Two Sanctuaries, One Parish
Saint Paul the Apostle Catholic Church has served Spartanburg for more than a century, and its story is told in two very different buildings: a historic sanctuary on North Dean Street and a 12,000-square-foot worship space on East Main Street dedicated in 2013. The parish belongs to the Diocese of Charleston, and together the two campuses make up one community gathered around the Eucharist, the seven sacraments, and a wide circle of ministries for families, young adults, retirees, and the wider Upstate.
Catholic settlers first moved into the Spartanburg area around 1850. At the time, the entire Upstate was mission territory served from St. Peter's in Columbia. In 1882, Rev. John J. Monaghan was appointed pastor of St. Mary's in Greenville and quickly raised the money to build a church in Spartanburg. The cornerstone of what is now the Historic Church was laid on October 14, 1883, and it can still be seen at the southwest corner of the building. The interior was enlarged in 1937 to add a new sanctuary and additional seating. The stained glass windows depict six of the seven sacraments, and the marble altar, representing the Holy Eucharist, was imported from Italy.
For nearly two decades the parish celebrated Mass in its gymnasium rather than in the historic sanctuary while it planned and built a new worship space facing East Main Street. After nearly twenty years of planning and a year and a half of construction, the new sanctuary - a sturdy structure that rises 63 feet and seats 820 people - was dedicated on December 9, 2013. Bishop Robert E. Guglielmone of the Diocese of Charleston walked through the aisles and blessed the building with holy water. High arches and columns with intricately designed capitals line both side walls, and a permanent architectural feature called a Baldacchino, made of wood, marble, concrete, and steel, rises over the high altar. Unlike the older building, the new worship space has no stained glass windows, a choice made to save money.
Mass, Confession, and Eucharistic Adoration
Weekend Masses are celebrated in the Parish Church on East Main Street. The Saturday Vigil is at 5:00 pm, and Sunday Masses are at 8:00 am and 11:00 am.
Daily Mass is celebrated in the Historic Church on North Dean Street. Tuesday Mass is at 6:00 pm, and Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday Masses are at 8:00 am. The Rosary is prayed immediately after each weekday morning Mass.
The Adoration Chapel sits on the south side of the Historic Church and is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The chapel was recently remodeled, and the Eucharist is reserved there. Callers to the parish office can receive the security code for entry.
Confession is heard on Fridays from 7:00 am to 7:30 am in the Historic Church and on Saturdays from 3:00 pm to 4:30 pm in the Parish Church. Confession can also be scheduled by appointment in Father David's office.
All Masses are livestreamed on YouTube.
The Seven Sacraments
The seven sacraments of the Catholic Church form the rhythm of the parish year.
Baptism. Parents attend monthly preparation classes and may register through the Baptismal Preparation Coordinator. The steps include signing up for a class, emailing a copy of the child's birth certificate to Deacon Bert Chavez, completing the Information Record for the Sacrament of Baptism, and turning in the Godparent Eligibility Form.
First Communion and First Reconciliation. Religious education classes prepare children in second grade and older to receive these sacraments for the first time.
Confirmation. Preparation is offered through the Religious Education program, and teens preparing for Confirmation meet through the 6th-8th grade ministry.
Marriage. Couples must be registered and actively participate in the parish for at least six months before the initial meeting with the pastor, and the initial meeting is at least six months before the wedding date - a total of one year of active participation in parish activities and ministries before the wedding. The Wedding Coordinator, Loretta Grna, helps couples understand and execute the diocesan, parish, and county requirements to celebrate the Sacrament of Matrimony.
Anointing of the Sick. The pastor is contacted as the need arises.
Annulment Assistance. Information and guidance for beginning the process of requesting an annulment in the Diocese of Charleston is available through Deacon Bob Mahaffey.
Holy Orders and Religious Life. Information is available through the parish.
Religious Education and Youth Ministry
The Religious Education Program guides children and youth into a deeper communion with Jesus Christ, nurturing their hearts to know, love, and follow Him as faithful disciples within His Church. Through faith formation grounded in Sacred Scripture, Sacred Tradition, prayer, and the sacramental life, the program fosters spiritual growth and inspires each child to live the Gospel with wisdom, compassion, holiness, and joyful service to others.
Classes are held every Sunday morning during the school year for public school children from kindergarten through twelfth grade. In addition to catechesis, the program prepares children for the Sacraments of Reconciliation, Eucharist, and Confirmation. Adult volunteers who wish to serve as catechists must obtain Safe Environment certification and complete a background check.
Vacation Bible School is offered for one week each summer for children ages four through ten, with a light dinner included.
The Youth Ministry, directed by Rylee Williams Scheske, serves students in sixth through twelfth grade. The program offers a variety of activities and spiritually enriching opportunities for the youth of the faith community, with the chance for students to encounter Christ and develop a sense of companionship among themselves and with the broader parish community while learning about their faith and about themselves.
Becoming Catholic and Returning Catholics
The Order of Christian Initiation for Adults (OCIA) is the parish's process for adults who wish to become Catholic. OCIA is a communal journey that proceeds over weeks and months through several steps: the Pre-Catechumenate (the Period of Inquiry); the Rite of Initiation, which accepts new members into the worshipping community; the Catechumenate, the longest part of the process and a time of learning and formation in the traditions and doctrine of the Catholic Church; the Rite of Election, when catechumens and candidates are chosen to be received by the bishop and the community at Easter; the celebration of the Sacraments of Initiation at the Easter Vigil; and Mystagogy, a period of reflection and celebration after formal reception.
Sponsors accompany candidates and catechumens through the process. By Church law, sponsors need to be fully initiated themselves, at least sixteen years of age, and registered active parishioners.
The parish also welcomes returning Catholics who have stopped actively participating in the Church. The parish points returning members to Catholics Come Home, a non-profit independent charity whose purpose is to invite inactive Catholics and others searching for a faith home.
FORMED, a Catholic digital platform with thousands of films, children's programs, e-books, audio, parish programs, and studies from more than sixty Catholic organizations, is available free to parishioners.
Faith Formation for Adults
Adult Religious Education offers ongoing opportunities for Catholic adults to grow in their spiritual lives and in their understanding of the Catholic faith, integrating personal faith and Catholic beliefs into daily living.
Adult Sunday School meets throughout the year, offering scripture study sessions, lectures, small-group activities, and retreats that help participants enter more deeply into God's Word by prayerfully examining the historical context of the Catholic faith.
Natural Family Planning is taught using the sympto-thermal method of NFP, as taught by the Couple to Couple League. The teachings are safe, effective, and beneficial to marriage and in accordance with the Catholic Church.
Men's and Women's Fellowship
Men @ Prayer is an open gathering for all men, regardless of denomination, on Friday mornings from 7:00 am to 8:00 am in the Conference Room of the Parish Center. The group reads the following Sunday's Mass scripture passages, discusses them, shares prayer requests, and enjoys coffee, juice, and a light breakfast. The meeting closes with prayer and the chance for individuals to share intentions, finishing in time for men to attend 8:00 am Mass or head to work. No registration is required.
Women's Bible Study meets the second and fourth Tuesdays from 9:00 am to 11:00 am during the school year in the Parish Center conference room. The group discusses the Scripture readings for the upcoming Sunday Mass, explores an additional devotional book, and prays together.
The Emmaus retreat is offered for both women and men, with separate weekend retreats twice a year. The retreat is open to all men and women ages twenty or older, regardless of denomination or where they are on their faith walk. The weekend is filled with times for listening, sharing, reflecting, journaling, and praying. Many participants experience spiritual healing, a relief from emotional burdens, and the joy of being loved unconditionally. The cost is $175 per person, which covers room, meals, and retreat materials.
The St. Thérèse of Lisieux Circle brings together parish women once a month to pray and share a meal and to raise money to contribute to different organizations.
The Young Adult Ministry hosts Bible studies and game nights every month.
Sacred Music
The Adult Choir and Ministers of Music, directed by John and Mildred Roche, lead and enhance the liturgy at weekend Masses and other liturgical celebrations. Cantors, choir members, and instrumentalists offer their time and talents to lead the musical part of the service. All interested adults are welcome to join.
A Junior Choir sings several times a year during weekend liturgies and for special liturgies.
The parish draws on the Church's musical tradition as expressed in the Second Vatican Council's Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, which calls sacred music a treasure of inestimable value and a necessary or integral part of solemn liturgy.
Knights of Columbus and Secular Franciscans
The Knights of Columbus Fr. Maurice R. Daly Council 6076 was chartered on June 8, 1968. The council meets in the Parish Center on the first Thursday of the month. Membership is open to practicing Catholic men, eighteen or older, who live and uphold the commandments of God and the precepts of the Church. The Knights were founded in 1882 by Father Michael J. McGivney, assistant pastor of St. Mary's Church in New Haven, Connecticut, and a group of parishioners, with the intent of bringing financial aid and assistance to the sick, disabled, and needy members and their families.
The Secular Franciscan Order, also known as St. Michael the Archangel Fraternity, is a religious order for lay Catholics consisting of married and single men and women who live and work in the world. The order follows a way of life faithful to the original rule written by St. Francis of Assisi, adapted to today's circumstances. The rule and life of the Secular Franciscan is to observe the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. Members meet in the Parish Center on the fourth Saturday of every month from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm for prayer, encouragement in serving those in need with Christian justice and compassion, and maintaining a simple way of life.
The Hispanic Prayer Group meets once a week for prayers and the Rosary said in Spanish.
Christian Outreach and Community Relief
The parish's Christian Outreach ministry works with several local organizations:
- Spartanburg Soup Kitchen is an inter-denominational, inter-faith ministry made up of a partnership of individuals and organizations across the Upstate.
- TOTAL Ministries helps families in crisis with food, clothing, and financial assistance for utilities, bills, and medications. Food collections take place the first weekend of each month.
- Hope Center for Children builds stable, healthy families and provides children a safe place from abuse and neglect.
Catholic Charities of the Piedmont Regional Office provides counseling, emergency assistance, and disaster response.
The Bereavement Committee helps plan and serve refreshments for funeral receptions in the Parish Center Conference Room or Gym.
The Samaritan Ministry stays in touch with and helps meet the needs of the parish's own parishioners, making sure that every member of the parish family has someone to reach out to in their time of need.
The Culture of Life ministry supports awareness of issues related to the sanctity of human life from conception to natural death. Members educate themselves and the parish on life issues and participate in the January Stand Up for Life in Columbia and the October Life Chain in Spartanburg. The group meets the second Tuesday of most months.
The parish sponsors a Rummage Sale once a year, with reasonably priced second-hand goods, with the proceeds going to selected local charities and the church building fund.
Several times a year, the parish also partners with The Blood Connection to sponsor a Bloodmobile Sunday.
St. Paul the Apostle Catholic School
St. Paul the Apostle Catholic School provides a tradition of academic excellence in a faith-based environment. It serves students from K4 through 5th grade. The principal is Lauri Mitro.
Parish Leadership and Pastoral Council
Father David R. Whitman is the pastor. Four deacons serve the community: Robert L. Mahaffey, Jr., Ph.D.; Norberto (Bert) Chavez, who also serves as Director of Religious Education; Peter Brown, Ph.D.; and Jody Armstrong.
The Pastoral Council advises and assists the pastor in achieving the parish mission of proclaiming and living the gospel message of Jesus Christ for the glory of God and the salvation of souls. The council develops and maintains a strategic plan for the present and future mission of the parish. Members serve as points of contact for the parish's cornerstones: Family, Stewardship/Finance, Liturgy, Attendance/Enrollments, School, Corporal Works of Mercy, and Vocations. Father David serves as chairman of the board and as the point of contact supporting the Vocations cornerstone.
The Finance Council oversees parish finances and serves in an advisory capacity to the pastor in matters of financial planning, problem-solving, and decision-making. Major areas of concern include effective utilization of parish resources, balancing of parish budgets, and evaluating the financial condition of the parish.
Catholic Beliefs in the Parish's Own Words
The parish teaches that human beings were created by God in love and that everything God creates is good and created out of love. While human beings have the capacity for sin, the Church believes in the dignity of the human person above all else. Catholics see the world and its beauty, renewed by the Incarnation, as sacramental - speaking of God's goodness and love.
Catholics believe in the Holy Trinity, that God has revealed himself as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - a communion of knowledge and love - has created us to share in that life. Catholics believe in community and a living Church - believers are part of the living Body of Christ.
Catholics believe in stewardship. Everything is given to us by God, and our Catholic responsibility is to share our time, talent, and treasure with those around us. Catholics believe in the communion of saints - models of faith who help us and guide us in our daily lives.
The Pope, as the successor of the Apostle Peter, governs the Catholic Church as its supreme head. The bishops are successors of the Twelve Apostles. The Church is one, holy, catholic, and apostolic.
The parish's mission is for the people of Saint Paul the Apostle to form an international Christian community that challenges each of us to proclaim and live the gospel message of Jesus Christ through worship, evangelization, Christian formation, and outreach. At Saint Paul the Apostle, parishioners are committed to living together the life of the Compassionate Christ by sharing His welcome, His worship, His witness, His walk in the Spirit, and His work.
Joining the Parish
Newcomers can register as parishioners through the parish office. The parish welcomes those who are just visiting, looking for a new parish home, returning to the practice of the Catholic faith, or interested in finding out more about the Catholic Church. Online giving, registration, and sacramental forms are available through the parish office.