Our Parish mailing address is:
195 Amicks Ferry Road, Chapin SC 29036
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.
We are now selling pavers for the plaza around the fountain in front of the Church! PLAZA PAVERS is up and running for you to use to make your purchase(s).
Dear Friends,
This Sunday is the 3rd Sunday of Lent. Follow the link to learn more about Lent.
There is NO Youth Group or LifeTeen Mass Sunday Evening, 8 March as our Youth will be attending the 33rd Annual Diocesan High School Youth Conference in Columbia!
I will speak at Mass this Sunday about our Sacristan and Church Linens Ministries. Sign up sheets will be in the Narthex for these ministries and the Video and Sound Ministry!
This week is a First Friday and First Saturday! Confessions will be from 10:00AM to 11:30AM followed by Mass at 12 Noon on both days. Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament will take place after the 12 Noon Mass on Friday and conclude with Benediction on Saturday at 11:45AM. Please SIGN UP to spend an hour with Jesus.
The Women's Club welcomes all women of the Parish to join their Spring Social on Wednesday, 11 March beginning at 6:00PM. Link to SignUp Genius to register! It will be a great time to learn more about the Women's Club and enjoy good times, good food, and community. There will be women on the Plaza this weekend to help register and answer any questions you might have.
Members of the Adoration Team invite parishioners to sign up for Adoration during Lent! LENTEN ADORATION COMMITMENT: Do you want to draw closer to God during this 40 day Lenten season? Commit to just one hour per week in our Adoration Chapel (See FLYER). For more details on Adoration and how to sign up online for your own one hour slot (same time and day each week) click Adoration.
YOUR HELP IS NEEDED!! The current florist we use for our ALTAR FLOWERS has changed their policy on billing. Beginning this month, parishioners will no longer be billed. Instead, the Church will be billed every month for 2-3 bouquets for the altar each week. Many weeks have already been accounted for by parishioners and we are asking for your help: If you donate or have donated flowers (in February and going forward), please send a check in the amount of $50.00 to OLL, 195 Amicks Ferry Rd, Chapin, SC 29036. Please put in the Check Memo Line: "For Altar Flowers". Mass Intentions will appear in the Bulletin regardless. We will neither bill you nor call you regarding payment. The Church will always pay the monthly bill; but we are trying to be good stewards and we are asking for your help to defray the costs. Thank you & God Bless.
The Men's Club is accepting scholarship applications from our graduating High School Seniors. Please apply using these links: MEN'S CLUB SCHOLARSHIP and DEEDS AND NEED SCHOLARSHIP. Paper copies of these applications are also available in the Vollkommer Bell Tower.
40 Cans for Lent - We have collected as a parish 1000 lbs of food since Lent began, so a very nice start. This is right on track for the first 2 weeks last year. Last year we collected over 5000 pounds for the 6 weeks of Lent, so the next four weeks we need to double the amount collected per week to achieve our LY numbers. So remember, 40 cans for Lent, one can for each day of Lent to help those in need in our community. Thanks so much for all you do to help We Care!
Are you interested in becoming a Catholic? If you are unbaptized; or were baptized in a Protestant church; or were baptized Catholic but never fully catechized (Holy Communion/Confirmation); and want to come into Full Communion in the Catholic Church, please email me at pastor@ollchapin.org!
Are you interested in helping people become Catholic? I have multiple volunteers so far but I need more! I'm still looking for volunteers to form a committee to revitalize the RCIA, now known as the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA), in our parish. The OCIA was recently updated and we need to expand the program to a full year and more. I envision four teams ultimately running the OCIA in our parish. I need help to develop the program. If you are interested in joining this effort please email me at pastor@ollchapin.org!
Natural Family Planning: To learn more about the CrMS Natural Family Planning System contact: Courtney Webber, FCPI, at courtney.nfp@gmail.com or (760) 415-3465. The next scheduled Introductory Session is 12 March 2026.
Catholic Appeal of South Carolina (CASC) 2026:
The 2026 CASC has officially kicked off! Last Sunday was PLEDGE SUNDAY. If you have not yet made a one time gift or pledge there is still time to do so! You can learn more about the CASC and make a donation or pledge online by following this LINK. Last year our parish exceeded our parish goal by 263% and we received a rebate check of $47,098.17 as our parish portion of the CASC!!! Our Parish goal for the 2026 CASC is $64,836.
Bicentennial Campaign
The Bicentennial Capital Campaign (BCC) closed at the end of 2025. I will share the final numbers for our parish when the diocese makes them available.
Some brief reminders:
We do have 8:00AM and 10:30AM Hospitality this weekend hosted by the 8:00AM Bakers of Fellowship and Knights of Columbus 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 thirteenth in a mini course on CATHOLICISM:
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 $20,956. 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.
Our weekly goal for Fiscal Year 2025-2026 is $20,823. The Finance Council and I remain confident in our budget projections for this fiscal year and believe that we can achieve our goals due to the continued growth of our parish. Nevertheless, your support is essential to the success of our parish mission and ministries. Thank you for your continued support.
We are still planning 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 now selling pavers for the plaza around the fountain in front of the Church! PLAZA PAVERS is up and running for you to use to make your purchase(s). There are plenty of paver options for every family to consider. Funds raised from the sale of pavers will enable us to complete this project. Pavers may be inscribed with family names, in honor of, or in memorial.
For any questions, please contact Russell and Suzy Howell at pavers@ollchapin.org
Work on the stage in the Family Life Center continues. No pictures this week. Still more work to be done.
DIOCESAN NEWS
Catholic Relief Services Collection:
On the weekend of 14 -15 March, our diocese will take up the second collection for Catholic Relief Services. CRS is the international humanitarian agency of the Catholic community in the United States that provides emergency relief, human development and peace initiatives in 99 countries around the world: www.crs.org. Attached is the LETTER from Bishop Jacques Fabre-Jeune, CS, in support of this important funding initiative.
Via Fidelis Year 2
Understand the Faith – watch the video: Year of Catechesis
Bishop’s Via Fidelis March Activity Letter
Bishop Fabre wrote a letter for all the faithful in our diocese for the March monthly activity:
"As we enter the second month of Via Fidelis, we recall the words of Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew, “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them” (Mt 18:20). Our monthly activity in March is: “Join or start a small faith group using the weekly study guide,” and we provide one each month at charlestondiocese.org/via-fidelis-parish-resources. These small groups can be held in person or virtually.
"We know from the teachings of the Church, and by our own personal experiences, that our journey to understand the faith is not done in a vacuum. We walk in the company of others. The Catechism of the Catholic Church says that faith is a personal act, “the free response of the human person to the initiative of God who reveals himself. But faith is not an isolated act ... Our love for Jesus and for our neighbor impels us to speak to others about our faith. Each believer is thus a link in the great chain of believers. I cannot believe without being carried by the faith of others, and by my faith I help support others in the faith” (CCC 166).
"We encounter Christ in our daily lives through the voices of others just as the disciples did when our Lord walked the earth in his ministry. When we actively discuss our faith with another person, we often leave with a new perspective on how we can approach our relationship with Jesus.
"We must also remember that catechesis “has to reveal in all clarity the joy and the demands of the way of Christ” (CCC 1697) throughout our shared journey to accept his person. In understanding both aspects, the joys and the demands of the Christian life, we are each called to embrace our unique vocations, not to shy away from what God wills for us.
"So, as you come together to discuss Scripture and the Catechism, along with the Lenten themes of Exodus and Christ’s 40 days in the desert, I ask that you find at least one person that will keep you accountable in the areas of your spiritual life where you may fall short or misunderstand. Be that person in the lives of others without asking first, and always through loving invitation.
"Please be assured of my prayers for you as we continue to prepare our hearts and minds for the Paschal season."
US Bishops Respond to Immigration Detention Capacity
New details have been revealed by the current administration for plans of the Department of Homeland Security to spend $38.3 billion — nearly 50 times the U.S. immigration court’s annual budget — to double detention center capacity. It would include eight “mega-centers” to house up to 10,000 people each. This is unprecedented in modern American history.
In response, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishop’s Migration Committee Chairman, Bishop Brendan J. Cahill, called on the administration and U.S. Congress to pursue a more just approach: “These plans are deeply troubling. The federal government does not have a positive track record when it comes to detaining large numbers of people, especially families, and the proposed scale of these facilities is difficult to comprehend. The private prison industry is who stands to gain the most from this supercharging of immigration detention... The thought of holding thousands of families in massive warehouses should challenge the conscience of every American. Whatever their immigration status, these are human beings created in the image and likeness of God, and this is a moral inflection point for our country."
Bishop Jacques Fabre-Jeune, CS, added, "Once you make a wrong decision with a person, his life is destroyed forever."
The USCCB statement continued, “We implore the administration and Congress to lead with right reason, abandon this misuse of taxpayer funds, and to instead pursue a more just approach to immigration enforcement that truly respects human dignity, the sanctity of families, and religious liberty.”
To read the full statement, click here. Thank you for offering your prayers in union with our nation’s bishops to transform our society through the recognition of God’s face in every human person.
“Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me” (Mt 25:40).
Black Catholic Ministry
Bishop Fabre has approved the following events regarding Black Catholic Ministry for our diocese. Please keep these dates in your calendar:
16-19 June: 2026 Lyke Conference at St. Anthony of Padua Church, 309 Gower Street in Greenville.
12-13 September: 200th Anniversary of St. James the Greater Mission at 3087 Ritter Road in Walterboro.
7 November: Black Catholic History Month Celebration and Day of Reflection at 2:00 p.m. at St. Anne and St. Jude Church, 1855 Beckwood Road in Sumter.
All are welcome to celebrate these events with our Black brothers and sisters.
Check it out!
VISIT the Catholic Miscellany
For the most up-to-date information from the diocese visit: charlestondiocese.org/events.
Read the MARCH CARITAS; the Diocesan Monthly E-Newsletter.
HEALTH PROTOCOLS at OLL!
If you are feeling unwell we ask that you stay home and watch Mass through our Parish Live Stream. If you are unsure please wear a Mask to spare others from possibly sharing your germs. We are asking that shaking hands, hugging, or kissing be reserved to immediate family members only. Please continue to smile and wave to non-family members around you in the pews rather than extending your hand for the Sign of Peace.
We live stream the Sunday 10:30AM Mass using BOXCAST and FACEBOOK-LIVE. Links are also provided on our parish web site and in the
Weekly Reminder.
Prayer of Spiritual Communion:
My Jesus, I believe that You are present in the Most Holy Sacrament. I love You above all things, and I desire to receive You into my soul. Since I cannot at this moment receive You sacramentally, come at least spiritually into my heart. I embrace You as if You were already there and unite myself wholly to You. Never permit me to be separated from You. Amen
NOTE: BOXCAST has the best streaming!
Look for our parish channel on BoxCast Apps
in Roku, Apple TV, and Amazon Fire TV
for a direct link. You can find us listed as
Our Lady of the Lake, Chapin SC.
Weekly Bulletin, Calendar and Mass Schedule:
Our Parish mailing address is:
195 Amicks Ferry Road, Chapin SC 29036
Are you interested in becoming a Prayer Warrior? We are starting a Prayer Ministry in our parish. If you are interested contact me at pastor@ollchapin.org! The button below is an example of how prayer requests will be submitted and received through Flocknote.
How does the Prayer Requests Button work?
To make a Prayer Request: If you hit the button below, you can make a prayer request and send it to our Parish Flocknote page. Prayer Warriors will then pray for the specific request you made. You will not receive any notification that your prayer request has been fulfilled - although some Prayer Warriors may contact you privately. Be assured however, that your request is being fulfilled and Warriors are praying!
If you want to be a Prayer Warrior: You need to request to be added. Fr Dennis can add you. Just send him a text or email and he will do so.
If you are signed up as a Prayer Warrior: Click on the Prayer Requests button on the left side menu of the Parish Flocknote page when you log into Flocknote. You’ll see a list of requested prayers. When you offer a prayer for a specific request, mark it as completed. You can also check a box on this page to receive email notifications when prayer requests are submitted by others.
If you want, you can then reach out to the individual who requested the prayer privately. This is not required but can be very meaningful.