The Vincentians of the Eastern Province have ministered to St. Mary’s Catholic Chruch in Greensboro, NC, for decades. Today, longstanding and recent parishioners universally credit the Vincentians’ spiritual guidance and humanitarian support for fostering harmony in their community.

Myriad migrants continue to come to St. Mary’s seeking asylum, work, and better lives. Not surprisingly, the Vincentians of the Eastern Province maintain their spiritual guidance and support to the growing church population at St. Mary’s.

Facing persecution in their war-torn homeland, indigenous Vietnamese—who identify as Montagnard, a French term meaning “mountain people”—arrived in Greensboro in the 1970s and 1980s and joined the parish. St. Mary’s has also experienced an influx of African  congregants, many of whom come to study or teach at local universities. Additionally, a large and vibrant group of Latin Americans have come seeking better employment opportunities in and around the rapidly growing city.

“This church was one of the smallest and probably had the least resources to accommodate that arrival of people,” says Michael Diamond, Chair of St. Mary’s Pastoral Council. “But given our history with the African American community, we can relate to folks who are in distress and transition. We can relate to folks who are trying to establish themselves and get off the ground. And [the Vincentians] have welcomed and embraced them.”

One of the parish’s most impactful ministries was a co-educational grade school operated by another Vincentian religious community, the Daughters of Charity. The school was small in every sense of the word with each classroom serving multiple grades and with graduating classes sometimes numbering in single digits. Yet, it offered high-quality academics and religious education that appealed to families of diverse economic means, even non-Catholics.

“The Daughters of Charity are beloved here because they were the ones who conducted the school and they were the ones who told the children they were as good as anybody else, no matter what anybody else said,” explains Fr. John P. Timlin, CM, who has served two tenures as pastor at St. Mary’s.

Even today, honoring and celebrating the heritage of the parish and its multi-culturalism is central to its liturgical and pastoral ministries. Suppporting Fr. Timlin in ministering to the various enthinicities are Parochial Vicars Fr. Eric Sanchez, CM, and Fr. Joseph Nguyen, CM.

Regular Masses are held in English, Spanish, and the Vietnamese language of the Montagnard. While these distinct cultural groups have their own gatherings, the Vincentians foster a sense of unity and spiritual dedication to Our Lord as they provide support and mutual learning among themselves.