St. Anthony of Padua, a traditional Latin-Mass chapel serving the Mount Holly area, has closed on a 26-acre property in Iron Station and is eyeing a full-scale Catholic campus on the site. The timing is hard to miss: the deal wrapped up just days after the Vatican formally declared the Society of St. Pius X (SSPX) in schism. Chapel leaders, though, insist the land purchase is a long-planned investment in their future, not a shot across Rome’s bow. Their wish list for the new campus includes a larger church, classrooms, housing for priests and teaching sisters, a cemetery and a school.
Vatican Decree And What It Means
The Holy See’s move came on the heels of the SSPX’s July 1 consecration of four bishops without a papal mandate. The Vatican described the ceremony as a “schismatic act” and said it triggered automatic canonical penalties for the bishops and clergy involved. The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith also cautioned that laypeople who “formally adhere” to the society could be considered schismatic under canon law, according to Vatican News.
Big Plans At “The New Saint Anthony’s”
Chapel leaders say the Iron Station tract is the foundation for a long-range project they are calling “The New Saint Anthony’s,” and a capital campaign is already underway. On its building project page, the chapel notes that the SSPX’s General Council signed off on the purchase and invites supporters to help fund the buildout. The site includes donation information, contact details and a mailing list for construction updates, signaling that parish leadership is treating this like a major, multi-year effort, as outlined by Saint Anthony’s.
Purchase Finalized Amid Mixed Reactions
According to chapel leaders, the 26-acre parcel was the end of a three-year search that spanned roughly 3,000 square miles and more than 1,300 properties. The land sits about 10 minutes north of the current Mount Holly chapel. St. Anthony’s now fills two weekend Masses with a combined attendance of about 500 worshippers and is planning a relocation initiative called “Welcome to Saint Anthony’s” to help families move to the Carolinas and plug into parish life. “We absolutely went through with the purchase of this property,” longtime parishioner Jim De Piante said, framing the project as an act of hope for the community’s future, as reported by The Charlotte Observer.
Legal Fallout And An Appeal
While the Vatican decree declared the SSPX in schism and imposed excommunications on the bishops and priests tied to the July 1 consecrations, the society says the story is not finished. According to its U.S. district, the SSPX filed a preliminary appeal on July 11, arguing that this step pauses the decree’s execution while the case moves through canonical channels. The district’s published timeline describes the filing as a move made “in accordance with canon law” and as the procedural first step before any further hierarchical recourse, as laid out by SSPX.
Local Reaction And Next Steps
For St. Anthony’s, the broader church drama is unfolding in parallel with a very local push to build, move and grow. The chapel is actively soliciting donations, courting larger benefactors and encouraging supporters to join its mailing list for updates as it moves into the permitting and design phase. In the coming months, leaders say they will be zeroing in on financing, detailed site plans and outreach to families who might see Iron Station as the future center of their parish life, as outlined by Saint Anthony’s.
