“There was one priest and four Masses: A vigil, two morning ones, and one evening Mass. What we found pretty soon was that we didn’t have room anymore, so we added a 9 p.m. Mass, still with only one priest,” he explained. “Now, the 9 p.m. Mass averages about 70% capacity during the year and is still filling. At USC, we are trying to find donors to help us build a new church because we simply can’t fit the students into our current chapel.”
Reflecting this demand for increased Catholic involvement among younger adults, South Carolina will open its first Catholic college this coming fall in Greenville. Rosary College will offer students a two-year liberal arts education in the Benedictine tradition, spearheaded by Catholic scholars and prominent author and convert Father Dwight Longenecker.
A city known for its Catholic community
Greenville, renowned for its robust Catholic community, stands out as one of the state’s foremost hubs of Catholicism in recent years. The area boasts multiple parishes — Prince of Peace, St. Mary Magdalene, St. Mary’s, and Our Lady of the Rosary, among others — where Masses often overflow with faithful, young families.
In fact, many families from all over the country have moved to the Greenville area for the excellent Catholic churches and schools.
One such family is the Billings. Troy and Kathleen Billings, who relocated from Chicago to Greenville in the summer of 2020, described their move as a “leap of faith.”
“At the time, [Greenville] was just beginning to grow as a Catholic community, and it has now grown tremendously within the last four years,” Kathleen Billings told CNA. “We felt that the Lord was calling us here, so we made that leap of faith. And come to find out, many other families have felt that same calling.”
Since settling in Greenville, the Billings have witnessed firsthand the Church’s presence in the region: “Our Masses are beautiful, the churches are packed, and the community is incredible.”
As a way to remain active within this Catholic scene, the Billings started a monthly rosary ministry at their home. With 20 people at its first meeting four years ago, the ministry now averages “250-350 participants monthly, drawn from all of the Catholic churches in the Upstate [region of South Carolina].”
Similarly inspired by this burgeoning community, Michael Sandifer relocated with his family from Wisconsin to Greenville five years ago.
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As the pastoral associate of adult faith formation at Prince of Peace Catholic Church, Sandifer shared that one of his responsibilities consists of working “with people who come into the Church and are interested in learning and knowing more about the Catholic faith.”
“Every day, we’ll get a phone call or email saying, ‘I am new to the area, we are looking into Prince of Peace,’” he continued. “It’s been a huge uptick that isn’t surprising, but definitely rewarding.”
Echoing this growing interest, the Diocese of Charleston has seen a surge in vocations.
This past year, two men were ordained to the priesthood and four to the transitional diaconate. With 28 in formation for the 2024-2025 year, the diocese now has more seminarians than ever before in its recent history.
How does the South compare with the rest of the country?
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