COUNCIL #12537 - SACRED HEART REMEMBERS
REVERAND TRENT LAWSON WATTS

 

Reverend Trent Lawson Watts, 67 years old, died on Sunday, January 17, 2021 in Wilmington, North Carolina.

He was born in Roswell, New Mexico on August 20, 1953 to the late Elsie (Edge) Watts and the late Mack Guilford Watts. He is survived by his sister, Celeste (Watts) Byrd, his niece, JoBeth Byrd Riker (Justin) a nephew, Alexander Byrd (Hannah), extended family members, and special friends Pat Ciemnicki and Joe Baiunco.

Father Watts graduated from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington in 1987 with a Bachelor of Science. After discerning a vocation to the priesthood, Father Watts entered formation and studies for the Priesthood for the Diocese of Raleigh in 1988, completing his M.Div. degree at Saint Mary's Seminary and University in Baltimore, MD in 1992. Father Watts was ordained to the Priesthood on January 30, 1993 at the Basilica Shrine of Saint Mary in Wilmington, North Carolina by the Most Reverend F. Joseph Gossman, Bishop of Raleigh.

In the Diocese of Raleigh, Father Watts served as Parochial Vicar of Good Shepherd Parish in Hope Mills; as Parochial Vicar of Saint Thomas More Parish in Chapel Hill; as Parochial Vicar of Saint Patrick Parish in Fayetteville; as Pastor of Sacred Heart Parish in Dunn; as Pastor of the Saint Therese of Lisieux Parish in Wilson; as Pastor of Sacred Heart Parish in Southport and as Pastor of Saint Therese, the Little Flower Parish in Wrightsville Beach, where he was currently serving at the time of his death.