Monsignor Joseph Stephen Showfety

GREENSBORO — The Rev. Msgr. Joseph S. Showfety, the first chancellor of the Catholic Diocese of Charlotte, passed away peacefully Monday, March 24, 2025, at Pennybyrn at Maryfield in High Point. He was 98.

Joseph Stephen Showfety was born on Jan. 5, 1927, in Greensboro, one of five children of Edna and Abdou Showfety. His parents were devout Catholics from Lebanon who settled in Greensboro, where his father ran a successful clothing store downtown.

He grew up attending St. Benedict Catholic Church, the oldest Catholic parish in Greensboro, and its elementary school run by the Daughters of Charity. There, Joseph first felt called to the priesthood.

He loved playing sports – especially basketball and baseball – and at Greensboro (now Grimsley) High School, he became a star outfielder for the Whirlies. But not even an opportunity to play professionally in the minor leagues could change his mind about becoming a priest – what he called “the greatest vocation in the world.”

Graduating as World War II ended, he enrolled at The Citadel in Charleston, South Carolina, then served 16 months in the U.S. Navy. Afterward, he attended seminary at Mount Saint Mary’s in Emmitsburg, Maryland, and St. Mary’s in Baltimore.

On May 19, 1955, he was ordained by North Carolina Bishop Vincent S. Waters at Sacred Heart Cathedral in Raleigh.

His priestly ministry spanned nearly five decades, proudly serving 12 parishes: Our Lady of Guadalupe, Newton Grove; St. Mary’s, Wilmington; Our Lady of the Snows, Elizabethtown; Our Lady of Fatima, Winston-Salem; Immaculate Conception, Hendersonville; St. Eugene, Asheville; St. James, Concord; St. Peter’s, Charlotte; Immaculate Heart of Mary, High Point; Queen of the Apostles, Belmont; St. Leo the Great, Winston-Salem; and St. Benedict, Greensboro.

Nearly everywhere he served, Msgr. Showfety oversaw construction or renovations to build or expand as the Catholic community and its needs grew.

In 1959, just four years after ordination, he helped open Bishop McGuinness High School (then located in Winston-Salem), serving as its first director as well as a classroom teacher.

He served as spiritual director of Our Lady of the Hills Camp near Hendersonville and as principal of the former Asheville Catholic High School.

In 1972, he was appointed the first chancellor of the newly established Diocese of Charlotte by Bishop Michael Begley.

As chancellor, Msgr. Showfety was responsible for the day-to-day business operations of the diocese as well as master of ceremonies for diocesan liturgies. He felt deeply privileged to be the diocese’s first chancellor and worked diligently to fulfill the many responsibilities of the role.

Notably, Msgr. Showfety formed the diocese’s first finance council, negotiated health insurance coverage for clergy and staff, established a process for parish building projects, and secured an administrative headquarters for the new diocese. In 1979, he oversaw a substantial renovation of St. Patrick Cathedral in Charlotte.

He strongly supported his fellow priests and worked to develop educational programs for clergy. His work included spearheading the creation of a retirement fund for diocesan priests, as well as establishing two endowments to support seminarians’ education and retired priests, named in memory of his late parents.

Over the years Msgr. Showfety served in additional key leadership roles in the Diocese of Charlotte, including vicar general, vicar of the Asheville Vicariate, member of the College of Consultors, and Seminarian Formation Committee.

In 1976, Pope Paul VI named him a Prelate of Honor, one of the first priests honored as such in the Charlotte diocese.

In 2002, he retired from active ministry.

Priest colleagues, friends and family remember his love of his priestly vocation and for his family, his strong work ethic, sense of humor, and his generosity of spirit.

He enjoyed sharing his Catholic faith with others, spending time with his family, and playing golf. He also appreciated his family’s Lebanese roots, and in later years he relished weekly trips to a local Lebanese-owned restaurant. His Catholic faith was never far from his mind, and he enjoyed deep discussions with family and friends – happy to talk theology over meals with restaurant staff and fellow customers.

He loved being a priest and was extremely proud of his role in the formation of the Charlotte diocese.

He is survived by his siblings, Robert E. Showfety (Mary) of Atlanta, Ga., and Evelyn Showfety Johns of Chuckey, Tenn., as well as 15 nieces and nephews.

He was predeceased by his parents, Edna and Abdou; his brothers, Michel Showfety and Raymond Showfety, their wives, Mabel Showfety and Rose Showfety; as well as a niece, Mary Patricia Showfety.

The family would like to express their eternal gratefulness to the staff at Taylor Village at Pennybyrn and, in particular, those incredible individuals who so lovingly cared for Msgr. Showfety every hour of the day. They are simply the best.

A public visitation will be held from 1 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 1, 2025, at Hanes Lineberry Funeral Home, 515 N. Elm St., Greensboro, N.C. 27401. A prayer service will be held at 7 p.m., followed by the family welcoming guests until 9 p.m.

The Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11 a.m. Wednesday, April 2, 2025, at his home parish of St. Benedict Catholic Church, 109 W. Smith St., Greensboro, N.C. 27401. The Most Rev. Michael Martin, OFM Conv., Bishop of Charlotte, will preside. The Rev. Edward Sheridan will be homilist. A private burial will follow at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Greensboro.

The Mass will be livestreamed on the Diocese of Charlotte’s YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/DioceseOfCharlotte.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to: St. Benedict Catholic Church, 109 W. Smith St., Greensboro, NC 27401; or to Pennybyrn, 109 Penny Road, High Point, NC 27260.

Hanes Lineberry Funeral Home in Greensboro is in charge of the arrangements. Online condolences may be offered at www.haneslineberryfhnorthelm.com.