About Saint Thomas More [University of South Carolina] · Columbia, South Carolina
Saint Thomas More Catholic Church and Newman Center is the personal parish of the Diocese of Charleston that serves the University of South Carolina community in Columbia, South Carolina, located at 1610 Greene Street in the historic USC district. The parish ministers to students, faculty, and families of the university through daily and Sunday Mass, the sacraments, FOCUS Bible studies, retreats, and a large campus ministry program that is among the fastest-growing in the country. The chapel, originally consecrated in 1954, was substantially expanded in 1973 and now seats about 160; a major building project called "Envision More" was launched in 2024 to address continued growth.
- Established
- 1953
- Patron
- Saint Thomas More (1478–1535), English lawyer, humanist, statesman, and Lord Chancellor of England; patron saint of lawyers, statesmen, and politicians
- Rector
- Rev. Rhett Butler Williams
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Charleston
Why belong here
St. Thomas More is the spiritual home of Catholic Gamecocks — a parish where students, faculty, and families can find daily and Sunday Mass, Eucharistic adoration multiple days a week, frequent confession, and a robust schedule of Bible studies, retreats, service trips, and Wednesday-night fellowship that have made it one of the fastest-growing campus ministries in the United States. With 43 student-led Bible studies, a resident FOCUS missionary team, scholarship programs (St. Francis Xavier and Cardinal Bernardin), senior formation like the Development Academy and an Italy pilgrimage, and a tight-knit Sunday supper after the 5 p.m. Mass, it offers the kind of community, formation, and Catholic witness that is increasingly rare at a large public university in the Bible Belt.
Mass times at Saint Thomas More [University of South Carolina]
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday 4:00 PM – 4:55 PM, and 30 minutes prior to the 9:00 AM, 11:00 AM, and 9:00 PM Masses
- Monday – Thursday 5:30 PM – 5:55 PM
- Friday 11:30 AM – 11:55 AM
- Saturday 3:30 PM – 4:25 PM
- By appointment
Adoration times
- Monday – Thursday 8:30 AM – 5:30 PM (during the academic year only)
- Friday 8:30 AM – 9:30 AM (during the academic year only)
History of St. Thomas More
St. Thomas More Catholic Church grew out of the Catholic students' Newman Club at the University of South Carolina, which had been meeting at St. Peter's Church in Columbia since the mid-1930s. On September 23, 1953, six USC students met with Fr. Theophilus McNulty, O.F.M., to launch a dedicated Catholic student chaplaincy; property on Greene Street was purchased, and the resulting chapel was consecrated by Bishop John J. Russell on March 7, 1954. Franciscan Fathers of the Province of the Most Holy Name shepherded the community for roughly four decades; in the early 1990s the Center and Chapel were returned to the Diocese of Charleston. On October 12, 2014, Bishop Robert E. Guglielmone erected St. Thomas More as a personal parish, and Father Marcin Zahuta was installed as its first pastor in 2015.
- 1953: Six USC students and Fr. Theophilus McNulty, O.F.M., launch the Thomas More Centre
- March 7, 1954: Bishop John J. Russell consecrates the original chapel on Greene Street
- 1963: Fr. Bonaventure Brown, O.F.M., becomes director
- 1965: Diocese asked to allow two Masses at Rutledge Chapel and one at St. Thomas More
- 1973: Larger chapel completed (about 165 seats); stained glass later donated by Coach Frank McGuire
- Early 1990s: Franciscan administration ends; diocesan priests take over
- October 12, 2014: Bishop Guglielmone erects St. Thomas More as a personal parish of the Diocese of Charleston
- 2015: Fr. Marcin Zahuta named first pastor
- July 2020: Fr. Rhett Williams appointed chaplain and pastor
- 2024: Petrus feasibility study and launch of the Envision More capital campaign
The Chapel and Campus
The current chapel on Greene Street seats about 160 (the diocesan directory figure; the parish's own history notes the 1973 chapel seated about 165). The 1973 building was originally fitted with plain glass, later replaced with stained glass donated by USC basketball coach Frank McGuire. The altar and granite work in the original 1954 chapel were donated by John Bernardin. Looking to the future, the parish has acquired additional land on Blossom Street and engaged the consulting firm Petrus to design a new, larger church and Newman Center capable of accommodating the rapidly growing student community.
- Current chapel: ~160 seats (1973)
- Stained glass: gift of Coach Frank McGuire
- Altar and granite: gift of John Bernardin (1954)
- Acquired land on Blossom Street for future expansion
- Feasibility study by Petrus, 2024
Parish Staff and Pastoral Council
St. Thomas More is led by Pastor Rev. Rhett Butler Williams and Deacon Stephen Brown (Religious Education and Youth Ministry). The parish also draws on a Director of Development (Katie Washington), a Campus Minister, an Associate Campus Minister, an Administrative Assistant/Bookkeeper (Pamela K. Scott), a team of FOCUS missionaries, and an Interim Music Coordinator. The Pastoral Council, which meets quarterly to advise the pastor, is chaired by Joe Bonavilla and includes a secretary and several lay members alongside the pastor, deacon, and director of development as ex-officio members.
- Pastor: Rev. Rhett Butler Williams
- Deacon: Stephen Brown (Religious Education / Youth Ministry)
- Director of Development: Katie Washington
- Campus Minister: Annalise Rome
- Associate Campus Minister: Colin Snyder
- Administrative Assistant / Bookkeeper: Pamela K. Scott
- FOCUS missionaries (since 2011)
- Pastoral Council Chair: Joe Bonavilla; Secretary: Debra Layer
Campus Ministry and Student Life
St. Thomas More is the Catholic campus ministry at the University of South Carolina and is, by its own account, one of the fastest-growing campus ministries in the country. A team of FOCUS (Fellowship of Catholic University Students) missionaries has been on campus since 2011, and the parish currently supports 43 student-led Bible studies — including specialized studies for student-athletes and Greek-life students. Weekly rhythms center on the 5:00 PM Sunday Mass and Sunday Supper, Wednesday-night fellowship, and the $1 Thursday community dinners; seasonal rhythms include Welcome Weekend (1,250 students in fall 2024), fall and spring retreats, spring-break service trips and day trips, Game-day tailgates, the SEEK conference in January, and formation for graduating seniors.
- 43 student-led Bible studies
- FOCUS missionary team on campus since 2011
- Welcome Weekend (1,250 students in 2024)
- Sunday Supper after the 5 PM Mass
- $1 Thursday dinners
- Fall and spring retreats; spring-break service trips; tailgates
- SEEK conference (January)
Formation, Scholarships, and Senior Year
Beyond weekly Bible studies, St. Thomas More invests in long-term formation through two named scholarships and a focused senior-year program. The St. Francis Xavier Scholarship funds retreats, mission trips, conferences, and pilgrimages; the Cardinal Bernardin Scholarship is a tuition-based award given to two students per year. Graduating seniors are also served by a Development Academy offering headshots, interview preparation, resume building, a cooking class, and finance lectures, capped by a Senior Night at the rectory, the Baccalaureate Mass, and an annual pilgrimage to Italy.
- St. Francis Xavier Scholarship (retreats, mission trips, conferences, pilgrimages)
- Cardinal Bernardin Scholarship (two students per year)
- Senior Development Academy (headshots, interview prep, resume, cooking, finance)
- Senior Night at the rectory
- Baccalaureate Mass
- Annual Italy pilgrimage for seniors
Sacraments
St. Thomas More prepares and celebrates the seven sacraments: Baptism (with preparation), Confirmation, the Eucharist (daily and Sunday Mass, with extended hours during the academic year), Penance (with frequent scheduled confessions and by appointment), Matrimony, and Anointing of the Sick. An after-hours emergency line (803-814-4377) is published in the parish bulletin for sacramental emergencies such as serious illness or injury.
- Baptism (preparation required)
- Confirmation
- Eucharist / Adoration
- Penance / Reconciliation
- Matrimony
- Anointing of the Sick (emergency line: 803-814-4377)
Envision More Capital Campaign
Launched in 2024, the Envision More campaign is the parish's once-in-a-generation effort to build a new St. Thomas More church and Newman Center capable of serving the more than 860 students now actively participating in the life of the parish. The parish engaged the consulting firm Petrus to conduct a feasibility study and has begun acquiring adjacent land, including property on Blossom Street near the current Greene Street campus. The campaign appeals to parents, grandparents, alumni, parishioners, and benefactors with the message: 'Over the past 7 decades, USC has grown. Our Catholic Campus Ministry has grown. Our space has not.'
- Feasibility study by Petrus (2024)
- Acquisition of additional land on Blossom Street
- Goal: new church and expanded Newman Center for hundreds of thousands of future students
- Appeal to parents, alumni, and benefactors: 'Dream Big; Give Generously; Envision More.'
The Patron: Saint Thomas More
The parish is named for Saint Thomas More (1478–1535), the English lawyer, humanist, statesman, and Lord Chancellor of England who was executed for refusing to accept King Henry VIII as head of the Church of England. He was beatified in 1886 by Pope Leo XIII and canonized on May 19, 1935 by Pope Pius XI; in 2000, Pope John Paul II proclaimed him patron of statesmen and politicians. He is widely recognized as patron of lawyers, civil servants, politicians, adopted children, and those in difficult marriages; his feast day is June 22.
- Born February 7, 1478; died July 6, 1535
- Canonized May 19, 1935 by Pope Pius XI
- Proclaimed patron of statesmen and politicians by Pope John Paul II in 2000
- Feast day: June 22
Visit, Park, and Contact
The parish is located at 1610 Greene Street, Columbia, SC 29201, directly across the street from the University of South Carolina School of Nursing. Visitor parking is available in university lot 'B6' at the corner of Greene and Henderson Streets. The parish office can be reached at (803) 799-5870; for after-hours sacramental emergencies call 803-814-4377. Sunday Masses are offered throughout the year, with additional Mass times and Eucharistic adoration available when USC is in session.
- Address: 1610 Greene Street, Columbia, SC 29201
- Phone: (803) 799-5870
- Emergency line: (803) 814-4377
- Parking: USC lot B6 at Greene and Henderson
- Email: [email protected] (pastor)
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Theophilus McNulty, O.F.M.1953–
Franciscan friar who co-founded the St. Thomas More Center with six USC students on September 23, 1953, and led the inaugural chaplaincy on Greene Street.
- Fr. Bonaventure Brown, O.F.M.August 1963–
Director of the Thomas More Centre; under his leadership the community grew so rapidly that in 1965 the diocese was asked to allow Masses at Rutledge Chapel on the USC Horseshoe, and he oversaw construction of the larger 1973 chapel.
- Franciscan Fathers of the Province of the Most Holy Name (O.F.M.)1953–early 1990s
Shepherded the St. Thomas More community for roughly four decades; the Center and Chapel were deeded back to the Diocese of Charleston in the early 1990s.
- Diocesan priests (unnamed)early 1990s–2014
Administered the chaplaincy under the Diocese of Charleston before it was erected as a parish.
- Fr. Marcin Zahuta2015–2020
First pastor in the history of St. Thomas More after the chapel was erected as a personal parish effective October 12, 2014.
- Rev. Rhett Butler WilliamsJuly 2020–present
Appointed Catholic Chaplain and pastor; previously served as administrator; also Vocations Director for the Diocese of Charleston; led the parish through its period of explosive growth (2021–2024) and the launch of the Envision More capital campaign.