Parish History

The parish of St. Jude the Apostle is comprised of the Church communities of St. Jude the Apostle in Hampstead and its mission of St. Mary, Gate of Heaven in Surf City.

St. Jude the Apostle Church has been an active parish since the celebration of its first Mass on Sunday, 22 September 1991 in the Topsail High School cafeteria. After outgrowing that location, the celebration of Sunday Mass moved to the gym in Topsail Middle School, where the liturgy was celebrated until the parish was able to occupy its own building on 29 September 1996.

The Reverend Casimir Sabol, OFMConv. Was the first pastor and Brother Paul Hardison, OFMConv. was the pastoral associate.

The parish, initially a mission of St. Joseph Church in Burgaw, NC, was commissioned by Bishop F. Joseph Gossman of the Diocese of Raleigh in order to serve a growing population in the Hampstead area and eastern Pender County. By 1997 the parish family of St. Jude the Apostle had 275 registered parishioners.

A fifteen acre site in Hampstead, on U.S. Highway 17N, was purchased by the Diocese of Raleigh through its Land Trust Program. The property was then purchased from the Diocese for the use of the parish family of St. Jude the Apostle through the generosity of the surrounding Catholic parishes of St. Mark (Wilmington), St. Stanislaus Kostka (Castle Hayne), St. Joseph (Burgaw), St. Therese (Wrightsville Beach), Transfiguration (Wallace), and St. Mary Gate of Heaven (Surf City). Bishop Gossman approved a capital campaign in the fall of 1994. A multi-purpose building was planned and construction began in the fall of 1994. Completed and occupied in September 1996. Bishop Gossman dedicated the building on 27 October 1996. Until health issues caused the Franciscans to return the parish to the diocese of Raleigh in 1998, the Conventual Franciscan Friars served the Parish of St. Jude the Apostle and its mission church of St. Mary Gate of Heaven in Surf City with great dedication.

In July of 1999, the Reverend Terrence Collins was appointed pastor of St. Jude the Apostle and its mission church of St. Mary Gate of Heaven by Bishop Gossman. Since that time, due in no small measure to the missionary zeal of the Conventual Franciscans who served there, the parish has grown to more than 700 households with a total population of 1175 individuals. Reverend Collins believes that the spirit of service and welcome in the parish is due, in no small part, to the example given by the Conventual Franciscan Friars.

Saint Mary, Gate of Heaven Catholic Church is located at 420 N. Topsail Drive in Surf City. It is located at the center of the barrier island known as Topsail.

Prior to establishing the church community, Bishop Vincent Waters of the Diocese of Raleigh purchased land for the church in 1947. In 1958 the current chapel, a former military barracks, was purchased from Camp Davis in Holly Ridge, North Carolina and moved to its current site.

Bishop Vincent Waters of the Diocese of Raleigh established the mission church community in 1953. Although the exact location of the celebration is not remembered, the first Mass was offered on 23 August 1953 by Reverend Roland Gross, OFMConv. From 1953 until 1970 the church community was a mission of St. Joseph in Burgaw, North Carolina. Then, from 1970 until 1994 it was a mission of Stanislaus Kostka in Castle Hayne, North Carolina. In late 1994 it became a mission of St. Jude the Apostle in Hampstead. Until, due to restructuring in their religious community, the Conventual Franciscan Friars returned the church to the diocese in 1998. In July of 1999 Rev. Terrence Collins was made pastor of the mission church of St. Mary, Gate of Heaven which is part of the central parish of St. Jude the Apostle in Hampstead, North Carolina.

St. Mary, Gate of Heaven is a vibrant community in a very family oriented resort area. Its population swells from 190 year round registered individuals to more than 1200 individual for Mass and other services from Memorial Day thru Labor Day each year. In order to serve this extended seasonal family, the parish family has a special program for priests which will soon be explained.