Freedom to Be Holy

06-30-2019Pastor's LetterRev. Gregory B. Wilson, VF

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, Mark your calendars! The celebration of the bicentennial of our diocese will begin soon. On July 11, 1820, Pope Pius VII created the Diocese of Charleston. Our first Bishop, John England, arrived in Charleston on December 30, 1820. At the time of its creation, the diocese covered both North and South Carolina as well as Georgia. I will be sharing more about our history as the year-long celebration unfolds.

The official kickoff will be a Solemn Vespers, celebrated by the Most Rev. Robert E. Guglielmone, 13th Bishop of the Diocese of Charleston, on Thursday, July 11, 2019, at 6:00pm at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, 120 Broad Street in Charleston. All are invited to this special celebration.

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Awe & Wonder-Christ's Body & Blood

06-23-2019Pastor's LetterRev. Gregory B. Wilson, VF

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Three big solemnities happen to crop up all at once this week. Monday, June 24 is the Nativity of St. John the Baptist. There are only three birthdays our liturgical calendar celebrates: Jesus, Mary, and St. John the Baptist. St. John is the patron Saint of our diocese, so what a great day to come and pray for all the people of the Diocese. May we keep focused on the mission – spreading the Good News?

Friday the 28th, we have the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, which always falls the Friday after Corpus Christi. The next morning, June 29th, we celebrate the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, two “biggies” when it comes to saints. Also, our parish was founded on this day in 1853, so it is a marvelous celebration to remind us to keep focused on Jesus Christ.

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Don't Send Money

06-16-2019Pastor's LetterRev. Gregory B. Wilson, VF

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

First, a very important message: A sad consequence of original sin from time immemorial has always been people attempting to defraud others. In our day fraudsters use technology to appear as a loved one or other trusted individual in our lives. You will recall a few times I have cautioned about people claiming to be me using email – often utilizing similar-looking email accounts – attempting to scam others into sending money or buying certain gift cards.

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Pentecost

06-09-2019Pastor's LetterRev. Gregory B. Wilson, VF

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

It is with great personal joy this weekend that I welcome my brother, Deacon George Wilson, his wife, Janet, and their children to St. Mary's. My brother was ordained a deacon on February 9 of this year. He is a member of St. Paul the Apostle parish in Spartanburg. Currently, he plans to serve at the 5pm Saturday and 11am Sunday Masses here for Pentecost. We had a beautiful blessing of the plaque last Sunday honoring all the women religious that served St. Mary's and the surrounding area from 1900 to 1997. These faithful women gave themselves to Christ and His Church in heroic ways, and it is our pleasure to honor them. The plaque is mounted in Mother Teresa Hall.

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Heartfelt Gratitude

06-02-2019Pastor's LetterRev. Gregory B. Wilson, VF

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

How do you sufficiently thank someone who has served faithfully for so long? As our school year comes to a close for our beloved St. Mary’s School, we are immensely grateful to Cathy Green, Office Manager and School Secretary, who is retiring after thirty years of dedicated service. Yes, thirty years! Generations of children remember Mrs. Green, who not only ran the office, but often acted as nurse, counselor, referee, and more for countless students over the years. She has given herself generously in so many ways and will always be a part of our school. Please be sure to thank Mrs. Green for her incredible dedication to our school!

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