Catholicism was introduced into Cabarrus County by Joseph Barnhardt, a Lutheran known for his many questions on religious theology and his deep belief in God. Through his reading and the grace of God, Joseph embraced the Catholic faith. In 1842, Father Gifford received him and his family into the Catholic Church. They were visited by priests, who prepared the children for the reception of the sacraments and became acquainted with others who concluded that Catholicism was their way to God. Once they embraced the Catholic faith, they were fervent believers. Others joined the church; and within 25 years, nearly all of the settlement embraced the Catholic faith.

     Joseph Barnhardt always dreamed of having a church in the community instead of holding services in homes. He often talked of donating land; however, he died in 1858 before making any practical plan for having a church built. On June 1, 1869, according to the wishes of his father-in-law, George C. Goodman deeded a picturesque plot of land, on Gold Hill Road, a top a hill surrounded by pines, where the first St. James Catholic Church was built.

     On August 1, 1869, the Rt. Rev. James Gibbons, Vicar Apostolate of North Carolina, dedicated St. James Catholic Church. During these years, Mass was celebrated once a month with priests coming from Belmont, Greensboro or Salisbury.

     The Rev. Herman Wolfe of St. Mary Help Abbey, Belmont, NC, became the pastor of the Concord Mission in 1876. St. James was the first mission the Benedictines accepted outside of Gaston County. In the fall of 1880, the Rt. Rev. Bishop John J. Keene, newly-consecrated for the Richmond Diocese, acting as administrator of the North Carolina Diocese, administered Confirmation and appointed the Rev. Stephen Lyons to take charge of the mission.

     In 1945, Thomas Curran became the first resident pastor.  In 1947 St. James was designated a parish. When fire destroyed the church on Gold Hill Road in 1954, Bishop Vincent Waters of Raleigh then requested a church be built in the city of Concord.    Bishop Waters later dedicated the new church on Union St.

     St. James Catholic Church adopts St. Joseph Catholic Church in Kannapolis as a mission in 1967.  Rev. George Kelly, C.Ss.R. became the first Redemptorist pastor at St. James in 1974.  In 1978 Bishop Begley dedicated the Religious Education Center at the Union St. site.  On January 13, 1980, Knights of Columbus Council 7450 received their charter.  The rectory was built in 1986 and Bishop William C. Curlin dedicated the new Parish Center in 1994. 

     Later, as the parish grew and moved to a new location, Bishop Peter Jugis dedicated the new church on Manor Avenue in December of 2004.  Two years later, the St. James parish welcomed our Hispanic members under the guidance of Rev. Oscar Rojas and Rev. Dimas Arce, C.Ss.R.  Most recently, in the spring of 2007, our Pastor Father James Geiger dedicated our new youth center in honor of St. James parishioners Stephen and Naomi Gill for there generous support toward the project.