Dear Friends in Christ, “I am the good shepherd. A good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” The Fourth Sunday of Easter is also known as Good Shepherd Sunday because of the Scripture readings and Mass prayers appointed for this day in the sacred liturgy. The Latin word for shepherd is pastor, and…

Dear Friends in Christ, On 8 May 1965, Bishop Ernest Unterkoefler of Charleston ordained two men to the priesthood here at St. Mary’s, and one of them was Monsignor E. Christopher Lathem, now a retired priest of our diocese. Monsignor Lathem was born and reared in Greenville and became a Catholic at St. Mary’s when…

Dear Friends in Christ, Christos Anesti! Alithos Anesti! These Greek acclamations mean “Christ is Risen! He is truly Risen!”, and in the Christian East — both Catholic and Orthodox — these acclamations replace the usual greetings of hello and goodbye during the fifty days between Easter and Pentecost, the liturgical season of Easter or Eastertide.…

Dear Friends in Christ, Last night, at the beginning of the Easter Vigil, priests all over the world prepared the Paschal Candle which will burn before every altar of the Church throughout Eastertide and at every font during each Baptism in the coming year. In preparation for the lighting of the Paschal Candle, a symbol…