Father Droze with the Rosary Ministry celebrating the 100,000 Rosary. This was much hard work and dedication in reaching this milestone for this ministry. Thank you for all who participated and contributed their efforts! We look forward to the next 100,000 !
IN THE BEGINNING:
“ The reign of God is like a mustard seed which someone took and
sowed in his field. It is the smallest seed of all, yet full-blown
it is the largest of all plants. It becomes so big a shrub that the
birds of the sky come and build their nests in its branches.”
(Matthew 13:31-32)
Our Lady of
the Hills Catholic Church began as a vision of Father William
Croghan, then paster of St. Peter’s Church in Columbia. Father
Croghan and a “committee of six” parishioners, took the mustard seed
and sowed it, in 1972, in the field in the Irmo-St. Andrews area,
where 1/3 of St. Peter’s parishioners lived. Their desire to come
together as a Christian family, coupled with an obvious need for a
local Catholic Church to serve suburban families who were not
participating in parish life, indicated that the time was ripe for
planting. Bishop Ernest Unterkoefler was also eager that the Church
spread into suburban Columbia.
Weekly masses
were celebrated in Lexington, at the Irmo Elementary School, and
later at the Dutch Square Theater. When Miss Nellie Lynch left a
large inheritance to the Church, property was purchased in Irmo on
Nursery Road.
In June of
1973, Father Croghan was transferred and a full time pastor, Father
Henry Burke was appointed to the newly-titled Irmo-Lexington
Catholic community. It was officially separated from the Mother
Church, and began to reimburse St. Peter’s for the Irmo property. A
parish council was elected with George Holmes the first chairman.
Parish life
was sprouting in all directions. Coordination of the many services
required by the community was organized by Rita Dalton as Concerned
Laity. Millie Raible assembled an ambitious program of Religious
Education from pre-school to adult, and classes were held regularly
at Seven Oaks Presbyterian Church. A liturgy committee formed to
coordinate and develop various aspects of worship. CYO, Boy Scouts,
and Neighborhood Committee was appointed to direct the parish tithe
to needs outside of the parish.
Office space
was rented and a part-time staff was hired - Margaret Shull as the
Director of Religious Education, Lucy Cunningham as Secretary, and
Frank Schmitt as Bookkeeper. In October 1973, weekly Masses moved to
Jamil Shrine Temple. By the end of its first year the parish had an
identity in a new name, chosen by popular vote - OUR LADY OF THE
HILLS.
The summer of 1975 brought a change of leadership. Father J. Michael
Burton was appointed pastor. Throughout the year, the community
looked forward to its new home. The formal dedication Mass
celebrated by Bishop Ernest Unterkoefler on November 26, 1975.
When the call
went out for volunteers, the spirit of the growing community became
evident. Parishioners worked to clear the land, pour sidewalks,
clear the cemetery, prepare the parking areas, and landscape. Artist
Marilyn Rej designed a chancel hanging, which the women of the
church stitched by hand.
Is the parish
community grew during 1976, it became necessary to add staff. Sister
Susan Kresse arrived in August as Pastoral Associate. In the fall,
another secretary was hired to help with the growing volume of
paperwork. The first edition of a parish newspaper, HOLY SMOKE, was
published in February, 1977, and there were more than 60 councils,
committees, groups, and clubs functioning in the parish. Over 825
families gathered each week to celebrate Mass, Earl C. Mueller’s
ordination to the priesthood in May was the last of seven sacraments
to be celebrated in the church. In November 1977, Father Gerald
Armstrong, S.J., came to Our Lady of the Hills as Associate Pastor.
With over 900 persons involved, the Religious Education program
flourished in rented facilities. Planning a parish center came under
study.
Two new
Catholic Communities were born from Our Lady of the Hills -
Lexington and Chapin. In 1978, the Lexington Mission, with
approximately 100 families, dedicated their new church, Corpus
Christi. In Chapin, 30 families began celebrating weekly Mass at the
old Methodist church with hope of becoming a mission.
In 1979, Father Fred Suggs became Associate Pastor of Our Lady of
the Hills, replacing Father Armstrong. In that same year, Chapin was
officially made a mission of Our Lady of the Hills.
The home was
purchased and moved onto Our Lady of the Hills property in
September, 1979. This home was renovated and became the new rectory.
In June,
1981, Father Burton and in November of 1982, the Chapin community
became a mission of St. Mark’s parish in Newberry. Father Henry
Burke was named pastor. In 1995 Chapin became a parish in its own
right, Our Lady of the Lake with Father Andrew Vollkommer as its
first pastor.
Our Lady of
the Hills, the needs of an expanding parish were eased by addition
of a narthex. It first used during Holy Week and Easter of 1984. The
marble baptismal font in the narthex is a gift of George and Katy
Hirsch in memory of his brother, John Gordon Hirsch, who was killed
during World War II.
Father Masad
was transferred in June 1987. Monsignor Louis Sterker was assigned
as pastor with Father Roy Aiken assigned as Parochial Vicar. Marsha
Sansonetti was hired as the new parish secretary.
The Ladies’
Auxiliary of the Knights of Columbus presented a white marble statue
of Our Lady in April, 1988.
In October of
1989, Donna Tomasini was named Director of Religious Education when
the former
Director, Jim McCarty left to take a position in the diocese.
In March of
1990, Monsignor Sterker and Father Aiken were transferred to
Charleston, and Father Robert Fix became our new pastor.
In 1993, Our
Lady of the Hills church was completely renovated. The renovation
included pews, sanctuary with new altar, pulpit, chairs, lector
stand and baptismal font. Also included were a new lighting and
sound systems, interior painting, renovation of the organ, a working
sacristy, reconciliation room, new bathrooms and storerooms. The new
stained-glass windows were installed in December of 1994. Bishop
David B. Thompson rededicated the church on the 20th anniversary.
The church in the spring of 1999 purchased 10 acres of land adjacent
to the church. This will enable the parish to grow and build. In
October of 2000, the parish began its fund drive for the
construction of a Family Life Center with hopes for completion by
2003. In July of 2001 Father Fix retired and Father D. Anthony Droze
became the new pastor. He will continue the development of the
Parish life Center.
With hope in God, we look to the future in sharing FAITH
and FELLOWSHIP in our new
Family Life Center.