Introducing our new pastor, Fr. Pius Wekesa

Fr. Pius to Celebrate His First Mass at Holy Cross on July 4, 2021

On June 29, Fr. Pius Wekesa, currently pastor of St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Roanoke Rapids, N.C., will join Holy Cross as our new pastor. He will celebrate his first Mass at Holy Cross on Sunday, July 4, at 10 AM. His Installation Mass will be at Holy Cross on July 18, at 10 AM.

Earlier this year, Fr. Pius met at the parish office with a few members of the Holy Cross Finance Committee, and paused for a photo at what is now his new office.

Fr. Pius comes well recommended by his parishioners at St. John the Baptist church. Two of the parishioners stopped by at Holy Cross while in Durham for an appointment earlier this year. They said they “wanted to see where our pastor was going.” During a tour of Holy Cross, they paused at the door to the sanctuary and, with a smile, said their church “could fit in your sanctuary.”

They also shared information from a document prepared for an Outstanding Civic Community Award honoring Fr. Pius. In it, the parishioners stated that they were “blessed to have a priest (who) represents all the good that the church proclaims.”

The document notes that one of Fr. Pius’ most outstanding characteristics are his charismatic disposition and demeanor. “He is genuine in his actions and words. … support of civil rights and social justice is truly a part of his fabric.”

He also recognizes a “great need for the religious education of our youth,” and has a commitment to evangelization and outreach to non-Catholics in the community, the documents states.

"We are pleased to welcome Fr. Pius to Holy Cross," said Ron Patterson, chairman of the Holy Cross Pastoral Council. "His commitment to the religious education of our youth and to social justice are aligned with our Mission and Vision statements:

"... addressing the needs of the Durham community and the people of God through direct service and promotion of social justice. We proclaim the Gospel by our lives: evangelizing, educating our youth and practicing a spirituality that finds God in all things." (Read our full vision and mission statements.)

Fr. Pius has served as chaplain of the Roanoke Rapids Knights of Columbus Council, and is chaplain for the Swahili community in the Diocese of Raleigh, offering Mass in Raleigh on the second week of each month.

About Fr. Pius

Born on December 30, 1962, in Kenya, the fifth in a family of 10 children, Fr. Pius was ordained a Catholic priest on October 28, 1995, the Feast of Saints Simon & Jude, in Kenya. His first priest assignment was at St. Joseph Catholic Church, Rush - Rochester, New York. On June 27, 2014, he became a naturalized U.S. citizen.

Fr. Pius received his bachelor’s degree in communications and journalism from St. John Fisher College in Rochester, New York in 2003, and a master’s in communications from North Carolina State University in 2009. In a recent conversation, he said he enjoys soccer and running.

He recently moved into his local residence in Durham, with the assistance of several of his former parishioners and Deacon Phil Rzewnicki, who served as interim administrator of the parish as Holy Cross awaited the assignment of our new pastor.

Fr. Pius comes well recommended from his current parish, whose members – in a document prepared for an Outstanding Civic Community Award honoring him – stated that they were “blessed to have a priest (who) represents all the good that the church proclaims.”

Following are a few highlights from the awards document, shared by two of his parishioners who stopped by at Holy Cross while in Durham for an appointment. They said they “wanted to see where our pastor was going.”

During a tour of Holy Cross, they paused at the door to the sanctuary and, with a smile, said their church “could fit in your sanctuary.”

One of Fr. Pius’ most outstanding characteristics is his charismatic disposition and demeanor, the award document states. “He is genuine in his actions and words. … support of civil rights and social justice is truly a part of his fabric.”

He also recognizes a “great need for the religious education of our youth,” and has a commitment to evangelization and outreach to non-Catholics in the community, the documents states.

Born on December 30, 1962, in Kenya, the fifth in a family of 10 children, he was ordained a Catholic priest on October 28, 1995, the Feast of Saints Simon & Jude, in Kenya. His first priest assignment was at St. Joseph Catholic Church, Rush - Rochester, New York. On June 27, 2014, he became a naturalized U.S. citizen.

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