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The Most Reverend Luis Rafael Zarama, Bishop of Raleigh, is pleased to convey the following official appointments and announcements:

Effective May 1, 2023

Reverend John A. Hanley, OSFS, Parochial Vicar of Holy Redeemer Parish in Kitty Hawk, is appointed Pastor of the same upon the retirement of Reverend William Walsh, OSFS.

The bishop expresses his gratitude to Reverend William Walsh, OSFS, for his many years of service as pastor of Holy Redeemer. Father Walsh has been reassigned to residence at the retirement center of the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales, Wilmington-Delaware Province in Childs, MD.

Effective June 5, 2023

Reverend Thomas S. Duggan, Parochial Vicar of Saint Ann Parish in Clayton, is appointed Catholic Chaplain at WakeMed Hospital with residence at St. Joseph Parish in Raleigh.

Effective June 27, 2023

Very Reverend Jeffrey Bowker, V.F., Pastor of St. Therese Parish in Wilson and Dean of the Tar River Deanery, is appointed Pastor of St. Catherine of Siena Parish in Wake Forest.

Very Reverend Paul Nicholas Cottrill, V.F., Pastor of Holy Family Parish in Elizabeth City and the Mission of Saint Katharine Drexel in Maple and Dean of the Albemarle Deanery, is appointed Pastor of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish and the Mission of Immaculate Conception in Rocky Mount.

Reverend John Alex Gonzalez, Parochial Vicar of Saint Francis of Assisi Parish in Raleigh, is appointed Pastor of Holy Family Parish in Elizabeth City and the Mission of Saint Katharine Drexel in Maple.

Reverend Fernando Torres, currently on sabbatical, is appointed Pastor of Saint Therese Parish in Wilson.

Reverend Frederic Mizengo, CICM, a member of the Congregation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, is appointed Pastor of Saint Eugene Parish in Wendell.

Reverend Jairo Alberto Maldonado-Pacheco, Administrator of Saint Ann Parish in Edenton and the Mission of All Souls in Columbia, is appointed Pastor of the same.

Reverend David L. Miller, Administrator of Saint Mildred Parish in Swansboro, is appointed Pastor of the same.

Reverend Juan Andrés Arturo Gonzalez, C.O., Parochial Vicar of Holy Name of Jesus Cathedral in Raleigh, is appointed Administrator of the Mission of San Isidro in Fayetteville.

Reverend Steven Costello, Director of Evangelization and Catechesis at St. Michael the Archangel Parish in Cary, is appointed Administrator of Saint Paul Parish in New Bern and the Mission of St. Peter the Fisherman in Oriental.

Reverend Michael Marotta, CRM, of the Order of Clerics Regular Minor (The Adorno Fathers), is appointed Administrator of Saint Mary, Mother of the Church Parish in Garner.

Reverend Edward Tembo, CICM, Parochial Vicar of María Reina de las Américas Parish in Mount Olive and the Mission of Santa Teresita in Beulaville, is appointed Administrator of Our Lady of the Rosary Parish in Louisburg.

Reverend Lourduraj Alapaty, Chaplain at WakeMed Hospital in Raleigh, is appointed Parochial Vicar at Saint Mary Magdalene Parish in Apex and Saint Michael the Archangel Parish in Cary, with residence at Saint Michael the Archangel Parish.

Reverend David M. Chiantella, Pastor of Saint Mary, Mother of the Church Parish in Garner, is granted retirement and assigned as part-time Parochial Vicar at Saint Luke the Evangelist Parish in Raleigh.

Reverend Anit Augustine Jacob, MS, a member of the Congregation of the Missionaries Our Lady of La Salette, Indian Province of La Salette Matha, is assigned Parochial Vicar at Saint Brendan the Navigator Parish in Shallotte.

Reverend Emmanuel Mandona, CICM, a member of the Congregation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, is appointed Parochial Vicar at María Reina de las Americas Parish in Mount Olive.

Reverend Pedro Manuel Muñoz Muñoz, Parochial Vicar at Infant of Prague Parish in Jacksonville, is appointed Parochial Vicar at Saint Paul Parish in New Bern.

Reverend Alberto Ortega, Parochial Vicar at the Basilica Shrine of Saint Mary Parish in Wilmington, is appointed Parochial Vicar at Infant of Prague Parish in Jacksonville.

Reverend Rafael Padron, CRM, a member of the Order of Clerics Regular Minor (The Adorno Fathers), is appointed Parochial Vicar at Saint Mary, Mother of the Church Parish in Garner.

Reverend James Singarayar, a member of the Mary, Queen of the Apostles Province of the Heralds of the Good News, is appointed Parochial Vicar at Saint Francis of Assisi Parish in Raleigh.

Reverend John Vedanayagam, MSFS, Administrator of the Mission of San Isidro in Fayetteville, is appointed Parochial Vicar at Holy Name of Jesus Cathedral in Raleigh.

Reverend Bill John Acosta Escobar, formerly Pastor of St. Catherine of Siena Parish in Wake Forest, remains on a medical leave of absence for the duration of his recovery.

Reverend Clyde Timberlake Meares, Pastor of Our Lady of Perpetual Help and the Mission of Immaculate Conception in Rocky Mount, has been granted leave for a year-long sabbatical.

Reverend Paul M. Parkerson, Parochial Vicar at Our Lady of Perpetual Help and the Mission of Immaculate Conception in Rocky Mount and Episcopal Delegate for the Extraordinary Form, remains Episcopal Delegate for the Extraordinary Form with residence at Saint Mary, Mother of the Church Parish in Garner.

Reverend Thomas S. Tully, Pastor of Saint Paul Parish in New Bern and the Mission of St. Peter the Fisherman in Oriental, is assigned to begin a new community around the diocesan land trust property in Holly Springs, with residence and sacramental ministry at Saint Bernadette Parish in Fuquay-Varina.

Announcements

Bishop Luis Rafael Zarama expresses his sincere appreciation to the following priests for their generous priestly ministry:

Reverend Marlee Abao, CICM, Pastor of Holy Rosary Parish in Louisburg, will be assigned outside of the Diocese of Raleigh by his religious community.

Reverend R. Martin Fitzgerald, interim Administrator of Saint Catherine of Siena Parish in Wake Forest, for his generous service in caring for the faithful of that parish in the absence of their pastor.

Reverend Archie Tacay, CICM, Pastor of Saint Eugene Parish in Wendell, will be assigned outside of the Diocese of Raleigh by his religious community.

The various news and Tweets on NC State Wolfpack athletics on Saturday.

The Wolfpack Central — NC State signees Dennis Parker, Treymane Parker ranked in top 105

The Wolfpack Central — NC State RB Demie Sumo-Karngbaye is transferring

The Wolfpack Central — Sophomore Ian Coleman heads into summer with momentum

The Wolfpack Central — Sophomore guard Isaiah Henry is establishing his own name

Fayetteville Observer — UNC, NC State football’s 5 best NFL Draft selections

GoPack.com — Former NC State champion, Michael Macchiavello, wins US Open

GoPack.com — Key Fourth Inning Leads Wolfpack to 7-4 Win Over The Citadel

GoPack.com — Wolfpack Wraps Up Friday Night Action At Penn Relays, Charlotte Invitational

GoPack.com — Former Pack Runner Julie Shea Sutton Inducted Into 2023 USTFCCCA Hall of Fame

Technician — Cozart, Harrison help secure series-opening win over The Citadel

NCAA Champion Kacper Stokowski Returning to NC State for Fifth Year https://t.co/RHpf3SrJg8

— SwimSwam (@swimswamnews) April 28, 2023

Michigan tops NC State and Penn State among others for junior offensive lineman Jake Guarnera: https://t.co/YAlTe7RDtp

— TheWolfpackCentral (@NCStateRivals) April 28, 2023

After a great conversation with @StateCoachD and @Coach2J I am blessed to receive a offer from North Carolina State! @AdmiralFootball @the_proedge @BrianDohn247 @RivalsFriedman pic.twitter.com/AxkbOksZCq

— Colin Cubberly (@colin_cubberly) April 27, 2023

After a great conversation with @coachwiles @31_CoachFAL iâm blessed to receive an offer from NC STATE ðº!! @coachtslaton12 @BenjaminEMays1 @RecruitGeorgia pic.twitter.com/ZX6wDI0fPV

— Quintavius Johnson jr. á´´â±áµ (@Qjohnson3xl) April 27, 2023

extremely BLESSED To receive an offer from @PackFootball @Coach2J @CoachDMays @CMAnderson247 @RivalsFriedman @rivalskeenan @On3sports @RedskinStrength @D_Smooth98 @NCStateRivals pic.twitter.com/CYKk3S1PAF

— Da'Ron Parks (@DaRon__Parks) April 27, 2023

ACC news on former NC State target Isaiah Evans: https://t.co/OO9oDuH6T3

— TheWolfpackCentral (@NCStateRivals) April 28, 2023

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RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- It's Triangle Small Business Week, but despite the area's rapid growth, many of those businesses face new challenges amid rising interest rates and uncertainty in the banking system.

In the wake of another bank collapse this week, access to funding remains top of mind for many of those small business owners.

Victoria Scott-Miller owns Liberation Station Bookstore, which is set to open its first brick-and-mortar location on Fayetteville St. in Raleigh in June. She says high interest rates and lack of access to funding were part of her decision to remain a pop-up business since opening four years ago.

"Part of the reason why we even started out of the trunk of our car was a lack of access to capital," said Scott-Miller. "We didn't know that four years later when opening our first brick and mortar, that we would bump heads with some of the same issues like high interest rates and lack of accessibility to funding."

Scott-Miller credits the upcoming Fayetteville storefront to a crowdsourced funding model, saying alternative financing created an opportunity that didn't exist with the big banks.

"As contributions were rolling in, we were able to get that funding in real time, which allowed us to start building out and checking off some of those goals that we had in order to lead us to our opening," she said.

Andrew Ullom, owner of Union Special, says he's felt the financial pressure recently, too. Between coping with an interest rate around 10% and navigating higher grocery costs, Ullom says their bottom line is hurting.

"Compared to last year, I am paying an additional manager's salary in interest this year, and it is a massive hit to cash flow," Ullom said.

Ullom described the phenomenon as being like "a heavyweight fighter punching in both directions."

But events like Triangle Small Business Week are an opportunity to grow exposure and get access to resources. Jennifer Martin, Executive Director of Shop Local Raleigh, says city and county provide great outreach to business owners, but it can still be a lonely profession.

"We forget that these people that are running these small businesses, they don't have the big 401K, they don't have the corporate backing," Martin said. "They don't have traditionally a lot of investors. And so they truly are the ones having to figure it out."

Martin says rising rent costs are also a factor, causing more businesses to shift to pop-up or mobile business models.

"That is one of the things that we're also seeing," said Martin. "A lot of people go mobile, you know, to try and help because right now it's just too expensive. To have that brick and mortar right here."

Business owners we spoke with say Raleigh remains a great place to plant business seeds, in large part due to those resources.

Triangle Small Business Week began on Sunday, and runs through this week.

A new report shows Downtown Raleigh gaining ground in hotel revenue, retail openings and food and beverage sales.

The Downtown Raleigh Alliance has released its market report for the first quarter of 2023, showing largely positive numbers for the district. The period runs from Jan. 1 through March 31.

The hotel sector downtown took a massive hit during the Covid-19 pandemic with business travel (typically a large portion of business) disappearing and general traffic staying slow. But recent months have seen leisure travel spike with events, concerts and conventions returning and business travel trickling back in.

In the first quarter, average monthly hotel room sales revenue increased by 36 percent year-over-year, according to the DRA report. January alone saw a 69 percent increase year-over-year. Along with room occupancy seeing a boost – Wake County's occupancy rate was 72.6 percent in March, up from 68.6 a year ago but below the 2019 figure of 76 percent – the increase is in part due to average daily rates for hotels across the country skyrocketing over the past year.

$1,000 a night for a Raleigh hotel? You must be dreaming!

Downtown Raleigh currently has 408 hotel rooms under construction – including the dual-branded Hilton (NYSE: HLT) property on Davie Street that is nearing completion and the Hyatt (NYSE: H) property in Seaboard Station. Another 1,269 rooms are proposed or in planning across seven different projects, according to the report.

Downtown Raleigh saw 17 new storefront openings in the first quarter, with six businesses closing. The openings include new tenants coming to mixed-use developments like Seaboard Station, Smoky Hollow and Bloc83.

Closings include The Rockford, J Lights, The Factory and Wicked Taco. The Vault, a vintage clothing store by a local entrepreneur, also closed.

“Storefront openings and re-openings are far outpacing closings, which is a good sign of our storefront economy recovering,” said Bill King, president and CEO of the Downtown Raleigh Alliance. “We still see a gap in recovery among our districts, but we have seen leasing activity clearly increase in the Fayetteville Street district, as already seen in the storefront openings and coming soon list in the report.”

Downtown Raleigh currently has 89,145 square feet of retail space under construction across 16 developments.

Average monthly sales for food and beverage downtown increased 4 percent year-over-year, with a total of $22.3 million in Q1. Glenwood South accounted for 39 percent of all food and beverage sales, followed by the Fayetteville Street district with 22 percent, Moore Square district with 19 percent, the Warehouse District with 16 percent and the Capital District with 4 percent.

Downtown now has 11 craft breweries and distilleries and more than 160 restaurants and bars with outdoor seating, according to the report.

The report also tracks pedestrian traffic, which evaporated during the pandemic – particularly in the Fayetteville Street district – and was slow to rebound on weekdays given the shift to remote work.

Average daily pedestrian counts downtown increased 9 percent year-on-year, according to six counting sites tracked by the DRA. Visitor visits in Q1 did not change from the previous quarter, staying at 4.3 million.

“Holding steady with visitors in Q1 compared to the previous quarter is a good sign of downtown continuing to draw more people,” King said. “And these numbers do not even include Dreamville, so we are excited to see how those numbers come out when we release the next quarterly report.”

Abundant Life Financial is pleased to announce the opening of its business office located in Raleigh, North Carolina.

We are thrilled to serve the Raleigh area. Our team of experienced financial professionals is excited to provide top-quality financial services to clients in this vibrant community”

— Scott Ferguson

RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA, UNITED STATES, May 1, 2023/EINPresswire.com/ -- Abundant Life Financial is pleased to announce the opening of its business office located in Raleigh, North Carolina.

The company is committed to providing personalized financial solutions to clients to help them achieve more full and abundant lives.

Their office, located at 5540 Centerview Drive Ste 418 in Raleigh, North Carolina offers a full range of financial services including financial planning, investment management, tax planning, retirement planning, estate planning, and more. The team at Abundant Life Financial is dedicated to helping clients achieve their financial goals and secure their financial future.

With nearly a decade of experience in the financial industry, Abundant Life Financial has a proven track record of helping clients achieve their financial goals. The company's team of experts provides customized financial solutions to individuals, families, and businesses.

The group is led by Scott Ferguson, a seasoned financial advisor with extensive experience in the industry. Scott has earned designations as a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional, Chartered Financial Consultant, Certified Kingdom Advisor, Accredited Investment Fiduciary and holds a JD*/MBA.

“Our Abundant Life name comes from John 10:10b, where Jesus says, ‘I’ve come that they may have life and have it abundantly.’ said Scott Ferguson, Founder/Wealth Advisor of Abundant Life Financial. "We view an abundant life as one free of worry and full of joy. We yearn to reduce financial worry with our clients so they can focus on the things that bring them joy.”

Abundant Life Financial located in Raleigh, North Carolina is accepting new clients. For more information, please visit www.abundantlifefinancial.com or call (919) 852-1971.

About Abundant Life Financial: Abundant Life Financial is a leading financial services firm dedicated to helping clients work toward their financial goals and navigate to an abundant life. With nearly a decade of experience in the industry, the company offers personalized financial solutions to individuals, families, and businesses. Abundant Life Financial is built on the core principles of treating people with respect, earning trust and instilling sound financial strategies to help individuals and families enjoy fuller, more generous lives. For more information, please visit www.abundantlifefinancial.com.

*JD is an educational degree and holder does not provide legal advice on behalf of Abundant Life Financial, CWM, LLC or its affiliates.

Investment advisory services offered through CWM, LLC, an SEC Registered Investment Advisor. Carson Partners, a division of CWM, LLC, is a nationwide partnership of advisors.

Scott Ferguson Abundant Life Financial +1 919-852-1971 scott@abundantlifefinancial.com Visit us on social media: Facebook Twitter LinkedIn