About Saint Augustine · Union, South Carolina
St. Augustine is a small Roman Catholic mission church in Union, South Carolina, administered together with Sacred Heart Parish in nearby Gaffney. Located at 103 East South Street, one block off Main Street in downtown Union, it serves approximately 25 households with weekly Saturday Vigil Mass and is pastored from Sacred Heart by Father James F. Touzeau and assisted by Deacon Henry deMena. The community is part of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charleston (Greenville Deanery) and keeps its sacramental life, religious education, and office services tied to the Sacred Heart campus in Gaffney.
- Established
- 1967
- Patron
- Saint Augustine (of Hippo)
- Rector
- Rev. James F. Touzeau
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Charleston
Why belong here
St. Augustine offers a small, intimate Catholic community right in downtown Union, one block off Main Street, where the same families worship together week after week. It is pastored by the team that serves Sacred Heart in Gaffney, so parishioners have access to full sacramental preparation (including OCIA/RCIA, First Communion, and Confirmation), bilingual Mass, Eucharistic adoration, and youth ministry just a short drive away. For Catholics in Union County looking for a tight-knit parish with deep local roots going back to the 1800s, St. Augustine is the home parish.
Mass times at Saint Augustine
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- By request (per the St. Augustine parish page)
Adoration times
- Eucharistic adoration is offered at Sacred Heart in Gaffney (Wednesdays 8:30–9:30 a.m. and 6:00–8:00 p.m.; First Friday 8:30 a.m.–8:00 p.m.)
Parish Identity & Community
St. Augustine is a Catholic mission church in Union, South Carolina, serving the Catholics of Union County as part of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charleston. It is pastored from Sacred Heart Parish in Gaffney and shares staff, sacramental programs, and parish records with that community. With about 25 households, it is one of the smallest parishes in the diocese, but its roots in Union County go back nearly two centuries.
A Catholic Community Since 1845
Catholic families began settling in Union in the 1840s and were visited once or twice a year by priests from Columbia and Greenville, who celebrated Mass in their homes. The first Catholic church building was begun on North Pinckney Street in 1888 but was never completed; the structure was eventually used informally by local children before being torn down.
- 1845 — first Catholic families settled in Union; Mass celebrated in private homes
- 1862 — baby Julia Dunne taken by rail to Columbia to be baptized by Father O'Connell
- 1888 — first Catholic church begun on North Pinckney Street, never finished
Holy Trinity & the Move to St. Augustine (1919–1938)
In 1919, Bishop William T. Russell permitted a Knights of Columbus building from Camp Wadsworth to be relocated to Union, where it was set up as Holy Trinity Church on the present site, seating 200 and featuring stained glass memorial windows from the Purcell and Flynn families. By 1938, with only four Catholic families left in Union, the priest of the day persuaded the bishop to demolish the Holy Trinity building and replace it on the same site with a smaller church — renamed St. Augustine — built by Father Francis Ferri. The altar was donated by the Catholic Church in Sumter, and statuary for the Stations of the Cross came as gifts.
- 1919 — Holy Trinity Church established on the present site
- October 20, 2019 — parish celebrated 100th anniversary of its 1919 foundation
- 1938 — Holy Trinity replaced by present St. Augustine church (Father Francis Ferri, builder)
Buildings, Rectory & Seton House
Over the decades St. Augustine acquired additional property next to the church. Bishop Francis Reh purchased a rectory for the mission in 1963 from Mary S. McHugh, and in 1976 Seton House — the former Milhous home next door — was bought and converted into an educational building. Father Gary Linsky later refurbished both the rectory and Seton House, and in 1995 Father Richard D. Harris (now Monsignor Harris) carried out a complete renovation of the church itself.
- 1963 — Rectory purchased by Bishop Francis Reh from Mary S. McHugh
- 1976 — Seton House acquired and converted to educational use
- 1995 — Complete church renovation under Father Richard D. Harris
Sacraments
Sacramental preparation at St. Augustine is coordinated through Sacred Heart Parish. Children attend Religious Education at Sacred Heart in order to receive any sacrament, and the parish offers the Order of Christian Initiation for Adults (OCIA, English) and Rito de Iniciación Cristiana para Adultos (RICA, Spanish) for those seeking full initiation into the Catholic Church. Marriage, baptism, and funeral liturgies are arranged through the parish office.
- Baptism
- Confirmation
- First Communion / First Reconciliation (preparation through Sacred Heart RE)
- Marriage
- Anointing of the Sick (by request)
- Funeral Liturgy
- OCIA / RICA — adult initiation process
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Children's catechesis and adult initiation are coordinated through the Sacred Heart Parish Life Center in Gaffney. Religious Education classes for children are held on Wednesdays in the Parish Life Center & Basement, and registration is taken in late July. OCIA (English) and RICA (Spanish) classes begin each September for adults seeking to enter or grow in the Catholic faith.
- Children's Religious Education — Wednesdays, 6:00–7:30 p.m. at Sacred Heart Parish Life Center
- OCIA (English) — begins in September
- RICA (Spanish) — begins in September; $30 registration covers materials
- Youth Group — grades 9–12, meeting after the 4:00 p.m. Vigil Mass on 2nd & 4th Saturdays
Parish Staff & Clergy
St. Augustine shares its pastoral team with Sacred Heart Parish in Gaffney. The mission is pastored by Father James F. Touzeau and assisted by Deacon Henry deMena. Administrative and reception work for both parishes is handled by Rosa Rodriguez Arroyo (Administrative Assistant) and Katie Stone (Receptionist) at the Sacred Heart office.
- Pastor — Rev. James F. Touzeau
- Deacon — Deacon Henry deMena
- Administrative Assistant — Rosa Rodriguez Arroyo
- Receptionist — Katie Stone
Visiting & Contact
St. Augustine is located at 103 East South Street, Union, SC 29379, at the corner of South Pinckney Street, one block off Main Street in downtown Union. The mailing address for parish records is c/o Sacred Heart, 205 Sams Street, Gaffney, SC 29340. The parish office in Gaffney is open Tuesday and Thursday, 1:00–5:00 p.m. (closed Holy Week and Easter Week).
- Physical address: 103 East South Street, Union, SC 29379
- Mailing address: c/o Sacred Heart, 205 Sams Street, Gaffney, SC 29340
- Phone: (864) 489-9453
- Email: [email protected]
- Office hours: Tuesday & Thursday, 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Michael McCaffertyaround 2019
Served as pastor of both St. Augustine Mission and Sacred Heart Parish in Gaffney as of the parish's 100th anniversary in October 2019.
- Rev. Richard D. Harris
Carried out a complete renovation of St. Augustine in 1995; later raised to the rank of Monsignor.
- Rev. Gary Linsky
Refurbished the rectory and Seton House during his assignment.