About Saint Mary · Allendale, South Carolina
St. Mary Mission is a small Catholic mission church located at 3457 Bluff Road in Allendale, South Carolina, founded in 1922 and part of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charleston (Beaufort Deanery). Classified as a mission — historically of St. Andrew Parish in Barnwell — it has just 25 registered households and seating for about 60, making it one of the most intimate Catholic worship sites in rural South Carolina's Lowcountry. In 2012 it was merged into the Holy Trinity Catholic Church family in Orangeburg, which now serves as the administrative hub for the cluster of four churches. St. Mary serves a predominantly Spanish-speaking Catholic community in Allendale County with weekly Spanish Masses and Eucharigious Adoration.
- Established
- 1922
- Patron
- The Blessed Virgin Mary (St. Mary)
- Rector
- Rev. Erlin Y. Garcia IIC (Administrator)
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Charleston (Beaufort Deanery)
Why belong here
St. Mary Mission is one of the smallest and most welcoming Catholic communities in the Diocese of Charleston, where every face is known and every Mass feels like a family gathering. It brings the Eucharist and Eucharistic Adoration to a deeply rural, predominantly Hispanic Catholic community in Allendale County — a place where Catholic presence is rare and treasured. Because it belongs to the four-church Holy Trinity parish family, parishioners can draw on sacramental preparation, religious education, and ministries spanning Holy Trinity in Orangeburg, St. Andrew in Barnwell, St. Theresa in Springfield, and St. Mary itself.
Mass times at Saint Mary
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- By appointment only
Adoration times
- Thursday 6:00 p.m. (immediately preceding the 7:00 p.m. Spanish Mass)
About St. Mary Mission
St. Mary Mission (also written Saint Mary) is a small Roman Catholic mission church in Allendale, South Carolina, founded in 1922. It belongs to the Diocese of Charleston and sits in the Beaufort Deanery. With about 25 registered households and seating for roughly 60, it is one of the most intimate Catholic worship sites in the state. It is administratively paired with St. Andrew Parish in Barnwell (its historic parent mission) and, since 2012, with Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Orangeburg as the hub of the four-church parish family.
- Address: 3457 Bluff Road, Allendale, SC 29810
- Mailing: c/o St. Andrew, 110 Madison Street, Barnwell, SC 29812
- Parish office phone: 803-534-8177
- Founded: 1922
- Deanery: Beaufort (Diocese of Charleston)
History of St. Mary Mission
St. Mary Mission was established in 1922 to bring the sacraments to Catholic families in rural Allendale County. For most of its existence it operated as a mission of St. Andrew Parish in nearby Barnwell, with priests traveling from Barnwell to celebrate Mass in Allendale. In 2012 the Diocese of Charleston merged St. Andrew (Barnwell), St. Theresa Mission (Springfield), and St. Mary Mission (Allendale) into the parish family of Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Orangeburg, naming Holy Trinity as the administrative hub. Today the combined cluster serves more than 375 households across the region.
- Founded 1922 as a mission of St. Andrew Parish, Barnwell
- Merged into Holy Trinity Catholic Church (Orangeburg) parish family in 2012
- Part of a four-church cluster: Holy Trinity, St. Andrew, St. Theresa, St. Mary Mission
Religious Education and Sacramental Preparation
Faith formation for youth is offered at St. Mary Mission together with St. Andrew (Barnwell) and St. Theresa (Springfield). Only the immediate sacramental preparation classes (First Reconciliation, First Eucharist, and Confirmation) are run at the mission; broader K4–High School programming is centered at Holy Trinity in Orangeburg. All adults and youth with regular contact with children must complete a diocesan background check, attend a 3-hour VIRTUS session on preventing child sexual abuse, and sign the diocesan Code of Conduct.
- First Reconciliation preparation
- First Eucharist preparation
- Confirmation preparation
- Diocesan background checks and VIRTUS training required for all volunteers
Parish Cluster and Ministries
St. Mary Mission is one of four worship sites in the Holy Trinity Catholic Church parish family based in Orangeburg. The cluster also includes St. Andrew Parish in Barnwell and St. Theresa Mission in Springfield, with Holy Trinity serving as the administrative hub. A signature ministry of this family is the Holy Trinity Prison Ministry, which brings weekly bilingual Mass and prayer services to the Catholic community at the Allendale Correctional Institute (whose members call themselves Saint Thomas the Apostle inside the walls).
- Holy Trinity Catholic Church (Orangeburg) — hub parish
- St. Andrew Parish (Barnwell) — historic mother parish of St. Mary
- St. Theresa Mission (Springfield)
- St. Mary Mission (Allendale)
- Holy Trinity Prison Ministry at the Allendale Correctional Institute (Tuesday bilingual Mass/prayer service; Thursday evening Spanish/English prayer service and Bible study/RCIA class)
Safe Environment and Protecting Our Children
Along with the rest of the Holy Trinity parish family, St. Mary Mission is committed to creating a safe environment for children in every program, ministry, and operation. All priests, employees, and volunteers with regular contact with children must satisfy diocesan requirements before serving.
- 3-hour VIRTUS training on creating a safe environment and preventing child sexual abuse
- Diocesan background check
- Code of Conduct verification
- Receipt of the Diocesan Policy on Child Sexual Abuse
Clergy and Staff
Because St. Mary is a mission of the Holy Trinity cluster rather than a standalone parish, its ministry is shared among several priests who serve the four-church family. The diocesan directory lists the following clergy and staff currently assigned to St. Mary Mission.
- Rev. Erlin Y. Garcia IIC — Administrator
- Rev. Arcangel Lopez Burbano IIC — Parochial Vicar
- Rev. Filip P. Wodecki — Sacramental Priest
- Kim Vargo — Secretary
Visiting and Contact Information
Visitors and parishioners can reach the mission through the Holy Trinity parish office in Orangeburg. Mass is celebrated in Spanish, and English-speaking visitors are warmly welcomed.
- Street address: 3457 Bluff Road, Allendale, SC 29810
- Mailing address: c/o St. Andrew, 110 Madison Street, Barnwell, SC 29812
- Phone: 803-534-8177
- Website: holytrinitysc.org/st-mary
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Gustavo Corredor STLc. 2016 (earlier listing)
Listed as Parochial Vicar of St. Mary Mission in older diocesan directory entries.