About Holy Cross Mission · Saint Helena Island, South Carolina
Holy Cross Mission is a Catholic mission church located on Saint Helena Island, South Carolina, serving as an outreach of Saint Peter's Catholic Church in nearby Beaufort. Nestled on about 7 acres surrounded by live oak trees draped in Spanish moss, the mission offers a single Sunday Mass at 4:00 p.m. in a smaller, more casual setting than its parent parish. Its community includes year-round residents, vacationers and visitors to the surrounding Sea Islands (Dataw, Fripp, Harbor, Hunting), and St. Peter's parishioners who come to Holy Cross as the weekend's final Mass — affectionately nicknamed 'the default mass.' The mission is part of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charleston (Beaufort Deanery) and is closely tied to the St. Francis Center, the diocesan social-outreach ministry on the island.
- Established
- 1969
- Patron
- The Holy Cross
- Rector
- Rev. Andrew J. Trapp
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Charleston
Why belong here
Holy Cross Mission offers what few Catholic churches can: a small, joyful, and deeply welcoming Sunday Mass tucked under live oaks on Saint Helena Island. With weekly attendance around 100 in a sanctuary built for about 150, regulars know each other by name, stay after for snacks and fellowship, and support one another through faith formation, food drives, and quarterly 'Gathering the Flock' events. It is a true community of year-round residents, vacationers, and Beaufort-area Catholics who treasure its casual, mission-style warmth — the perfect spiritual home on the Sea Islands.
Mass times at Holy Cross Mission
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- First Sunday of each month, 3:15 p.m. – 3:45 p.m. (in the church)
- Also by appointment (contact St. Peter's Parish Office)
About Holy Cross Mission
Holy Cross is a Mission Church of Saint Peter's Catholic Church in Beaufort, located on Saint Helena Island — about 12 miles from the main parish and a short drive from Dataw and Fripp Island. The mission building sits on about 7 acres of live oaks draped with Spanish moss, with ample parking and space for outdoor activities. A single weekly Sunday Mass is celebrated at 4:00 p.m. for an average of about 100 worshipers, in a sanctuary that seats roughly 150 (the expanded facility now accommodates 294 for larger events).
- Type: Mission of St. Peter Parish, Beaufort
- Deanery: Beaufort (Diocese of Charleston)
- Founded: 1969; current facility expanded in 2003
- 42 registered households; 292–294 seating
- Sunday Mass at 4:00 p.m.
History of Holy Cross Mission
The mission began in 1968 when Fr. Edward J. Tuohy, assistant to Fr. Henry Burke at St. Peter's, established a 'Mission Station' on St. Helena Island with a dual vision: Sunday Mass and an 'Apostolic Mission' to bring Catholic presence to the island. After moves through a Kinard-owned store, a rented gas station, and the 'Soul Palace,' Bishop Ernest Unterkoefler made Holy Cross a joint project of the Diocese of Charleston and St. Peter's in the early 1970s. Fr. Albert Faase (pastor from 1972) built the first multi-purpose building in 1978, and Fr. Ronald R. Cellini (pastor from 1996) launched the 'Upon this Rock' campaign that funded the 2003 expansion blessed by Bishop Robert J. Baker.
- 1968: Mission station founded by Fr. Edward J. Tuohy
- Sisters Thecla and Veronica of Our Lady of Christian Doctrine staffed the apostolic mission
- 1972: Fr. Albert Faase purchased the present property
- 1978: Original multi-purpose building constructed ($73,500)
- 1996: Fr. Ronald R. Cellini became pastor
- 1997: Long-range planning committee; 'Upon this Rock' campaign
- 2003: Bishop Robert J. Baker blessed the expansion (Vigil of Christ the King)
Clergy and Pastoral Staff
Holy Cross Mission is served through Saint Peter's Parish, Beaufort. The current pastor is Rev. Andrew J. Trapp. Theresa Smiley serves the mission's finance needs. The mission's founding priest, Fr. Edward J. Tuohy, established the work in 1968 alongside Fr. Henry Burke; Fr. Albert Faase (from 1972) and Fr. Ronald R. Cellini (from 1996) were the key pastors who shaped the buildings and community. Bishop Robert J. Baker blessed the expansion in 2003.
- Pastor: Rev. Andrew J. Trapp
- Finance: Theresa Smiley
- Founder: Fr. Edward J. Tuohy (1968)
- Key pastors: Fr. Albert Faase (1972+), Fr. Ronald R. Cellini (1996+)
- Blessed by Bishop Robert J. Baker (2003)
Mass and Sacraments
Holy Cross celebrates one Sunday Mass per week at 4:00 p.m., in English. The Sacrament of Reconciliation is offered on the first Sunday of each month from 3:15 to 3:45 p.m. inside the church, and is also available by appointment through St. Peter's Parish Office.
- Sunday Mass — 4:00 p.m.
- Confession — first Sunday of each month, 3:15–3:45 p.m.
- Confession by appointment via St. Peter's
- Funerals and special services as scheduled
Parish Life and 'Gathering the Flock' Events
Beyond Sunday Mass, Holy Cross runs a rich calendar of hospitality and fellowship. Every Sunday, parishioners host an after-Mass reception with snacks, hors d'oeuvres, and beverages (pot-luck on the first Sunday). The 'Gathering the Flock' initiative, launched after reopening under Fr. Andrew Trapp, brings the community together at least quarterly for special events that have become beloved traditions.
- After-Mass Reception every Sunday (pot-luck on first Sunday)
- Food Drive — first Sunday of each month (Hospitality Room)
- February: Valentine's Desserts Reception after Mass
- May: Gathering the Flock Golf Outing at Ocean Point Golf Links, Fripp Island
- September: Feast of the Holy Cross Cookout with live music
- December: Bonfire and Christmas Caroling after Mass
Outreach — The St. Francis Center
From its earliest days, Holy Cross Mission has been paired with an apostolic outreach to the poor of Saint Helena Island — the ministry today known as the St. Francis Center (formerly the Franciscan Center), now sponsored by the Sisters of Saints Cyril and Methodius. It serves a multi-racial, multi-ethnic community — particularly the elderly poor — with food, clothing, home repairs, English-language instruction, and support for children and youth. Bishop Unterkoefler formally accepted the outreach as a joint project of the Diocese of Charleston and St. Peter's, and it continues today as a sponsored ministry of the SSCM sisters.
- Originally staffed by Sisters of Our Lady of Christian Doctrine
- Diocesan outreach since Bishop Unterkoefler's tenure
- Served by Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia from 1987
- Since 2013: sponsored by Sisters of Saints Cyril and Methodius (SSCM)
- Provides food pantry, clothing, home repairs, ESL, youth scholarships, and spiritual support
Facilities and Grounds
The mission sits on about 7 acres of minimally landscaped grounds, ringed by magnificent live oaks hung with Spanish moss. The expanded 2003 multi-purpose facility (designed by Montgomery Architect and Planning, built by Joco Construction) accommodates 294 and is used for worship, days of recollection, meetings, youth gatherings, adult education, and parish socials. A separate volunteer team tends the landscaping, while a building-and-maintenance committee meets monthly to care for the structure.
- ~7 acres with mature live oaks and Spanish moss
- Ample parking; space for outdoor activities
- Multi-purpose facility expanded in 2003 (seats 294)
- Designer: Montgomery Architect and Planning
- Builder: Joco Construction
- Volunteer landscaping and maintenance teams
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Edward J. Tuohy1968
Founder; assistant to Fr. Henry Burke at St. Peter's; established the 'Mission Station' on Saint Helena Island with the dual vision of Sunday Masses and an Apostolic Mission.
- Fr. Albert Faasefrom 1972
Pastor of St. Peter's; purchased the present property on St. Helena Island and oversaw construction of the original multi-purpose building in 1978 for $73,500.
- Fr. Ronald R. Cellinifrom 1996
Pastor of St. Peter's-Holy Cross; bonded with the mission community and encouraged its growth; Mass at Holy Cross became known as 'the happy hour.' Launched the 'Upon this Rock' expansion campaign.
- Rev. Andrew J. Trappcurrent
Current pastor of Holy Cross Mission (and St. Peter's); challenged parishioners to 'Gather the Flock' after reopening.