Decree Amending the
Columbia and Greenville
Vicariates Forane within the
Diocese of Charleston
Whereas seven vicariates forane were established within the Diocese of Charleston on April 5, 2015, to foster pastoral care through common action and ensure the spiritual needs of the growing Faithful are met; and
Whereas the best use of available priest personnel requires a cluster of parishes be served by the same pastor, and realigning these locations within the same vicariate forane would administratively aid the pastor and vicars forane; and
Whereas the current alignment of vicariates forane incorporates St. Mark Parish, Newberry County, into the Columbia Deanery, while the remaining two locations being served by the same pastor reside within the Greenville Deanery;
Therefore, restructuring the Greenville Deanery to include Newberry County and removing said county from the Columbia Deanery would facilitate this realignment;
Having sought and heard the counsel of the Presbyteral Council of the Diocese of Charleston on January 26, 2021, in accordance with the norms of canon 374 §2, and by testimony of this document;
I HEREBY AMEND the Columbia and Greenville vicariates forane within the Diocese of Charleston to be apportioned as follows:
The Columbia Deanery shall comprise the counties of Calhoun, Clarendon, Fairfield,
Kershaw, Lexington, Orangeburg, Richland, Saluda, and Sumter.
The Greenville Deanery shall comprise the counties of Anderson, Cherokee, Greenville,
Laurens, Newberry, Oconee, Pickens, Spartanburg, and Union.
I further direct that this decree be published on the website for the Diocese of Charleston, charlestondiocese.org, which will be presumed the official notification of this action.
The realignment of the Columbia and Greenville vicariates forane within the Diocese of Charleston is to become effective October 1, 2021, nothing the contrary withstanding.
Given at Charleston, South Carolina, on the 16th day of September 2021.
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Most Reverend Robert E. Guglielmone
Bishop of Charleston
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Sr. Sandra Makowski, SSMN, JCL
Chancellor