About Saint Catherine of Siena · Lancaster, South Carolina
Saint Catherine of Siena is a bilingual Roman Catholic parish in Lancaster, South Carolina, belonging to the Diocese of Charleston (Rock Hill Deanery). The parish was dedicated on October 17, 1948 by Bishop Emmet Walsh as an imposing Gothic church built of hand-cut Indiana limestone — a structure local residents nicknamed the 'Little Cathedral.' Today it serves roughly 238 households from the greater Lancaster County area, including a mission church, St. Michael in nearby Great Falls. The parish is predominantly Spanish-speaking, with most Sunday Masses celebrated in Spanish alongside an English Mass and a Saturday Vigil. Its current pastor (Administrator) is Rev. Javier Heredia.
- Established
- 1948
- Patron
- St. Catherine of Siena
- Rector
- Rev. Javier Heredia (Parish Administrator)
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Charleston (Rock Hill Deanery)
Why belong here
St. Catherine of Siena welcomes both English- and Spanish-speaking Catholics in Lancaster County, with the majority of Sunday Masses celebrated in Spanish alongside an English Mass and a Saturday Vigil. The parish offers daily Mass (Wednesday through Friday), robust Eucharistic Adoration several days a week, a Christian Formation program for children that has run continuously since 1952, Youth Ministry, a long-standing Ladies Guild (since 1949), and active outreach. From the founding of its Gothic 'Little Cathedral' in 1948 to today's bilingual ministries, the parish is committed to making Catholic life accessible and alive in this part of South Carolina.
Mass times at Saint Catherine of Siena
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Thursday 5:30 – 6:30 PM
- Saturday 2:30 – 3:30 PM
- First Fridays 11:00 AM – 12:00 noon
- St. Michael Mission: before or after Mass by request
- Also by appointment
Adoration times
- Wednesday 11:00 AM – 12:00 noon
- Thursday 11:00 AM – 12:00 noon
- Thursday 5:00 – 6:45 PM
- Friday 11:00 AM – 12:00 noon
Parish History & Heritage
Catholic life in Lancaster began long before 1948, when Mass was offered monthly in the home of Mr. Waddy Francis — who converted a large buffet into an altar — by the Oratorian priest Fr. James Sharples, C.O. After years of growth, the parish built and dedicated its current church on October 17, 1948, with Bishop Emmet Walsh of Charleston presiding. The Gothic limestone structure quickly became a Lancaster landmark known as the 'Little Cathedral,' funded in part by non-Catholic neighbors.
- First Masses in private homes by Rev. James Sharples, C.O.
- Church dedicated October 17, 1948 by Most Rev. Emmet Walsh, Bishop of Charleston
- Gothic building of hand-cut Indiana limestone nicknamed 'Little Cathedral'
- Ladies Guild formed in 1949
- Christian Formation (C.C.D.) program began in 1952
- Parish Hall added in the 1960s; Parish Council established in 1969
- Renovations and accessibility improvements completed at the 65th Anniversary in 2013
Our Patron: St. Catherine of Siena
St. Catherine of Siena (1347–1380) was an Italian Dominican tertiary, mystic, and Doctor of the Church whose writings and advocacy shaped the papacy of her era. The parish is dedicated to her and celebrates her feast day on April 29.
- Patron: St. Catherine of Siena, Dominican mystic and Doctor of the Church
- Feast day: April 29
Architecture & Campus
The present church is an imposing Gothic-style structure built of hand-cut Indiana limestone, with seating for 100 in the sanctuary. A separate Parish Hall — added in the 1960s and originally the Caron family home (used for a time as the rectory) — houses faith formation classrooms, parish and community meetings, and parish offices. Improvements made at the 65th Anniversary in 2013 enlarged the church footprint and improved accessibility for physically-challenged parishioners.
- Gothic-style sanctuary clad in hand-cut Indiana limestone
- Parish Hall added in the 1960s
- 2013 anniversary renovation: accessibility and enlargement
Clergy & Staff
The parish is led by Fr. Javier Heredia, who serves as Administrator (the title used by the Diocese of Charleston for the parish priest in charge). He is bilingual and currently serves both St. Catherine of Siena in Lancaster and its mission, St. Michael in Great Falls. The parish office is staffed by Office Manager Andrea Miller, and St. Michael Mission is coordinated locally by Jackson McKeown.
- Parish Priest / Administrator: Fr. Javier Heredia (bilingual)
- Office Manager: Andrea Miller
- St. Michael Parish Coordinator: Jackson McKeown
- Pastoral emails: [email protected]; [email protected]
Parish Ministries & Formation
St. Catherine has a long tradition of lay involvement and formation. The Ladies Guild has been active since 1949, and the Christian Formation Program (originally called C.C.D.) has been running continuously since 1952. The parish also maintains a Youth Ministry and a Parish Council (since 1969), and serves the growing Hispanic population through bilingual ministries and Spanish-language Masses.
- Ladies Guild (since 1949)
- Christian Formation Program / C.C.D. for children (since 1952)
- Youth Ministry
- Hispanic Ministry / Spanish-language outreach
- Parish Council (since 1969)
Sacraments
The parish celebrates all seven Catholic sacraments. Baptisms, First Communions, Confirmations, Marriages, Anointing of the Sick, and Holy Orders are coordinated through the parish office, and Confession is offered on a regular weekly schedule with appointments available on request.
- Baptism
- Confirmation
- Eucharist (First Communion)
- Penance / Reconciliation
- Anointing of the Sick
- Holy Orders
- Matrimony
St. Michael Mission, Great Falls
St. Catherine of Siena parish ministers to St. Michael Mission in nearby Great Falls, South Carolina. The mission offers a Saturday Vigil Mass at 6:00 PM in English and shares the parish's clergy and staff, with Jackson McKeown serving as local Parish Coordinator.
- St. Michael Mission — 310 Chester Avenue, Great Falls, SC 29055
- Saturday Vigil Mass: 6:00 PM English
- Confessions: before or after Mass by request
- Parish Coordinator: Jackson McKeown
- Shares Administrator (Fr. Heredia) and Office Manager with St. Catherine
Visiting & Contact
The parish office is open Monday through Wednesday and Friday from 9 AM to 3 PM (closed 10:20–11:20 AM), and on Thursdays from 2 PM to 7 PM, or by appointment. The church sits beside MUSC Health Lancaster Medical Center, on the corner of West Meeting Street and Pine Street.
- Office: (803) 283-3362
- Email: [email protected]
- Office hours: Mon/Tue/Wed/Fri 9 AM–3 PM (closed 10:20–11:20 AM); Thu 2 PM–7 PM
- Address: 720 West Meeting Street, Lancaster, SC 29720
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. James J. Sharples, C.O.1948–1959
Oratorian priest who celebrated the parish's earliest monthly Masses in private homes; present at the 1948 dedication.
- Rev. Robert Leo Sweeney, C.O.1959–1962
Oratorian (C.O.).
- Rev. John J. Gallagher, C.O.1962–1967
Oratorian (C.O.).
- Rev. F. Robert DaVola, C.O.1967–1974
Oratorian (C.O.).
- Rev. Edward V. Wahl, C.O.1967–1970
Oratorian (C.O.), overlapping assignment.
- Rev. William F. Pentis, C.O.1974–1980
Oratorian (C.O.).
- Rev. Edward V. Wahl, C.O.1980–1981
Returned for short assignment.
- Rev. Joseph A. Wahl, C.O.1980–1981
Oratorian (C.O.).
- Rev. David D. Valtierra, C.O.1980–1981
Oratorian (C.O.).
- Rev. J. Michael Burton1981–1982
- Rev. Donald S. Abbott1982–1990
- Rev. Thomas Morrison1990–2003
- Rev. John O'Holohan, S.J.2003–2009
Jesuit (S.J.).
- Rev. David A. Runnion2009–2014
- Rev. Philip S. Gillespie2014–2016
- Rev. Javier Heredia2016–2018
First assignment as Administrator.
- Rev. Francis Gillespie, SJ2018–2019
Jesuit (S.J.).
- Rev. Jose Gabriel Cruz Rodriguez2019–2020
- Rev. Javier Heredia2020–present
Returned as current Administrator.