Biography
Early life
Michael Martin was born on December 2, 1961, in Baltimore, Maryland, to Beverly Beatty and Donald Martin. He attended Archbishop Curley High School in that city. After high school, Martin entered the Franciscan novitiate at Ellicott City, Maryland, in August 1979 and professed his solemn vows to the order on August 2, 1985. [1] [2] In the meantime he earned a bachelor's degree in philosophy from Saint Hyacinth Seminary in Granby, Massachusetts, a Baccalaureate in Sacred Theology from the Pontifical University of St. Bonaventure in Rome, and a Master of Education degree from Boston College.
Priesthood
Martin was ordained to the priesthood for the Franciscan Order on June 10, 1989, by Bishop John Huston Ricard at St. Casimir Church in Baltimore. [3] [4] After his ordination, the Franciscans assigned Martin as a teacher and coach at Saint Francis High School in Athol Springs, New York.
In 1994, he was transferred to back to Baltimore to teach and coach at Archbishop Curley High School. He was ultimately named as principal and then president at the school. Martin led a successful $7 million capital campaign at Archbishop Curley and increased its enrollment after a decline during the 1990s. [3] [5] Because of his work at Bishop Curley, the Vatican awarded Martin its Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice award in 2007. [3]
In 2010, the Franciscans sent Martin to North Carolina to serve as director of the Duke University Catholic Center. [3] After twelve years at Duke, Martin received his first pastoral appointment as pastor of St. Philip Benizi Church in Jonesboro, Georgia. [3]
Bishop of Charlotte
On April 9, 2024, Pope Francis accepted the resignation of Bishop Peter Jugis of Charlotte due to health reason and appointed Martin as his successor. [3] [6] [7] With Martin's appointment, the Conventual Franciscans became the most represented religious community among the active bishops of the United States. [8]
Martin's episcopal consecration occurred on May 29, 2024, at St. Mark Catholic Church in Huntersville, North Carolina. [9] He was consecrated by Archbishop Gregory Hartmayer, with Jugis and Cardinal Christophe Pierre serving as co-consecrators. [4]
In May of 2025, Martin sparked controversy by restricting celebration of the Tridentine Mass from four parish churches to just one chapel in the diocese in accord with Francis' motu proprio Traditionis custodes. [10] [11] [12] At the same time, leaked documents from the Charlotte diocese showed plans to restrict, among many other things, kneeling to receive the Eucharist, the use of Latin in the liturgy, and Roman-style liturgical vestments. [10] [13]
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