Restoration and Recovery

The week before Thanksgiving, 2023, a team of Infant of Prague's staff and parishioners drove from Jacksonville, NC, to the Bronx, NYC, on a special mission: to recover church furnishings from the deconsecrated Saint Roch Catholic Church and bring them home to Jacksonville, NC. These articles, including pews, Stations of the Cross, a life-size Crucifix, and statuary, are destined for use in IOP's new school chapel.

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St Roch, the Bronx, NYC

St Roch is one of six parishes in the Bronx, NYC, that was ordered to close and merge with a neighboring parish in the 2014 Make All Things New reorganization project under Archbishop Timothy Dolan. These closures, which were necessitated by dwindling numbers and lack of funds to maintain and restore older buildings, have been a cause of sorrow for many Catholics.

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Signs of Life

Catholicism in North Carolina has always been characterized by growth. Since the diocese of Raleigh was established on December 12, 1924, by Pope Pius XI, the Catholic Church in North Carolina has grown from 6,000 registered members to more than 400,000. That growth is on display in our parish.

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The Ann Street Chapel

The school chapel, connected to the newly opened IOPCS upper campus in historic downtown Jacksonville, was the former home of a First Baptist ecclesial community. Built in the 50's, this chapel will be restored prior to being consecrated by the Bishop of Raleigh to serve our growing parish and student body. Work is underway, with much of the groundwork completed during the education building renovation.

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Come Grow With Us!

You can be a part of this growth by supporting the Come Grow With Us campaign. IOPCS is leading the way in Catholic education in Eastern North Carolina. We are the only Catholic school offering 9-12 grade on the east coast of North Carolina. The education building is complete and the chapel is underway, but we need your help. To date, we have raised 71% of our financial goal. Interest-free loans from the Diocese enabled the parish to be decisive when the opportunity to expand our school, a long held dream of the IOP community, presented itself. Click the banner below to make a pledge or donation and Come Grow With Us!