About Sacred Heart · Abbeville, South Carolina
Sacred Heart Catholic Church is a small mission parish in Abbeville, South Carolina, in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charleston. The parish was dedicated on October 24, 1885, after Irish immigrant John J. Enright bequeathed his Abbeville estate to the Charleston diocese for the building of a church. Today Sacred Heart is a Norman-Gothic landmark at the corner of North Main and East Pinckney Streets, served by Rev. Fr. Jacob P. Joseph, CMI, with Deacon Jeffrey DeFrehn and about 44 registered households. It also shepherds Good Shepherd Church in nearby McCormick as a mission chapel.
- Established
- 1885
- Patron
- Sacred Heart of Jesus
- Rector
- Rev. Fr. Jacob P. Joseph, CMI
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Charleston
Why belong here
Sacred Heart is a small, deeply rooted Catholic community of about 44 households in historic Abbeville, with a beautiful Norman-Gothic church that has been in continuous Catholic use since 1885. The parish offers weekday and Sunday Mass, Friday adoration and Benediction, the Sacrament of Reconciliation before Mass, faith formation led by a Director of Religious Education, and a dedicated pastoral-care ministry to the homebound and hospitalized. Its members also extend care beyond the parish — from stuffing Christmas stockings for shut-ins to welcoming ecumenical partners across Abbeville's Christian community — making it a close-knit faith family for anyone seeking to know Christ in the South Carolina upcountry.
Mass times at Sacred Heart
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Tuesday: 5:30 – 6:00 pm (before Mass)
- Thursday: 5:30 – 6:00 pm (before Mass)
Adoration times
- First Friday of the month: following the 6:00 pm Mass, concluding with Benediction
Parish Overview
Sacred Heart Catholic Church is a mission parish of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charleston, located on the corner of North Main and East Pinckney Streets in historic Abbeville, South Carolina. With about 44 registered households and seating for 90, it is a small but devoted Catholic community — the fourth-oldest church building in town — sustained for more than a century by an unusually deep well of family heritage and ecumenical friendship. It also serves as the mother church for Good Shepherd in McCormick.
- Patron: Sacred Heart of Jesus
- Diocese: Roman Catholic Diocese of Charleston (Deanery: Aiken)
- Founded/dedicated: October 24, 1885
- Address: 206 North Main Street, Abbeville, SC 29620
- Phone: 864-366-5150
History
The parish traces its origins to the mid-1800s, when Irish immigrant John J. Enright settled in the Abbeville area and ultimately bequeathed his estate to the Catholic Diocese of Charleston for the building of a church. Under the direction of Rev. John J. Monaghan, then pastor of St. Mary's in Greenville, the church was completed and formally dedicated on October 24, 1885, with the choir of the Cathedral of Charleston singing at the opening Mass led by Rev. Henry Northrop. For nearly 90 years Sacred Heart was not an independent parish but a mission — first of Greenville (1885–1930), then of Anderson (1930–1946), and then of Greenwood. In 1975, with the appointment of Fr. Ernie Bowen as its first resident pastor, Sacred Heart ended its mission status and instead began to oversee Good Shepherd Church in McCormick as its own mission church.
- Founding donor: John J. Enright (Irish immigrant)
- 1885 dedication led by Rev. Henry Northrop, Diocese of Charleston
- Mission of Greenville → Anderson → Greenwood from 1885 to ~1975
- First resident pastor: Rev. Ernie Bowen (1975)
- Ecumenical 90th anniversary celebrated Oct. 28 and Nov. 4, 1975
Architecture & Sacred Art
Sacred Heart Church is a beautiful example of Norman-Gothic architecture. Its most distinctive features are the stained-glass windows: a large rose window over the vestibule, with a dove bearing an olive branch at its center, and three figural sanctuary windows depicting the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and Saint Joseph. All of the glass dates to the late 19th century and is noted for its exceptional quality. The bell in the tower was donated by Trinity Episcopal Church in Abbeville — a long-standing ecumenical gesture that reflects the parish's warm relationships with Abbeville's other Christian communities.
- Style: Norman-Gothic
- Rose window with dove and olive branch over the vestibule
- Three sanctuary windows: BVM, Sacred Heart of Jesus, St. Joseph
- Late-19th-century stained glass of exceptional quality
- Tower bell donated by Trinity Episcopal Church, Abbeville
Staff & Clergy
The parish is led by Rev. Fr. Jacob P. Joseph, CMI — a member of the Carmelites of Mary Immaculate — and is assisted by Deacon Jeffrey DeFrehn. The parish office is staffed by an Office Manager and supported by the Director of Religious Education, Adrienne Padner. The parish's small size and family atmosphere mean that staff and parishioners typically know one another well.
- Pastor: Rev. Fr. Jacob P. Joseph, CMI
- Deacon: Jeffrey DeFrehn
- Office Manager: Gene Mayer (parish staff page) / Janet Gilbert (parish home page & diocese directory)
- Director of Religious Education: Adrienne Padner
Mass & Sacraments
Sacred Heart publishes a regular schedule of Masses and confessions. Weekday Masses are celebrated on Tuesday and Thursday evenings, with the Sunday Mass in the morning. The parish also offers a First Friday Mass followed by Adoration and Benediction, and the Sacrament of Reconciliation is available before weekday Masses.
- Tuesday Mass: 6:00 pm
- Thursday Mass: 6:00 pm
- Sunday Mass: 9:00 am
- First Friday Mass: 6:00 pm, followed by Adoration and Benediction
- Holy Days: call for times
- Confession: Tuesday and Thursday, 5:30–6:00 pm
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Faith formation for the parish's children and adults is coordinated by Adrienne Padner, the Director of Religious Education. Programs take place in the parish's social hall, the Thomas G. Enright Hall, dedicated on June 6, 1965 in memory of a descendant of founding family. The hall provides both a gathering space for meetings and religious instruction and historically also served as living quarters for a resident priest.
- Director of Religious Education: Adrienne Padner
- Parish Hall: Thomas G. Enright Hall (dedicated June 6, 1965)
Outreach & Pastoral Care
Sacred Heart takes its call to serve beyond the church walls seriously. Because of Right to Privacy laws the parish is not automatically notified when parishioners are hospitalized, homebound, or enter a health care facility, so family members are asked to call the office (864-366-5150) if a visit is desired. Each Advent the parish collects items to stuff Christmas stockings for homebound parishioners, and the community gathers in the Social Hall after the December 14th Mass to assemble them.
- Pastoral Care Visits: call 864-366-5150 to request a visit
- Christmas Stocking outreach to homebound parishioners
- Stocking stuffing event: after the December 14th Mass in the Social Hall
Prayer Garden & Grounds
On May 11, 2008, Sacred Heart dedicated a prayer garden in memory and honor of parishioners, family, and friends. A marble statue of Our Lady of Grace overlooks the garden, where visitors can sit and meditate among flowering plants in silent prayer — a quiet green space adjoining the historic church.
- Dedicated: May 11, 2008
- Statue: Our Lady of Grace (marble)
- Open for personal prayer and meditation
Good Shepherd Mission (McCormick)
Since the late 1970s, Good Shepherd Church in nearby McCormick has served as a mission church of Sacred Heart — a reversal of Sacred Heart's own long mission status under Greenville, Anderson, and Greenwood parishes. Both congregations grew under Fr. Ernie Bowen's leadership in the late 1970s. Good Shepherd publishes its own weekly Mass schedule on the parish website.
- Good Shepherd, McCormick — mission of Sacred Heart since ~1978
- Tue/Wed/Thu: 10:00 am
- Saturday: 5:00 pm (Confession 3:30–4:30 pm before Mass)
- Sunday: 11:00 am
Visiting & Contact
The parish office is open Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday from 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm (EST), and the mailing address is P.O. Box 812, Abbeville, SC 29620. Anyone wishing to be visited by a priest or extraordinary minister of Holy Communion — or to request prayers for a hospitalized or homebound loved one — is asked to call the parish office, since the parish is not automatically notified by hospitals or care facilities.
- Office Hours: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday 1:00 – 5:00 pm EST
- Mailing: P.O. Box 812, Abbeville, SC 29620
- Street: 206 North Main Street, Abbeville, SC 29620
- Phone: 864-366-5150
- Email: [email protected]
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. John J. Monaghan1885
Built and dedicated the church; also pastor of St. Mary's, Greenville.
- Rev. McCormick
Succeeded Fr. Monaghan.
- Rev. Hirschmeyer
Succeeded Fr. Monaghan.
- Rev. Budd
Succeeded Fr. Monaghan.
- Rev. Gwynn
Succeeded Fr. Monaghan.
- Rev. McElroy
Succeeded Fr. Monaghan.
- Rev. Henry L. Spiesman1930–1946
Anderson-mission era; requested parishioners' help for the 1935 Golden Jubilee repairs.
- Rev. Maurice R. Daly1930–1946
Anderson-mission era.
- Rev. Charles Baum1930–1946
Anderson-mission era; later Monsignor Baum concelebrated the 90th anniversary in 1975.
- Rev. William Doyle1946
First pastor of combined Our Lady of Lourdes (Greenwood) and Sacred Heart (Abbeville).
- Rev. Gerald Ernest1949
Succeeded Fr. Doyle.
- Rev. Nicholas R. Bayard1955
Restored the church in 1956; pastor for Abbeville, Greenwood, and Joanna.
- Rev. Henry Burke1961
Thomas G. Enright parish hall dedicated during his tenure in 1965.
- Rev. John Adair1966
Succeeded Fr. Burke.
- Rev. Fred Suggs1968–1973
- Monsignor Donald Hamburgeruntil 1975
Continued as pastor of Our Lady of Lourdes when Sacred Heart got its first resident pastor.
- Rev. Ernie Bowen1975–
First resident pastor of Sacred Heart in Abbeville; oversaw 90th-anniversary celebrations and growth of Good Shepherd mission.
- Rev. Edward Mullen
Post-1978 priest.
- Rev. Emmett Zachrnan
Post-1978 priest.
- Rev. David Schiller
Post-1978 priest.
- Rev. Daniel Creagan
Post-1978 priest.
- Rev. Robert Fix
Post-1978 priest.
- Rev. Edward Geary
Post-1978 priest.
- Rev. Richard Harris
Post-1978 priest.
- Rev. Allam Marreddy
Post-1978 priest.
- Rev. Jeremi Wodecki
Post-1978 priest.
- Rev. Robert Sayer
Listed as presiding priest in parish history.
- Rev. Fr. Jacob P. Joseph, CMI
Current pastor (Carmelites of Mary Immaculate).