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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

First, please note that daily Mass on Memorial Day (May 27) will be at 9:00am in Old St. Mary’s. There will be no confessions or Mass that evening. How grateful we are for those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice for our country! God of power and mercy, you destroy war and put down earthly pride. Banish violence from our midst and wipe away our tears, that we may all deserve to be called your sons and daughters. Keep in your mercy those men and women who have died in the cause of freedom, and bring them safely into your kingdom of justice and peace. Though Christ our Lord. Amen.

In many places in the Northeast, Thursday, May 30, would mark the day Our Lord ascended into heaven after forty days: “[Jesus] presented Himself alive to them by many proofs after He had suffered, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the Kingdom of God (Acts 1:3).” However, liturgically in most of the United States (including our diocese), the celebration of this feast is moved to Sunday. So, if you have just joined us from a diocese that celebrates the Ascension on Thursday, note that it is not a Holy Day of Obligation here.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Pope St. John Paul II’s motto was Totus Tuus, “Totally Yours.” He had placed himself totally in the arms of the Blessed Virgin Mary so that he might imitate her eternal “Yes” to God in everything. She teaches us by her example and intercession how to offer an enthusiastic “Yes!” to God’s plan for our own lives. We can learn how to be good and faithful disciples of Jesus Christ by imitating the best and first disciple, Mary.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

The first word that comes to mind to describe last Sunday’s May Procession and Parish Picnic is, “Wow!” First, we thank God for what turned out to be a beautiful morning and afternoon when all weather predictions had said otherwise. Our guests of honor were our First Holy Communicants, who had just received their first Communion the day before. They led the procession down Park Avenue with rose petals and flowers. This year we added flags from the countries of origin of our parishioners, showing that our faith is truly catholic, a word that literally means “universal.” (If you did not see your country’s flag, please let us know so we can add it next year. We’re still learning about the fantastic diversity of our parish!)

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

“Jesus said to the disciple, ‘Behold, your mother.’” – St. John 19:27

Saint Mary’s parish is your home, regardless of where you came from. Join your family as we celebrate our unity at our annual Parish Picnic, today, Sunday, May 5. (Please note that there is no 12:30pm or 5:00pm Mass on May 5 so that we can celebrate as a family.) At the end of the 11:00am bilingual Mass, we will make our annual Procession in honor of our Blessed Mother, Help of Christians, down Park Avenue and back to the church, where we will crown the statue of Mary to the left of the altar. This year the procession will include flags representing the heritage of all our parishioners and how the Church brings us together as one great witness. As we honor our Blessed Mother, let us learn through her help and intercession to incorporate her total and constant “Yes” to God’s will in our daily lives.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

First, I am incredibly grateful for all the volunteers and staff that helped make our liturgies this past Holy Week and Easter so remarkable and profound. It’s amazing to see the enormous preparation that is necessary behind the scenes to support the beautiful, ancient (and sometimes a bit complex) liturgies that directly connect us to our very roots as Catholic Christians. I express my deep gratitude to all those who helped in any way. Thank you!

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

You meet someone and say, “Christ is risen!” They respond, “Truly, He is risen!” This ancient Christian greeting is still used in countries with a strong, Catholic/Orthodox culture. Our western culture, particularly our American ethos, formed by a strong current of Calvinism that was suspicious of such outward expressions of faith, long ago abandoned such greetings. (Although “Merry Christmas” has hung on for now!) You and I must find new ways to evangelize just as the earliest Apostles, disciples, and martyrs did when they all but ran out into the world for the very first time, taking with them the good news of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

At last, you may have noticed the three plaques for the Our Gifts – His Glory program. Recall that OG-HG is the program (not the capital campaign) that allows parishioners to donate certain meaningful articles in and around our church in memory or in honor of a loved one, such as statues, pews, liturgical items, ornamental trees, etc. Plaques for the items within the church are displayed as you come in through the main doors, opposite the capital campaign plaques. The plaque for the items outside the church is located on the north wing (where the St. Vincent de Paul Society operates). We are immensely grateful to all who donated to help make our church even more beautiful. Thank you!

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Last Friday, March 29, “with a heavy heart and in the spirit of transparency and accountability,” Bishop Guglielmone published a list of clergy who have been credibly accused of sexual misconduct or abuse involving a minor in the Diocese of Charleston since 1950. I encourage you to read the Bishop’s letter and the Q & A that accompany the list. You can access them on the diocesan website: sccatholic.org or charlestondiocese.org. None of the priests listed are in active ministry. Almost all of them are deceased.