Pope Francis Accepts Resignation of Bishop Peter Jugis of Diocese of Charlotte; Appoints Rev. Michael Martin, OFM Conv., as Successor

WASHINGTON - Pope Francis has accepted the resignation of Bishop Peter J. Jugis, 67, from the pastoral governance of the Diocese of Charlotte for health reasons, and has appointed Reverend Michael T. Martin, OFM Conv., as Bishop-elect of Charlotte. Bishop-elect Martin is a member of the Conventual Franciscan Province of Our Lady of the Angels, a religious order, and currently serves as pastor at Saint Philip Benizi Church in Jonesboro, Georgia. The resignation and appointment were publicized in Washington, D.C. on April 9, 2024, by Cardinal Christophe Pierre, apostolic nuncio to the United States.

The following biographical information for Bishop-elect Martin was drawn from preliminary materials provided to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops:

Father Martin was born December 2, 1961, in Baltimore, Maryland. He entered the novitiate of the Order of Conventual Franciscan Friars in Ellicott City, Maryland in 1979; he professed simple vows in 1980, and solemn vows in 1985. Bishop-elect Martin pursued studies at Saint Hyacinth College-Seminary in Granby, Massachusetts where he received a bachelor of arts degree (1984). He also studied at the Pontifical Theological Faculty of Saint Bonaventure in Rome, Italy, where he received a bachelor’s degree in sacred theology (1988), and a master’s degree in Catholic education administration from Boston College in Massachusetts (1993). He was ordained to the priesthood on June 10, 1989.

Bishop-elect Martin’s assignments after ordination include: director of admissions, religious studies teacher, moderator and coach at St. Francis High School in Athol Springs, New York (1989-1996); principal (1996-2001) and president (2001-2010) at Archbishop Curley High School in Baltimore, Maryland; and director of the Duke University Catholic Center in Durham, North Carolina (2010-2022). Since 2022, he has served as pastor of Saint Philip Benizi parish in Jonesboro, Georgia.

Bishop-elect Martin’s additional responsibilities have included: member of the adjunct faculty for the School of Education at Xavier University (Cincinnati, Ohio); definitor (provincial councilor) of the Conventual Franciscan Friars of the Saint Anthony Province; president of the pastoral council for the Archdiocese of Baltimore; regional associate for the National Catholic Educational Association; member of the Notre Dame Preparatory School Board; member of the Saint Thomas Aquinas School Board; member of the Cardinal Gibbons High School Board; associate of the Advancement Counsel; elected member of the Priests’ Council of the Diocese of Raleigh; member of the Catholic Campus Ministry Association; member of the Finance Council for the Diocese of Raleigh; and chair of the financial commission for Our Lady of Angels Province of the Franciscan Conventual Friars.

The Diocese of Charlotte is comprised of 20,470 square miles in the state of North Carolina and has a total population of 5,505,666, of which 546,370 are Catholic.

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