Abstract:
Leo Haid was a great leader not only in religious work, but he was also a leader in education, civic affairs, and business. In 1885, he was elected abbot of Maryhelp Abbey, later Belmont, in Gaston County. Over the next seven years he added new buildings, 200 acres, and increased the number of clergy, staff, and students. In 1889, Pope Pius X consecrated him Bishop of Messene and Vicar Apostolic of North Carolina. He is buried in the monastic cemetery at Belmont.