St. Leo the Great Catholic Church in Winston-Salem: A Century on Springdale Avenue
On Springdale Avenue, tucked into a leafy stretch of west-side Winston-Salem, St. Leo the Great Catholic Church serves about 1,800 families under the patronage of a fifth-century pope and Doctor of the Church. The parish is part of the Diocese of Charlotte and is known for a full weekly schedule of Masses, a robust sacramental life, a parish elementary school, and a long roster of ministries that reach from cradle to college and out to the homeless, the homebound and mothers in need.
A Century on Springdale Avenue
The parish's roots run to the late nineteenth century, when a small but determined community of Catholics in Winston-Salem first gathered in homes and a local meeting hall. Under the care of Benedictine monks from Belmont Abbey and the leadership of Bishop Leo Haid - vicar apostolic of North Carolina and the second Leo in the story - the faithful built their first church in the 1890s at the corner of Fourth Street and Brookstone Avenue, taking the patron Pope Saint Leo the Great.
By 1916 plans were already in motion for a larger home. With help from the Knights of Columbus, leading Catholic families and even local Protestants, construction on a new church began in 1927. The cornerstone was laid on January 15, 1928, and the congregation moved into the unfinished building for worship soon after. The current church was completed in 1929 and has been the spiritual home of the parish ever since. Two of its stained-glass windows were donated by the Koch family in memory of Frederick Koch, who died on the feast of St. Anthony of Padua in 1943.
Through the twentieth century, Saint Leo gave rise to several daughter parishes: Saint Benedict the Moor in 1941, Our Lady of Mercy and the Our Lady of Fatima Chapel in 1954. In 1964 the pastor, Father Charles B. McLaughlin, was consecrated Auxiliary Bishop of Raleigh while continuing to serve Saint Leo; he later became the first Bishop of St. Petersburg, Florida. By 1966 the parish counted 500 registered families, hit 700 by 1971, and now registers roughly 1,800 households. The columbarium and Memory Gardens were blessed in 2001 and completed in 2002, and a campus carport near the rectory is currently under construction.
The Pastor and Pastoral Team
The Very Reverend Christopher M. Gober, V.F., has served as pastor of Saint Leo since 2020. He is assisted by two parochial vicars, Reverend Michael Camilleri and Reverend Christian Goduti, and by two deacons, Reverend Dr. Ralph D'Agostino, Jr. and Reverend Mr. Carl Brown. Together with the parish staff they shepherd the day-to-day life of the community.
Lauren Garner directs Faith Formation for children and coordinates VIRTUS compliance. Colton Brown serves as CREDO Junior High Youth Coordinator, and Amber Brown leads YDisciple, the high school youth ministry. Katie Nance is principal of Saint Leo Catholic School, and Elizabeth Salter directs sacred music and liturgy for the parish. The parish offices, in the Bishop Begley Parish Center, are open Monday through Thursday from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM and Friday from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM.
Mass and Reconciliation Throughout the Week
Saint Leo offers a generous schedule of Masses. On Saturday evening a Vigil Mass is celebrated at 5:30 PM. On Sunday the parish gathers at 7:30 AM, 9:00 AM, 10:30 AM in the church, 10:30 AM simultaneously in the Bishop Begley Parish Center, and 12:00 noon. Weekday Masses are celebrated Monday through Saturday at 8:00 AM, with additional Masses on Tuesday and Thursday at 5:30 PM and on Friday at 8:15 AM and 12:00 noon.
The Sacrament of Reconciliation is heard on Friday from 11:15 to 11:45 AM, on Saturday morning following the 8:00 AM Mass, and on Saturday from 4:00 to 5:00 PM. Catholics are encouraged to receive the sacrament at least once a year during Lent or Eastertide, and anyone conscious of grave sin is asked to be reconciled before receiving Holy Communion.
Communion is brought to the sick and homebound by priests and by Saint Leo's Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist. Families wishing to schedule a visit may contact the parish office.
Adoration and Devotion to the Eucharist
Eucharistic Adoration is woven into the life of the parish. Exposition is offered every Wednesday from 8:30 AM to 6:30 PM, on the First Friday of each month from 12:30 to 5:00 PM, and each weekday morning from 7:00 to 8:00 AM before the 8:00 AM Mass. Parishioners are needed to commit to regular hours before the Blessed Sacrament, and adorers may sign up through the parish office.
Other devotions anchor the week. The Saint John Vianney Rosary for Priests is prayed publicly in the church on Tuesdays at 4:30 PM, asking the patron saint of parish priests for the holiness and perseverance of clergy. On Thursday mornings at 9:00 AM, the St. Monica Novena gathers in the main church to entrust the petitions of the parish family to the intercession of St. Monica, followed by the Rosary, the Chaplet of Divine Mercy or quiet prayer.
Faith Formation from Pre-K Through Eighth Grade
Faith Formation at Saint Leo serves children entering Pre-K through eighth grade, gathering them on Sunday mornings for prayer, scripture, engaging lessons, sacramental preparation and community experiences. The program supports parents as primary educators of their children in the faith and builds a Catholic foundation for life.
The two-year sacramental sequence begins in second grade. First Reconciliation is prepared from September through mid-January and celebrated in mid-January. First Holy Communion is prepared from February through May and celebrated in early May. Both sacraments require a year of religious education or attendance at a Catholic school and a parent meeting at the start of preparation. Confirmation at Saint Leo typically takes place in the spring of eighth grade, after at least one year of prior religious education; high school candidates are confirmed after a year of Life Teen. The parish provides a Confirmation Bible Study Guide, a Sponsor/Candidate Assignment sheet and a Personal Reflection for candidates preparing for the sacrament.
Junior High, High School and Young Adults
Saint Leo keeps its middle and high schoolers busy. CREDO, the junior high youth ministry coordinated by Colton Brown, walks seventh- and eighth-graders through a year of formation, retreats and fellowship. YDisciple, the high school ministry led by Amber Brown under Father Christian Goduti's care, gathers on Sunday evenings from 5:30 to 7:00 PM in the Youth Room and welcomes teens to bring a friend. Oratory Nights on Wednesdays combine adoration in the church with a thanksgiving dinner to follow, and a fall hike and other special events round out the calendar.
Young adults in their twenties and thirties meet as the Frassati Young Adult Ministry. After the Tuesday 5:30 PM Mass, the group gathers in the Youth Room at 6:15 PM for dinner, then discussion at 7:00 PM and night prayer at 8:00 PM. The men of the ministry also gather as Esto Vir, a fraternal community committed to the formation of the whole man through service, charity, prayer and penance, and the women gather as Femina Fortis, a community focused on following the Blessed Mother's example of charity and virtue.
Adult Formation and Prayer Groups
Adults at Saint Leo can choose from a wide range of ongoing formation. The Wednesday Morning Bible Study meets from 9:30 to 11:15 AM in the Parish Activity Center, running from mid-September through late April. The current year explores the Old Testament Song of Solomon and the Gospel of Mark with Ignatius Press Study Guides, with a Zoom option to be announced. The Christian Book Club gathers every other Sunday at 7:00 PM in the Bishop Begley Parish Center and recently launched its new season with Walter M. Miller Jr.'s A Canticle for Leibowitz.
The Men's Gospel Group meets Thursday mornings from 7:00 to 7:45 AM in the Saint Cecilia Room, reflecting on the upcoming Sunday Gospel using the Lector Book. Lord, Teach Me to Pray, a two-part Ignatian prayer series based on the spirituality of St. Ignatius of Loyola, is offered periodically. The parish also connects adults to diocesan resources for Natural Family Planning, with English- and Spanish-language instruction available.
For seniors, the Tempus Fugit Community brings parishioners fifty and over together for fellowship and shared activities.
The Sacraments: Weddings, Funerals, Anointing
Saint Leo celebrates the seven sacraments. Baptisms are scheduled two Saturdays a month at 10:00 AM by appointment. Parents must be registered and active parishioners for at least three months before scheduling a baptism, and a Baptism Preparation Class, offered monthly in the Monsignor Showfety Room, is required for both parents. Canonical guidelines for the selection of godparents and Christian witnesses are available for download.
Couples preparing for marriage are asked to allow a full six months before the earliest possible wedding date and not to confirm any venue plans until they have contacted the parish. Mary Beth Young, assistant to the pastor and communications coordinator, walks couples through the process. Funeral planning follows the Saint Leo Funeral Planner, with a directory of reading selections, hymn selections and a planning sheet. Funerals are coordinated with the Director of Sacred Music and the parish priests. The Anointing of the Sick is available to anyone facing serious illness or surgery, and may be repeated; the parish asks family members to call the parish office directly, since privacy laws prevent the parish from knowing about a hospitalization otherwise.
Music, Lectors and Liturgical Ministries
Liturgical life is supported by a circle of volunteer ministries. The Saint Leo Parish Choir welcomes vocalists from grade nine through senior adults. Cantors sing the responsorial psalm and other sung portions of the liturgy. Lectors proclaim the first and second scripture readings, and Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist distribute Holy Communion and carry it to the sick and homebound. Ushers extend hospitality at Mass and keep the worship spaces in good order. Sacristans and the Sacristy Coordinator, Sandra Camastra, ensure each liturgy is prepared; Saint Veronica's Guild launders and irons altar linens on a rotating basis, and Saint Martha's Ministry cleans the sacristy on a rotating basis.
Altar servers, open to all students in grade three and up who have received First Holy Communion, assist the priests at Mass, adding to the solemnity of the liturgy with processional lanterns, communion patens, incense and liturgical processions.
Parish Organizations and Guilds
A wide network of lay organizations gives shape to parish life. The Knights of Columbus, Santa Maria Council #2829, has been a fixture of the parish for decades, with the affiliated Columbiettes of Catholic women supporting the Knights' spiritual, social and charitable work. The Saint Theresa Guild, approaching its centennial in 2026, is a women's organization dedicated to the spiritual, social and financial welfare of the parish and the wider Winston-Salem community, from supplying hams for the Christmas and Easter outreaches to donating books to Bolton Elementary School and the public library in Lake Lure. Saint Dorothy's Guild gathers to arrange the floral needs of the church, and the Newcomers Welcoming Committee hosts Newcomers' Breakfasts throughout the year.
Saint Isidore, a gardening group, cares for the church and school grounds through light weeding, seasonal mulching and leaf blowing, with rotating teams meeting weekdays after school, after work, after morning Mass and on Saturdays. Scouts BSA Troop 721 Wachovia helps boys and girls grow in character through merit badges and outdoor activities. Magnificat Moms, a playgroup for mothers with young children, meets every fourth Monday at 9:30 AM in the parish center.
Reaching Out in Winston-Salem
Saint Leo's outreach reflects a long Catholic commitment to the wider Winston-Salem community. The parish supports Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Charlotte, whose Winston-Salem office at 1612 14th Street NE operates a food pantry, an infant clothing closet called the Wee Care Shoppe, adult counseling, support services for teen and young parents, services for runaway and homeless youth, support for Forsyth Technical Community College students, immigration services, a Translation and Interpretation Enterprise and Family Life Services. Baskets at the church and parish center entrance collect donations of soup, rice, canned tuna, peanut butter, beans, canned pasta and fruit, tortillas, jelly, Maseca flour and personal care items.
Parishioners serve at Samaritan Ministries, the only soup kitchen in town, which serves lunch to about 400 people a day, sixty percent of them working poor, single parents and the elderly. Men of the parish may also volunteer one night a month to serve dinner and breakfast at the men's shelter. A Holiday Outreach program provides meals and gifts to families in need during Christmas and Easter. Saint Leo's prison ministry brings the Word and Eucharist to the Forsyth County Jail roughly forty times a year.
The Culture of Life committee hosts 40 Days for Life prayer campaigns and supports Birthright, Room at the Inn, Salem Pregnancy Care Center and the Sisters of Life Vis Center for women facing unplanned pregnancies or healing after abortion. Saint Leo's Visitation Ministry sends volunteers into local nursing homes and to the homebound for friendship and companionship, distinct from the team that brings Holy Communion. The Grief Support Group, Life After Loss, led by Deacon Carl and Leslie Brown, meets on the first and third Sundays of the month from 1:30 to 2:30 PM in the Saint Cecilia Room.
The School and the Parish Campus
Saint Leo Catholic School, founded in 1953 under the care of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Chestnut Hill, continues the long tradition of Catholic education on the parish campus. Registered parishioners receive a subsidized tuition rate for their children attending the school. The Bishop Begley Parish Center, dedicated in 1991, hosts faith formation classes, the Wednesday Bible Study, the Christian Book Club, youth nights, OCIA classes and many of the parish's gatherings. The rectory across the street was purchased in 1998. The columbarium and Memory Gardens, blessed in 2001 and completed in 2002, are available for the inurnment of cremated remains.
For families with young children, changing tables are available in the men's and women's restrooms on the main level of the Bishop Begley Parish Center, and a Cry Room is also located on the main level. Mass is livestreamed on YouTube for those unable to attend in person. Parish news, schedule changes and sign-ups flow through Flocknote, by email or text, and a daily-and-weekly bulletin collects the prayer intentions, Mass schedules and parish announcements of the week. Giving to the parish, including the annual Diocesan Support Appeal, is available online through OSV.
Parishioners are asked to be cautious during the ongoing carport construction near the rectory, watching for construction vehicles, equipment and any changes to traffic patterns. Beyond that, Saint Leo offers a stable rhythm of daily Mass, weekly adoration, parish school, lifelong formation and steady outreach - the shape of a Catholic parish that has been growing on Springdale Avenue for nearly a century.