Church Photo in Lieu of Attendance - Stella Marris Catholic Church

Stella Marris Catholic Church, Sullivan's Island, S.C.

Stella Marris in 1920

This morning's Church Photo in Lieu of Attendance is the Star of the Sea, otherwise known as Stella Marris Catholic Church on Sullivan's Island. It is a beautiful church and I'd always meant to catch it when the trees were in blossom. When I was walking on the island yesterday, the Mexican sage bush in front of the church was alive with yellow butterflies. It was beautiful and as always an opportunity to learn about the church's history.

Stella Marris Catholic Church: Father Bermingham bought the present church lot in October, 1868, for $100. He secured permission from the Secretary of War to use bricks from the ruins of Fort Moultrie to build the new church; indeed, in his enthusiasm for the project, he occasionally had to be physically restrained from tearing down additional walls of the Fort to secure even more bricks. On 18 January 1869 Father Bermingham laid the cornerstone for the new church, which he first called Saint Mary, Star of the Sea, or Stella Maris. Both Protestants and Catholics on the Island donated their time and efforts to clean the bricks from Fort Moultrie and help with the construction.

 

 See the butterflies!