EDEN — A street named in honor of a priest later accused of child sexual abuse has been renamed.
Kuder Street runs alongside St. Joseph of the Hills Church, and was named decades ago for the parish’s first pastor – Father William J. Kuder – who presided over the construction of the church in 1938. The church was dedicated with much fanfare in 1939, and Father Kuder was lauded for his leadership. He served as pastor until 1940, then went on to serve as pastor of St. Joan of Arc Church in Candler until his death in 1960.
In 1995, a former member of the Candler parish came forward to accuse the late priest of raping him when he served as an altar boy in the early 1950s, starting when he was 9 years old and continuing until he was 13. The abuse survivor said he knew of at least 10 other boys in his parish school who had been similarly molested, including his two brothers.
Responding soon after he had spoken to the victims and their families, then Bishop William Curlin made a public apology at the Candler parish, telling parishioners, “Although he has been dead for 35 years, his memory lives on. While many revered him as a devoted pastor, he was sexually abusing some of the young children in this parish community.”
In 2007, the Diocese of Raleigh – responsible for Father Kuder because the Diocese of Charlotte was not established until 1972 – paid a financial settlement to the man and his brothers, and agreed to unearth Father Kuder’s remains (which had been buried near their parents in Asheville) and move them to another cemetery.
Last fall City of Eden officials received a letter from one of Kuder’s victims asking them to consider changing the street’s name, given the abuse revelations.
City Planning Director Kelly Stultz, who said she had never heard of the allegations against Father Kuder, conferred with parishioners, who were also surprised to learn the information.
After a public hearing at their Nov. 20 meeting, City Council members agreed 4-2 to proceed with renaming the street.
Parishioners recommended renaming it Mansfield Street to honor Joseph Mansfield, one of the church’s founding members.
A textile executive in Eden, Mansfield and his family traveled for years to Greensboro or Danville, Va., for Mass until he rallied local Catholics to form their own faith community. The Raleigh diocese established a parish in Eden, and Mansfield helped support the construction of the church on Boone Road.
Diocese of Charlotte spokesman David Hains said the diocese has no objection to renaming the street.
— Patricia L. Guilfoyle, editor
Seeking guidance from the Holy Spirit
CHARLOTTE — Dozens of Catholic members of the legal profession gathered at St. Peter Church for 15th annual Red Mass Oct. 25. Many are members of the St. Thomas More Society, which emphasizes living a life faithful to Jesus Christ and His Church, seeking to promote justice in society.
The Red Mass is celebrated throughout the United States traditionally in conjunction with the opening session of the U.S. Supreme Court, giving members of the legal community the opportunity to reflect on the God-given responsibilities of their profession.
The Mass in Charlotte, a votive Mass of the Holy Spirit, was celebrated by Benedictine Abbot Placid Solari of Belmont Abbey.
In his homily, Abbot Placid encouraged members of the St. Thomas More Society and others present to pray to the Holy Spirit for guidance in “the difficult and very important work” they do. He urged them to seek charity, justice, truth and wisdom, and to conform their lives, choices and actions to the will of God.
“This association of Catholic professionals is so important for building up the Church in Charlotte and to giving witness – precisely through their professional competence and expertise – to the truth and (Catholic) faith,” he said.
Four members of the St. Thomas More Society assisted at Mass: one as cantor, two brought up the gifts during the offertory and one as an extraordinary minister of Holy Communion.
After Mass, members explained why they attended the celebration.
“We think it’s important for very busy lawyers to take time out of their day and pray and ask for the Holy Spirit to help us seek justice in the justice system, so at the beginning of the Supreme Court term that is what we try to do every year,” said U.S. District Judge Robert Conrad, who has been on the bench for 15 years.
“The Red Mass is very important to me because it allows me to get together with fellow lawyers and those in the legal profession through prayer and to bring that back within our legal community and beyond and to spread the Word of the Gospel to the greater community,” said attorney Matt Orso.
Echoing his sentiments, attorney Michael Hoefling noted, “It’s important as a community of lawyers to ask for the inspiration of the Holy Spirit to guide our practice.”
— SueAnn Howell, senior reporter
