Peter Joseph Jugis (born March 3, 1957) is an American

prelate A prelate () is a high-ranking member of the Christian clergy who is an ordinary or who ranks in precedence with ordinaries. The word derives from the Latin , the past participle of , which means 'carry before', 'be set above or over' or 'pref ...

of the

Roman Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

who has been serving as the bishop of the

Diocese of Charlotte The Diocese of Charlotte (''Dioecesis Carolinana'') is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory, or diocese, of the Catholic Church in the Southern United States. It consists of 46 counties in western North Carolina, divided into ten vicariates. ...

in North Carolina since 2003. Jugis succeeded Bishop William Curlin as bishop of the diocese and is seated at the Cathedral of St. Patrick in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Biography

Early life and education

Peter Jugis was born in

Charlotte, North Carolina Charlotte ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County. The population was 874,579 at the 2020 census, making Charlotte the 16th-most populo ...

, on March 3, 1957, and baptized at St. Ann's Catholic Church in 1957 by then Father Michael J. Begley. Jugis attended

South Mecklenburg High School South Mecklenburg High School is a public secondary school located in Charlotte, North Carolina. It is part of the Charlotte Mecklenburg School District. Locally it is known as "South Meck" (or simply just "South"). Its mascot is the Sabre and ...

in Charlotte and graduated in 1975. Jugis studied at the

University of North Carolina at Charlotte The University of North Carolina at Charlotte (UNC Charlotte or simply Charlotte) is a public research university in Charlotte, North Carolina. UNC Charlotte offers 24 doctoral, 66 master's, and 79 bachelor's degree programs through nine colle ...

, where he obtained a

Bachelor of Business Administration Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) is a bachelor's degree in business administration awarded by colleges and universities after completion of undergraduate study in the fundamentals of business administration and usually including advanced ...

degree in 1979. He studied for the priesthood at the

Pontifical North American College The Pontifical North American College (NAC) is a Catholic Church, Roman Catholic educational institution in Rome, Italy, that prepares seminarians to become priests in the United States and elsewhere. The NAC also provides a residence for Pri ...

in Rome from 1979 to 1984, and received a

Bachelor of Sacred Theology The Baccalaureate in Sacred Theology ( la, Sacrae Theologiae Baccalaureus; abbreviated STB), not to be confused with a Bachelor of Arts in Theology, is the first of three ecclesiastical degrees in theology (the second being the Licentiate in Sacred ...

degree from the

Pontifical Gregorian University The Pontifical Gregorian University ( it, Pontificia Università Gregoriana; also known as the Gregorian or Gregoriana,) is a higher education ecclesiastical school ( pontifical university) located in Rome, Italy. The Gregorian originated as ...

in 1982.

Ordination and ministry

On June 12, 1983, Jugis was

ordained Ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart and elevated from the laity class to the clergy, who are thus then authorized (usually by the denominational hierarchy composed of other clergy) to perform va ...

to the priesthood by

Pope John Paul II Pope John Paul II ( la, Ioannes Paulus II; it, Giovanni Paolo II; pl, Jan Paweł II; born Karol Józef Wojtyła ; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 1978 until his ...

St. Peter's Basilica The Papal Basilica of Saint Peter in the Vatican ( it, Basilica Papale di San Pietro in Vaticano), or simply Saint Peter's Basilica ( la, Basilica Sancti Petri), is a church built in the Renaissance style located in Vatican City, the papal e ...

in Rome. He received a

Licentiate of Canon Law Licentiate of Canon Law ( la, Juris Canonici Licentiatus; JCL) is the title of an advanced graduate degree with canonical effects in the Roman Catholic Church offered by pontifical universities and ecclesiastical faculties of canon law. Licentiate ...

from the Pontifical Gregorian University in 1984. After returning to North Carolina, Jugis had the following pastoral assignments in parishes: * Parochial vicar of St. Leo the Great Catholic in

Winston-Salem Winston-Salem is a city and the county seat of Forsyth County, North Carolina, United States. In the 2020 census, the population was 249,545, making it the second-largest municipality in the Piedmont Triad region, the 5th most populous city in N ...

1984 to 1985 * Temporary administrator of Holy Infant in Reidsville for the summer, of 1985 * Parochial vicar of St. John Neumann in Charlotte 1985 to 1987 In 1985, Bishop John F. Donoghue appointed Jugis as a judge on the marriage tribunal. In 1987, Jugis began studying part time at the

Catholic University of America The Catholic University of America (CUA) is a private Roman Catholic research university in Washington, D.C. It is a pontifical university of the Catholic Church in the United States and the only institution of higher education founded by U.S. ...

in Washington, D.C. while serving as parochial vicar at Sacred Heart Parish in

Salisbury, North Carolina Salisbury is a city in the Piedmont region of North Carolina, United States; it has been the county seat of Rowan County since 1753 when its territory extended to the Mississippi River. Located northeast of Charlotte and within its metropolita ...

. In July 1991, he was appointed as

judicial vicar In the Roman Catholic Church, a judicial vicar or episcopal official ( la, links=no, officialis) is an officer of the diocese who has ordinary power to judge cases in the diocesan ecclesiastical court. Although the diocesan bishop can reserv ...

of the diocese and

parochial vicar A vicar (; Latin: ''vicarius'') is a representative, deputy or substitute; anyone acting "in the person of" or agent for a superior (compare "vicarious" in the sense of "at second hand"). Linguistically, ''vicar'' is cognate with the English pre ...

at St. Leo the Great Catholic Parish. Jugis received his

Doctor of Canon Law Doctor of Canon Law ( la, Juris Canonici Doctor, JCD) is the doctoral-level terminal degree in the studies of canon law of the Roman Catholic Church. It can also be an honorary degree awarded by Anglican colleges. It may also be abbreviated ICD ...

degree from the

in 1993. Jugis' next pastoral parish assignments were : * Pastor of Holy Infant in Reidsville from 1993 to 1996 * Pastor of Queen of the Apostles in

Belmont, North Carolina Belmont is a small suburban city in Gaston County, North Carolina, United States, located about west of uptown Charlotte and east of Gastonia. The population was 10,076 at the 2010 census. Once known as Garibaldi Station, it was named for th ...

1996 to 1997 * Administrator of Holy Spirit in

Denver, North Carolina Denver, formerly known as Dry Pond, is a census-designated place and unincorporated community in Lincoln County, North Carolina, United States. As of the 2010 census it had a population of 2,309. Known as “Dry Pond” until 1873, it was rena ...

, 1998 to 1999 * Pastor of Our Lady of Lourdes in

Monroe, North Carolina Monroe is a city in and the county seat of Union County, North Carolina, United States. The population increased from 32,797 in 2010 to 34,551 in 2020. It is within the rapidly growing Charlotte metropolitan area. Monroe has a council-manager f ...

, from 1999 to 2003

Bishop of Charlotte

On August 1, 2003, John Paul II appointed Jugis as the fourth

bishop A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...

of the Diocese of Charlotte. On October 24, 2003, Jugis received his episcopal consecration at St. Matthew Church in Charlotte from Archbishop John Donoghue, with Bishop William Curlin and Bishop Francis Gossman serving as co-consecrators. During the 2004 U.S. presidential election, Jugis said that politicians who support

abortion rights Abortion-rights movements, also referred to as pro-choice movements, advocate for the right to have legal access to induced abortion services including elective abortion. They seek to represent and support women who wish to terminate their pre ...

for women should be denied communion unless they publicly recant their views. In 2009, he endorsed a bill opposing

gay marriage Same-sex marriage, also known as gay marriage, is the marriage of two people of the same sex or gender. marriage between same-sex couples is legally performed and recognized in 33 countries, with the most recent being Mexico, constituting ...

. In 2013, the

Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests The Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, known as SNAP, established in 1989, is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization support group of survivors of clergy sexual abuse and their supporters in the United States. Barbara Blaine, a survivor of ...

criticized Jugis and Bishop Michael Burbidge for not warning families in their diocese about Raymond P. Melville, a former Catholic priest accused of sexual abuse in

Maine Maine () is a state in the New England and Northeastern regions of the United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec to the northeast and north ...

and in

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...

, who had moved to North Carolina. On April 23, 2015, Jugis prevented

New Ways Ministry New Ways Ministry is a ministry of advocacy and justice for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender Catholics. The national organization is primarily based in the state of Maryland. It was one of the earliest groups attempting to broaden the way Ca ...

co-founder Sister

Jeannine Gramick Sr Jeannine Gramick, SL ( ; born 1942) is an American Catholic religious sister and advocate for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender rights. She is also a co-founder of New Ways Ministry. In 2021, Pope Francis addressed two letters to New ...

from speaking at St. Peter Catholic Church in Charlotte. A diocese spokesperson said the diocese cancelled her appearance because the Holy See said Grammick was opposed to Catholic teachings on

human sexuality Human sexuality is the way people experience and express themselves sexually. This involves biological, psychological, physical, erotic, emotional, social, or spiritual feelings and behaviors. Because it is a broad term, which has varied ...

. On August 17, 2018 Jugis made a statement regarding allegations of sexual misconduct against Church leaders after a grand jury report named 301 Catholic priests who abused children in

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

. He stated that investigations were going on in the Diocese of Charlotte and encouraged Catholics to pray for all victims of

sexual abuse Sexual abuse or sex abuse, also referred to as molestation, is abusive sexual behavior by one person upon another. It is often perpetrated using force or by taking advantage of another. Molestation often refers to an instance of sexual assa ...

. On December 30, 2019, Jugis released a list of fourteen priests credibly accused of sexual abuse in the diocese since 1972. On July 1, 2020, Jugis announced that Patrick Hoare, newly-appointed pastor of St Matthew Paris in Charlotte, was barred from active ministry on the recommendation of the diocese’s independent Lay Review Board. This stemmed from an allegation of sexual abuse in Pennsylvania in the 1990's.

Liturgy

In 2005, following the publication of the '' Missale Romanum, editio typica tertia'', its subsequent English translation, the accompanying ''

General Instruction of the Roman Missal The ''General Instruction of the Roman Missal'' (GIRM)—in the Latin original, ''Institutio Generalis Missalis Romani'' (IGMR)—is the detailed document governing the celebration of Mass of the Roman Rite in what since 1969 is its normal form. ...

'', and the publication instruction ''

Redemptionis Sacramentum ''Redemptionis sacramentum'' ("Sacrament of Redemption") is an instruction on the proper way to celebrate Mass in the Roman Rite and others, and considered as well the adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. It was issued by the Congregation for Divine ...

'', Jugis issued liturgical norms for Diocese of Charlotte. In 2006, he reminded his priests that if they chose to wash parishioners' feet during

Holy Thursday Maundy Thursday or Holy Thursday (also known as Great and Holy Thursday, Holy and Great Thursday, Covenant Thursday, Sheer Thursday, and Thursday of Mysteries, among other names) is the day during Holy Week that commemorates the Washing of the ...

services (the

mandatum Maundy (from Old French ''mandé'', from Latin '' mandatum'' meaning "command"), or Washing of the Saints' Feet, Washing of the Feet, or Pedelavium or Pedilavium, is a religious rite observed by various Christian denominations. The Latin wor ...

), the liturgical law (at that time) mandated that the ceremony was for men's feet only. Jugis supports the celebration of mass according to the

Traditional Latin Mass The Tridentine Mass, also known as the Traditional Latin Mass or Traditional Rite, is the liturgy of Mass in the Roman Rite of the Catholic Church that appears in typical editions of the Roman Missal published from 1570 to 1962. Celebrated almo ...

in his diocese, as has been explicitly permitted by the motu proprio ''

Summorum Pontificum ''Summorum Pontificum'' (English: "Of the Supreme Pontiffs") is an apostolic letter of Pope Benedict XVI, issued in July 2007. This letter specifies the circumstances in which priests of the Latin Church could celebrate mass according to what Ben ...

'' issued by

Pope Benedict XVI Pope Benedict XVI ( la, Benedictus XVI; it, Benedetto XVI; german: link=no, Benedikt XVI.; born Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger, , on 16 April 1927) is a retired prelate of the Catholic church who served as the head of the Church and the sovereign ...

in 2007. Jugis offers mass at his cathedral using the Benedictine altar arrangement (six candles and a

crucifix A crucifix (from Latin ''cruci fixus'' meaning "(one) fixed to a cross") is a cross with an image of Jesus on it, as distinct from a bare cross. The representation of Jesus himself on the cross is referred to in English as the ''corpus'' (Lati ...

placed prominently on the altar) and has been seen to offer Mass ''

ad orientem ''Ad orientem'', meaning "to the east" in Ecclesiastical Latin, is a phrase used to describe the eastward orientation of Christian prayer and Christian worship, comprising the preposition ''ad'' (toward) and ''oriens'' (rising, sunrise, east), p ...

'' or ''ad apsidum''.

References

External links

Bishop Jugis

Diocese of Charlotte
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jugis, Peter Joseph Living people 1957 births People from Charlotte, North Carolina Bishops in North Carolina Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte Roman Catholic bishops in North Carolina University of North Carolina at Charlotte alumni Catholic University of America alumni Pontifical North American College alumni 21st-century Roman Catholic bishops in the United States