About Saint Theresa · Springfield, South Carolina
Saint Theresa Catholic Church is a small mission parish located at 155 Railroad Avenue in Springfield, South Carolina, in the Columbia Deanery of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charleston. It is administered as a mission of Holy Trinity Parish in neighboring Orangeburg and serves roughly 45 Catholic households drawn from a wide swath of central South Carolina, including Aiken, Blackville, Denmark, North, Norway, Salley, Swansea, Wagener, Williston and other surrounding communities. The mission traces its roots to 1916 and worships today in a modest 1926 Spanish mission-style church whose Italian-made stained glass windows are the pride of the congregation. It is currently served by priests and deacons of the Incarnate Word Congregation (IIC) along with two permanent deacons.
- Established
- 1916
- Patron
- Saint Theresa of the Little Flower
- Rector
- Rev. Erlin Y. Garcia, IIC (Administrator)
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Charleston
Why belong here
St. Theresa's is a close-knit country mission where generations of the same founding families still worship side by side, and where everyone quickly knows your name. Members travel from as far as twenty-five miles — from towns like Aiken, Blackville, Denmark, North, Norway, Swansea, Wagener and Williston — to attend the 9:00 a.m. Sunday Mass and to share in the parish's life through the Altar Society, the Parish Pastoral Council, CCD religious education, ecumenical Thanksgiving services, Christmas caroling to shut-ins of all faiths and the annual family picnics, hayrides and Easter egg hunt. As a mission of Holy Trinity Parish in Orangeburg it offers a quiet, traditional Catholic setting anchored by one of South Carolina's most beautiful — and 'priceless' — sets of Italian stained-glass windows.
Mass times at Saint Theresa
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Thursday: 5:05 p.m. – 5:50 p.m.
- or by appointment
Adoration times
- Thursday: 5:00 p.m.
About St. Theresa Catholic Church
Saint Theresa Catholic Church is a small mission parish of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charleston, located at 155 Railroad Avenue in the town of Springfield, South Carolina. It is one of three missions administered together with Holy Trinity Parish in Orangeburg (the others being St. Andrew in Barnwell and St. Mary in Allendale), with Holy Trinity serving as the administrative hub. The parish sits in the Columbia Deanery and currently numbers about 45 Catholic households, drawn from a wide swath of central South Carolina. The mission is served today by priests of the Incarnate Word Congregation (IIC) and two permanent deacons.
- Type: Mission
- Diocese: Roman Catholic Diocese of Charleston
- Deanery: Columbia
- Administrator: Rev. Erlin Y. Garcia, IIC
- Parochial Vicar: Rev. Ismael Navarro, IIC (per parish site) / Rev. Arcangel Lopez Burbano, IIC (per diocesan directory)
- Deacons: Gary Janelle and Darren Jump
- Pastoral Assistant / Parish Secretary: Ana Dorantes
- Mailing address: c/o Holy Trinity, 2202 Riverbank Drive, Orangeburg, SC 29118
History of St. Theresa's
Catholic life in Springfield began in the 1910s, when the town became a mission of Holy Trinity Church in Orangeburg (founded 1895). Early Masses were celebrated once a month in the front parlor of Jane Gleaton Bean's home on Railroad Avenue, with visiting priests arriving by train and staying overnight. By the mid-1920s the community was ready for a permanent church. Under Father Michael J. Reddin, with land donated by James Bean, Sr. and funding from the Bean and Phillips families and the Catholic Extension Society, the present Spanish mission-style church was built and dedicated on December 6, 1926, by Bishop Northrup of Charleston. The original 1930s Redemptorist (CSSR) parish records — preserved to this day — document the mission's first Mass, first marriage (Evelyn Bean and Arthur McIntosh, October 8, 1930) and ongoing Sunday Masses and Benediction.
- 1910s – Springfield becomes a mission of Holy Trinity, Orangeburg
- 1916 – Mission formally founded (per diocesan directory)
- Mid-1920s – Construction under Father Michael J. Reddin
- December 6, 1926 – Church dedicated by Bishop Northrup of Charleston
- Early 1960s – Father Coyne installs the Italian stained-glass windows from the Ursuline convent chapel in Columbia
- 1975 – Altar Society reactivated
- 1977 – CCD / religious education re-established
- 1985 – First Thanksgiving Ecumenical Service with Springfield Methodist and Springfield Baptist churches
- 1996 – Parish history prepared as part of the Diocese of Charleston Synod Implementation Plan under Bishop David B. Thompson
- 2012 – Merged administratively with Holy Trinity Parish, Orangeburg
Founding Families and Community Roots
Through more than a century of parish life, St. Theresa's has been sustained largely by descendants of three founding families: the Gleatons, the Phillipses and the Beans. Catechetical instruction was passed down in homes by older sisters and brothers — Eleanor Bean taught Sunday school and played hymns for the next generation, while May Phillips and Miriam Bean Boland continued the work. Even today, longtime members Lila Gleaton Williams, Muriel Gleaton Green and Norma Gleaton Brodie, all original-era parishioners, remain part of the congregation.
- Bean family — donated the 1.7-acre church site; home of Jane Gleaton Bean was the first 'church'
- Phillips family — major financial contributors; Dr. Paul A. Phillips and Myra Phillips prominent in parish fundraising
- Gleaton family — three lifelong members (Williams, Green, Brodie) still attend
- Other longtime members: Sophie Grooms (member since 1945); the O'Farrell and Furtick families
The 1926 Church Building and Its Stained Glass
Father Reddin's design for the present church, in the Spanish mission style, was chosen over proposals for a smaller, more compact building. The deed to the property is recorded in the Orangeburg County Courthouse under 'Diocese of Charleston.' In the early years, parishioners pasted colored paper on the clear windows to imitate stained glass; that changed in the early 1960s when Father Coyne replaced the originals with windows from the chapel of the Ursuline convent in Columbia, purchased at a token price. Made in Italy, they were appraised in 1984 at $17,000 each (full-sized) and $7,000 each (small) and remain the church's most distinguishing feature.
- Style: Spanish mission
- Land: 1.7 acres donated by James Bean, Sr.
- Seating: about 100
- Stained glass: Italian-made, originally from the Ursuline convent chapel in Columbia
- Renovations over the years: re-wiring, new roof, new ceiling, interior and exterior painting, statue refurbishing
Parish Ministries and Organizations
Parishioners keep the mission alive through a small but active set of ministries and lay organizations, some of which have been in continuous operation since the 1970s.
- Altar Society (reactivated 1975): church care, social ministry, ministry to the sick and bereaved, youth activities (Easter egg hunt, skating, bowling, fishing, Christmas caroling party and hayride), family picnics, brunches and coffees. Has raised funds for carpeting and the present heating/cooling system.
- Parish Pastoral Council: organized at the request of the late Bishop Ernest Unterkoeffler; oversees building renovations and the vision for a Family Life Center.
- CCD / Religious Education: re-established in 1977; supported by past and present CCD instructors.
- Diocese of Charleston Synod Implementation Committee (1996): analyzed the parish's position and helped plan its future.
- Family Life Center planning committee (joint with the Altar Society): a current capital project.
- Springfield Ecumenical Movement: Thanksgiving service with Springfield Methodist, Springfield Baptist and other area churches (since 1985).
Ecumenical and Community Outreach
St. Theresa's has long enjoyed a good relationship with the other churches of Springfield. In 1985, on the initiative of the Rev. Boyd Chewning of Springfield Methodist Church, the parish began hosting a rotating annual Thanksgiving Ecumenical Service with Springfield Baptist and Springfield Methodist — a tradition that has since expanded to include five area congregations. Parishioners also participate in the town's annual Christmas tree lighting, and the youth and adults of St. Theresa's go Christmas caroling to shut-ins of all races and faiths throughout the community during the holidays.
- Thanksgiving Ecumenical Service (since 1985)
- Christmas caroling to shut-ins
- Springfield Christmas tree lighting
- Joint community activities with other Springfield churches
Faith Formation (CCD)
Religious education at St. Theresa's has gone through three eras. In the earliest decades, classes were held in family parlors with older siblings and neighbors serving as teachers; later, in the early period of the church, classes lapsed when no priest was available; they were re-established in 1977 as the number of young children grew and First Communion preparation became necessary. Since then an emerging youth movement has taken root, with these young people now reaching young adulthood and working to keep the parish's legacy alive.
- Three eras of religious education
- CCD re-established 1977
- First Communion classes available
- Past and present CCD instructors thanked in parish history
Altar Society
St. Theresa's Altar Society, originally begun in the late 1920s, flourished for many years, lay dormant, and was reactivated in 1975. Today it has 18 members ranging in age from their 20s to their 80s. The Society cares for the church, performs social ministry and ministry to the sick and bereaved, sponsors youth activities and arranges social events that build fellowship among parish families.
- Altar Society Presidents since 1975: Kathy Furtick, Donna Philips, Myra Philips, Lila G. Williams, Molly Williams
- Activities: care of the church, social ministry, sick and bereaved ministry, Easter egg hunt, skating/bowling/fishing trips, Christmas caroling party and hayride, family picnics, brunches and coffees
- Fundraising projects: parish carpeting; the present heating and cooling system
Parish Pastoral Council
St. Theresa's Parish Council was organized at the request of the late Bishop Ernest Unterkoeffler, who asked that councils be established in every church of the Diocese of Charleston. The original members were selected by Father Eugene Helldorfer; current members are elected by the parish. The Council has directed a series of building renovations and is currently working with the Altar Society on plans for a Family Life Center.
- 1996 Council Members: Ed Furtick, Walter Furtick, Sylvia Hiers, Carmen Pacheco, Molly Williams, Allen Williams
- Original Council Members: Gertrude Bun, Ed Furtick, Walter Furtick, Sylvia Hiers, Greg Williams, Molly Williams
- Synod Implementation Committee Members (1996): Glenda Furtick, Walter Furtick, Betty Haas, Bob Haas, Lila Anna Hiers, Sylvia Hiers, Janice Jackson, David Malatesta, Marie Malatesta, Jim McGovern, Ramona Sullivan, Ross Sullivan, Lila G. Williams, Molly Williams
- Current project: Family Life Center (planned for religious education classes and community activities)
Contact and Visiting
Visitors and parishioners are warmly welcomed at St. Theresa's. The church is located in the small town of Springfield, Orangeburg County, and the parish is administered together with Holy Trinity Parish in Orangeburg, so all mail and administrative matters are handled through the Holy Trinity rectory.
- Address: 155 Railroad Avenue, Springfield, SC 29146
- Phone: (803) 534-8177
- Parish website: https://www.sttheresasc.org/
- Parish Facebook/social: not listed on the official site
- Mailing address: c/o Holy Trinity, 2202 Riverbank Drive, Orangeburg, SC 29118
- Closest parish hub / parent parish: Holy Trinity Catholic Church, Orangeburg (http://holytrinitysc.org)
Relationship with Holy Trinity Parish, Orangeburg
In 2012, St. Theresa Mission in Springfield, St. Andrew in Barnwell and St. Mary Mission in Allendale were administratively merged with Holy Trinity Parish in Orangeburg, with Holy Trinity as the administrative hub of the group. Holy Trinity now serves over 375 households across the cluster, and the priests and deacons of the Incarnate Word Congregation (IIC) serve the combined pastoral needs of the missions and the main parish.
- Parent parish: Holy Trinity Catholic Church, Orangeburg
- Sister missions in the cluster: St. Andrew (Barnwell), St. Mary (Allendale)
- Cluster founded: 2012
- Holy Trinity currently serves over 375 households
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Michael J. Reddinmid-1920s–
Diocesan priest from Orangeburg who directed the building of the present Spanish mission-style church (dedicated Dec. 6, 1926).
- Redemptorist Fathers (CSSR)1930s
St. Theresa's was cared for by Redemptorist missionaries based in Orangeburg, including Rev. Thomas A. Cronin, CSSR and Fr. John Waldren, CSSR (per the 1930 parish records).
- Father Coyneearly 1960s
Installed the Italian stained-glass windows purchased from the Ursuline convent chapel in Columbia.
- Father Eugene Helldorferlate 1980s
Requested the formation of the Parish Pastoral Council and provided parishioners with the original 1930s parish record book.
- Rev. Erlin Y. Garcia, IICcurrent
Current Administrator; priest of the Incarnate Word Congregation.