DestinationFAY

St. Joseph's offers a rare prize as it features distinctive Tiffany stained-glass windows. The first Catholics were organized under the leadership of John Kelly. In 1829, St. Patrick Roman Catholic Church became the first Roman Catholic sanctuary dedicated in North Carolina. They congregationinitially worshipped downtown in a converted warehouse at Liberty Point and later built their own church, what is now Archangel Michael Maronite Catholic Church on Arsenal Avenue, before moving to the present location on Village Drive in 1963. The arrival of people from Lebanon who established the Maronite Catholic Church coincided with newcomers from Greece, who established a thriving community in Fayetteville and founded Saints Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church. The local Jewish congregation got off to modest beginnings. Not having enough members to build a synagogue, early meetings were held in the old McKethan Drug Building on Market Square. They later moved to their present location on Morganton Road, Beth Israel Synagogue. While the early Jewish congregation was small in number, it had a member who is one of Fayetteville's most famous citizens. Judah Benjamin attended Fayetteville Academy and later became the first Jew elected to the United States Senate. He would later serve in the cabinet of Confederate President Jefferson Davis as Secretary of War, Secretary of State and Attorney General. e Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints had a permanent presence in the Fayetteville area as early as 1895. But it was not until 1955-56 under branch president Elder Doyle Argyle that organized meetings of the church were held at various locations, including Honeycutt Recreation Center. After the establishment of Fort Bragg, the international face of religion in Fayetteville began to grow rapidly. The influx of people from various countries in Europe and Asia have introduced the city to religions that otherwise would have found it difficult to find a home here. Daws said signs of this are visible every year at the city's International Folk Festival. "Based on the different countries represented, it's pretty amazing,'' Daws said. Through the Fayetteville Transportation and Local History Museum that Daws manages, annual bus tours of some of the historic downtown churches are held during the year to give citizens a look the beauty inside some of oldest places of worship. For more information about the tours, contact Daws at 910-433-1457. St. Joseph's Episcopal Church Beth Israel Synagogue Beth Israel Synagogue PHOTO BY CINDY BURNHAM PHOTO BY CINDY BURNHAM 68 DestinationFAY 2021-2022

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