WS Chronicle

By Judie Holcomb-Pack

Many faiths use the term “cradle” to describe a member who has been of that faith since birth. Willie King gives new meaning to that term as he was the first baby baptized at St. Benedict the Moor Catholic Church after the parish was established in 1940. It is one of four historically Black parishes in the Diocese of Charlotte. The church was one of the first African American parishes and its congregation continues to be ethnically diverse and has a vibrant Hispanic and Latino congregation.

Now 84, King has never deviated from his church roots. He has served as an altar server, coordinator and trainer for 69 years. He has also served on the church board, building, grounds and facilities committee, usher, Eucharistic minister and official greeter of new church pastors. Also notable is that his daughter, Tijuana, was the first female altar server at St. Benedict’s.

However, King remains humble and when the church proposed a recognition service in his honor, he asked that it be dedicated to his late wife, Gloria, instead.

The Willie King Recognition Day began with a Mass on Saturday, May 18, led by Fr. Melchesideck Yumo. During his comments, Fr. Yumo noted that there were many people in the congregation who had come just to honor Willie King. He welcomed the visitors to the church and then added, “You can come back next week, too!” It’s not often you see a standing ovation during a church service, but the congregation all stood and applauded King for his service to the church.

After Mass, there was a reception in the parish hall where the room was filled with the music of Motown, laughter and fellowship. Harold Holmes was the master of ceremonies and he recalled how helpful King was anytime he had questions or needed advice. In fact, he said King told him, “If you need anything, call Carolyn!”  – meaning one of the ladies in the church, which elicited laughter from the folks gathered to honor him. 

During the tributes, a church member read a letter to King from her son, now 45 years old, who wrote about the impact King had on his life when as a youth he was a server under King’s guidance. 

When the time came for King to say a few words, he kept it short and sweet: “It’s been a walk in the park. Now let’s eat!”

In a conversation with King after lunch, he talked about how his grandfather walked with him every week to church, which was about four miles from where he lived. He attended the St. Benedict’s Academy in elementary school and St. Anne’s Academy (also a St. Benedict school) from 9th to 12th grades. He recalled when many men were in service, he was the server for both the 7 a.m. and the 9 a.m. Masses for about four years because there weren’t enough young men available. 

King graduated from Tennessee State University in Nashville and worked for the Experiment in Self Reliance in Winston-Salem. 

Considering his dedication to the church, when asked if he ever considered becoming a priest, he told this story: “I had an appointment with a recruiter. It’s hard to find Black priests and most of them come from Africa. I waited around but the recruiter never showed up. So I decided to go to the Soap Box Derby and there I met my wife.” Maybe that was God’s way of saying He had another plan for him. King said, “We were married 60 years.” 

As for all the tributes he received, King said he was “overwhelmed.” He said what he loves about St. Benedict’s is “… the people … you can feel it in the atmosphere.”

St. Benedict the Moor Catholic Church is located at 1625 E. 12th Street. Mass is held on Sundays at 9 a.m. with a mass at 2 p.m. in Spanish. Visit their website at www.stbenedictthemoor.net.