South Carolina and Georgia are renowned for their southern charm and sun soaked beach fronts from Myrtle Beach to Charleston and Savannah. Hundreds of thousands of visitors flock to the Carolina and Georgia coasts annually, most with little knowledge that this was once fertile mission territory for the first Jesuit and Franciscan missionaries in America. The Franciscans based out of St. Augustine, Florida, undertook missionary activity that spanned the eastern seaboard from Florida up to Virginia, with several enduring a martyr’s death. In later centuries and despite the heavy Protestant presence in these states, immigrants from Santo Domingo (Dominican Republic), Haiti, Ireland and migrants from the northern U.S. gradually helped to establish new and vibrant parishes. Today, each of these beach communities serve as a gateway to some wonderful Catholic gems.
Myrtle Beach and Our Lady of South Carolina
Myrtle Beach is the jewel of the South Carolina sea towns, with over 60 miles of sand, classic piers and colorful beach houses. At the heart of Myrtle Beach is its expansive boardwalk complete with a giant ferris wheel and wooden rollercoaster – the Swamp Fox – that dates from the 1960s. There are over 50 expansive mini golf courses in town. The Broadway at the Beach entertainment complex, complete with Ripley’s Aquarium, is also quite popular. An unexpected find in Myrtle Beach is Warbird Park, with mounted U.S. Air Force planes that belonged to the Air Force base that once existed here.
About 90 minutes inland from Myrtle Beach is the small town of Kingstree where the diocesan Shrine of Our Lady of South Carolina is located. The pilgrim image is located inside a small chapel – Our Lady of Joyful Hope – which was established with the blessing of the diocesan bishop in 2003, with a collection of over 200 relics. The image of Our Lady was “written” (as are all icons) by a local Orlando priest and approved by the Bishop of Charleston during the year in which he had the diocese consecrated to Our Lady. The image on the icon includes the pink robes of Our Lady of Guadalupe, as patroness of the Americas, and there is also a prominent palm tree in the icon, linking it to the central image of the Palmetto State. You can read more about the shrine here.
Isle of Palms, Charleston, and the mother church of the Catholic southeast
The Isle of Palms is located on a barrier island just 12 miles from historic Charleston. It offers spectacular beachfront resorts, excellent dining and recreation options, and is a short commute to the “holy city” of Charleston.
Charleston is often called the “Holy City” owing to the multitude of steeples that dot the skyline. The oldest is an episcopal church, St. Michael’s, dating back to late 1600s and two historically significant churches: the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church, the oldest AME church in the Southern U.S, and the last remaining French Protestant (Huguenot) church in the country. Among these historic churches is the mother Catholic Church of the Carolinas and Georgia: St. Mary of the Annunciation, located in the city’s historic shopping district. The church was established in 1789 and brought together a mixture of Irish Catholics and French-speaking Catholics fleeing Santo Domingo (Dominican Republic). Among the first parishioners who helped establish the church was James Hoban, the architect of the White House. He rose to prominence as a builder in Charleston, before being personally selected by George Washington to come to Washington.
Another landmark church in the city is the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist. From here, the bishop governs all of South Carolina which remains a single diocese. South Carolina has had its share of famous bishops. The very first bishop, now buried in the cathedral crypt is John England. He was ordained bishop of Charleston in Cork, Ireland, before moving to the United States. Upon arrival, he was very active in ministering to his flock which, at the time, included all of North and South Carolina as well as Georgia. He established the first Catholic newspaper in the United States – the United States Catholic Miscellany – and also established a new religious order, the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy, focused on providing education to women including religious instruction to female slaves. The inspiration for forming this order came following his visit to Baltimore and seeing St. Elizabeth Ann Seton and the Sisters of Charity in action, upon whom this new order was modeled.
One of the more notorious bishops of the diocese was Patrick Lynch. During the Civil War, he served as Special Commissioner (ambassador) for Jefferson Davies and traveled to Rome to see Pope Pius IX in a failed bid for papal recognition of the Confederate States.
After touring these historic churches, take time to experience the classic southern charm of Charleston. It is a city whose history spans over three hundred years, full of antebellum mansions and also the infamous Fort Sumter, where the first shots opening the Civil War were issued by Confederate forces attacking the fort in 1861. It is filled with picturesque cobblestone streets and horse drawn carriages. It is also a great place to experience the famous Low country sunsets; sweet iced tea and Low Country food like shrimp and grits.
In the Battery district, you can tour a variety of historic mansions that line the harbor. One of the best is the Edmondston-Alston House, built in 1825. It offers spectacular views of the harbor from its verandas. Other nearby attractions include the bustling Charleston City Market, in operation for over two hundred years, the Rainbow Row of pastel colored houses along the Battery, the Joe Riley Waterfront Park with its iconic pineapple fountain, the historic Old Exchange and Provost Dungeon – where the constitution was ratified in South Carolina and an old dungeon for rebels and pirates; and not to be missed for children, the South Carolina Aquarium. For a step back in time to the antebellum plantation life, visit Magnolia Plantation and Gardens, one of the best preserved plantations in the South situated on over 500 acres. Taking the family on a horse and carriage ride through Charleston is also sure to evoke the sense of Charleston’s past. Last but not least, take time to visit Patriot’s Point Naval and Maritime Museum, with a World War II era aircraft carrier moored there.
From mainland Charleston, take a water taxi to Sullivan’s Island, where you can see 3 miles of beach and likely some dolphins along the way. On the island is Stella Maris Church in the historic Moultrieville District. Dedicated to Mary Star of the Sea, it was built in the 1870s using some of the bricks from the ruins of Fort Moultrie (the key fortress protecting Charleston; US forces finally defeated the British here after a nine hour battle during the Revolutionary War. The fort was destroyed during the Civil War). The interior of the church resembles a ship’s hull and there is a beautiful statue of Mary Star of the Sea illuminated in the dome of the church’s steeple tower. Latin Mass is celebrated every Sunday evening.
Tybee Island and Savannah
About two hours south of Charleston is the lovely southern city of Savannah, Georgia, and its barrier island beach of Tybee Island. Tybee Island is home to the oldest lighthouse in Georgia, excellent biking and nature trails, an historic fort, cruises to see the nearby bottlenose dolphins, and of course the sandy stretches that attract visitors annually. There are a surprising number of beachfront hotel and motel options, with over 500 rooms available within a block of the beach. A fun time to visit is in early October, when the island hosts the annual PirateFest, complete with parade and entertainment.
Tybee Island is only about twenty minutes from one of the most picturesque cities of the South: Savannah. Known as the “Hostess city of the south,” this was the first capital of the Colony of Georgia, established in 1733. It is full of green spaces,with magnolia trees and oaks dripping with Spanish moss, stately public squares with ornate fountains that date back to the city’s founding in the late eighteenth century. The most iconic of these green spaces is the 30 acre Forsyth Park in the heart of old Savannah. The best way to explore the historic districts is taking one of the trolley rides through town, perhaps followed by a paddle steamer riverboat ride along the Savannah River.
Savannah’s easily walkable Historic District is the largest National Historic Landmark District in the U.S. Within the district are several unique churches and a number of well preserved antebellum mansions that are open to the public for tours, such as the Owens-Thomas House; a short seven minute walk away is the Telfair Academy, the oldest art museum in the South. Among the historic homes to the public is the childhood home of renowned Catholic and American fiction writer, Flannery O’Connor. While many of her stories were dark, they achieved the objective of demonstrating to the wider American public how the unmerited grace of God can break through and transform the lives of the forsaken.
Walking through the historic district, the most unexpected find is a cathedral like none other in the Deep South: the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist.
It is sometimes called the “Sistine of the South,” on account of its 34 impressive murals lining the nave, ornate statuary and stained glass windows imported from the Austrian Tyrol. A church of this size and beauty would be rare to find anywhere in America, but is especially shocking to find in the heart of the Deep South where the Catholic population remains relatively small. Indeed, in many respects, it resembles more the great cathedrals of old Europe than a parish in the Deep South.
The parish had its origin in the late seventeenth century with the arrival of exiled Black Haitians who fled the island following the Haitian Revolution to Georgia, as well as some French noblemen fleeing the French Revolution. The parish initially took the French name of St. Jean de Baptiste, before eventually anglicizing in the nineteenth century with an increasing number of Irish immigrants joining the congregation. At the time of its establishment, this single parish was responsible for about a third of Catholics in Georgia. The current cathedral building dates from the 1870s. One of its most famous parishioners was Flannery O’Connor.
The Cathedral is as a good a place as any along the Carolina and Georgia coasts to reflect on the blood shed by the first martyrs – the Georgia Martyrs – who worked in what is now the Diocese of Savannah. Five Franciscan Martyrs gave their lives as they sought to minister to the Guale native peoples in 1597. They were killed after a native leader rebelled against Christianizing influence when the Friars would not bless a second marriage. They are collectively known as the Georgia Martyrs and their cause for canonization is being pursued by the diocese.
The other notable church in Savannah’s historic district, on the city’s East Side, is St. Benedict the Moor, which was established for the Black Catholic community in Savannah. One of its most famous parishioners is U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, who attended mass regularly as a child there.
Before bringing the trip to Savannah to conclusion, step outside the historic district to Tricentennial Park. Here there are three museums co-located that could easily fill a day with kids in tow: the completely outdoors Savannah Children’s Museum, the Savannah History Museum, and the Georgia State Railroad Museum which has an operating turntable roundhouse. After a day of exploring, be sure to stop for an ice cream at Leopold’s, one of the oldest ice cream parlors in the U.S. which has been operating for over 100 years.
CATHOLIC CONCIERGE 
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