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195 Amicks Ferry Road, Chapin SC 29036

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Job opportunity: Parish Business Manager. Our Lady of the Lake Catholic Church is seeking a full time Parish Business Manager. Follow the link for a Position Summary including Key Responsibilities, Professional Qualifications, and Personal Qualities. Interested persons can apply at: business-manager-2

Dear Friends,

HAPPY EASTER!! The Church celebrates the Easter Season (also known as “Eastertide”) for 50 days, culminating with Pentecost on 24 May 2026. This Sunday is the 2nd Sunday of Easter, also known as the Sunday of Divine Mercy! Rejoice and be glad for Jesus Christ is RISEN from the dead!! Follow the links to learn all about Easter Sunday, the Easter Octave, Divine Mercy Sunday, the Easter Season and Pentecost!!! 

The praying of the Chaplet of Divine Mercy led by Deacon John Stetar will take place at 3:00PM in the church. Please make plans to join us for the Chaplet, even if you have not prayed the Novena. The Novena and the Chaplet of Divine Mercy can be found in the Vollkommer Bell Tower. You can pray it whenever you feel the need for His Divine Mercy!

Father Dennis, Father Morey, Deacons Greg, John, Jim & James and the Parish Staff would like to wish all parishioners and their families a most Blessed & Joyous Easter. We pray that our celebration of Christ’s victory over death will raise us up and renew our lives through the Spirit which He shares with us.

We congratulate those who will be received into Full Communion in the Catholic Church through Confirmation and First Eucharist during the 2nd Sunday of Easter Mass (Divine Mercy Sunday) at 10:30AM:

• Tina Van Leuven - Saint Monica

Come Holy Spirit fill the hearts of the faithful.  
Enkindle in them the fire of Your love. 

I will offer a Birthday Blessing after Masses this weekend for all those celebrating their birthday during the month of April. Please stand when invited to do so to receive the blessing.

NO FAITH FORMATION, EDGE OR BIBLE STUDIES THIS SUNDAY, 12 APRIL. LIFETEEN WILL RESUME 12 APRIL WITH AN EASTER CELEBRATION! ALL CLASSES AND STUDIES RESUME ON SUNDAY, 19 APRIL.

I remain grateful for all your support and prayers for my mom, myself and my family. My mother has been released from the hospital and is home!!! Continued prayers are needed. Thank you.

The Spring Session of the Parish’s Bereavement Ministry, Seasons of Hope, began on Thursday, 12 March 2026 and will run for 8 weeks from 1:00PM to 2:30PM in Saint Ignatius Hall (handicapped accessible). This program is rooted in Catholic tradition which conveys God's consolation through scripture, prayer, reflections and sharing of faith. It is facilitated by parishioner Ann Douglas. All materials will be provided at no cost. If interested in joining the group, please contact Ann Douglas at (803) 429-2914, or bereavement@ollchapin.org. 

A Note from Rosary Makers… "After careful thought and a desire to concentrate on sending rosaries to missions nationwide and around the world, Rosary Makers will adjust our efforts to provide them for parishioners from year 'round to the months of May and October only. Because these are months of the year that we celebrate the Blessed Mother, we will have the basket of rosaries available in the Vollkommer Bell Tower during this time. If there is ever a need for our handmade cord rosaries, please feel free to contact Kathy Torres at kathy.torres1029@gmail.com or
Anne Newell at anne.newell@gmail.com and we will do our best to provide them for you. Thank you for your understanding."

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. Applications must be received at the parish business office by the end of the business day Friday, 17 April 2026!

Thank you for your support for the 40 Cans for Lent! An update on the collection will be given in next week's  letter. 

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 Sessions are 9 April, 14 May, 11 June, 9 July, 13 August, 10 September, 8 October and 12 November 2026.

Catholic Appeal of South Carolina (CASC) 2026: 

The 2026 CASC has officially kicked off! 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:

There is 8:00AM and 10:30AM Hospitality this Sunday hosted by the 8AM Bakers of Fellowship and The Knights of Columbus respectively. Please join us!

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 eighteenth in a mini course on CATHOLICISM:

PARISH FINANCIAL UPDATES

This past Sunday's collection was $23,632. Our Easter Collection was $14,026. This was $3,097 below our projections but we hopeful that we will make up this difference in the coming weeks. 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.

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

Bishop’s Via Fidelis April Activity Letter:

"This month, we live the Paschal Triduum, the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. As we seek to deepen our relationship with Jesus, I encourage you to partake in this month’s activity for Via Fidelis: “Ask someone of a different age or background about their experiences growing up Catholic.” But it’s more than just that. It is asking another person how they have encountered Jesus and how it affected their lives.

"We each share a unique view of Christ through our experiences with him — but he is the same Lord. On Palm Sunday, a throng of impassioned followers of Jesus welcomed him joyfully into Jerusalem. They saw a prophet, a wellspring of the knowledge of God and the law, riding on a donkey. When he was presented before that same crowd, jeering and rejecting him, Pontius Pilate looked on the Lord with fear, curiosity and even guilt. So follow Jesus with conviction, not emotion.

"The women of Jerusalem, and Veronica who wiped his bloody face, saw Jesus through the eyes of compassion. Like her, we are called to be compassionate to the needs of others. Even Simon of Cyrene looked quickly at the Son of God before his cross was thrust onto his shoulders to bear.  

"Jesus manifests himself in our lives at different moments. Sometimes we forget that we are not the center of the universe. We focus inwardly so often, yet the most important moments of our lives can be found outwardly in the smallest, quietest, most mundane daily things, like the smile of a stranger or the kindness of a good deed. And Jesus most clearly shows himself to us in Mass, where that same sacrifice of his crucifixion in the elevated host makes us proclaim, “my Lord and my God” (Jn 20:28).

"I invite you to exit your comfort zone and discuss this aspect of the faith with a sibling, a friend, a stranger, a coworker or a grandparent. Thank you for sparking these important conversations. Like mustard seeds, our own understanding can be grown through dialogue with others about the beauty of our faith."