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Exclusive: Diocese of Charlotte reacts to first Sunday after altar rail banIn the Diocese of Charlotte, Bishop Michael Martin’s pastoral letter of December 17, 2025 ordered that altar rails, kneelers and prie-dieux be removed from public Masses by Friday, January 16.As the first Sunday Masses without altar rails unfolded this weekend, reports from across the diocese indicated anything but uniform compliance. While some parishes removed temporary kneelers and adjusted Communion lines, others made no immediate changes, awaiting Vatican clarification on a dubia submitted by more than 30 priests. The result has been a patchwork of responses indicating deep frustration with...

[Catholic Caucus] Open Letter to the Priests and Pastors of the Diocese of Charlotte, North Carolina, USAJanuary 15th, 2026Feast of Our Lady of Prompt SuccorTo my dear Brothers in the Vineyard of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,Grace and peace to you in this holy Season of the Nativity of Our Lord.With pastoral concern and fraternal affection, I write to you at a moment of genuine trial for the Church, to recall to your hearts the true nature of that obedience which must ever animate the soul of the priest. You are called, above all, to obedience to Christ Himself,...

FBI Charlotte Special Agent in Charge James C. Barnacle Jr., and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) Chief Estella D. Patterson announce the capture of Ten Most Wanted Fugitive Alejandro “Alex” Rosales Castillo. Castillo was seen on surveillance video crossing the border from Nogales, Arizona, into Mexico, on August 16, 2016. For nearly ten years, special agents and CMPD task force officers in Charlotte have worked countless hours to develop leads to locate Castillo, ultimately uncovering where he has been hiding the past several years. Castillo was captured in Pachuca, Hidalgo, Mexico, on January 16, 2026. The FBI’s Law Enforcement Attache Office...

Customs and Border Protection agents began an immigration enforcement operation Saturday in Charlotte. Leaders of North Carolina's largest city have said the federal operation is causing fear and uncertainty. Charlotte real estate agent Tabatha Andonian has been tracking federal agent sightings and sharing information with the city's Latino community. “Right now, I’m just driving around to see if I spot any vehicles that are ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement), seeing if they have out-of-state plates,” she said.

[Catholic Caucus] Charlotte priests submit dubia to Vatican over liturgical changesMore than 30 priests in the Diocese of Charlotte have submitted a set of questions to the Vatican related to recent liturgical changes announced by the local bishop, including a decision to ban the use of altar rails and kneelers for communion.Bishop Michael Martin, OFM Conv. Credit: Diocese of Charlotte.The dubia were sent in a letter to the Dicastery for Legislative Texts on Jan. 5.The letter, obtained by The Pillar, requested formal guidance and clarification about whether a diocesan bishop has the authority to make liturgical changes announced and proposed...

The incoherence of the Charlotte diocese’s ban on altar railsBishop Michael Martin has issued new diocesan guidance banning the use of altar rails during Holy Communion in the Diocese of Charlotte.In a pastoral letter dated 17 December, Bishop Michael Martin affirmed that the “normative posture” for receiving Holy Communion in the United States is standing, following a bow of the head as a sign of reverence. The letter instructs parishes that currently use altar rails, kneelers, or prie-dieus for the distribution of Communion to discontinue the practice, with any temporary or movable fixtures to be removed by 16 January 2026.“The...

[Catholic Caucus] Diocese of Charlotte will require seminarians to spend extra ‘pastoral year’ teaching, living as laityCHARLOTTE, North Carolina (LifeSiteNews) — The Diocese of Charlotte under Bishop Michael Martin, OFM, plans to add an extra “pastoral year” to its seminary formation that will require seminarians to work in Catholic schools full-time while largely living as ordinary laymen, beginning the next academic year.The changes to priestly formation, announced in a December 15 email memo obtained by The Pillar, will require seminarians to spend an additional “pastoral year” in between their required philosophy and theological studies, teaching full-time at local middle or...

[Catholic Caucus] The Number One Priority of the Catholic Church in Charlotte, North Carolina: NO ALTAR RAILSThankfully, the Church in western North Carolina has a liturgical heavyweight to guide it, a true giant of the faith.From his episcopal letter, "on the reception of holy communion":The episcopal conference norms logically do not envision the use of altar rails, kneelers, or prie-dieus for the reception of communion. Doing so is a visible contradiction to the normative posture of Holy Communion established by our episcopal conference. Instead, the instruction emphasizes that receiving Holy Communion is to be done as the members of the...

Sharing a meme against President Trump in response to a memorial for assassinated conservative activist Charlie Kirk cost a Tennessee man his liberty for 37 days, which in turn got him fired. The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, which is representing Larry Bushart, told Just the News on Tuesday it's still prepping a lawsuit on his behalf. The Alliance Defending Freedom beat FIRE to court in response to another alleged criminal investigation of speech related to Kirk in neighboring North Carolina, alleging a school district known for a Supreme Court precedent on school busing sanctioned an unidentified high school...

The Charlotte City Council is being slammed for approving $3.4 million to hire a PR company to clean up the reputation of their public transportation after a string of recent stabbings. The city’s latest action comes after two widely-publicized stabbings, including one that ended fatally on Charlotte’s train system and sparked a national conversation on rising crime and lax prosecution in urban areas of the country. On Tuesday, Republican North Carolina Rep. Mark Harris called out the “pro-crime Democrats in Charlotte” for spending the cash on “misleading ads” rather than choosing to “invest in REAL safety to prevent another tragedy...

[Catholic Caucus] Pope Leo XIV Extends Apostolic Blessing to SSPX Chapel in North Carolina for Its 25th AnniversaryThe document reads:The Holy Father Leo XIV cordially imparts the requested Apostolic Blessing to Reverend Father John Bourbeau, FSSPX and Faithful of the Fraternitas Sacerdotalis Sancti Pii X of Saint Anthony of Padua Chapel on the occasion of the 25th Anniversary of the Foundation of the Chapel invoking through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary an abundance of divine graces. Mount Holly, North Carolina, 22nd August 2025, Jubilaeum A.D. MMXXV. (Dated at the Vatican, November 18, 2025, and signed by Card. Konrad...

There has been another unprovoked stabbing on the Charlotte, North Carolina, commuter light rail system. We saw the tragic death of Iryna Zarutska last August in just such an event, but this latest incident is different in two ways: The victim is still alive, although in critical but stable condition, at least as of this writing, and the alleged attacker is an illegal alien, who has been deported at least once and entered the United States illegally again. When will we have had enough of this? Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy weighed in on his official X account:Apparently, the death...

[Catholic Caucus] SSPX in Charlotte plans for new chapel to accommodate growth after Latin Mass suppressionThe Society of St. Pius X chapel on the outskirts of Charlotte has experienced slow but steady growth since Traditionis Custodes was published.An SSPX church on the outskirts of Charlotte, North Carolina is planning to build a new chapel due to growing numbers of attendees after the Latin Mass-suppressing orders of Traditionis Custodes.St. Anthony’s in Mount Holly, within the geographical bounds of the Diocese of Charlotte, announced last week that Society of St. Pius X (SSPX) leadership has green-lighted an effort to search for land...

Border Patrol and ICE raids have caused fear amongst latino construction workers in Charlotte, NC. Construction sites in Charlotte are near ghost towns with not a worker in sight. Border Patrol invaded Charlotte, NC on November 15, 2025, churches have been raided, construction sites have been raided, people walking on the street have been arrested and sent to ICE detention enters. ICE was believed to of left the Charlotte operation, but then the government said yesterday that they will be in Charlotte for a while. Video shows a construction site at Panda Express being raided by Border Patrol. The latino...

[Catholic Caucus] Bishop Martin dispenses illegal immigrants from Sunday Mass obligation in CharlotteMartin’s dispensation is especially shocking since it suggests that escaping the consequences of a reasonable law takes precedence over the obligation to worship God at Holy Mass.Bishop Michael Martin of the Diocese of Charlotte on Tuesday granted a Mass dispensation to immigrants “afraid” to attend due to the possibility of being deported.“​​To those of you who are afraid to come to church, you are not obligated to attend Mass when you are inhibited from doing so by circumstances beyond your control, as the Church has always taught,” wrote...

Approximately 21,000 Charlotte students missed school on Monday as fears mount over Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity rippling through the community, according to city officials. The widespread crackdown called Operation Charlotte’s Web has sparked concern and pushback from educators and city leaders about its impact on the local community. Charlotte Mayor Pro Tem Danté Anderson, a member of the City Council, told Newsweek the absences were a troubling sign for students and families. “I was sick when I saw the numbers,” Anderson told Newsweek on November 18. “Our students had a hard time with COVID and...

Federal agents have arrested 130 people in two days in Charlotte, North Carolina, the latest city to face President Donald Trump's crackdown on immigration, according to a US official. Tricia McLaughlin, assistant secretary for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), told the BBC that a number of the people arrested are criminals and gang members. But local leaders say the operation is doing more harm than good. DHS said a US citizen allegedly injured an officer by ramming a law enforcement vehicle with their car. By population, Charlotte is roughly a quarter of the size of Los Angeles and a...

A southern city, Charlotte N.C., is emerging as a human trafficking hotspot due to its convergence of highways, demand for cheap agricultural labor and gang activity. Data found 106 minors were trafficked in Charlotte last year, about half of whom were aged 15 or younger. This was nearly double the 45 to 60 children identified annually between 2018 and 2022, figures from the city's Metro Human Trafficking Task Force showed. Statewide, the National Human Trafficking Hotline (NCTH) recorded 301 human‑trafficking cases in North Carolina in 2024, involving 580 victims. The vast majority of last year’s cases were sex trafficking, but...

Open Letter to the Bishop of Charlotte: "Bishop Martin, it is men like you who strongly imply that the Protestants had it right." Sent to us for publication, by a local parishioner:Bishop Martin,As a member of the Diocese of Charlotte, I have been amazed at the transformation of the character of our Diocese over the last year. What once felt vibrant and full of life now feels cowed, disjointed, and fearful. Entire congregations of faithful Catholics feel like they are losing their home, and they rightfully feel marginalized and ghettoized—reading the remarks you’ve made against the traditions of the faith,...

[Catholic Caucus] Charlotte bishop bans all altar rails for receiving Communion starting the first Sunday of AdventA parish priest supported Bishop Michael Martin’s banishment of altar rails, writing that ‘obedience is a virtue.’Bishop Michael Martin of the Diocese of Charlotte has banned the use of altar rails during the reception of Holy Communion, effective the first Sunday of Advent.Father John Putnam, the pastor of St. Mark Catholic Church, announced the new rule on Friday, embracing it as the “liturgical norm” of the U.S.In a letter to his parish, Putnam said he “personally” believes altar rails foster “reverence and devotion” but...