Holy Spirit Catholic Church sits at 3871 Betsy Kerrison Parkway on Johns Island, just southwest of Charleston, South Carolina. A parish of the Diocese of Charleston, it is the Catholic community serving Johns Island and its neighboring sea islands: Wadmalaw, Seabrook, and Kiawah. Rooted in the Acts of the Apostles image of the first Christian community, the parish's identity is captured in the words: "Loved by the Father, Transformed by the Son, and Sent by the Holy Spirit." Parish life is gathered around the refrain: "Receive More: Because God Has More for You." Everything the parish does, from its weekend liturgies to its food pantry to its cemetery, is gathered into that theme.
Mass in Two Languages, Every Day of the Week
Mass is the heartbeat of Holy Spirit. The parish keeps an unusually full weekly schedule, anchored in the church building on Betsy Kerrison Parkway and supplemented by the smaller chapel on the grounds.
The weekend begins on Saturday evening with a 5:30 pm Vigil Mass in the church. Sunday brings three celebrations: 9:00 am and 11:00 am in English, and 1:00 pm in Spanish. Daily Mass is offered Monday through Friday at 8:30 am, with an additional Saturday morning Mass at 9:00 am in the chapel. The Eucharist is the heart of Catholic life, with the Sunday obligation understood as a true encounter with the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Christ.
The Anointing of the Sick is offered during the 8:30 am Mass on the first Friday of each month. Those needing the sacrament at another time can request it by appointment, and the parish has a dedicated line at (843) 329-8598 for that purpose.
Confession Before Mass, Saturdays Before the Vigil
Reconciliation is available every morning of the week except Sunday, in the confessionals at the back of the main church. Priests hear confessions Monday through Friday from 8:15 to 8:30 am, immediately before the 8:30 am Mass, and on Saturdays from 3:30 to 5:00 pm, before the Vigil. The sacrament is also available by appointment through the parish office. The parish reassures those returning after a long absence: "The priest will guide you gently through the process. There is nothing to fear and everything to gain."
Eucharistic Adoration in the Historic Chapel
Adoration is one of the defining rhythms of the parish. Three forms are offered each week. On Thursdays, the Blessed Sacrament is exposed in the church from 7:30 to 8:30 am and again in the chapel from 7:00 to 8:00 pm. On the first Friday of each month, adoration runs from 9:00 to 10:00 am in the church.
The signature offering is the First Weekend Adoration, held in the parish's historic chapel from 8:00 pm on Friday through 5:00 pm on Saturday. The Friday evening hours are covered by members of the Hispanic community, and additional adorers are invited to commit to a Holy Hour between 6:00 am and 5:00 pm on Saturday through the parish's online scheduling tool, WeAdoreHim. The parish frames adoration simply: "There is no agenda, no performance, only presence."
Becoming Catholic Through OCIA
For adults who are unbaptized, baptized in another Christian tradition, or baptized Catholic but never confirmed, the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults is the formal path into full communion with the Church. The parish emphasizes that OCIA, the name that replaced RCIA, is "not just a class" but a journey through Scripture, tradition, and the sacraments "accompanied by a community of people who have asked the same questions you are asking."
The local process begins with an interest form. Candidates then complete an inventory, have a one-on-one conversation with Deacon RJ Dourney, and, when ready, join the group on Monday evenings at 6:00 pm. New groups begin in June and November, and most candidates are received into the Church at the Easter Vigil. Those baptized in another tradition who have already received water baptism "in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit" are not rebaptized; they prepare instead for Confirmation and the Eucharist. The parish even offers sessions in Spanish through Ana Tovar, who coordinates Hispanic faith formation.
Forming Children in the Faith
Children's Faith Formation, what the parish calls PSR, or Parish School of Religion, meets Wednesday evenings from 6:00 to 7:00 pm, September through May, with a light snack available at 5:45 pm. Volunteer catechists teach weekly classes beginning in first grade and continuing through Confirmation preparation in eighth grade. The program covers the required instruction for First Reconciliation, First Eucharist, and Confirmation.
Baptized children typically prepare for First Communion around second grade, after receiving First Reconciliation. Confirmation preparation runs about eighteen months, beginning in seventh grade, with most teens confirmed in the spring of eighth grade. The journey includes two retreats, weekly Mass attendance, and a sponsor. Parents are recognized as the primary educators; the parish acts as partner and coach. Catechists are always needed, and the parish invites adults who love both their faith and children to step forward.
Adult Faith Formation: Bible Studies, Retreats, and Discernment
Holy Spirit runs an unusually rich slate of adult formation programs, several of them rooted in nationally known Catholic movements.
Called and Gifted is the parish's five-week discernment process for uncovering the spiritual gifts (charisms) of the Holy Spirit. Hosted by Kate Johnson, the program is offered in both English and Spanish and draws on materials from the Catherine of Siena Institute.
Faith Sharing with Msgr. Chris gathers parishioners around Msgr. Christopher DiLella for Bible study. Sessions are held Tuesdays at 1:00 pm and Fridays at 10:00 am in the Family Life Center and rotate through themes like the Parables of Jesus and Women of the Bible.
Walking with Purpose is the parish's women's Bible study, currently working through a ten-week study called Beholding His Glory, which traces Old Testament figures as types of Christ.
CATHOLICISM: The Pivotal Players is a video-based study by Bishop Robert Barron, meeting Monday evenings in the Family Life Center and tracing the lives of figures such as St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Francis, St. Catherine of Siena, St. John Henry Newman, G.K. Chesterton, and Michelangelo.
The parish also hosts a Catholic Men's Reading Group, which meets the third Monday of each month from 9:00 to 11:30 am in the Family Life Center, and an annual Women's Retreat, a weekend of prayer and fellowship led each year by a featured Catholic speaker. The parish additionally offers Formed, the Augustine Institute's Catholic streaming platform with movies, studies, audiobooks, and children's programming, accessible free to parishioners through signup.formed.org using the parish zip code 29455.
Ministries That Reach Out, Welcome In, and Serve at the Altar
The parish organizes its ministries into four families: All Ministries, Outreach, Fellowship and Hospitality, and Liturgical, with more than two dozen to choose from.
Outreach ministries form the parish's social mission. The Food Pantry, coordinated by Cindy Riedy, provides food assistance to neighbors in need. The Paraclete Foundation, formed in 2018 at the initiative of Msgr. Charles Rowland, helps vulnerable homeowners stay safely in their homes through critical repairs. Adopt-a-Family packs and delivers food during seasonal outreach events. Respite Care Meals supports families caring for loved ones with special needs or disabilities. The School Supplies Drive and Blessing of the Backpacks sends local students back to school prepared. The Holy Spirit Gifts Tree provides Christmas gifts for local families and children. The parish's Hispanic community (Pastoral Social) sells food, including tacos, tamales, and more, after the 11 am and 1 pm Masses on the last Sunday of each month, an initiative that doubles as fellowship and fundraiser.
Fellowship and hospitality ministries shape the parish's social life. The Hospitality Committee and Social Sunday teams offer coffee and conversation after Mass. Family Ministry, led by Summer Turner, builds faith-centered community among parish families. The Cana Connection of the Holy Spirit prepares and supports engaged and married couples. The Knights of Columbus, under Grand Knight Sean McGowan, brings Catholic men together for service and fraternity. Connecting Threads makes prayer quilts for those in need of prayer. Arimatheans and Gardening cares for the cemetery grounds and gardens.
Liturgical ministries serve the Mass itself. Altar Servers, Lectors, Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, Ushers, Sacristans, and the Church Decor team each keep the liturgy running smoothly. The Music Ministry leads the assembly in sacred song. The Eucharistic Apostolate of the Sick and Homebound, led by Carol Cronk, brings Communion to parishioners no longer able to attend Mass.
The parish also participates in 40 Days for Life, an internationally coordinated campaign of prayer and fasting, and parishioners commit to a specific day each fall to pray outside the local Planned Parenthood on Ashley River Road in Charleston.
The Seven Sacraments, from Baptism to Anointing
The parish presents its sacramental life as a teaching tool for newcomers as much as a directory for parishioners.
Baptism for infants is celebrated at Mass on the second Sunday of each month, after parents attend a preparation class on the second Wednesday of the preceding month. At least one godparent must be a practicing Catholic aged sixteen or older who has received Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist; a godparent eligibility form, sealed by their own parish, must be submitted. Adult baptism, or, more commonly, the reception of Confirmation and First Eucharist by already-baptized adults, takes place through OCIA.
First Reconciliation and First Communion are prepared through Children's Faith Formation, typically in second grade. Confirmation for teens is prepared over eighteen months beginning in seventh grade. Matrimony requires contacting the parish office at least six months in advance; the parish wedding coordinator, Nicole Deane, walks couples through the FOCCUS inventory, a clergy meeting, an approved marriage preparation retreat, and music planning. Couples married civilly are warmly invited to seek convalidation, the Church's process for recognizing their marriage as sacramental.
Anointing of the Sick is offered to those facing serious illness, surgery, advanced age, or approaching death. The sacrament is celebrated during the 8:30 am Mass on the first Friday of each month and by appointment, including for after-hours emergencies. Funerals are coordinated through the parish office in conjunction with the family's funeral home, with planning forms provided for readings, music, and lay readers in advance.
Marriage, Family, and the Cana Connection
The parish approaches marriage preparation as a spiritual journey rather than paperwork. Couples meet with a priest or deacon, complete the FOCCUS premarital inventory, attend a marriage retreat, and meet with the Music Minister to plan the liturgy. The Cana Connection of the Holy Spirit, led by Donna Pomian, continues that support after the wedding, offering fellowship and formation for married couples seeking to live marriage as a lifelong vocation.
Family Ministry is the parish's main gathering point for parents and children. Its story traces the calling from PTO work at local Catholic schools to a deliberate effort to "help families build faith-centered relationships that encourage one another in their walk with Christ." The ministry hosts seasonal events designed to form friendships between parish families.
Honoring the Dead: Cemetery, Columbarium, and Funeral Rites
Holy Spirit maintains both a Catholic cemetery and a columbarium on its parish grounds, behind the historic chapel. Traditional in-ground burial is available to Catholics entitled to Christian burial under the guidelines of the Roman Catholic Church and the Diocese of Charleston. The grounds are maintained with perpetual care and open from dawn to dusk every day of the year.
For those who choose cremation, the parish offers columbarium niches and an urn garden, where small floral arrangements are welcome for birthdays, anniversaries, and holy seasons. The parish encourages advance planning as "one of the most practical and loving things you can do for your family" and offers a downloadable Cemetery Handbook through the parish office. Steve Reddan coordinates inquiries, with office hours on Tuesdays from 9:00 to 11:30 am.
The parish describes the Catholic funeral rite in three movements: the Vigil Service (often held at the funeral home), the Funeral Liturgy (ideally a Mass), and the Rite of Committal at the graveside or place of interment. Cremation is permitted, with cremated remains to be treated with the same reverence as the body and interred rather than scattered or kept at home.
Parish Leadership and Staff
Holy Spirit is led by Fr. Stephen Dyas, who serves as Parish Administrator and writes the welcome letter. He is assisted by Msgr. Christopher DiLella, a Retired Resident Priest who leads the parish's Faith Sharing Bible study, and by Msgr. Charles Rowland, Pastor Emeritus, whose decades of ministry, including founding the Food Pantry and the Paraclete Foundation, are remembered fondly.
Five deacons serve the parish: Dcn. Mario Cardenas and Dcn. RJ Dourney, who share responsibility for OCIA; Dcn. John Hardy, Dcn. Chris Mathewes, and Dcn. Joe Stocker. Beth Mathewes coordinates Children's Faith Formation in English; Ana Tovar does the same in Spanish. David Piccirilli leads Communications and Engagement; Stephanie Hamilton serves as Operations Associate; Jeanne Davis is Parish Secretary. The Finance Office, the cemetery coordinator, and the maintenance team round out the staff. The Diocesan Office of Child Protection Services (843-853-2130 x 209) and the Diocesan Victim Assistance Ministry (800-921-8122) are listed as points of contact for safeguarding concerns, and all clergy, employees, teachers, and volunteers with access to minors are required to complete VIRTUS Safe Environment training through the Diocese of Charleston.
Joining the Parish and Giving Back
Registration is straightforward and unlocks the practical supports of parish membership: the weekly email newsletter, opportunities to volunteer, offertory envelopes, enrollment in faith formation and sacrament preparation, and the ability to serve as a godparent or sponsor. Registration forms are available online and at the parish office.
Parishioners may give online through the parish's online giving platform or contribute at the Sunday offertory with cash or checks. Those wishing to use envelopes can request them by emailing the parish office. Gifts through donor-advised funds, IRAs, stocks, and planned giving are coordinated through the Finance Office.
The parish keeps in touch through Flocknote (a weekly email newsletter), an active Facebook page, a YouTube channel, and a regular bulletin. Worship aids are posted online, and livestreamed Mass is available for those who cannot attend in person. Office hours are Monday through Thursday, 8:30 am to 4:00 pm.