About Our Lady of Peace · Bonneau, South Carolina
Our Lady of Peace Mission is a small Catholic mission chapel in Bonneau, South Carolina, and the historic seed of Catholic life in Berkeley County. It was founded in 1922 when James Thomas and Charlotte Barry donated land on Murrays Ferry Road, and Bishop William T. Russell dedicated it as 'Our Lady of Peace' chapel on October 14, 1923. Today the chapel serves about 27 households with seating for 72 and is cared for as a mission of St. Philip Benizi Catholic Church in nearby Moncks Corner, under the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charleston. Weekend Mass in English is celebrated there each Sunday morning, and the mission's life is intertwined with the bilingual, multi-ministry parish community of St. Philip Benizi.
- Established
- 1923
- Patron
- Our Lady of Peace (Mary, Queen of Peace)
- Rector
- Rev. Norbert C. Mendonca
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Charleston
Why belong here
Our Lady of Peace is the original Catholic chapel of Berkeley County, a small but living mission that has welcomed generations of rural South Carolina families since 1923. As an intimate mission of St. Philip Benizi Parish, it offers Sunday Mass in English, regular Eucharistic Adoration, and the Sacraments, while sharing in the wider parish's Hispanic Ministry, Religious Education, OCIA, Knights of Columbus, Ladies Guild and Ultreya (Cursillo) community. For Catholics in the Bonneau area, it is a place where you can truly be known by name, serve in a close-knit family of faith, and pray in the very chapel the Barry family gave to the diocese over a century ago.
Mass times at Our Lady of Peace
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday 8:00 AM – 8:25 AM
Adoration times
- Sunday 7:35 AM (Our Lady of Peace)
- Thursday 8:00 AM
About Our Lady of Peace Mission
Our Lady of Peace is a small Catholic mission chapel serving the Bonneau community in Berkeley County, South Carolina. It belongs to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charleston and is canonically a mission of St. Philip Benizi Catholic Church in Moncks Corner. The parish is named under the Marian title Our Lady of Peace, honoring Mary as Queen of Peace. According to the diocesan directory, the mission was founded in 1925 (the chapel itself was dedicated in 1923), serves 27 households, and has seating for 72.
- Type: Mission
- Diocese: Roman Catholic Diocese of Charleston (Deanery: Charleston)
- Founded: 1923 (chapel dedication); 1925 per diocesan directory
- Address: 224 Murrays Ferry Road, Bonneau, SC 29431
- Seating: 72; Households: 27
- Languages: English and Spanish
History of the Chapel
The chapel's origin is the gift of land by James Thomas and Charlotte Barry on April 27, 1922, on Murrays Ferry Road in Bonneau. Bishop William T. Russell of Charleston dedicated the chapel to Our Lady of Peace on October 14, 1923, making it the first Catholic place of worship in Berkeley County. Originally attached to St. John the Beloved in Summerville, it was served by priests from various parishes including St. Joseph in Charleston. As Catholic families grew throughout the county, the chapel eventually became a mission of St. Philip Benizi when that parish was established in Moncks Corner, and it has continued in that role ever since.
- April 27, 1922 – Barry family donates land and small house on Murrays Ferry Road
- October 14, 1923 – Bishop William T. Russell dedicates the chapel 'Our Lady of Peace'
- Originally attached to St. John the Beloved, Summerville
- Served by priests traveling from Charleston and other parishes
- 1960s – Planned expansion deferred in favor of new Moncks Corner parish (St. Philip Benizi)
- May 22, 1976 – Bishop Ernest L. Unterkoefler authorizes 'Catholic Community of Goose Creek' (now Immaculate Conception)
- Original chapel enlarged over the years and still in use today
Parish Office & Staff
Day-to-day operations for Our Lady of Peace are handled from the connected parish office, staffed by the pastor, secretary, and several lay collaborators. Bulletin, religious education, music, and Hispanic ministry roles are all part of the team that supports both the mission in Bonneau and St. Philip Benizi in Moncks Corner.
- Pastor – Rev. Norbert C. Mendonca ([email protected])
- Parish Secretary – Kim Gotz ([email protected])
- Bulletin Editor – Malena Lisanti
- Office Assistant – Walter Springer
- Director of Religious Education – (staff listed, name not captured)
- Music Director (English) – Patricia Ruddy
- Music Director (Spanish) – Horacio Candelario
- Hispanic Ministry Coordinator – Lupita Munoz
- Office hours: Tue–Thu 10 AM–4 PM; Fri 10 AM–3 PM
- Phone: 843-761-3777
Ministries & Organizations
Our Lady of Peace shares its ministry life with St. Philip Benizi, giving the small mission access to a wider range of faith formation, service, and fellowship groups than its size alone would suggest. Both English-speaking and Hispanic ministries are active.
- Knights of Columbus – fraternal service and parish support
- Ultreya – monthly Cursillo-style gathering (4th Tuesday, 7 PM in Parish Hall)
- SPB & Our Lady of Peace Ladies Guild
- Hispanic Ministry – coordinated by Lupita Munoz, with formation tracks for Baptism and Marriage/Quinceañera
- OCIA – Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (English & Spanish)
- Religious Education for children
- Music Ministry – English and Spanish choirs
- Parish Council and Finance Council
Sacraments
Preparation and celebration of the Sacraments is shared between the mission chapel and the parish at large. Spanish-language preparation is available alongside English for several sacraments, reflecting the bilingual character of the surrounding Catholic community.
- Baptism – English preparation with Deacon Michael J. Heidkamp
- Baptism – Spanish preparation with Alejandro Acosta Ramos & Carlos Lisanti
- Marriage – English
- Marriage & Quinceañera – Spanish (Ruben & Lupita Munoz)
- OCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) – English and Spanish
- Confession – Sundays 8:00–8:25 AM
Visiting & Getting Involved
Our Lady of Peace is an easy and welcoming place to visit. The chapel sits on Murrays Ferry Road in Bonneau, and the parish office (c/o St. Philip Benizi, 1404 Old Highway 52 South, Moncks Corner) is open Tuesday through Friday. With only 27 households, new faces quickly become familiar — and participation in any of the parish ministries (Knights of Columbus, Ladies Guild, OCIA, music, Hispanic Ministry) is a natural way to become part of this century-old mission community.
- Address: 224 Murrays Ferry Road, Bonneau, SC 29431
- Office: c/o St. Philip Benizi, 1404 Old Highway 52 South, Moncks Corner, SC 29461
- Office hours: Tue–Thu 10 AM–4 PM; Fri 10 AM–3 PM
- Phone: 843-761-3777
- Email: [email protected]
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Ernest E. Kennedy1965–1972
First pastor listed for St. Philip Benizi & Our Lady of Peace
- Rev. Henry J. Burke1972–1973
- Rev. Michael Kaney1973–1975
- Rev. James J. Beagan1975–1976
- Rev. Patrick Shelton & David Draim1976–1981
Co-pastorate
- Rev. Michael R. DeAntonio1981–1986
- Rev. Msgr. Thomas M. Jellico1986–1987
- Rev. Peter K. Berberich1987–1991
- Rev. James Parker1991
- Rev. Ernest E. Kennedy1991
Return as administrator
- Rev. Charles J. Day1991–1992
- Rev. Anthony E. Pura1992–1994
- Rev. Thomas X. Hoffman1994–1996
- Rev. Michael Davino1996–2000
- Rev. Hayden J. Vaverek2000–2004
- Rev. Bernardino S. Yebra2004–2008
- Rev. Edgardo O. Enverga, CRM2008–2012
- Rev. Melvin Avilla, CRM2012–2015
- Rev. Marreddy Allam2015–2025
- Rev. Norbert Mendonca2025–Present
Current pastor