About Saint Mary, Our Lady of Ransom · Georgetown, South Carolina
St. Mary, Our Lady of Ransom is a Roman Catholic parish in historic downtown Georgetown, South Carolina, serving about 304 households from its 1902 church on Broad Street. It belongs to the Diocese of Charleston (Myrtle Beach Deanery) and is currently led by Administrator Rev. Anthony Swamy, MSSCC, of the Missionaries of St. Francis de Sales, along with Deacon Michael Brescia. The parish celebrates Mass in both English and Spanish (a 1:00 p.m. Spanish Mass every Sunday), runs a Pre-K through 12 religious education program, and offers Eucharistic Adoration, the Sacrament of Reconciliation, RCIA, and ministry opportunities including the St. Vincent de Paul Society.
- Established
- 1899
- Patron
- Our Lady of Ransom (Blessed Virgin Mary)
- Rector
- Rev. Anthony Swamy, MSSCC (Parish Administrator)
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Charleston (Myrtle Beach Deanery)
Why belong here
St. Mary, Our Lady of Ransom is the Catholic home for Georgetown and the surrounding lowcountry, offering the full sacramental life — daily and Sunday Mass in English and Spanish, Eucharistic Adoration on Fridays, Confession on Saturdays and before the Spanish Mass, plus Holy Days and the Paschal Triduum. A Pre-K through 12 Religious Education program and the parish RCIA team walk adults and children through the faith; ministries include choir, lectors, altar servers, Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist, homebound visitation, food pantry work, the St. Vincent de Paul Society, youth ministry, men's and women's groups, and the annual parish bazaar. With about 304 registered households and a pastor and deacon who know their people by name, it is a small but active parish rooted in 125+ years of Catholic life on Broad Street.
Mass times at Saint Mary, Our Lady of Ransom
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday: 4:15 pm - 4:45 pm
- Sunday: 12:15 pm - 12:45 pm
- Or by appointment (English and Spanish)
Adoration times
- Friday: 9:00 am - 1:00 pm
Parish History
St. Mary, Our Lady of Ransom traces its roots to the mission priests who served Georgetown Catholics from 1880-1897, with William D. Morgan's home at 732 Prince Street as their base. Father Charles D. Wood, assigned in 1898, obtained a lot at Broad and Highmarket Streets; groundbreaking was October 10, 1899, the cornerstone was blessed on Thanksgiving Day 1899, and Bishop H. P. Northrop dedicated the finished church on January 5, 1902 — the homily that day giving the parish its unique name in honor of the Blessed Virgin and Morgan's own mother Mary. The Walker Skating Rink was temporarily converted into St. Anne's Chapel while the permanent church was rising.
A Gem of a Church
The 1902 church is built of pressed brick with granite trimmings in Romanesque style, originally laid out as a Latin cross before being renovated and enlarged in 1967. Its most outstanding feature is a set of stained glass windows made in Germany — four large memorial windows honoring the Morgan and McFeely families (The Good Shepherd, St. Mary of Ransom, The Flight into Egypt, The Apostle John Writing the Gospel at the Isle of Patmos) and additional Franz Mayer of Munich windows (The Good Samaritan, The Annunciation), together with depictions of St. Frances of Rome and St. Patrick. The 2,300-pound church bell was cast at the McShane Bell Foundry in Baltimore.
- Pressed brick with granite trimmings, Romanesque style
- Original Latin-cross plan; renovated and enlarged in 1967
- Seating capacity: 300
- 2,300-pound bell from McShane Bell Foundry, Baltimore
Our Lady of Ransom — The Patronal Title
The parish's second title, Our Lady of Ransom, refers to the August 1, 1218 apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary to Saint Peter Nolasco, his confessor Saint Raymond of Penafort, and King James I of Aragon. From those visions came the Royal, Military and Religious Order of Mercy for the Redemption of Captives (the Mercedarians), formally recognized by Pope Gregory IX in 1236. Across the 13th through 19th centuries the Mercedarians are credited with ransoming some 500,000 European Christians enslaved in North Africa and elsewhere. In 1696 the feast of Our Lady of Ransom was set for September 24; after Vatican II the title was changed to Our Lady of Mercy, and Mercedarians still exist worldwide, devoted to freeing people in bondage to sin, addiction, and poverty.
- Founded Mercedarian Order: 1218 (apparitions) / 1236 (papal recognition)
- Feast day: September 24 (now titled Our Lady of Mercy)
- Estimated 500,000 captives ransomed across the 13th-19th centuries
Mass and Worship Schedule
The parish celebrates the Sunday obligation with a Saturday Vigil Mass at 5:00 pm, Sunday Masses at 8:00 am and 10:00 am in English, and a 1:00 pm Mass in Spanish. Weekday Masses are offered Tuesday and Thursday at 8:00 am and Wednesday at 5:30 pm; Monday has no Mass or Communion Service. On Holy Days of Obligation Mass is offered at 12:00 pm (English) and 7:00 pm (Spanish). The Paschal Triduum is celebrated bilingually: Holy Thursday at 7:00 pm, Good Friday Service at 3:00 pm, and the Holy Saturday Easter Vigil at 8:30 pm.
- Saturday Vigil: 5:00 pm
- Sunday: 8:00 am, 10:00 am (English), 1:00 pm (Spanish)
- Tuesday & Thursday: 8:00 am
- Wednesday: 5:30 pm
Parish Staff and Leadership
The parish is administered by Rev. Anthony Swamy, MSSCC, of the Missionaries of St. Francis de Sales, assisted by Deacon Michael Brescia. Cecilia Carlton serves as Director of Religious Education, Kathy Adams coordinates Hispanic Ministry, and Charlotte Skipper is Parish Secretary. The Parish Pastoral Council is led by President Peggy Hughes and Vice President Amy Wagner. Contact for each staff member is through the parish office line (843-546-7416).
- Rev. Anthony Swamy, MSSCC — Parish Administrator ([email protected])
- Deacon Michael Brescia — [email protected]
- Cecilia Carlton — Director of Religious Education ([email protected])
- Kathy Adams — Hispanic Ministry Coordinator ([email protected])
- Charlotte Skipper — Parish Secretary ([email protected])
- Peggy Hughes — Pastoral Council President
- Amy Wagner — Pastoral Council Vice President
Religious Education (Pre-K through 12)
The parish Religious Education Program serves children from Pre-K through 12th grade between September and May, with classes on Sundays from 11:15 am to 12:45 pm. Brunch is provided for students before class. Curriculum is structured by grade band: 1st and 2nd Grade on Sacramental Preparation, 2nd Grade through 4th Grade on Liturgical Studies (church practices and doctrine), 5th and 6th Grade on Bible History (pre-Confirmation), 7th and 8th Grade on Confirmation, and 9th-12th Grade on review, living the faith, and community service projects. Two complete years of formation are required before reception of the sacraments.
- Sunday classes: 11:15 am – 12:45 pm
- September – May, Pre-K through Grade 12
- Contact: Cecilia Carlton, DRE (843-546-7416)
RCIA — Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults
The parish RCIA team welcomes non-baptized adults seeking full initiation as well as already-baptized adult Christians seeking full communion with the Catholic Church. The process — restored by the Second Vatican Council as the normal way adults prepare for baptism — moves through the Period of Inquiry, Rite of Initiation, Catechumenate, Rite of Election, the Sacraments of Initiation at the Easter Vigil, and a period of Mystagogy. Sponsors and team members walk with inquirers through study, scripture, faith-sharing, and liturgical rites.
- For unbaptized adults (Catechumens) and baptized Christians (Candidates)
- Sacramental Initiation celebrated at the Easter Vigil
- Contact the parish office to begin the journey
Parish Life and Ministries
Beyond the sacraments, the parish offers a wide range of ways to participate: liturgical ministries (choir, lector, altar server, Extraordinary Minister of the Eucharist), social-justice ministries (visiting the homebound, serving the poor, food pantry volunteering, the St. Vincent de Paul Society), and fellowship groups (youth ministry, men's and women's groups, the annual parish bazaar). The parish describes its mission as proclaiming the Gospel of Christ in word, deed, and truth, and encourages parishioners to bring forward ideas for new ministries.
- Liturgical: Choir, Lectors, Altar Servers, EMEs
- Social Justice: Homebound visits, food pantries, St. Vincent de Paul Society
- Fellowship: Youth Ministry, Men's/Women's groups, annual Parish Bazaar
- Bilingual Hispanic Ministry
Office Hours and Contact
The parish office is located at 317 Broad Street, Georgetown, SC 29440. Office hours are Tuesday through Thursday 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, Monday 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm, and Sunday 11:00 am to 12:45 pm. The main phone line is (843) 546-7416 and the parish email is [email protected]. Online giving is available through the parish's OSV Hub portal.
- Tuesday–Thursday: 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
- Monday: 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm
- Sunday: 11:00 am – 12:45 pm
- Online giving: osvhub.com/stmaryourladyofransom