Our Parish mailing address is:
195 Amicks Ferry Road, Chapin SC 29036
Sign-up HERE to bring up the Gifts at Mass
Sign-up HERE for all Liturgical Ministries
If you need help please contact the parish office at 803.345.3962
or Fr. Dennis Willey at 843.834.5447.
Dear Friends,
This Sunday is Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord. It also marks the beginning of Holy Week. Follow the link to learn much more about this most sacred week of the year for Catholics! Please take note of our Holy Week Schedule below. There are changes to Mass times!
We need help at all the Masses and Services of Holy Week and Easter. SIgn-ups are taking place now for all Liturgical Ministries. Please contact your ministry lead if you have questions. We especially need Greeters, Ushers, Altar Servers, Lectors, and Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion. Thank you to all who will give of their time and service this Easter!
Faith Formation, Edge and Life Teen are on Spring Break and will not meet again until 27 April!
Our April Via Fidelis activity for the Diocesan Year of Evangelization is INVITE SOMEONE TO MEET JESUS. With the help of the Holy Spirit, make a conscious decision to invite someone to encounter Jesus with you.
This Friday, 11 April, is the last of our Lenten Family Fridays with a Meatless Dinner in Saint Andrew Hall at 6:00PM followed by the Stations of the Cross at 7:00PM. All families are invited to make a special effort of sacrifice and prayer together as a family during Lent.
REMINDER: Fridays during Lent are days of abstinence from meat. Ash Wednesday & Good Friday are days of fast and abstinence. LENTEN REGULATIONS
Father Dennis will be in the Confessional this Thursday and Saturday, 10 and 12 April, to hear Confessions. Our Easter Obligation is to make a good confession some time during the Lent and Easter Seasons. So try to make a good confession by Pentecost! You can take advantage of our schedule here at OLL or check out opportunities at other local Catholic parishes. Our Lenten Confession schedule for the final week of Lent is:
Thursday: 10 April - 6:00PM to 7:30PM.
Saturday Confessions: 12 April (only Fr Dennis) - 2:00PM-4:30PM.
The Men's Club will be offering three $3000 FAITH BASED SCHOLARSHIPS and one $3000 DEEDS AND NEED SCHOLARSHIP to all high school seniors who are members of Our Lady of the Lake Parish and are pursuing some type of secondary education; 4-year or vocational. The faith-based scholarships are awarded to students who have demonstrated their commitment to their Catholic faith through their participation in parish life and community activities. Application Instructions can be found in the Bell Tower of the church and by clicking the links above. The scholarship application must be received at the parish business office by the end of the business day Monday, 14 April 2025.
The Holy Week and Easter Schedule is now available:
Catholic Appeal of South Carolina (CASC) 2025:
(As of 7 April)
2025 Goal: $57,941.
Total Raised to date: $89,708.
Percent of Goal: 155%.
Pledged - not yet received: $12,077.
270 Families have made one time gifts and/or pledges.
Participation Rate: TBD
Congratulations - we have reached our 2025 Goal for the CASC! We remain confident that we will also exceed our participation goal. Bishop Fabre has once again challenged all parishes in the diocese to exceed 25% participation. We will provide a participation rate in the near future once the diocese gives us additional information. You can learn more about the CASC and make a donation or pledge online by following this LINK.
Bicentennial Campaign
The Diocesan Bicentennial Campaign is coming to an end this year. If you made a pledge, now is the time to check to see if your pledge has been fulfilled. Currently, after receiving confirmation that several pledges could no longer be fulfilled, there is only $33,834 in unpaid pledges to be redeemed. If you can't fulfill your pledge please let me know so that we can update our records. If you did not give to the Bicentennial Campaign but would like to do so we can still accept gifts or pledges -DONATE HERE! We thank all those who made one time gifts or pledges to the Bicentennial Campaign.
Some brief reminders:
There is NO 8:00AM or 10:30AM Hospitality this weekend. Please support the Women's Bake Sale before and after all the Masses.
Pray for peace in the world and for protection from storms and other natural disasters.
Peace and all good,
Fr. Dennis
PADRE'S PICK
A weekly series of videos to watch (or listen to) that I recommend for every parish household and family! What better way to enter Holy Week than to begin the Word on Fire EASTER MINI-COURSE -- HE IS RISEN!
The entire Word on Fire Library is also available. Just click the white "play" arrow to begin or follow the link to access the library.
PARISH FINANCIAL UPDATES
Last Sunday's collection was $24,874! This was a first weekend of the month. This was a strong recovery from last week. This remains the time of year where we see large, once a year, gifts. Many of our parishioners give yearly from investments that have Required Minimum Disbursements. There is a significant tax advantage when RMDs are given directly to a charity like the Church. Check with your financial advisor if you have RMDs and would like to reduce your tax burden. We remain in a good place financially at this time. Thank you for your continued generosity to the parish.
The weekly financial report is available HERE. We remain deeply grateful for your generosity.
In the coming months I will share additional information about Planned Giving and how your estate planning can support the mission of Our Lady of the Lake far into the future! You can also visit Stewardship & Mission Advancement - South Carolina Catholic at the Diocese of Charleston's website to learn more.
Please remember that every gift to the church helps, no matter the amount. We emphasize equal sacrifice - NOT equal giving! We ask that all registered households give what they can to support the ministry of the Church. We are always THANKFUL for your generosity and support!
THANK YOU!!!
Do you give online using your credit card? If so, our vendor now allows you the option to add the processing fee to your gift. Please consider making this change and strengthen the power of your gift.
CHILDREN'S ENVELOPE ARTWORK
We encourage all our parish children to use their envelopes at the Sunday Morning Masses. Children can make a monetary donation or just write something on the envelope; a good deed, a prayer, artwork, etc. Father Dennis will hold a basket and invite the children to come forward at the appropriate time. If you have forgotten an envelope or need more, they are available in the Narthex.
CAMPUS CONSTRUCTION UPDATES
We are working on an in house solution to the question of movable Altar Rails for our sanctuary. More information to come in the near future! To understand some of the benefits of installing movable Altar Rails at Our Lady of the Lake please read this ARTICLE.
Future plans for the fountain in front of the church are to extend the plaza in front of the church with pavers so as to include the area around the fountain. We will raise funds to complete this project by selling pavers to be inscribed with family names, in honor of, or in memorial. We are very close to finalizing pricing for the pavers.
JUBILEE OF HOPE
The Year 2025 is a Jubilee Year in the Catholic Church. Pope Francis declared the Jubilee of Hope on 9 May, 2024. He invites all the faithful to be Pilgrims of Hope during this Jubilee Year. You can learn more about being a Pilgrim of Hope at the USCCB Website. There is so much to talk about during a Jubilee Year that it is hard to know where to begin. To start, I encourage you to read about Indulgences for the Jubilee Year. I promise to share more information in the coming weeks. “Hope does not disappoint” (Rom 5:5)!!!
Jubilee Pilgrimage Sites in the Diocese of Charleston:
As the Church celebrates the Jubilee Year of Hope this year, Bishop Fabre announced that our diocese has four parishes designated as pilgrimage sites. They are:
Cathedral of St. John the Baptist – 120 Broad St. in Charleston
Basilica of St. Peter – 1529 Assembly St. in Columbia
Old St. Mary Help of Christians – 125 Park Ave. SE in Aiken
St. Mary – 111 Hampton Ave. in Greenville
Basilica of St. Peter – 1529 Assembly St. in Columbia
Old St. Mary Help of Christians – 125 Park Ave. SE in Aiken
St. Mary – 111 Hampton Ave. in Greenville
Pilgrims can receive a plenary indulgence by visiting one of these churches in addition to the normative requirements for obtaining such an indulgence. For more information, please visit https://charlestondiocese.org/jubilee2025/sc-pilgrimage-sites/.
“Be kind to your servant that I may live, that I may keep your word. Open my eyes to see clearly the wonders of your law. I am a sojourner in the land; do not hide your commandments from me” (Ps 119:17-19).
NOTES OF IMPORTANCE FROM
THE DIOCESE
Statement from the Most Rev. Jacques Fabre-Jeune, CS, Bishop of Charleston, on the execution of Mikal Mahdi
The scheduled execution of Mikal Mahdi is set for the evening of Friday, April 11. A prayer vigil for life will be held outside Broad River Correctional Institute in Columbia, where the execution is to take place. Contact Brian Hansen for details: bphansen65@gmail.com.
Bishop Jacques Fabre-Jeune, CS, has issued the following statement:
"As people of faith, we are called to uphold the inherent dignity of every human being, even those who have caused great harm. The planned execution of Mikal Mahdi has no place in a civilized society. All life is sacred from conception to natural death.
"The death penalty is an affront to the sanctity of life. It denies the possibility of redemption and reconciliation and true justice. The Church stands firmly against capital punishment, recognizing that every person, regardless of the severity of their offenses, possesses a God-given dignity that cannot be taken away.
"Scripture teaches us, 'For it is loyalty that I desire, not sacrifice, and knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings' (Hos 6:6), and 'Do not repay anyone evil for evil; be concerned for what is noble in the sight of all … Do not be conquered by evil but conquer evil with good' (Rom 12:17, 21). These words call us to embrace compassion and to seek paths of reconciliation rather than retribution.
"We grieve for the victims of violent crimes and their families, and we continue to pray for their healing. However, state-sanctioned executions only deepen the wounds in our society. True justice is not found in retribution but in mercy and restoration.
"I call upon Gov. Henry McMaster and all South Carolina officials to halt this execution and to work toward a system of justice that respects the dignity of every human life. Let us choose life, mercy and hope over vengeance and death.
"As we conclude the Lenten season and prepare for Easter, may God’s peace and compassion guide our hearts and actions as we seek to build a more just and merciful society and the conversion of those who do harm to others."
Closing Celebration for 40 Days for Life
As part of our closing celebration for 40 Days for Life Lenten Campaign, we are collecting baby gifts for Daybreak Life Care Center. Join us for Food, Fellowship, Door prizes and to learn about 40 Days for Life 365. There's an optional tour of Daybreak following our picnic. Please see the FLYER for picnic details and a baby items list. If you cannot attend, but would like to donate a gift or have questions, contact Maureen at 803-932-6032 or email respectlife@ollchapin.org.
Year of Evangelization
Bishop Jacques Fabre-Jeune, CS, kicked off the five-year plan for the Diocese of Charleston, called Via Fidelis, at the beginning of Advent, 1 December 2024.
Our first year's theme is Proclaim the Faith - a Year of Evangelization!
The bishop has given each month a focus to challenge us to grow in our faith. As we prepare ourselves to enter deeper into this evangelization year of Proclaim the Faith, we are asking all the faithful to keep in prayer Via Fidelis, your parish and the entire diocese as we work to spread the Word of God in our state.
You can read more about Via Fidelis in our monthly articles in The Catholic Miscellany: Via Fidelis. Attached are the monthly activities calendar for 2025 and our prayer card.
Additional resources and videos may be found online at charlestondiocese.org/via-fidelis.
Check it out!
VISIT the Catholic Miscellany
For the most up-to-date information from the diocese visit: charlestondiocese.org/events.
Read the APRIL CARITAS; the Diocesan Monthly E-Newsletter.