2023 Fr. Tighe Memorial Golf Outing

Thank you for attending the Fr. Tighe Memorial Golf Outing benefiting the Seminarian Partnership Program. It was a wonderful day all around and a success on many levels. We were blessed to have 96 golfers, 12 seminarians, and 12 volunteers join us, and from the initial estimates, we raised approximately $36,000 (net proceeds) that will directly fund seminarian education. Many thanks to all of our sponsors, who helped make the day possible.

We had a new raffle opportunity at this year’s event and that was the highly anticipated Bourbon Raffle! We would like to thank Dr. Peter Moyer who donated the 5 fabulous bottles of Bourbon, and all of the participants who purchased tickets.

We also had a new way to improve your score; the Long Drive - "Hole in 2" presented by Charity Golf International. While we don’t have any winners traveling to Pebble Beach, we are most appreciative of the donations made, and just the experience of watching Shasta Averyhardt drive the ball has no doubt inspired us all to visit the driving range!

2023 Winners

First Place Team: James Duncan, Michael Bonello, David Allen and Jack McDonald

Second Place Team: Charlie Dougherty, Patrick Dougherty, Kevin Dougherty, and Mark Dougherty

Longest Drive: David Kaylor (second year in a row)

Closest to the Pin: Donny Lee

Door Prize: Jeff Dougherty

Bourbon winners: John Allen, Tom Ludwick, Brooks Braden, Bob Varro, and Fr. Michael Burbeck, V.G.

Father Tighe's Legacy

It might be easy to begin by remembering Father Phillip Marian Tighe as a priest who served in the Diocese of Raleigh for 20 years and director of the Office of Vocations. He was however, so much more, to so many people.

Fr. Tighe was born November 18, 1962, in Anniston, Alabama, to John Joseph Tighe and Jean Patricia Harrigan Tighe. He was the youngest of seven children, and spent most of his childhood in Southern Pines, North Carolina. As a boy he enjoyed the outdoors, where he could be found fishing, mowing the grass and playing sports such as football and tennis. With a great appreciation for music, he played the trombone in school band and also learned to play piano, a skill his grandmother helped him to hone.

Fr. Tighe earned a B.S. in Business Administration from The Citadel (Charleston, South Carolina) in 1985 and an M.B.A. from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill in 1990. He worked for Merrill Lynch in Charleston and later, IBM in Raleigh, NC however a vocation to the priesthood was on his mind. In 1998 he began his formal discernment at the Theological College of The Catholic University of America, D.C. where he earned a Master's of Divinity.

He was ordained to the priesthood June 24, 2000, at Sacred Heart Church in Pinehurst, North Carolina.

As a priest of the Diocese of Raleigh in Eastern North Carolina, Fr. Tighe served as Parochial Vicar at St. Michael the Archangel Parish in Cary (2000-2002) before traveling to Bolivia for a Spanish language immersion program. He worked at Immaculate Conception Parish and its missions near Clinton (2003 – 2005), Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish in Rocky Mount (2005 – 2007), St. Catherine of Siena Parish in Wake Forest (2007 – 2018) and the Doggett Center at N.C. State University in Raleigh. In 2016 he was appointed Diocesan Vocations Director for the Diocese of Raleigh, a role he held until his death.

As the Vocations Director, Fr. Tighe hosted events such as Pints and Prayers, soccer games and hiking excursions promoted on social media and geared at encouraging young men to be open to the call of the priesthood. Is it any wonder that his love for the outdoors led to golf also becoming a favored recreational past-time.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT IN 2022

As many of you know, Father Tighe was dedicated to our seminarians, especially in his role as Vocations Director.

In May of last year it was an honor to raise awareness and build community in support of vocations to the priesthood for the Diocese of Raleigh, in memory of Father Tighe. Many memories were shared by Priests and current seminarians, expressing their gratitude to Father Tighe.

We were blessed to have 100 golfers, including 11 clergy members, 18 Seminarian volunteers, and 7 Priests, gather to show their support of the event. Through the generosity of many, over $27,000 was raised for the Seminarian Partnership Program. These funds assist with the expenses associated with our seminarians intellectual and spiritual growth.