A Full Sunday in the Lowcountry
On day 10, Bishop Fabre visited three communities — St. Gregory the Great in Bluffton, St. Peter in Beaufort and Holy Cross Mission on St. Helena Island. The day included three Masses, a Notre Dame alumni gathering, two listening sessions and a closing meeting with the priests of the deanery. Every Mass was filled with people worshipping Christ in the Eucharist.
Notre Dame and a Full Church
The morning began at St. Gregory the Great, hosted by Msgr. Ronald R. Cellini, pastor. At the beginning of Mass, he shared the incredible news that the parish has already exceeded its goal for the 2026 Catholic Appeal of South Carolina — and it is only six months into the year.
During the homily, the bishop called the children of the parish forward, a gesture he asks every priest in the deanery to repeat at least once a month. He has witnessed a pattern in other states of young people leaving their communities because they didn’t feel seen or welcomed. He said the children in the pews today are the future priests, sisters and married couples of our parishes.
Bishop Fabre then briefly joined a gathering of Notre Dame alumni from the area. He offered an opening blessing and prayed that the men and women who carry the university’s mission might be a force for good in the world.
Two Languages, One Church
From Bluffton, Bishop Fabre traveled to St. Peter for an English listening session and Mass in Spanish. The English session was candid and wide-ranging, and Bishop Fabre opened by explaining why he undertakes these Pastoral Visits. It is a promise he made to himself when he became a bishop: to stay close to the people of God, to make the Church visible through presence.
A parishioner raised a concern shared by some families in the area about vaccine choice that may prevent children from enrolling in Catholic schools. Bishop Fabre listened carefully and committed to continued dialogue. He also explained that the diocese works in conjunction with the broader Atlanta Province on such matters.
When asked how he maintains his faith during difficult times, Bishop Fabre shared that, when he became bishop, Bishop Robert E. Guglielmone left a present for him. It’s a pillow embroidered with the words “Give it to God and go to sleep.”
The Spanish Mass that followed was packed — music, community and the same spirit that has characterized every Spanish-language celebration of the week. Children and parents lined up in long queues afterward to receive a blessing from the bishop. The theme that ran through all homilies was “hospitality.” Without exception, this word accurately describes the charism of the Beaufort Deanery.
Where It All Began
The day closed at Holy Cross Mission on St. Helena Island — one of the most historic stops of this Pastoral Visit, and where Hispanic ministry in the Lowcountry began.
During the listening session, a parishioner shared that he’d grown up Catholic but drifted away. He returned through RCIA at St. Peter under Father Andrew Trapp. Others asked about immigration, AI, vocations, and the future of the Church in the Southeast.
Bishop Fabre wove in diocesan and personal history at every turn: the first Catholics in South Carolina were Haitian; the diocese is the mother of all dioceses in the ecclesiastical province of Atlanta. Bishop Fabre said that when he feels tired, he thinks of our first bishop, John England, who traveled over his three-state diocese on horseback, and so he keeps going. The community ended by praying a Hail Mary for the bishop and joining in fellowship for a small but lively happy hour reception, which they hold each week after the afternoon Mass.
Bishop Fabre returned to St. Peter to share a meal with the deanery priests, closing the day by discussing the future of the deanery and the people of God.
Reflection
Bishop Fabre was asked how he maintains his faith when things are difficult. He did not give a theological answer. He gave a practical one: give it to God and go to sleep. It’s worth sitting with that response because it’s both simple and honest. Faith is not sustained by grand gestures but by the daily decision to trust in God. Day 7 was full of people making exactly those decisions in ordinary, beautiful ways.
Looking Ahead
Day 10 brings Bishop Fabre back to Bluffton and Hardeeville for a full day at St. Gregory the Great. The morning begins with a tour of Freedom House in Hardeeville, home of Family Promise of the Lowcountry, followed by a breakfast reception and English listening session, Mass and lunch with local developers and planners. The afternoon includes a meeting with pastors, vicars and diocesan directors, a reception with local dignitaries and parish leaders, and an evening Spanish Mass and listening session.
PUBLISHING THESE PICS?
Please credit: Doug Deas/The Miscellany