Church

My friends in Christ, This weekend is particularly joyous for our Parish as diaconate candidate Brian Hansen will receive the institution of lector and I will receive the institution of acolyte. These ministries hold for us a profound meaning as they are the steps taken toward ordination into the Permanent Diaconate for the Diocese. In the Vatican II Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, Sacrosanctum Concilium, St. Pope Paul VI re-instituted the permanent diaconate setting the necessary parameters for formation. In his motu propio, Ministeria Quaedam, he suppresses the original four …

This week the Pastor’s Letter is from Brian Hansen, Deacon in Training Explaining the Ministry of Lector By way of introduction, I am a long-time parishioner of Our Lady of the Rosary Parish and a candidate for the Permanent Diaconate. God willing, I will be ordained as a deacon for the Diocese of Charleston in February 2026. Formation for the Permanent Diaconate in our diocese is a five-year process involving a period of discerning God’s calling followed by formal education leading to a Master of Arts degree in theology, along …

Dear Brothers and Sisters, From time to time it is important to be reminded of the church’s ministry to the sick, the dying and the dead. All of us are to be mindful of our deaths and the deaths of our loved ones, and it is a great comfort to know that the Good Shepherd walks with us through the valley of the shadow of death. If you or a loved one are facing a serious surgery or a serious illness please contact the parish office and request one of …

Please join us for a cup of tea and the Rosary on Saturday, October 21, at 10:30am in Guadalupe Hall. Our speaker is Kate O’Hare, long time LA-based entertainment journalist and creator of the Pax Culturati blog at the Catholic Channel at Patheos.com. Kate will look at the media phenomenon that happened in the wake of a young NFL player’s on-field emergency and how the power of prayer broke through. She has her hand on the vibe in Hollywood and you will not want to miss this event. Please reserve your spot today by …

Dear Brothers and Sisters, St. Michael the Archangel is always pictured skewering Satan with his spear, but the other great warrior in the spiritual battle is the Blessed Virgin. She is pictured trampling the serpent under her feet in fulfillment of the prophecy in Genesis 3:15 where God tells the serpent that there will be enmity between him and the woman and she will trample the serpent underfoot. This is why our image of Our Lady of the Rosary shows her holding her son and trampling the serpent. Popes and …

OLR participates in the CLBBY (Church League Basketball for Youth) program. If you would like your son or daughter to play this fall, please use the sign up link below. We have several spots open for K5-5th grade aged girls and boys.  Teams will practice once a week, usually on Sundays at the OLR gym after the 10:30am Mass and before 5:00pm Mass. Games are scheduled by CLBBY and take place on Saturdays at various gyms in Greenville on November 11, 18, December 2, 9, 16, January 6, 20, 27. For specific …

Dear Brothers and Sisters, As we prepare for spiritual battle, we should remember that we do not fight alone. Time and again the Bible reminds us that there is “war in heaven” (Rev. 12:7) Satan and his demons are in battle with Michael and the angels. This is part of the historic faith down through the ages and the lives of the saints, witness to the reality of the conflict going on in the unseen realm. We join our prayers with those of the saints and angels as they engage …

Dear Brothers and Sisters, In his epistle to the Ephesians St. Paul sets out the need for spiritual warfare. He writes, “Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able …

The Pastor’s Letter this week is from Peg Verranault, President of the OLR St. Vincent de Paul Society. The Society of St. Vincent de Paul at OLR was founded in 1993 in the old white house that was the original OLR Church, and has been serving the needy in the surrounding neighborhoods for the past 30 years. Those who were instrumental in founding the conference and the first Vincentians at OLR were Anne Sokol, Marianne Stoddard, Pat Conrad and Jim Cooper, who was also the first president. The society at …

Dear Brothers and Sisters, I love the great hymn For All the Saints–especially the second verse: O may your soldiers, faithful true and bold Fight as the saints who nobly fought of old And win with them the victor’s crown of gold Alleluia, Alleluia! The lives of all the saints exhibit an awareness of the need for battle. Even the Little Flower–Therese of Lisieux says, “Sanctity! It must be won at the point of a sword!”  Therefore, to make spiritual progress with the saints, we have to engage in battle. The …

Dear Brothers and Sisters, In our society, which emphasizes kindness and gentleness we often forget an aspect of our faith which is summed up in the phrase, “the Church Militant.” Christians today are inclined to turn away from old fashioned hymns like “Onward Christian Soldiers”, “Fight the Good Fight” or “Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus, You Soldiers of the Cross”. We find it difficult to align a religion of forgiveness and tolerance with a religion that encounters enemies, expects conflict and marches confidently to war. We’re especially reluctant to …

Dear Brothers and Sisters, When I was a kid September meant “Back to School”. After the luxury of the lazy summer days, it was back to work and back to busy schedules. In the years since then the start of school has moved earlier and earlier—eroding the summer vacation for our kids. OLR school got started last week and it has been a joy to see so many boys and girls filling our classrooms. Over 300 are enrolled this year and we are bursting at the seams! Mr. Curtin’s strategy …