New location announced for Daniel Island's first catholic parish

Home is where the heart is, and the blossoming congregation of Daniel Island’s Saint Clare of Assisi have formed a church home with lots of heart, despite not having a dedicated place of worship. From mass in the Bishop England High School Performing Arts Center to vigils in Smythe Park, the parish’s community has been a true example of that old adage. Setting on a location for the new church has changed several times, with a new location announced recently – the six-acre site, owned by the Diocese, at the corner of Seven Farms Drive and Etiwan Park Drive (current lacrosse practice field).

Saint Clare of Assisi was established in April 2014, and it was always the intention to build a brand new brick-and-mortar church on Daniel Island. But believing intently that “a church is a people, not a building,” the parish’s leader, Father Gregory West, was willing to allow that search to proceed in an unhurried, thoughtful fashion. Still, as the church found it’s footing on the island and grew exponentially in short order, a capital fund was established and the search for land was on.

For nearly a year, the Catholic Diocese of Charleston and the Daniel Island Company attempted to settle on a purchase price for a parcel of land located near the island’s I-526 interchange. When it became clear that an agreement would not be reached, the Diocese began to consider locating the new church closer to Bishop England High School (BEHS). Such an arrangement would allow sharing of facilities: Bishop England could utilize the church for worship and various celebrations, and the parish would have access to the school’s facilities for education, performances, and other events.

In June 2015, the Diocese announced that it had given the nod to place Saint Clare of Assisi right on Bishop England’s campus, targeting the land where the school’s track sits. As questions regarding parking, traffic flow, and the displacement of the track program arose, both Father West and Bishop England Principal Patrick Finneran assured the community that an optimal configuration would be established to accommodate zoning and safety and retain all school athletics. But, ultimately, a congruence of vision between the school and the parish for these future athletic facilities could not be achieved.

So in the last month, a new plan has been communicated to parish members, and that is to build atop a six-acre site, owned by the Diocese, at the corner of Seven Farms Drive and Etiwan Park Drive. The parcel, a portion of the ten acres purchased by the Diocese two decades ago (the other four acres were donated by the Diocese to the City of Charleston for the construction of housing at Seven Farms and Daniel Island Drives) has been utilized as a practice field for BEHS athletics.

Though the site is smaller than the locations previously considered, church leaders believe it is sufficient to accommodate Saint Clare of Assisi’s needs and it has received the endorsement of the Bishop Robert E. Guglielmone.

“The good news with this decision is that we can move ahead more quickly and at a lower cost because we won’t be upgrading the sports facilities,” Father West stated in an open letter on the parish’s website.

The Diocese will be looking for parishioner input at upcoming “town hall meetings” on the design and configuration of the campus, which is to include a church, a parish center with offices and meetings space, a narthex connecting those two main buildings, a columbarium/internment facility, and an outdoor pavilion. Dedicated parking will be created as well, and Father West reports that the City of Charleston has indicated the church will be permitted to use BEHS parking lots toward its occupancy requirements since both entities are owned by the Diocese.

Construction will commence when a minimum of 50% of the funds needed are in the bank; the balance of project costs will be funded through a Diocese-negotiated bank loan. The total project cost depends on the exact architecture, design, and materials approved by the parish, the Diocese, and the City of Charleston. An estimate for the church alone currently sits at $10 million.

To date, Saint Clare of Assisi has about $720,000 in its Building Fund. A capital campaign, to obtain both immediate donations and pledges up to five years, will commence this spring.

Father West suggests that the new facilities would serve not only the parish, but all of its home island and surrounding area. “While no means definite, it could happen that the church would become a venue for concerts, possibly during the Spoleto Festival,” he states. “We are confident that our parish facilities will greatly enhance the quality of life for the entire Daniel Island community and beyond.”