The History of Our Lady of the Highways
Catholic Church
Before there was a Catholic church in Thomasville, there were Catholics. Due to their lively faith, zeal, and hard work with God’s grace, we are now celebrating the Golden Anniversary of Our Lady of the Highways.
Each summer in the late 1940’s, players of the Hi-Toms baseball team added to the Catholics and this lead to the first celebration of Mass in our city. During the summer, Mass was offered in Thomasville at the Green Funeral Home and the Women’s Club by Fr. Robert MacMillan of Immaculate Heart of Mary (IHM) Parish of High Point. During the rest of the year Thomasville Catholics joined for Mass in High Point.
Mrs. Hazel Cardiff, a woman with great zeal for the church, lead a drive to have a place for worship on a year-round basis. She convinced Bishop Vincent Waters to arrange for Masses to be said in a rental home at 15 College Street in Thomasville. After alterations, the house had its first Mass celebrated on Friday, June 6th, 1951, by Fr. MacMillan. He then passed on the nameless mission to Fr. Hugh Kennedy, the Thomasville Catholic Community’s first Pastor, on June 8th, 1951. This chapel, was named St. Thomas a Becket on December 27th, 1951, and was a mission of Our Lady of the Rosary Parish of Lexington for nearly three years.
Father Clarence Hill, the new Pastor, assisted by his twin brother Lawrence Hill, drew up the first plans in 1953 for a permanent building. The Rothrock family in Fair Grove, offered to donate some land outside of Thomasville, but Bishop Waters prevailed in picking the present site for the church. The three and a one half acre location was purchased and has proved to be a good decision. In 1953 the cornerstone was cut.
A congregation of some forty persons constructed the church at a cost of over $50,000.00.
The first service in the new building was the reading of St. John’s Passion of Our Lord at 2:30pm on Good Friday, April 16th, 1954. Mass was first celebrated at 9:00am Easter Sunday, April 18th, 1954.
On the first page of the parish register Fr. Clarence Hill stated that the church was dedicated at 11:00am, June 27th, 1954 in 104° heat with Fr. John Cardiff, brother-in-law of Hazel Cardiff, giving the sermon. The choir of IHM added to the occasion. Christmas of the same year began the traditional celebration of Midnight Mass, which was sung to the accompaniment of the pump organ and in Latin by 35 parishioners and visitors. Bishop Vincent Waters dedicated the church on June 29th, 1954, and it was named Our Lady of the Highways.
Our Lady of the Highways remained a mission parish of Lexington until late 1958. Membership remained steady, with Fr. James Keenan, then Pastor, and 17 families.
Early in 1959, Our Lady of the Highways became a mission parish of High Point’s Immaculate Heart of Mary with a dozen priests serving us from there until April, 1968.
On April 5th, 1968, Our Lady of the Highways again became the mission of Our Lady of the Rosary in Lexington. Fr. Ron McLoughlin was pastor until June 30th, 1970.
On July 2nd, 1970, Bishop Waters received help from the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales and Our Lady of the Highways became a full parish in its own right. Fr. William Stahl, O.S.F.S. was appointed the first permanent Pastor and served two terms from July 1970 to July 1975 and then from June 1976 until his retirement in August 1977. A spiritual and spirited priest, Fr. Stahl was an excellent pastor. For in his two terms as pastor more than half of the marriages and First Holy Communions and nearly half of the baptisms performed here in 25 years were done by him. In his first term the parish acquired a real church organ, and in his second term our church debt was paid in full. The church grew to 72 families during his time as pastor.
Fr. William Lyman, O.S.F.S. was interim pastor after Fr. Stahl’s retirement.
Fr. John Murphy, O.S.F.S. was appointed pastor in August 1977. He established a picnic shelter, a mobile home for CCD classrooms, and increased the parish membership to 95 families; 40% of which were converts.
In 1984 a new ministry was added for the Catholics of Thomasville. A Spanish Language Mass was added for the Spanish-speaking parishioners and for the migrants of the area.
Our educational, social, and worship space kept getting tighter by the later part of 1985. After many hours of planning for over 3 ½ years, with Diocesan approval, construction of a new parish hall began in March 1989. On September 17th, 1989, The Hazel Cardiff Parish Center and La Casa Stahl Rectory were dedicated by Bishop John Donahue. These two building, at a cost of over $400,000.00, gave the educational and social space that was needed for the now 163 families.
In the year 1989, the parish experienced a year of physical and spiritual growth. Through the involvement of active parishioners, the R.C.I.A. process helps new converts to become members of our church. The parish choir was established and has improved our way of worship and praise. Our CCD (Faith Formation) program and Knights of Columbus are other ways the Spirit of God moves us to be people of His action.
Fr. Tom Fitzpatrick, O.S.F.S. was appointed the third permanent pastor in August 1997, following the retirement of Fr. Murphy due to illness.
During the later part of 2000, a drive was begun to raise $150,000.00 to remodel the interior of the church and add more seating space.
October 2000 saw the completion of the remodeling. The interior was refurbished; beautiful stained glass windows replaced most of the original windows. Two restrooms were added along with a cry room and Sacristy. Seating space was increased to accommodate the parish membership of 250 registered families.
Fr. James Turner, O.S.F.S. became the fourth permanent pastor in September of 2007, following the retirement of Fr. Tom Fitzpatrick. He has greatly enhanced the maintenance of our church, parish hall and rectory, as well as bringing computers and a secretary to the parish office. As the parish grows, Fr. Jim faces the challenges of more classrooms and meeting places, as well as ministering to a very large Hispanic population.
May God continue to bless Our Lady of the Highways Parish!!!