Catholic Diocese of Raleigh
CV NEWS FEED // A priest born in and currently serving in the Diocese of Raleigh reflected on the growth in the diocese since its founding 100 years ago.
The Diocese of Raleigh’s website states that Father John Hanley was born and raised in the diocese, and his family was a prominent Catholic family, as his grandparents donated 20 acres of their land to the diocese.
“We all knew each other,” said Father Hanley. “There was [a] woman a block and a half away who had no kids and a family with kids four blocks away, but after that I can’t recall how far the next Catholic was.”
Father Hanley’s parents welcomed local priests and nuns into their home, and he remembers his mother helping cook for the religious.
“Back then, in the ‘50s, these people (Catholic religious) dressed in all black … people stared,” he said. “But at our house, priests and nuns were just part of the landscape.”
Father Hanley was ordained in 1986 and served in both Pennsylvania and Florida. But in 2016, Father Hanley volunteered to serve in the Diocese of Raleigh at Holy Redeemer by the Sea in Kitty Hawk when a need arose for an associate pastor. He said he looked forward to going back to his home diocese.
Father Hanley commented on the growth of the diocese, stating, “You have to admit, the people that have made decisions about buying land and building churches have been spot on.”
He added, “They’ve been in all the right places even though at the time people didn’t understand what they were doing buying land literally right in the middle of pine forests and fields. They were extremely wise on that.”
Father Hanley became pastor of the growing Holy Redeemer parish in 2023, and as pastor, he obtained land near the church for parish expansion.
“I love the concept of the beach but I’m not here for the beach,” said Father Hanley. “I’ve been here eight years and been to the beach once. But I love it here. The people are great. I feel at home.”
