The chapel originated in the 1960’s when
Catholics in Charlotte were deprived of the True Mass. There
were 3 families, who either gathered together to read the Mass
in each other’s homes or who would travel to Chapel Hill,
Raleigh or even Vienna, VA in order to attend the traditional
Mass.
Over the years, many priests in the
Charlotte area, including Bishop Begley, the local Ordinary,
were requested to help the fledgling group of
"traditionalists", but to no avail. However, in the late
1970’s, 80 year-old Msgr. Gable obtained permission from
Bishop Begley to say the Latin Mass for the group at his
church, Our Lady of Consolation, the only black church in the
city. Upon Msgr. Gable’s retirement to his home on Statesville
Avenue in Charlotte, the group had Mass there.
When Msgr.
Gable became to frail to live at home, he moved into the
nearby Benedictine Belmont Abbey, and once again, the group
followed. Abbott McCafferty graciously accommodated the group
by allowing them to attend Msgr. Gable’s Masses in the chapel
at the monks’ residence. When Msgr. Gable died, the group was
again left without a priest until Msgr. Gilbert retired to
Charlotte from Goldsboro. Being a friend of Bishop Begley, he
was given permission to say the Mass for them until his death.
The group returned to attending Mass at
Chapel Hill and Raleigh, and in 1984, they were successful in
setting up the St. Pius X Chapel in Charlotte, though they did
not have a permanent residence yet. Masses were said in
various banks until 1989, when the growing numbers
necessitated a move to Junior Women’s League building on East
Boulevard in Charlotte. Until the purchase of the current
property in 2000, Masses were said in the same League
building.
In 2000, an elegant, brick church building complete with
belfry and rectory was purchased in nearby Mt. Holly, and it
was decided to rename the mission, St. Anthony of Padua. After
readying the church for Catholic use, which included the
installation of a beautiful, carved oak altar, the church (and
its bell) was solemnly blessed by Bishop Richard Williamson
the eve of Pentecost, Saturday, June 2, 2001.
In 2007, the
sanctuary and sacristies were remodeled to accommodate the
increase of faithful which had risen in only seven years from
150 to nearly 200 faithful regularly attending the chapel.