About Saint Mary · Yonges Island, South Carolina
St. Mary's Catholic Church is a small, picturesque country parish on Yonges Island at the far southwestern edge of the Charleston, South Carolina metro area. Tucked among grand live oaks a little inland from the Stono River, it is one of the oldest rural Catholic congregations in the Lowcountry, with Mass celebrated on Sundays and on Wednesdays and Fridays. The parish is part of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charleston (Charleston Deanery) and has roughly 60–92 households in active membership, served by a full-time pastor, a parish secretary, and a tight-knit community centered on traditional liturgy, stained glass, and a prayer garden behind the church.
- Established
- 1911
- Patron
- The Blessed Virgin Mary (parish renamed 'St. Mary' in 1914 at a donor's request; a 1942 grotto to Mary on the grounds reinforces the Marian patronage)
- Rector
- Rev. Jesuprathap Narichetti (Father JP)
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Charleston (Charleston Deanery)
Why belong here
St. Mary's offers a traditional, intimate Catholic experience in the rural Lowcountry: traditional Latin-rite liturgy celebrated in a stained-glass-filled sanctuary, weekly Reconciliation and weekday Mass, and First Friday Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. The parish is small enough that members know one another by name, and its social ministry actively supports neighbors — running a food pantry partnership at John Wesley United Methodist Church in Hollywood and helping with utility and medical bills. It's a faith community where centuries-old Lowcountry heritage, a 1942 coral-rock Marian grotto, and a working prayer garden meet a hands-on commitment to the surrounding towns of Hollywood, Meggett, and Yonges Island.
Mass times at Saint Mary
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday: 7:15 AM – 8:00 AM
- Wednesday: 8:30 AM – 9:00 AM
- Friday: 8:30 AM – 9:00 AM
Adoration times
- First Friday of every month following the 9:00 AM Mass (approx. 9:30 AM)
Welcome to St. Mary's Catholic Church
St. Mary's Catholic Church is a small country parish on beautiful Yonges Island at the far southwestern edge of the Charleston, South Carolina metropolitan area. The current sanctuary was completed in 1914 down the road from the original St. Philomena site, set today among grand live oaks a little inland from the Stono River. The parish welcomes visitors to traditional Catholic liturgy and to its prayer garden and rosary garden behind the church.
- Pastoral phone: (843) 889-8549
- Pastor emergency line: (843) 731-1162
- Email: [email protected]
- Liturgical rite: Roman-Latin
History of the Parish
The parish's roots run back to Father Daniel J. Quigley's mission of St. Philomena on Wadmalaw Island, where the first recorded wedding was on February 9, 1872. The congregation relocated to Yonges Island as the local population shifted toward the railroad shipping hub of Meggett. In 1911 a hurricane destroyed the original church, and for several years Mass was celebrated in private homes and an old store in nearby Hollywood. The present sanctuary was completed in 1914 just down the road and renamed St. Mary at the request of a major donor. Stained glass from St. Philomena was salvaged and placed behind the new altar; the white clapboard exterior was later bricked over and the original natural-wood interior painted white. In 1942 a Marian grotto was added, built of coral rock from Edisto Beach. The parish marked its 100th anniversary in 2015.
- Predecessor mission: St. Philomena, Wadmalaw Island (founded c. 1871 by Fr. Daniel J. Quigley)
- Relocation to Yonges Island site: late 1880s/1892
- 1911: Hurricane destroys the original St. Philomena church
- 1914: Present St. Mary's church completed and renamed
- 1942: Marian grotto built of Edisto Beach coral rock
- 2015: Centennial anniversary celebrated
Pastoral Team and Parish Staff
St. Mary's is led by Fr. Jesuprathap Narichetti, known to the parish as Father JP, who can be reached on an emergency cell line at (843) 731-1162. Day-to-day parish operations and office communications are handled by the parish secretary and administrative assistant Becky Chaski at (843) 889-8549. The diocesan directory also lists Ann D. Mitchum as parish secretary. The parish forms part of the Charleston Deanery of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charleston.
- Pastor: Rev. Jesuprathap Narichetti (Father JP) — 843-731-1162
- Parish Secretary: Becky Chaski — 843-889-8549
- Secretary (Diocese listing): Ann D. Mitchum
Grounds, Architecture, and Devotional Spaces
The parish grounds are a defining part of the St. Mary's experience. The brick-veneered church with its stained-glass windows is set among grand live oaks. Directly behind the church is a prayer garden whose centerpiece is the largest pine tree on the property, and a rosary garden dedicated to the Schmidt family, one of the founding families. A 1942 Grotto to Mary — built of coral rock transported from Edisto Beach — anchors Marian devotion on the grounds. Memorial stained-glass windows bear the names of the parish's original members, and the stained glass from the hurricane-destroyed St. Philomena remains behind the altar.
- Prayer garden with central large pine tree
- Rosary garden dedicated to the Schmidt founding family
- 1942 Grotto to Mary in Edisto coral rock
- Stained-glass memorial windows of original members
- Salvaged St. Philomena stained glass behind the altar
Parish Ministries and Social Outreach
Though small, St. Mary's runs an active social ministry rooted in the neighboring towns of Hollywood and Meggett. Parishioners volunteer at the food pantry at John Wesley United Methodist Church in Hollywood and help local families with utility bills and medical costs. This hands-on outreach — feeding the hungry and assisting those in crisis — is a defining mark of the parish's witness on Yonges Island.
- Food pantry partnership at John Wesley United Methodist Church, Hollywood
- Utility-bill assistance for neighbors in need
- Medical-bill assistance for local families
- Service focused on Hollywood, Meggett, and Yonges Island