About Saint Michael Mission · Great Falls, South Carolina
Saint Michael Mission is a small Catholic mission church located at 310 Chester Avenue in Great Falls, South Carolina. Founded in 1953, it serves as a mission of St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Church in Lancaster and is part of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charleston, in the Rock Hill Deanery. The mission shares pastoral leadership with St. Catherine of Siena, with worship centered around a weekly Saturday Vigil Mass at 6:00 p.m. in English. With seating for about 104 and roughly 11 registered households, St. Michael is an intimate mission community in the heart of rural Chester County, sharing bilingual clergy and ministries with its parent parish.
- Established
- 1953
- Patron
- Saint Michael the Archangel
- Rector
- Rev. Javier Heredia (Administrator)
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Charleston
Why belong here
St. Michael Mission offers Catholics in rural Great Falls a welcoming, intimate place of worship with a Saturday Vigil Mass in English and the reassurance of shared sacramental life with St. Catherine of Siena in nearby Lancaster. The mission benefits from a bilingual priest and dedicated coordinators, ensuring access to the Sacraments, faith formation, and pastoral care. As one of only a handful of Catholic churches in Chester County, it provides a vital and faithful community for local families seeking regular Mass and connection to the wider Diocese of Charleston.
Mass times at Saint Michael Mission
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday: before or after Mass at St. Michael by request
Adoration times
- Eucharistic Adoration at St. Catherine shared with mission: Wednesday-Friday 11 am-12 noon, Thursday 5:00-6:45 pm (check with parish office for St. Michael-specific availability)
Saint Michael Mission at a Glance
Saint Michael Mission is a Catholic mission church in Great Falls, South Carolina, founded in 1953 and served from St. Catherine of Siena Parish in Lancaster. It belongs to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charleston and is one of the smallest Catholic worship sites in the diocese, with seating for approximately 104 and about 11 registered households. The mission shares an administrator with St. Catherine and offers a weekly Saturday Vigil Mass in English.
- Founded: 1953
- Patron: Saint Michael the Archangel (feast September 29)
- Diocese: Roman Catholic Diocese of Charleston (Rock Hill Deanery)
- Parent Parish: St. Catherine of Siena, Lancaster, SC
- Seating capacity: 104
- Weekly Mass: Saturday Vigil at 6:00 p.m. (English)
History of St. Michael Mission
St. Michael Mission was established in 1953, five years after its parent parish, St. Catherine of Siena, was dedicated on October 17, 1948 by Bishop Emmet Walsh of the Diocese of Charleston. The mission was created to extend the Catholic Church's reach into the rural town of Great Falls and surrounding Chester County. As a mission rather than an independent parish, St. Michael has always been served by the priests assigned to St. Catherine of Siena, and is administered today by Rev. Javier Heredia, who leads both communities.
Sacramental Life
Sacramental preparation at St. Michael Mission is coordinated through St. Catherine of Siena Parish. Baptisms require attendance at Baptismal Classes. Faith formation for children in grades 1–8 prepares them for First Communion and Confirmation, and adult OCIA/RCIA classes are offered in both English and Spanish. The Homebound Ministry brings pastoral visits, Communion, and Anointing of the Sick to those unable to attend Mass.
- Baptismal Classes (Clases Bautismales) — coordinated by Guillermo Gonzalez
- Christian Formation Program (CFP), Grades 1–8
- OCIA / RCIA in English and Spanish
- Marriage: contact the parish office
- Homebound Ministry / Visitas a los Enfermos
Ministries and Groups
St. Michael Mission shares a wide array of lay ministries with St. Catherine of Siena Parish. Worship ministries include Altar Servers, Lectors, Ushers, Sacristans, and the care of Altar Linens. Spiritual and community life is supported by a Prayer Group (Grupo de Oración), Emaús men's and women's groups, Juan XXIII, a Consecration to Mary group, a Women's Bible Study, and a Prayer Shawl Ministry. Parish leadership is provided through the Parish Pastoral Council and Finance Council, and the parish supports families through the Blessed Beginnings mother-and-baby ministry.
- Altar Servers / Monaguillos — Mario Robles
- Lectors / Lectores — Fr. Javier and Vicky Jimenez
- Ushers / Ujieres — Fr. Javier and Omar Mora
- Sacristans — Cherie Crider and Mario Robles
- Prayer Group (Grupo de Oración) — Carlos & Elvira Risso
- Emaús Men: Jose Hernandez; Women: Guadalupe Campos
- Juan XXIII — Dolores Cruz Tejeda and Danilo Lopez
- Consecration to Mary — Nadia Roman, Loreli Jimenez, Fr. Javier
- Women's Bible Study — Andrea Miller
- Prayer Shawl Ministry — Mary Barry & Andrea Miller
- Blessed Beginnings — Andrea Miller & Liane Bloeser
- Faith Formation — Andrea Miller
- Parish Pastoral Council and Finance Council
Staff and Coordinators
Saint Michael Mission is administered by the priests assigned to St. Catherine of Siena Parish in Lancaster. Day-to-day coordination is handled by the parish priest and lay staff at the Lancaster office, including an office manager and the parish coordinator for St. Michael.
- Parish Priest / Administrator: Rev. Javier Heredia (bilingual) — [email protected]
- Office Manager: Andrea Miller — [email protected]
- St. Michael Parish Coordinator: Jackson McKeown
Visiting St. Michael Mission
St. Michael Mission sits at 310 Chester Avenue, Great Falls, SC 29055, on the corner of Chester Avenue and St. Michael Avenue beside Great Falls Family Medicine. Inquiries and sacramental scheduling are handled through the shared parish office at St. Catherine of Siena (720 W. Meeting St., Lancaster, SC 29720), open Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 9 am to 3 pm (closed 10:20–11:20 am), and Thursdays from 2 pm to 7 pm or by appointment. The shared office line is (803) 283-3362, and the e-mail address is [email protected].
- Address: 310 Chester Avenue, Great Falls, SC 29055
- Office line: (803) 283-3362
- Email: [email protected]
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. James J. Sharples, C.O.1948-1959
First priest of St. Catherine of Siena; began Catholic mission in Lancaster County before St. Michael Mission was founded in 1953.
- Rev. Robert Leo Sweeney, C.O.1959-1962
- Rev. John J. Gallagher, C.O.1962-1967
- Rev. Edward V. Wahl, C.O.1967-1970
- Rev. F. Robert DaVola, C.O.1967-1974
- Rev. William F. Pentis, C.O.1974-1980
- Rev. Joseph A. Wahl, C.O.1980-1981
- Rev. David D. Valtierra, C.O.1980-1981
- Rev. J. Michael Burton1981-1982
- Rev. Donald S. Abbott1982-1990
- Rev. Thomas Morrison1990-2003
- Rev. John O'Holohan, S.J.2003-2009
- Rev. David A. Runnion2009-2014
- Rev. Philip S. Gillespie2014-2016
- Rev. Javier Heredia2016-2018
First term as administrator.
- Rev. Francis Gillespie, SJ2018-2019
- Rev. Jose Gabriel Cruz Rodriguez2019-2020
- Rev. Javier Heredia2020-
Current administrator serving both St. Catherine and St. Michael Mission.