Having issued a decree effective February 28, 2017, in accordance with canon 515, §2, amalgamating the Personal Parish of Good Shepherd, Columbia, South Carolina, with St. Peter Parish, Columbia, South Carolina;
Having considered the present condition of the Good Shepherd Church edifice and the cost of repairing and maintaining said edifice for future use;
Having consulted the pastor of St. Peter Parish, which is the territorial parish to which the temporal goods of the Personal Parish of Good Shepherd were transferred, regarding the inability of St. Peter Parish to maintain Good Shepherd Church edifice in good and useable condition and provide the necessary repairs to the building;
Having ensured the Catholic Faithful of Columbia, South Carolina, are to be provided for through the extinctive union (unio extinctiva) between the Personal Parish of Good Shepherd and St. Peter Parish and, therefore, the good of souls of all concerned suffers no detriment;
Having determined that no persons can claim legitimate rights in Good Shepherd Church;
Having removed the altar and all sacred objects previously located within the Good Shepherd Church edifice and brought them into ecclesiastical custody as directed in decree issued March 2, 2018 (Prot. N. 2018001).
Having sought and heard the counsel of the Presbyteral Council of the Diocese of Charleston on January 30, 2018; and in accordance with the norms of canon 1222, §2, and by testimony of this document;
I HEREBY DECREE Good Shepherd Church edifice, Columbia, be relegated to profane but not sordid use. I further decree Good Shepherd Church edifice and parcel is to be used or sold by St. Peter Parish as it deems appropriate, providing it is not given over to any use unworthy of its dignity as a former sacred place.
The grave reasons that motivate this decision were presented in full to the Presbyteral Council. St. Peter Parish is clearly unable to provide for the increasing expenses associated with the necessary repairs and maintenance to the aging structure. The resources of the Diocese of Charleston are insufficient for preserving and maintaining the church, and other sources of revenue are not currently available for such purpose. In addition, the relative proximity of other worship communities and churches, as well as the best use of available priest personnel further promote this decision.
I direct that this decree be published on the website for the Diocese of Charleston, www.sccatholic.org, which will be presumed the official notification of this action. A petition for revocation or emendation of this decree is subject to canons 1732 – 1739.
The relegation of Good Shepherd Church, Columbia, to profane but not sordid use is to become effective Friday, March 2, 2018, nothing the contrary withstanding.
Given at Charleston, South Carolina, on the _____ day of March 2018.
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Most Reverend Robert E. Guglielmone
Bishop of Charleston
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Sr. Sandra Makowski, SSMN, JCL
Chancellor