Apostolate For the Advocacy of the Rights of the Faithful in the Diocese of Charlotte
“The Christian faithful are free to make known to the pastors of the Church their needs, especially spiritual ones, and their desires.” c. 212 §2
Faithful Advocate is a group of the Faithful working in consultation with Canon lawyers to advocate for the religious rights of Catholics living in the Diocese of Charlotte.
This month
Call to PRAYER and PENANCE
in union with
Our Lady of Sorrows
FOR THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER
Sunday, August 31st
Praised be Jesus Christ!
Faithful Advocate is announcing a call to Prayer and Penance to petition Almighty God that He would deign to bestow upon His Church, in particular the Diocese of Charlotte (and any participating Dioceses), the graces we need in this time of persecution.
We have one more month before the Bishop of Charlotte, Michael Martin, relegates all parish-based Traditional Latin Masses to a remote Chapel in Mooresville, needlessly separating thousands of Catholics from their parish families and friends and pastors.
In accordance with the practices and Traditions of our Holy Catholic Faith, Faithful Advocate invites everyone in the Diocese of Charlotte (and beyond) to embrace a month of prayer, fasting, self-denial, almsgiving, and good deeds as a sacrifice in petition to Almighty God that He may come to our aid in this time of greatest need.
It is fitting to do this during the Month of Our Lady of Sorrows, and Providentially timed, we can hope, since the Church teaches that Our Lord willed for Our Lady to suffer in union Him for the redemption of the world, that she may truly merit to be the Mediatrix of all graces and our Holy Mother.
Further, it is fitting to embark upon a time of penance during September for it is within the traditional time of St. Michael’s Lent, a time to renew our devotion to this great and powerful angelic advocate.
The enactment of the needless restrictions upon the Traditional Latin Mass in the Diocese of Charlotte will go into effect on the Feast of the Guardian Angels, October 2nd.
In light of the above, Faithful Advocate invites everyone, as much as they are able, to
pray the Chaplet of Our Lady of Sorrows daily
pray the prayer to St. Michael the Archangel daily
pray the “Angel of God” prayer daily
…in addition, to embrace such penitential works, as much as they are able, as (see end of email for more)
fasting
abstinence from meat
almsgiving
some form of self-denial
any sacrifice that is fitting for your life.
The great Saints in the history of the Church have always turned to these spiritual means in order to obtain an abundance of grace from Almighty God. These same great Saints have performed innumerable miracles and facilitated the conversion of souls and even nations.
Let us take courage, cling to Our Lady of Sorrows, unite our prayers and sacrifices with hers, and join with Her in suffering with Our Lord as co-redeemers in the Mystical Body of Christ, in order to call down innumerable graces upon ourselves, our families, and our Diocese.
God will be pleased. We will grow in holiness. Our Diocese will obtain many blessings.
In the end, all is in God’s hands. Our deeper union with Him will enable us to joyfully accept His will, whatever it may be.
Adjutorium nostrum in nomine Domini!
In Christ,
Faithful Advocate
~~~~~~~~~~~
Further examples of penitential practices
fasting several days a week
abstaining from meat
self-denial of some material good (technology, sweets, coffee, snacks, etc.)
some form of penance fitting to your health and state in life
works of charity (almsgiving)
embracing all daily sufferings with patience
fulfilling the calls from Pope Ven. Pius XII, which he enumerated in his Encyclical, Mystici Corporis Christi, which, by embracing, he assured will “draw down on the souls of men a rain of heavenly gifts freely bestowed by God”:
pray fervently to God
participate every day if possible in the Eucharistic Sacrifice
relieve the distress of the needy and of the sick by works of Christian charity
set our hearts on the good things of eternity rather than on the passing things of this world
restrain this mortal body by voluntary mortification
deny ourselves what is forbidden
force ourselves to do what is hard and distasteful
humbly accept as from God's hands the burdens and sorrows of this present life
…all for this present intention.
NEW Letter-Writing!
Recourse to the Hierarchy
Saturday, September 13th, 2025
Suggested next steps for the faithful in the Diocese of Charlotte as the October 2nd date draws near…
TRY TO SEND MONDAY SEPTEMBER 15TH
FEAST OF OUR LADY OF SORROWS
(The faithful in the Archdiocese of Detroit and elsewhere are advised to consider similar measures)
As we await a pleaded-for reply from His Holiness, Pope Leo XIV, regarding assisting the faithful in the Diocese of Charlotte by means of protecting the reverence of the Novus Ordo Missae and preventing the unfortunate cancellation of parish-based Traditional Latin Masses, we find ourselves with two options currently at our disposal:
Recourse to two Dicasteries of the Hierarchy by letter.
This recourse can be taken, as permitted and encouraged by Canon law, by explaining our grievances and our petitions to the appropriate Dicasteries. In this case, two Dicasteries can be petitioned:
the Dicastery for Bishops
– and –
the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments
This recourse is not to be understood as an act of disobedience toward Bishop Martin, or an expression of ill will. The faithful have a clear right to express their concerns and needs to the hierarchy. That is what this is focused on.
First: writing to the Dicastery for Bishops
When writing to the Dicastery for Bishops, the faithful can express their general grievances, pains, and concerns regarding the actions and statements of Bishop Michael Martin.
The tone of the letters should be respectful and focused on the facts. There should be no assumption of bad motives or ill will on the part of the Bishop.
Many of the concerns which Faithful Advocate has been informed about are related to the following:
that Bishop Martin is not respecting the character of the Diocese that he inherited
that Bishop Martin is making changes way too fast, such as with the liturgical traditions of the Eucharistic Congress
that he appears deaf to the needs and desires of his faithful
that he refuses to listen to and engage the faithful in a spirit of synodality
that he intends to remove many treasured and traditional signs of reverence and piety from the liturgies of the Diocese, as demonstrated in his actions toward the Traditional Latin Mass, in his proposed Norms for the Novus Ordo Missae, and in his Norms for the liturgy at Catholic Schools.
If you have experienced any of these issues, or anything equally concerning but not mentioned above, about which you can personally attest, or if you yourself have concerns about these or other things, it is important that you voice these to the hierarchy of the Church.
Second: writing to the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments
When writing to this Dicastery, the faithful should express their desire that an extension of the permissions for the Traditional Latin Mass in the Diocese of Charlotte be granted.
It can also be expressed that the faithful are left dumbfounded that Bishop Michael Martin refuses to ask Rome for this extension. This decision of the Bishop is disheartening to the faithful, appears to have been made without proper justification, and was made without taking the time to explain it properly to the Faithful.
As a result, we are now asking for this extension in our own names.
These letters must not be anonymous. It is important that this is a true communication from members of the faithful. Please structure your letters formally and sign and date them.
Finally, it is advisable to send these letters through the Apostolic Nuncio in Washington, D.C. This will accomplish two things:
Inform him personally of the many concerns of the faithful in the Diocese of Charlotte
Allow a faster and more secure shipment of the letter to the proper Dicastery
WHERE and HOW to SEND THE LETTERS - DETAILS HERE
In addition to sending your letter, please offer the prayers for the Bishop and the Diocese which are on the Faithful Advocate (HERE) website. Consider praying these daily from September 15th through October 2nd.
It is suggested that the faithful write these letters promptly and date them “September 15th, Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows” within the letter. This will place all of these petitions within Our Lady’s care and symbolically express to the Hierarchy the sorrows which the faithful in the Diocese of Charlotte are experiencing.
Adjutorium nostrum in nomine Domini!
In Christ,
Faithful Advocate
Get Help on Key Issues
Contribute with Your Prayers and Action
The Mission of Faithful Advocate
Education
This Apostolate is dedicated to informing the Faithful in the Diocese of Charlotte of their religious rights as guaranteed by the Church and protected by Canon Law.
Prayer
By encouraging the faithful of the Diocese to take up the call to “pray and fast,” this Apostolate hopes that God will look favorably on our efforts to maintain the Sacred Traditions of the Holy Catholic Faith in the Diocese of Charlotte.
Organization
Through a pious and hope-filled effort, this Apostolate is dedicated to helping organize the Faithful of the Diocese in order to give a unified response to any concerns that may emerge regarding the respect for our religious rights.
“I will not leave you orphans”
Holy Mother Church is our Recourse
The Rights of the Faithful
We must know our religious rights and desire that they be respected by the Bishops who are our spiritual fathers and shepherds.
The Catholic Church, in which dwells the Kingdom of God on earth, is governed by rules. Many of these are to ensure open access to the spiritual means God has provided for the successful sojourn of His Faithful toward eternity. These rules are for the more complete dispensation of the graces entrusted to her by the Divine Master, Jesus Christ Our Lord. Learn your rights and let the Bishops and priests know that these must be honored.
“Our Help is in the Name of the Lord”
Our Union with Christ obtains the divine assistance
“The Prayer of a Righteous man…”
We must live in accordance with our spiritual dignity in order to defend our Church and convert the hardened hearts of those who go astray.
By virtue of our Baptism, we are made true members of the Mystical Body of Christ. As a result, we cooperate with Christ in His work of salvation. By His gracious will, Christ our God has chosen to depend on us for the spreading of His Kingdom and for the salvation of souls. Our prayers and penances are powerful means of interceding with God and obtaining graces. Learn more about the power of prayer by which we may obtain from Our Lord the graces our Diocese desperately needs.