The Diocese of Charlotte will install a new bishop in May
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Bishop Peter Jugis (right) at the Diocese of Charlotte Tuesday morning introducing Bishop-elect Michael Martin as his successor. Photo: Ashley Mahoney/Axios
Bishop Peter Jugis, 67, will retire soon due to a non-life-threatening kidney condition, the Diocese of Charlotte announced Tuesday. Father Michael Martin of Atlanta will become the diocese's fifth bishop.
Why it matters: Bishop-elect Martin will lead 530,000 Catholics across 46 counties in western North Carolina at a time when more than a quarter of U.S. adults do not affiliate with any religion, according to a Pew Research Center study.
Catch up quick: Jugis, a Charlotte native, has led the Diocese of Charlotte since 2003. He submitted a request for retirement last June, according to the Catholic News Herald.
Martin, 62, currently serves as pastor of St. Philip Benizi Parish in Jonesboro, Georgia.
- He has been a teacher, coach and school administrator in Durham, Baltimore and New York.
- From 2010-2022, he served as director of Duke Catholic Center, which is Duke University's official Catholic community.
What he's saying: Bishop-elect Martin says he's read the Pew Research and other "grim" statistics, but he notes that he also spent 12 years on a college campus.
- He says he's hopeful about what can happen when you bring bright, energetic young people together to hear the Church's message.
- It comes down to how you preach the good news, he says. It needs to be conveyed clearly and with joy.
- "I'm not a person who feels like the youth in our country is lost," Bishop-elect Martin says. "Quite the opposite."
What's next: Martin was introduced at a press conference on Tuesday and will be ordained and installed as Charlotte's fifth bishop on May 29 at St. Mark Catholic Church in Huntersville.
- After Martin is installed, Jugis will become Bishop Emeritus.
The intrigue: Martin assumes his new role amid other major changes in the Diocese of Charlotte.
- The diocese's 20 schools are experiencing record enrollment, according to a statement from the Diocese of Charlotte.
- The diocese is planning to build a new facility to replace its aging 350-seat St. Patrick Cathedral in Dilworth. The new cathedral will provide a larger space to hold significant ceremonies in Charlotte.
