Father Michael T. Kottar 53, passes away

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Father Michael T. Kottar, 53, passed away on the Vigil of Pentecost May 22, 2021, after a battle with Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. He had served as a Catholic priest for 27 years.

Viewing will be held from 5 to 9 p.m. Tuesday, June 1, 2021, at St. Mary, Help of Christians Catholic Church in Shelby, North Carolina. A 6 p.m. Vigil Service will be led by Monsignor Patrick J. Winslow.

The Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated by the Most Rev. Peter J. Jugis, Bishop of Charlotte, at 11 a.m. Wednesday, June 2, 2021, at St. Mary, Help of Christians Catholic Church. A private burial will follow at Belmont Abbey Cemetery. A reception and lunch for family and friends of Father Kottar will be held at 2:30 p.m. at St. Mary Parish Hall.

Father Kottar was born Dec. 6, 1967, in Youngstown, Ohio, the son of Michael and the late Kathleen (Kropelak) Kottar. He attended Immaculate Heart of Mary School and Ursuline High School. He was drawn to a priestly vocation from an early age as an altar server, and after high school he went on to further his studies at the Pontifical College Josephinum in Columbus, Ohio. He earned a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from St. Alphonsus Redemptorist Seminary in Suffield, Connecticut, and in 1994 he earned a Master of Divinity from Mount St. Mary’s Seminary in Emmitsburg, Maryland.

He was ordained to the Catholic priesthood on May 28, 1994, for the Diocese of Metuchen, New Jersey, by the Most Rev. Edward T. Hughes. He served in the Metuchen Diocese for five years, at St. Peter the Apostle Catholic Church in New Brunswick (1994-1996); St. John Vianney Catholic Church in Colonia (1996-1997); St. Mary’s Catholic Church in South Amboy (1997-1998); and St. Augustine of Canterbury Catholic Church in Kendall Park (1998-1999).

In 1999, Father Kottar moved to the Diocese of Charlotte, North Carolina, where he served first at St. Matthew Catholic Church in Charlotte (1999-2000), considered one of the largest Catholic parishes in the United States. He then served as administrator at St. John Baptist de la Salle Catholic Church in North Wilkesboro, before moving in 2002 to the Charlotte Diocese’s smallest parish, Holy Redeemer Catholic Church in Andrews, in the western tip of North Carolina, where he served first as administrator and then as pastor.

In 2007, Father Kottar was appointed pastor of St. Mary, Help of Christians Catholic Church in Shelby and Christ the King Catholic Mission in Kings Mountain. He loved the mix of people and cultures there. He also had a passion for the outdoors, hiking, Caribbean cruises and reading history.

Throughout his priestly ministry but especially during his last pastorate, he was known as a defender of life, a champion of the poor, and a teacher who loved to lead Scripture studies and pilgrimages to sacred shrines. He was a gifted writer and eloquent speaker, which showed in the inspirational homilies he delivered.

He often preached that our purpose in this life is to give glory to God. Although his life was brief, he lived it fully ­– loving and serving God and, in his words, “meeting so many good people along the way.” He devoted his life to the Church and once was quoted as saying that people loved priests because they bring them closer to Christ. He had a deep love for Christ in the Eucharist, and he encouraged people – especially young men discerning a vocation to the priesthood – to pray the rosary and develop a relationship with the Blessed Mother.

In addition to his parish of 300 families at St. Mary and Christ the King, he is survived by his father Michael H. Kottar of Pickerington, Ohio; twin sisters Amy (Michael) Akers, also of Pickerington, and Renee (Gregory) Selby of Nazareth, Pennsylvania; and four nieces and nephews: Paige, Benjamin, Kyra and Vincent. He was preceded in death by his mother.

In lieu of flowers, Father Kottar requested that memorial contributions be made to the Diocese of Charlotte Seminarian Education Fund. Donate by mail to 1123 S. Church St., Charlotte, NC 28203, or securely online at www.charlottediocese.org/development/donate_semed/

Cecil M. Burton Funeral Home of Shelby, North Carolina, is in charge of the arrangements.