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 the 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time.
This Friday and Saturday are a First Friday and First Saturday on 1 and 2 August. I will hear Confessions from 10:00AM until 11:30AM on both days followed by Mass at Noon. On Friday, 1 August, we will have Adoration following Mass until Benediction on Saturday at 11:45AM. Please sign up for Adoration HERE.
This weekend is the First Sunday of the Month. I will offer a special blessing after Mass for all those celebrating their birthday during the month of August. Please stand when invited to receive the blessing.
Happy Birthday & Many Blessings to Deacon John as he celebrates his birthday on Saturday, 2 August!
Please put the following HOLY DAY OF OBLIGATION dates and Mass times on your calendars for the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary:
14 August ~ Vigil Mass at 6:30PM
15 August ~ Holy Day Masses are at 12Noon and 6:30PM (Traditional Latin)
PARISH OFFICES CLOSED ON 15 AUGUST.
The Knights of Columbus will be on the Plaza for three weeks beginning 9-10 August to promote their Labor Day Boston Butt Fundraiser. See the FLYER for details and to pre-order.
Our August Via Fidelis activity for the Diocesan Year of Evangelization is REJUVENATE THE CHURCH. Young people are especially challenged to share their faith. So, invite another young person to Mass, adoration, youth ministry and other opportunities at your parish!
FERTILITY CARE: As your pastor, I strongly support Natural Family Planning. The benefits to your marriage are countless. The Creighton Model Fertility Care System (CrMS) offers an empowering approach to women's reproductive health care that is safe from side-effects, life-affirming, and clinically proven.
The Creighton Model System can help you:
Monitor and maintain your gynecological health.
Share responsibility for fertility regulation between spouses.
Uncover the root cause of many female health issues.
Achieve or avoid pregnancy with a safe, clinically-proven, and morally-acceptable alternative to hormonal birth control and IVF.
Sessions are now available at Our Lady of the Lake Catholic Church. The next two sessions are scheduled for 12 and 28 August 2025, at 6:00PM in the Mega Room, Second Floor of the Family Life Center. To learn more about the CrMS Natural Family Planning System contact: Courtney Webber, FCPI, at courtney.nfp@gmail.com or (760) 415-3465.
Catholic Appeal of South Carolina (CASC) 2025:
(As of 25 July)
2025 Goal: $57,941.
Total Raised to date: $120,700.
Percent of Goal: 208%.
Pledged - not yet received: $16,653.
326 Families have made one time gifts and/or pledges.
Participation Rate: 33.20% (Catholic Appeal Solicitor's Report as of 30 June 2025)
Congratulations - we have reached our 2025 Goal for the CASC! 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 at the end of December 2025. Time is running out. 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 $20,186 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 one time gifts -DONATE HERE! We thank all those who made one time gifts or pledges to the Bicentennial Campaign.
Some brief reminders:
There is 8:00AM Hospitality and 10:30AM Hospitality this Sunday hosted by the 8:00AM Bakers of Fellowship and Bereavement Ministry respectively.
Phishing Scams Alert: Please be aware, you will NEVER receive an email or text from me or any of the parish staff requesting donations, gift cards, or similar items.
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! This week's Word on Fire video is the fifth in a series of 12 videos on Pivotal Players in the Catholic Church:
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
This past Sunday's collection was $25,855! Our collection this week benefited substantially from three annual gifts totaling $8,250!!!
Our new weekly goal for Fiscal Year 2025-2026 is $20,823. The Parish Finance Council is confident we can reach this goal due to the continued growth of our parish. Your support is crucial to the success of our parish mission and ministries. Thank you!
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.
The weekly financial report is available HERE. We remain deeply grateful for your generosity.
In the coming months we plan to host a Planned Giving Seminar that will give you information on how to plan your estate and ensure 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 continuing to work 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 invited 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
Back to School Mass Invitation
A Back to School Mass with Bishop Fabre will be celebrated at St. John Neumann, 100 Polo Road, Columbia, on Sunday, 10 August, at 5:00 PM. All are welcome and this Mass counts towards your Sunday obligation.
In this year dedicated to Proclaim the Faith, we recall that in the Great Commission, our Lord asks us to make disciples of all nations (Mt 28:19). It is our calling to bring the Good News of salvation to every area of human habitation, but also to every facet of human life.
7th Annual Human Trafficking Seminar
Bon Secours St. Francis Health System is honored to host its 7th Annual Human Trafficking Seminar on 22 August from 8:00AM to 12:30PM at Grace Church’s Pelham Campus, 2801 Pelham Road in Greenville. This year’s seminar—"Defending Dignity: Responding to Human Trafficking and Trauma"—invites healthcare professionals, community leaders and advocates to come together in response to the ongoing crisis of human trafficking.
SC Attorney General Alan Wilson will provide insights into the state’s anti-trafficking initiatives, and Dr. Elizabeth Bowman will serve as the keynote speaker. A clinically licensed social worker, professor at Gallaudet University, and a survivor of human trafficking, Dr. Bowman is nationally recognized for her expertise in the intersection of trafficking, trauma and vulnerable populations. Our time together will conclude with a dynamic panel discussion featuring local leaders and service providers from the upstate who are working tirelessly to support and restore the lives of trafficking survivors. To register, click HERE.
The 13th Marian Eucharistic Conference
The 13th MEC will be held from 24-25 October at the Greenville Convention Center.
Speakers include Fr. Joseph Wolfe, EWTN; Fr. Chris Alar, MIC; Fr. Donald Callaway, MIC; Daniel Cellucci, CEO, Catholic Leadership Institute; Russ Breault, Founder of Shroud Encounter; John Martignoni, President, Bible Christian Society.
General admission is $135, youth $90 (includes dinner Friday and lunch Saturday).
Register online or by mail before 11 October. Registrations after 11 October will be $145.
Gluten-free meals available. Free parking.
Call (864)354-7160 or visit MEC for more information and to register online.
Rediscover Your Marriage
Marriage Help – Retrouvaille (pronounced retro-vi) has helped tens of thousands of couples at all stages of disillusionment or misery in their marriage. This program can help you too, or a hurting couple you might know. For confidential information about the program or to register for the upcoming Oct 3rd-5th weekend in Charlotte area, call Bill and Lyn Folsom at 727-343-6701 or email: 3062ac@helpourmarriage.org or visit the web site at www.HelpOurMarriage.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 AUGUST CARITAS; the Diocesan Monthly E-Newsletter.