About Saint Brendan the Navigator · Shallotte, North Carolina
Saint Brendan the Navigator Catholic Church is a parish of the Diocese of Raleigh serving the South Brunswick County coast of North Carolina from its location on Ocean Highway West in Shallotte. It welcomes retired transplants from the north, year-round families, and a significant Hispanic community — roughly a quarter of the parish — with Mass celebrated in both English and Spanish each weekend. Begun as a mission of Sacred Heart in Whiteville in 1983, it has grown into one of the largest parishes in the diocese, with multiple weekend Masses, daily Eucharist, perpetual-style Eucharistic Adoration, an active faith-formation program, and a campus that has been rebuilt three times to keep up with explosive coastal growth.
- Established
- 1983
- Patron
- Saint Brendan the Navigator
- Rector
- Reverend Mark J. Betti
- Diocese
- Diocese of Raleigh
Why belong here
St. Brendan offers the full rhythm of Catholic life on the Brunswick coast: a Sunday Mass in English and Spanish, weekday Mass Monday through Friday, Saturday confessions, and Eucharistic Adoration on most weekdays in the St. Patrick Chapel in the McGivney Center. The parish pairs that liturgical life with a robust RCIA for newcomers, family-centered Faith Formation for children, multiple weekday Bible studies (Faith's Journey, Little Rock, Searchers of Scripture), Small Church Communities in several local neighborhoods, and outreach such as the Sister Rosanne charity/crisis ministry and an Immigration & Social Ministries office. It is a place shaped explicitly to welcome older transplants from the north, beach vacationers, and a thriving Hispanic community — the website says plainly: 'No matter what your present or past status… you are invited, welcomed, accepted and loved.'
Mass times at Saint Brendan the Navigator
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:00–3:30 PM (or by appointment)
Adoration times
- Monday 9:30 AM–2:30 PM — St. Patrick Eucharistic Adoration Chapel, McGivney Center (not held on holidays)
- Tuesday 9:30 AM–2:30 PM — St. Patrick Eucharistic Adoration Chapel, McGivney Center
- Wednesday 9:30 AM–2:30 PM — St. Patrick Eucharistic Adoration Chapel, McGivney Center
- Thursday 9:30 AM–2:30 PM — St. Patrick Eucharistic Adoration Chapel, McGivney Center
- Friday 9:30–11:30 AM — St. Patrick Eucharistic Adoration Chapel, McGivney Center (not held on holidays)
Our Story — From a Hand-Written Letter to a 5,000-Member Parish
Catholic life in South Brunswick began in 1980 when Sally Mulholland of Holden Beach wrote to Bishop Joseph Gossman in Raleigh, carrying signatures of nearly 100 Catholic families who lived far from the nearest parish and were watching tourism — and retirement — transform the coast. On May 28, 1983, Bishop Gossman created 'South Brunswick County' as a mission of Sacred Heart, Whiteville, and Father Jeffrey Ingham celebrated the first Mass in the cafeteria of Union Primary School in Shallotte. The mission grew so quickly that within two years it had bought land on Highway 17, moved a donated house onto it for a rectory, completed a $100,000 metal building, and been given the name Saint Brendan the Navigator — chosen by its first resident pastor, Father John Richardson, after reading Tim Severin's book 'The Brendan Voyage.' Bishop Gossman formally erected the parish on June 26, 1987, appointing Father Richardson as its first pastor. Three sanctuaries followed: a major $1.4 million church dedicated January 15, 1995 (then the largest church in Brunswick County), and the current $8.5 million sanctuary dedicated in 2010 under Father Robert Ippolito with a 75-foot bell tower and a larger-than-life statue of St. Brendan. By 2019, the parish counted 2,216 families, 5,056 registered members, and 1,754 Hispanic parishioners — more than doubling the 1995 growth forecast.
- 1980 — Sally Mulholland's letter to Bishop Gossman
- 1983 — First Mass at Union Primary School (May 28)
- 1984 — Father John Richardson named the mission after Saint Brendan the Navigator
- 1987 — Parish canonically erected; Father Richardson named first Pastor (June 26)
- 1995 — $1.4 million sanctuary dedicated (January 15), seating 950
- 2007–2010 — Present sanctuary built under Father Ippolito, $8.5 million, 75-foot bell tower
- 2018 — Father Mark J. Betti named current pastor
- 2019 — 2,216 families / 5,056 members / 1,754 Hispanic
Mass, Sacraments and Devotions
St. Brendan celebrates a full weekly rhythm of liturgies in English and Spanish, with weekday Mass Monday through Friday, a Saturday Vigil, three Sunday Masses in English, and one Sunday Mass in Spanish. Confessions are heard Saturday afternoons, and Eucharistic Adoration is offered five days a week in the St. Patrick Chapel in the McGivney Center. Morning Prayer precedes Mass Tuesday through Friday, the Rosary is recited on First Fridays, and the parish live-streams its Masses online. Pastoral care includes Anointing of the Sick, Viaticum, Communion to the sick and homebound, and a dedicated 24/7 emergency line (Ext. 3) for medical emergencies that puts the priest in touch with parishioners.
- Saturday Vigil — 4:00 PM (English)
- Sunday — 8:00 AM & 9:30 AM (English), 11:00 AM (Spanish)
- Weekdays — 9:00 AM Monday–Friday
- Reconciliation — Saturday 3:00–3:30 PM or by appointment
- Adoration — Mon–Thu 9:30 AM–2:30 PM; Fri 9:30–11:30 AM (St. Patrick Chapel, McGivney Center)
- Rosary — First Friday 8:00 AM
- Morning Prayer — Tue–Fri 8:40 AM
Faith Formation & Religious Education
The parish's formation program is built around two pillars: a family-centered Children's Faith Formation program serving Pre-K through 8th grade (with high-school youth invited as volunteers), and a broad adult formation menu. Children and their parents/guardians meet together on the first Sunday of each month from October to May, then break into coordinated breakout sessions. Sacramental prep for First Communion is led by Sister Mary Teresa and for Confirmation by Daniel O'Reilly, while RCIA welcomes adults seeking full communion in a year-long journey that restores the original order of the Sacraments of Initiation.
- Children's Faith Formation — first Sunday of each month, Oct–May, 11:00 AM–12:15 PM
- Sacramental Prep — First Communion and Confirmation
- RCIA — year-long adult initiation process; sign-ups in fall
- Adult Faith Formation — community-based, coordinated by Fr. Mark Betti
Bible Studies and Small Church Communities
Three ongoing weekday Bible studies form the spiritual core of the parish for adults. Faith's Journey meets Tuesday mornings on a rotating set of topics in a large faith-sharing setting in the Parish Hall. The Little Rock Bible Study works through Old and New Testament books using Liturgical Press's study sets, gathering Tuesday mornings after Mass. Searchers of Scripture meets Thursday mornings for discussion of the upcoming Sunday readings. Alongside these, four Small Church Communities meet in local neighborhoods — Winding River, Sea Trail Plantation, Brunswick Plantation, and Brick Landing — reading and applying Scripture to daily life, with Brick Landing meeting monthly and weekly during Lent and Advent.
- Faith's Journey — Tuesday 9:30–11:30, Aherne Rm #4 (Parish Hall)
- Little Rock Bible Study — Tuesday 9:30–10:45, ClassRoom 1 (Parish Hall); ~$20 for books
- Searchers of Scripture — Thursday 9:30–11:00 AM, Lahren Rm #1
- Small Church Communities in Winding River, Sea Trail Plantation, Brunswick Plantation, Brick Landing
Hispanic Ministry
Roughly a quarter of St. Brendan's registered members are of Hispanic descent, and the parish sustains a rich Spanish-language life alongside its English program. A Sunday Mass in Spanish is celebrated every week at 11:00 AM, parish signage and the bulletin are bilingual, and dedicated Hispanic ministries — coordinated by Sister Mary Teresa — include Cursillo (an intense three-day retreat followed by a 'fourth day' of Gospel living) and the John XXIII group, which meets Monday evenings (7–9 PM) to study the Catechism and Bible and to attend an annual retreat. The parish also operates an Immigration & Social Ministries office under Sister Rosanne Caiazzo and other staff, with a dedicated line, 910-616-2105.
- Sunday Spanish Mass — 11:00 AM
- Cursillo (Hispanic) — three-day retreat; weekly/monthly prayer meetings
- John XXIII — Mondays 7–9 PM; Catechism and Bible study
- Immigration & Social Ministries — 910-616-2105, [email protected]
- Hispanic Coordinator: Sister Mary Teresa, SC, [email protected], 910-200-9209
Parish Life, Outreach and Service
Beyond formation, St. Brendan runs an unusually full plate of lay apostolates. The Knights of Columbus Council and the Columbiettes (Our Lady of the Rosary, affiliated with the K of C) serve the parish and wider Brunswick community. Sister Rosanne Caiazzo, SC, directs a charity and crisis-intervention ministry; the parish has a Respect Life ministry and a hospital/homebound visitation program coordinated by Pat McLaughlin and Deacon Bob McGahran. The Franciscan Sister Associates meet on the fourth Friday of each month, while immigrant-support, AED training, and a Respect Life presence round out the parish's outreach across the southern Brunswick coast.
- Knights of Columbus Council
- Columbiettes — Our Lady of the Rosary (Catholic women affiliated with the K of C)
- Franciscan Sister Associates — 4th Friday of each month, 9:30–11:30
- Crisis Intervention — Sister Rosanne Caiazzo, SC
- Immigration & Social Ministries
- Respect Life ministry
- AED (Automated External Defibrillator) training
- Hospital and homebound Communion visits
Clergy, Staff and Pastoral Leadership
St. Brendan is served by a full team of priests, deacons, religious sisters, and lay staff. The pastor is Father Mark J. Betti, assisted by Parochial Vicar Father Soosai A. (Dass) Arokiadass, HGN, with Father Doug May, MM, serving as Missionary Priest in Residence. Four permanent deacons support pastoral care and sacramental preparation, while the Sisters of Charity (Sister Rosanne Caiazzo and Sister Mary Teresa) staff Hispanic, charity, and formation roles. Lay staff include Business Manager David Lurix, Office Manager Lisa McCann, Associate Office Manager Jennie O'Shea, and Facilities Manager; the Parish Council is led by president Ginny Grant and the Finance Council by Bob Houser.
- Pastor — Rev. Mark J. Betti ([email protected])
- Parochial Vicar — Rev. Soosai A. Arokiadass, HGN (Fr. Dass)
- Missionary Priest in Residence — Rev. Doug May, MM
- Deacons — John T.F.X. Baffa Jr., Louis F. Howe, Andrew (Bob) McGahran, John J. Mullins
- Religious Sisters — Sister Rosanne Caiazzo, SC; Sister Mary Teresa, SC
- Pastoral Council President — Ginny Grant
- Finance Council President — Bob Houser
- Business Manager — David Lurix
Visit, Register, and Pastoral Care
The parish invites newcomers — including beach vacationers and retirees moving south — to register online or with paper forms available at the Stewardship Desk in the Gathering Space. Newcomers to the Catholic faith can join the RCIA in the fall. Pastoral Care for the sick includes Anointing of the Sick, Viaticum, and home Communion visits; parishioners admitted to a hospital, nursing home, or assisted living are asked to notify the nearest Catholic parish (Brunswick Hospital: St. Brendan; New Hanover: Chaplain's Office; Dosher: Sacred Heart; Grand Strand: St. Andrew; Loris: St. James) so a priest can be reached. For medical emergencies outside office hours, the parish operates an after-hours line: 910-754-8544, Ext. 3.
- Register at the Stewardship Desk or online
- RCIA begins each fall — contact parish office
- Hospital chaplain references for Brunswick, New Hanover, Dosher, Grand Strand, and Loris facilities
- After-hours medical-emergency line — 910-754-8544 Ext. 3 (Fr. Mark)
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Jeffrey Ingham1983
Pastor of Sacred Heart-Whiteville; celebrated the first Mass of the South Brunswick mission on May 28, 1983. Soon became diocesan chancellor.
- Fr. John Richardson1984–1987
First resident priest of the mission; named the church after Saint Brendan the Navigator from Tim Severin's "The Brendan Voyage." First official Pastor upon the parish's canonical erection on June 26, 1987.
- Fr. John Williams1988
Temporary administrator.
- Fr. Maloneymid-1990s–early 2000s
Pastor during the $1.4 million 1995 construction of the larger sanctuary — at that time the largest church in Brunswick County; estimated the parish would need to serve 2,500 weekly attendees by 2015.
- Fr. Robert Ippolito2007–2010
Oversaw the $8.5 million construction of the present sanctuary, including the 75-foot bell tower and a larger-than-life statue of St. Brendan.
- Fr. Mark J. Betti2018–present
Current pastor, also coordinates Community-Based Adult Faith Formation.