Parish Life Center on the Way
To accommodate a growing and increasingly active parish, St. Eugene is planning a Parish Life Center that will give the community a permanent home for faith formation, fellowship, ministry meetings, parish events, and community gatherings. A bilingual survey of parishioners has helped shape the vision, and feasibility studies in both English and Spanish are guiding the next steps. The parish describes the project in three lines: building together, growing in faith, and serving as one parish family.
Office, Staff, and Joining the Parish
The parish office is open Monday through Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., with a lunch break from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. The Office Manager, Belkys Ramirez, can be reached at (919) 365-7114, extension 200, or steoffice@stewnc.org. The mailing address is PO Box 188, Wendell, NC 27591. Xenia Del Cid, Director of Religious Education, can be reached at extension 203; she also oversees sacramental records and confirmation service hours. Alexander Owen serves as Finance and Accounting Manager, and Tom Dwight leads the Music Ministry.
Online giving is available through OSV Hub, and registration forms for new parishioners are offered in both English and Spanish. Visitors and newcomers are invited to register as parishioners, an act that makes it easier to receive sacraments, register children for religious education, sponsor sacramental candidates, and plan funerals in the parish. For weather cancellations and the latest updates, the parish points visitors to its Facebook page.
The church's own tagline sums up its self-understanding: St. Eugene is a Catholic community that has come together in our common faith as God's holy people. Strengthened by the Word of God and nourished by His Sacraments, the parish steps forth in faith to love and serve one another.