About Saint Edward the Confessor · North Augusta, South Carolina
St. Edward Catholic Church is a Roman Catholic parish in the Diocese of Charleston, located at 1370 Edgefield Road in North Augusta (Murphy Village), South Carolina. Founded in 1964 by Irish Traveller families who had settled the surrounding Murphy Village community, the parish has grown to over 560 households and remains deeply tied to one of the largest Irish Traveller settlements in the United States. On December 14, 2001, Bishop Robert J. Baker designated St. Edward an official Shrine of Blessed Ceferino Giménez Malla, a beloved patron of the Traveller people. The parish is currently administered by Rev. Chidi Onwuka, M.SS.CC, and offers weekend and weekday Masses, Eucharistic Adoration, a religious education program, and a wide range of lay ministries.
- Established
- 1964
- Patron
- St. Edward the Confessor (King of England, d. 1066); also honored as a Shrine of Blessed Ceferino Giménez Malla
- Rector
- Rev. Chidi Onwuka, M.SS.CC (Administrator/Pastor)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Charleston (Roman Catholic Diocese of Charleston, South Carolina)
Why belong here
St. Edward Catholic Church is one of the few parishes in the United States established by and for Irish Travellers, and it carries the singular honor of being an official Shrine of Blessed Ceferino Giménez Malla. Worshippers are welcomed into a tight-knit, multigenerational community of more than 500 families, with a full sacramental life including daily weekday Mass, weekend Masses, Eucharistic Adoration, the Sacrament of Reconciliation, a Religious Education program for children, and an active RCIA process for adults. The parish offers dozens of lay ministries — from choir and altar service to the St. Vincent de Paul Society, a monthly Soup Kitchen, Pro-Life Rosary, men's and women's groups, and a Monday Night Prayer Group — so newcomers can find a meaningful way to put their faith into action.
Mass times at Saint Edward the Confessor
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday: 3:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M.
- After Weekday Mass on request
Adoration times
- Tuesday: 10:30 A.M. – 3:30 P.M.
- Wednesday: 10:30 A.M. – 3:30 P.M.
Parish History & the Irish Traveller Community
St. Edward Catholic Church traces its origins to the Irish Traveller families who settled in the North Augusta area in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Many of the Travellers were descendants of families displaced by Oliver Cromwell's military campaign of 1649 and the Irish Potato Famine of 1845–1852. After the Civil War they drifted through the South trading horses and mules among farming communities. As North Augusta grew, more Catholic families moved in and the parish of Our Lady of Peace was established in 1948 with the Irish-born Fr. Joseph Murphy as pastor. Fr. Murphy ministered to the Travellers for more than 20 years and helped them buy land north of town; the settlement became Murphy Village, named in his honor. The Irish Traveller community was served as a mission of Our Lady of Peace until it grew large enough to need its own church.
- First St. Edward Church: construction began April 1964, completed September 1964
- Solemnly dedicated April 11, 1965 by Bishop Ernest L. Unterkoefler
- Present church blessed September 22, 1997; dedicated December 20, 1997 by Bishop David B. Thompson
- Designated Shrine of Blessed Ceferino by Bishop Robert J. Baker on December 14, 2001
Shrine of Blessed Ceferino Giménez Malla
On December 14, 2001, Most Rev. Robert J. Baker declared St. Edward Catholic Church to be a Shrine of Blessed Ceferino Giménez Malla, a Spanish Romani catechist, activist and martyr beatified by Pope John Paul II in 1997. The Travellers refer to him simply as Ceferino and consider him a powerful intercessor. A steel statue of Blessed Ceferino was erected in the fountain in front of the church and blessed by Bishop Baker in December 2002, assisted by the outgoing pastor, Fr. Peter Clarke, and the incoming pastor, Fr. Cherian Thalakulam, CMI. According to a Vatican press account of a 2003 World Congress, the dedication of the chapel and statue at St. Edward represents one of the most visible devotions to Blessed Ceferino in the United States.
- Shrine designated December 14, 2001
- Steel statue of Blessed Ceferino in front fountain, blessed December 2002
- Local Traveller community named a street and a section of Murphys Estates 'Ceferino Place' in his honor
Parish Staff
The parish is supported by a small lay staff who run the office, religious education program, and finances. Visitors and parishioners are invited to call or email any staff member, or to use the parish's online contact form.
- Rev. Chidi Onwuka, M.SS.CC — Administrator/Pastor
- Tammy Carroll — Secretary-Bookkeeper
- Sandra Sherlock — Director of Religious Education
- Claudia Dortenzo — Parish Secretary
- Bridget Riley — Parish Secretary Aide
- Mary Ellen Riley — Religious Education Aide
- Sheryl McNally — Parish Aide
Sacraments
The parish celebrates all seven Catholic sacraments — the three sacraments of initiation (Baptism, Eucharist, Confirmation), the two sacraments of healing (Penance/Reconciliation and Anointing of the Sick), and the two sacraments of vocation (Marriage and Holy Orders). Parents are prepared for their child's Baptism through the parish's Baptism Preparation ministry, and adults seeking initiation join the RCIA process.
- Baptism (with Baptism Preparation)
- Eucharist / First Communion
- Confirmation
- Penance and Reconciliation
- Anointing of the Sick
- Marriage (Holy Matrimony)
- Holy Orders
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Faith formation is described by the parish as 'a vital element of the Catholic life,' offered to all ages. The parish's Religious Education program for children meets on Monday afternoons during the school year, and adults seeking to become Catholic or to complete their initiation are welcomed into the RCIA process. The Religious Education team is led by Director of Religious Education Sandra Sherlock, supported by Mary Ellen Riley as Religious Education Aide.
- Religious Education Classes for children: Monday 4:00 P.M. – 5:00 P.M. (September–May)
- RCIA — preparation of adult candidates for Catholic sacraments
- Director of Religious Education: Sandra Sherlock
Ministries and Parish Life
St. Edward offers more than two dozen parish ministries spanning liturgy, faith formation, social justice, fellowship, and outreach. The parish encourages parishioners to prayerfully consider using their gifts and talents in service to the community, and welcomes ideas for new ministries. Liturgical roles include choir, lectors, altar servers, Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist, sacristans, and ushers; outreach includes the St. Vincent de Paul Society, a monthly Soup Kitchen for the homeless, visiting the homebound, and food-pantry volunteering; community-building ministries include the Men's Group, Women's Group, Fellowship Committee, Monday Night Prayer Group, and Pro-Life Rosary. The parish also hosts an annual Parish Bazaar.
- Liturgical: Music Ministry (choir), Lectors, Altar Servers, Eucharistic Ministers, Sacristans, Ushers, Greeters, Liturgical Linen Service
- Formation: RCIA, Religious Education, Youth Ministry
- Outreach: St. Vincent de Paul Society, Soup Kitchen, Homebound visits
- Fellowship: Men's Group, Women's Group, Fellowship Committee, Annual Parish Bazaar
- Prayer: Monday Night Prayer Group, Pro-Life Rosary, Eucharistic Adoration volunteers
Devotions and Devotional Life
Beyond the Mass and the seven sacraments, the parish nourishes a rich devotional life rooted in both the universal Catholic tradition and the special identity of its Irish Traveller community. Devotions include regular Eucharistic Adoration on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, a Lenten Stations of the Cross on Friday evenings followed by a soup-and-sharing meal in the Sacred Heart Hall, a Pro-Life Rosary, and a Monday Night Prayer Group that combines Gospel reflection with the Liturgy of the Hours and an alternating Rosary or Divine Mercy Chaplet.
- Eucharistic Adoration: Tuesday & Wednesday 10:30 A.M. – 3:30 P.M.
- Stations of the Cross: Fridays in Lent, 6:30 P.M. in the Chapel (followed by soup and sharing)
- Monday Night Prayer Group: 7 P.M. in the Convent Chapel
- Pro-Life Rosary for the sanctity of life from conception to natural death
Music Ministry
The parish's Music Ministry brings worshippers together in song under the direction of its choir director. Rehearsals are held on Tuesday evenings at 7:00 P.M. in the Choir Loft. Choir members sing at the 10:00 A.M. Sunday Mass as their schedules allow. Contact the choir director through the parish office to join.
- Tuesday evening rehearsals, 7:00 P.M. in the Choir Loft
- Sings at the Sunday 10:00 A.M. Mass
Outreach and Charity
St. Edward's outreach ministries put Catholic social teaching into practice. The St. Vincent de Paul Society serves the poor, parishioners visit the homebound, and a monthly Soup Kitchen provides hot meals to the homeless. The parish encourages all parishioners to find a way to reach out to those in need, especially within the Murphy Village community that surrounds the church.
- St. Vincent de Paul Society
- Homebound visits
- Monthly Soup Kitchen for the homeless
- Food pantry volunteering
Contact and Visiting
St. Edward Catholic Church is located at 1370 Edgefield Road, on the corner of Murphy Street and Edgefield Road at the entrance to Murphy Village, just north of North Augusta, South Carolina. Parishioners and visitors may call the office at (803) 279-1837 or email [email protected]. The office is open Monday–Thursday, 10:00 A.M. – 2:00 P.M. The mailing address is P.O. Box 6340, North Augusta, SC 29861.
- Address: 1370 Edgefield Road, North Augusta, SC 29860
- Mailing: P.O. Box 6340, North Augusta, SC 29861
- Phone: (803) 279-1837
- Email: [email protected]
- Office Hours: Monday–Thursday, 10:00 A.M. – 2:00 P.M.
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Fr. Joseph Murphy1948–late 1960s (as pastor of Our Lady of Peace, he founded the Traveller mission and Murphy Village; the parish itself was established as St. Edward in 1964)
Irish-born priest who served as pastor of Our Lady of Peace in North Augusta. He ministered to the Irish Travellers for more than 20 years and encouraged them to buy land, founding Murphy Village, which was named in his honor.
- Rev. Fr. Peter Clarke1988–2002
Oversaw the construction of the present larger church (blessed September 22, 1997; dedicated December 20, 1997) and the designation of the parish as a Shrine of Blessed Ceferino in December 2001. Summoned by Pope John Paul II in 2001 as one of 33 worldwide specialists to discuss the plight of Travellers. Retired from St. Edward in 2002 and died Feb. 18, 2020, at age 92.
- Rev. Fr. Cherian Thalakulam, CMI2002–April 2023
Carmelite priest who became pastor in 2002 and hosted an Irish Travellers exhibit at the parish in cooperation with the Irish Consul General. Retired and returned to his order in India effective April 27, 2023.
- Rev. Fr. Prasad Antony, MSSCCApril 28, 2023 –
Appointed pastor of St. Edward effective April 28, 2023 (per The Catholic Miscellany, May 2023).
- Rev. Fr. Chidi Onwuka, M.SS.CCcurrent
Currently listed as Administrator/Pastor on the parish's official website and in the Diocese of Charleston directory.