Diocese of Charlotte Welcomes Bishop-Elect Martin

On April 9th, 2024, Bishop Peter Jugis announced he would be stepping down as the Bishop of the Diocese of Charlotte after 20 years. The reason given for his retirement was a problem in his kidneys, making travel difficult and preventing him from presiding over Masses, especially the longer ones associated with the role of bishop. Ordained in his place will be Father Michael Martin, who was named Bishop-elect on the same day as Bishop Jugis’ retirement was announced, and will be instated on May 29th.

Bishop-elect Martin was born in Baltimore, Maryland in 1961 as the only son in a family of six. He became part of the Order of Friars Minor, a sect of the Fransiscans. He was ordained in 1989 in his hometown.

Bishop-elect Martin has a long and successful background in Catholic education. He served as a teacher and coach at St. Francis High School in New York, along with numerous positions, including principal, at Archbishop Curley High School, which he attended in his youth. He was also the head of the Duke University Catholic Center until 2022. 

Bishop-elect Martin currently serves at St. Philip Benizi Parish in Atlanta, Georgia. According to CCHS Chaplain, Father Torres, Bishop-Elect Martin has never served in a parish in North Carolina. 

Father Torres also noted the ordination of Charlotte’s new Bishop will not bring any foreseeable changes to Charlotte Catholic High School, and also hopes to celebrate a Mass with Bishop-elect Martin on campus in the near future. 

According to the Catholic News Herald, Bishop Jugis had this to say in regards to his retirement: “It has truly been the joy of a lifetime to serve as bishop for the people of our diocese, and I believe Bishop-elect Martin will find that to be true for him as he gets to know the faithful of our diocese and sees firsthand our many ministries that are dedicated to sharing the love of Christ in our communities.”

Though the Diocese of Charlotte regrets to see Bishop Jugis retire, the Catholic community is equally excited to welcome Bishop-elect Martin, and hopes that he can lead the Diocese of Charlotte to even greater and more holy heights.

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