Saint Clare of Assisi Catholic Church breaks ground on new building

It was an afternoon of celebration — punctuated by a message from Pope Francis himself. 
 
Hundreds gathered last Sunday in the grassy field at the corner of Etiwan Park Street and Seven Farms Drive on Daniel Island to take part in the groundbreaking ceremony for the new Saint Clare of Assisi Catholic Church building. The 22,000-square-foot Gothic Revival structure is expected to take up to two years to complete. 
 
“Time and time again I am asked, ‘When are you going to have a church?’” said parish pastor Father Gregory West. “The answer always is ‘we have a church, we just need a building in which to put them.’ So this day that we have been anticipating for years now is finally upon us — as we turn this earth, this sacred ground, upon which will be built an edifice to the glory of God in honor of our dear patroness Saint Clare of Assisi.”
 
The parish has been gathering in Bishop England High School’s Performing Arts Center since it was established in 2014. But the Good Shepherd Club of Daniel Island, the island’s first Catholic group, began many years prior with hopes and dreams of seeing a parish, and then a permanent structure to house it, come to fruition.
 
Father West and other distinguished guests lauded the efforts of many individuals, including parishioners, design team members, and capital campaign volunteers, in getting the church to this day. Jim Ferrell, chair of the design and build team, called the journey a process of “faith, hope and love.” 
 
“For a parish so young to be ready to build a church is indeed a rarity,” noted The Right Reverend Robert E.Guglielmone, Bishop of Charleston, who also took part in the ceremony. “Most parishes take a lot longer to be able to pull together the resources and the people. There was so much going on here, even before the establishment of a parish, that you folks were ready.”
 
The bishop shared with the audience that he had recently returned from a trip to Rome, where he had an opportunity to speak directly with Pope Francis about Saint Clare’s progress.
 
“He wanted me to express to all of you his blessings, his prayers and the hopes that this is certainly going to be a wonderful experience for this parish,” Guglielmone said.
 
The other attendees expressed their excitement over the church’s milestone.
 
“This is going to be part of the public space and spirit of our city and this (new) Saint Clare of Assisi church is going to be so beautiful and so inspirational,” said Charleston Mayor John Tecklenburg, who spoke at the event.
 
“I think the biggest thing the church is going to offer is just the connectivity to the community. It brings the community together more — just look at this crowd!” added Mayor Tecklenburg’s wife, Sandy, as she gazed out at the families gathered for the festivities. 
 
“It’s pretty impressive!” exclaimed Daniel Island resident Kathy Stacy, a Saint Clare parishioner who lives near the site of the new church.
 
“It’s awesome!” said fellow parishioner Matt Heffernan. “To finally have a sacred space. This shows momentum and progress … It’s a beautiful addition to the neighborhood.”

Daniel Island Publishing

225 Seven Farms Drive
Unit 108
Daniel Island, SC 29492 

Office Number: 843-856-1999
Fax Number: 843-856-8555

 

Breaking News Alerts

To sign up for breaking news email alerts, Click on the email address below and put "email alerts" in the subject line: sdetar@thedanielislandnews.com

Comment Here