About St. John Neumann Catholic Church · Columbia, South Carolina
St. John Neumann Catholic Church is a Roman Catholic parish in northeast Columbia, South Carolina, in the Diocese of Charleston. Founded in 1977 to serve the growing Catholic population of northeastern Richland County, the parish was canonically established on August 12, 1977 and dedicated on December 2, 1979. Today it is a multicultural, multilingual community of more than 2,100 households that worships in English, Spanish, and (periodically) Korean, runs its own parish school, and operates an extensive network of faith formation, youth, and outreach ministries.
- Established
- 1977
- Patron
- St. John Neumann
- Rector
- Rev. C. Alexander 'Sandy' McDonald, STL
- Diocese
- Diocese of Charleston
Why belong here
St. John Neumann combines a small-parish sense of community with the breadth of a large, multicultural parish. Members worship alongside English-, Spanish- and Korean-speaking Catholics at four Sunday Masses plus a Saturday Vigil and daily noon Masses, and they can deepen their faith through OCIA, family-centered faith formation for PreK4–12, a vibrant youth ministry, book study groups, Cursillo, Small Christian Communities, and ongoing adult enrichment. Outreach is built into parish life through the Crisis Outreach Ministry, the monthly Sandwiches for the Homeless Ministry for Oliver Gospel Mission, and a robust school volunteer corps — all anchored on one shared campus with St. John Neumann Catholic School.
Mass times at St. John Neumann Catholic Church
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Thursday 6:00 pm – 6:45 pm
- Saturday 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm
- By appointment
Adoration times
- Thursday after the 12:00 pm Mass until 7:00 pm (before the Spanish Mass)
Parish History
St. John Neumann was founded in 1977 as a mission of St. Joseph Parish to serve the rapidly growing Catholic population of northeast Columbia. Fr. Bert Connor, S.J. celebrated the first Mass at E.L. Wright Middle School on February 7, 1977. Bishop Ernest L. Unterkoefler appointed Fr. Thomas M. Gillin, S.J. as the first pastor on June 15, 1977; the community was declared a parish on August 12, 1977 and named St. John Neumann on December 19, 1977. Ground was broken August 15, 1978 and the church was dedicated December 2, 1979.
- March 9, 1976 — five acres purchased on Polo Road (with a $20,000 gift from St. Joseph Parish)
- February 7, 1977 — first Sunday Mass at E.L. Wright Middle School
- June 15, 1977 — Fr. Thomas M. Gillin, S.J. appointed first pastor
- August 12, 1977 — community canonically established as a parish
- December 19, 1977 — officially named St. John Neumann Catholic Church
- August 15, 1978 — groundbreaking for the church
- December 2, 1979 — church dedicated
- Today: ~2,166 registered households (Diocese of Charleston directory)
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Faith Formation at St. John Neumann is built around the conviction that parents are the primary catechists of their children. Using A Family of Faith by Sophia Institute Press, the parish offers a hybrid model of in-person and at-home sessions for PreK4 through 8th grade, with intergenerational activities and family-centered sacramental preparation. Sacramental prep for First Reconciliation and First Communion is normally celebrated in 2nd grade (6 sessions each), and Confirmation begins in 6th grade.
- Classes meet Wednesdays 6:30–7:45 pm on the school campus, 721 Polo Road
- PreK4–8th grade faith formation (Verónica Carneiro, [email protected])
- Confirmation Preparation Team (6th grade and up)
- OCIA for Adults — Tuesday evenings 6:30 pm in the Teen Room
- OCIA for Children — Catechists and Sponsors
- My Catholic Faith Class and ongoing Adult Faith Formation (Maria Parre, [email protected])
- Catechists for Elementary, Junior High and High School Core Team
- Cursillo, Small Christian Communities, Vocation Chalice
Youth Ministry
The parish youth ministry, led by Director of Youth Ministry Rhina J. Medina, supports teens in grades 6–12 through formation, service and fellowship. High school Youth Group meets Sundays 3:30–4:45 pm, the Confirmation service program is coordinated alongside Rhina Medina, and Young Adults/Jóvenes Adultos offers a bilingual social gathering for 18–35 year-olds on Sunday afternoons.
- Youth Group Sundays 3:30–4:45 pm
- Confirmation service component for 6th grade and up
- SJN Sports Ministry
- Scouting America and Girl Scouts of America
- Vacation Bible School Team
- Young Adults / Jóvenes Adultos (ages 18–35), Sundays 3:30–5:00 pm in the school cafeteria
St. John Neumann Catholic School
St. John Neumann Catholic School shares the 721 Polo Road campus with the parish and welcomes parish volunteers whether or not they have a child enrolled. The School Advisory Board and Parent-School Association (PSA) host a range of events throughout the year and welcome adult parishioners into their committees.
- School Advisory Board committees: Facilities, Crisis Management, Finance, Marketing the School in the Community, Technology, Grants, Catholic Identity
- PSA subcommittees: Auction (Decorations, Acquisitions, Set-up, Packaging), Uniform Exchange, Fall Festival, Christmas Corner, Yearbook
- General volunteer opportunities: Discovery Center reading, library help, morning carpool (7:30–8:00 am), lunch distribution (11:00 am–12:30 pm), Health Room
- School Office: 803.788.1367
Parish Ministries & Community Life
Beyond faith formation, St. John Neumann runs a wide network of community-life ministries — hospitality, outreach, and fellowship groups that meet largely in Gillin Hall. From monthly senior luncheons to a newcomers' mentoring program, the parish emphasizes intergenerational connection and service to those in need in the greater Columbia area.
- Newcomer Welcoming Committee (mentor sign-ups)
- Donut Sunday — 1st and 3rd Sundays after the 10 am Mass in Gillin Hall
- Senior Luncheon Team — first Thursday of each month (begins with Daily Mass)
- Seniors Activities Group — games twice a month, Mondays 12:30–2:30 pm in Gillin Hall
- Crisis Outreach Ministry — Giving Tree (November), Bagging for the Needy (July), other support
- Sandwiches for the Homeless Ministry — 2nd Sunday of each month for Oliver Gospel Mission and other shelters
Sacraments
The parish prepares and celebrates all seven sacraments. Sacramental preparation is family-centered for children, while adult initiation (Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist) is handled through the OCIA process. Marriage preparation uses the Witness to Love mentoring program and follows the Diocese of Charleston's six-month advance-preparation policy.
- Baptism — contact the parish office at least 60 days in advance
- First Reconciliation & First Communion — 2nd grade, 6 family sessions each
- Confirmation — 6th grade and up
- Marriage — Witness to Love; contact Pastor Fr. McDonald at [email protected]
- Anointing of the Sick — by request, contact the parish office
- Eucharist / Communion — including homebound ministry
Staff & Clergy
The parish is led by Pastor Fr. C. Alexander 'Sandy' McDonald, STL, with Parochial Vicar Fr. Robert F. Higgins and Deacon Enrique Bautista. A team of lay staff coordinates faith formation, youth ministry, communications and parish operations.
- Pastor — Rev. C. Alexander 'Sandy' McDonald, STL (Habla Español) — [email protected]
- Parochial Vicar — Rev. Robert F. Higgins
- Deacon — Deacon Enrique Bautista
- Business Manager — Anna Sciandra
- Coordinator of Adult Faith Formation — Maria Parre ([email protected])
- Coordinator of Elementary Faith Formation — Verónica Carneiro ([email protected])
- Director of Youth Ministry — Rhina J. Medina ([email protected], Habla Español)
- Office Assistant — Margaret Wasieczko
Visiting & Contact
The church is located at 100 Polo Road in northeast Columbia; the parish office (and school) is at 721 Polo Road on the same campus. The office is open Monday–Friday, 9:00 am–4:00 pm. From Two Notch Road (US-1), head north past Sesquicentennial State Park, turn right at the next traffic signal onto Polo Road and continue about a half mile — the parish is on the right.
- Church: 100 Polo Road, Columbia, SC 29223
- Parish Office / School Campus: 721 Polo Road, Columbia, SC 29223
- Parish Phone: 803.788.0811
- General Email: [email protected]
- Office Hours: Monday–Friday, 9:00 am–4:00 pm
- Directions: From Two Notch Rd (US-1) north, past Sesquicentennial State Park, right on Polo Rd ~½ mile
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Thomas M. Gillin, S.J.1977–
First pastor. Appointed by Bishop Unterkoefler on June 15, 1977; oversaw naming of the parish, groundbreaking in 1978 and dedication on Dec. 2, 1979.