St. Mary Catholic Church sits on Crawford Road on the east side of Rock Hill, South Carolina, in the same neighborhood that built the parish in the 1940s. The parish is rooted in the African-American Catholic tradition and is served by the religious community of the Rock Hill Oratory, the local expression of a Catholic congregation of priests.
A Parish Begun with Five Members
St. Mary's history begins with the ordination of Father Edward Wahl in January 1945. He was assigned to work with the local African-American Catholic community, and at that time only five Black Catholics were practicing in Rock Hill. Father Wahl purchased land with help from many benefactors and matching diocesan funds. Ground was broken on the present Crawford Road site on October 3, 1945, and the first Mass was celebrated on July 4, 1946, with the parish's five registered members.
Through the 1950s the parish grew rapidly. Crawford Federal Credit Union was created in 1951 under parish leadership to provide small loans to neighbors who could not afford prevailing interest rates. In 1954 five St. Mary youth enrolled at St. Anne School in Rock Hill, remembered locally as the first integrated school in South Carolina.
Brother David Boone arrived at St. Mary in 1959 and served as church administrator for more than fifty years. His humble service and his stand for civil rights and racial equality shaped the parish's witness to the wider Rock Hill community. After a capital campaign that began in 2005, the present church was built in November 2006. It seats nearly 500 people.
The parish mission statement was written to honor that long story. It reads: "We, the Catholic people of St. Mary Parish, historically rooted in the black community and integrated in the local community, strive to listen, share, challenge, and help each other. We are committed to action and will do this by carrying on God's work under the guidance of the blessed Mother and St. Martin de Porres."
The Sunday Rhythm: Two Masses, Formation Between, and a Chat & Chew
Sunday is the backbone of parish life at St. Mary. Two Masses are offered in the Church Sanctuary: one at 8:00 am and one at 10:00 am. The 10:00 am Mass is sung by the parish choir and is livestreamed on the parish Facebook page for those at home or in the hospital. Reconciliation is offered in the church from 9:15 to 9:45 am. The Rosary is prayed in the church at 7:30-7:45 am and again at 9:30-9:45 am, when it is led by the Legion of Mary.
Faith Formation for children in grades 1-8 meets in the Cenacle on Sunday mornings in two parallel sessions so families can choose the Mass that fits them best: 8:30-9:50 am for those who attend the 10:00 am Mass, and 9:00-10:30 am for those who attend the 8:00 am Mass. Coordinated by Anna Caldwell, the program prepares children for the sacraments of First Reconciliation, First Eucharist, and Confirmation.
From 9:00 to 10:00 am a Sunday Bible Study meets in the Fellowship Hall for anyone who wants a place in the gap between Masses for "dynamic group discussions." On the fourth Sunday of every month, Chat & Chew follows Mass in the Fellowship Hall - parishioners of every age are invited to stay for doughnuts and coffee and a little extra fellowship.
Wednesday Evenings: Becoming Catholic, Adoration, and Youth
Wednesday is the second anchor of the parish week. From 5:30 to 6:45 pm the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults - O.C.I.A., the present-day successor of the former R.C.I.A. - meets in the St. Bakhita Room inside Bannon Hall. Kristen Wood, the parish Coordinator of Formation and Evangelization, walks inquirers, catechumens, and candidates through the rites of becoming Catholic.
At 6:30 pm a Holy Hour of Prayer opens in the chapel. The invitation is the same each week: all are welcome to spend an hour with the Lord in quiet reflection. High-school youth ministry then picks up the evening from 7:00 to 8:30 pm in the Cenacle. Led by Paul Wood, the Wednesday gathering is the parish's main program for teens in grades 9-12.
Other Days: Quilters, Legion of Mary, COR, Dominoes, and Friday Mass
Monday carries a different rhythm. The Fellowship Hall is filled from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm by the St. Mary Quilters Group, which welcomes anyone with or without experience. At 12:45 pm the Legion of Mary gathers at the Oratory's Faber Hall for prayer and the apostolic work that has defined the worldwide lay association for more than a century. All are welcome.
On most Thursday evenings at 6:30 pm, a fraternity called COR: Into the Breach meets in the St. Bakhita Room. Sponsored by the Knights of Columbus, COR is designed to "form and strengthen Catholic men in faith and virtue as missionary disciples of Jesus Christ" through prayer, formation, and fraternity. The study meets every other Thursday, and fathers are encouraged to bring their teen sons.
Friday begins with daily Mass in the chapel at 9:30 am. From 10:00 am to noon Kelly Munsee leads a Bible study in the Fellowship Hall. The Dominoes Group then takes over the St. Bakhita Room from 1:30 to 2:30 pm and is open to anyone who just wants to play.
Sacred Saturday and a Monthly Pause
On the first Saturday of every month the church opens for a Sacred Saturday Holy Hour of Prayer with Adoration from 6:00 to 7:00 pm. The invitation is the same each month: "Come sit for an hour of prayer and solitude in the presence of Christ."
Brother David's Continuation: Food, Outreach, and the Arts
The outreach ministries of St. Mary are a direct continuation of the civic work that began in the 1950s. St. Mary Food Pantry opens from 11:30 am to 12:30 pm on Thursdays in Bannon Hall. St. Mary Outreach operates in the same building on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9:00 to 11:30 am and can be reached at (803) 514-3729 or stmaryoutreach@gmail.com.
St. Mary Outreach partners with other religious communities and local agencies to assist neighbors on a pathway toward healing and self-sufficiency. Help offered through the ministry includes food, warmth, medicine, dental care, eye care, education, job-search support, and spiritual growth. "The ministry is motivated by the Gospel of Jesus Christ and called by the Holy Spirit to strive to use our God-given gifts with love to foster justice through human dignity."
Bakhita Arts Center is also sponsored by St. Mary. The grassroots arts center uses the St. Bakhita Room in Bannon Hall to host free exhibits, performances, poetry readings, music, and forums on current events and cultural issues for emerging and underexposed artists in the area.
The Choir, the Knights, and Two Dozen Ministries
St. Mary sustains more than twenty parish ministries. The choir sings at the 10:00 am Mass. Altar servers, lectors (with separate coordinators for 8 am and 10 am), Eucharistic ministers, and ushers/hospitality fill out the liturgy each Sunday. The Flower Ministry prepares the sanctuary for Sundays and holy days.
Knights of Columbus St. Martin de Porres Council #15611 represents the parish in the wider order. The Legion of Mary and the Rosary & Confraternity Society promote Marian devotion, while the Culture of Life Committee "champions human dignity from conception to natural death." Small-group ministries include Bible studies, the St. Mary Quilters, the Dominoes Group, the St. Francis Saring Prayer Shawl Ministry, and Micah 6:8, which promotes diversity and inclusivity. The Social Committee and Stewardship round out parish life, alongside the Bereavement Ministry, which supports grieving families and sponsors the All Souls Mass. A standing Archives Ministry keeps the parish's long story alive for new generations.
Becoming Catholic: Sacraments and Formation
The parish prepares members for all seven Catholic sacraments: Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist, Reconciliation, Matrimony, Anointing of the Sick, and Holy Orders. Deacons Terrence Chisolm and Walt Hollis serve as the first point of contact for sacramental preparation. Parishioners are also encouraged to use FORMED, a free Catholic streaming library of movies, books, podcasts, and formation programs that the parish makes available at formed.org/signup.
The Pastoral Team and the Rock Hill Oratory
Father Agustín Guzmán, C.O., is the pastor of St. Mary. Two deacons assist him. Rev. Dr. Terrence R. Chisolm, OF, serves as pastoral associate and oversees evangelization, the lectors at 8 am Mass, and parish media. Rev. Walt Hollis serves with Deacon Chisolm in the Bereavement Ministry. Day-to-day faith formation is led by Anna Caldwell for grades 1-8, Paul Wood for grades 9-12, and Kristen Wood for the OCIA process and evangelization efforts. Together with the Rock Hill Oratory, they form the pastoral team for a parish rooted deeply in Rock Hill's African-American Catholic past and committed to its wider community in the present.
Visiting St. Mary
St. Mary Catholic Church is at 902 Crawford Road, Rock Hill, SC 29730. The parish office is open Monday through Friday from 9:00 am to 12:30 pm. The main office phone is (803) 329-1008, and the email is stmaryrh@charlestondiocese.org. The mailing address is P.O. Box 11982, Rock Hill, SC 29731. Weddings, funerals, room rentals, and special events are arranged through the parish office with Father Guzmán or Deacon Chisolm.