2013-2014 Bill 1299: Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church - South Carolina Legislature

1 South Carolina General Assembly 2 120th Session, 2013-2014 3 4 S. 1299 5 6 STATUS INFORMATION 7 8 Senate Resolution 9 Sponsors: Senator Sheheen 10 Document Path: l:\council\bills\gm\24116cm14.docx 11 12 Introduced in the Senate on May 14, 2014 13 Adopted by the Senate on May 14, 2014 14 15 Summary: Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church 16 17 18 HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS 19 20 Date Body Action Description with journal page number 21 5/14/2014 Senate Introduced and adopted ( Senate Journalpage 5) 22 23 24 VERSIONS OF THIS BILL 25 26 5/14/2014 27 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 A SENATE RESOLUTION 10 11 TO RECOGNIZE AND HONOR OUR LADY OF PERPETUAL 12 HELP CATHOLIC CHURCH IN CAMDEN AND TO 13 CONGRATULATE THE PARISH ON THE CELEBRATION OF 14 ITS ONE HUNDREDTH ANNIVERSARY. 15 16 Whereas, the members of the South Carolina Senate are pleased to 17 learn that Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church in Camden 18 will celebrate one hundred years of ministry on Tuesday, May 20, 19 2014, at a Mass of Thanksgiving with the Most Reverend Robert 20 Guglielmone, Bishop of Charleston, presiding, followed by a 21 reception on the front lawn; and 22 23 Whereas, the Catholic church in Camden had its origin before 24 1884, following the Diocese of Charleston which was founded in 25 1820 and which included only one thousand Catholics in all of 26 South Carolina, North Carolina, and Georgia; and 27 28 Whereas, since priests were scarce and Camden was just a small 29 mission with no church building, mass could only be celebrated in 30 private homes when mission priests were available; and 31 32 Whereas, in 1884, an effort was made to build a church in 33 Camden, but the building was never completed and was sold later 34 at public auction; and 35 36 Whereas, when the Sacred Heart Church was constructed and 37 dedicated in 1903, Camden had its own parish and pastor and used 38 the building until 1914; and 39 40 Whereas, after Miss Charlotte Thompson of Baltimore, Maryland 41 moved to the outskirts of Camden in 1909, she became a 42 benefactress of the present Catholic church in Camden. Converted

[1299] 2 1 to Catholicism and baptized in Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church 2 in Rome, Italy, she returned with a grateful heart, determined to 3 build a Catholic church in Camden; and 4 5 Whereas, the church was constructed and dedicated on May 24, 6 1914, at which time the church had only twenty members. 7 Membership has grown to some seven hundred families, and the 8 church is considered one of the most charming architectural sites 9 in the State with its Spanish motif and redtiled roofs; and 10 11 Whereas, only a few minor changes have been made to the interior 12 of the church, which is enhanced by a dark natural wood and the 13 white marble altar imported from Italy, above which is an exact 14 replica of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Rome; and 15 16 Whereas, Southern trees, flowers, and shrubbery maintain the 17 Spanish mission design, and additional buildings erected on the 18 property now include a rectory and St. Mary’s Hall; and 19 20 Whereas, in the 1960s, the garden area was enclosed and 21 landscaped, and an enlargement of the church was begun and 22 completed; and 23 24 Whereas, in 2005, renovations on the altar and the floor inside the 25 church were completed, and the icon of Our Lady of Perpetual 26 Help altar, which had been in the back of the west wing, became 27 the altar for the reserve Sacrament; and 28 29 Whereas, the South Carolina Senate is pleased to recognize Our 30 Lady of Perpetual Help upon its one hundredth anniversary and 31 join with the church members at the celebration of this significant 32 milestone. Now, therefore, 33 34 Be it resolved by the Senate: 35 36 That the members of the South Carolina Senate, by this resolution, 37 recognize and honor Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church 38 in Camden and congratulate the parish on the joyous celebration of 39 its one hundredth anniversary. 40 41 Be it further resolved that a copy of this resolution be presented to 42 the Reverend Paul Brenninkmeijer, Administrator Pro Tem of Our 43 Lady of Perpetual Help.

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