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OUR HISTORY
This is a brief history of the parish. It and the following linked pages are in the process of being updated; thank you for your understanding! For a more detailed history, including references (some of which are available online), click here. For more information on (and photographs of) art and architecture, click here. For more information on our current renovation/restoration work, click here.
Saint Mary of the Annunciation, established in 1789, is the mother church of Catholicism in the Carolinas and Georgia. The current building is the third on the site and was completed in 1839, built in the Greek Revival style. The church is situated in the midst of Charleston’s bustling and historic shopping district, standing as a sturdy witness to the eternal truths of the Gospel.
The first priest to reside in Charleston, Rev Matthew Ryan, was sent from Dublin in 1788. A parish began to be organized, but Fr Ryan left the next year due to ill health. His successor, Rev Dr Thomas Keating, came from Philadelphia. He named the parish Saint Mary of the Annunciation. The property Fr Ryan had been using was purchased during this time by parishioners who served as trustees. Father Keating soon fell ill and returned to Philadelphia. Father Simon Felix Gallagher, also sent from Dublin, was the third pastor; his leadership enabled the parish to erect a brick building in place of the original wood one. It was completed in December 1806, having taken five years to complete. By this time, in addition to the Irish, many French began to arrive as well. They came mainly from Santo Domingo, which at this time was under French control but was politically unstable.
In 1810, the trustees rebelled and enacted rules that overruled the authority of the pastor. In 1816, Fr Gallagher was replaced with Father Pierre J. de Cloriviere with the hope the issue could be resolved, but the trustees refused to cooperate with him as well. The church was placed under canonical interdict, prohibiting its use as a place of worship. Fr Cloriviere found an alternate site to provide the Sacraments to the faithful parishioners. He resigned in 1818 and was replaced by Father Benedict Fenwick, S.J. and his assistant, Father James Wallace, S.J. It took until 1824 for full reconciliation to take place and the church to be reopened.
In April 1838, the Great Fire swept through the city, destroying nearly two-thirds of it. Saint Mary and its neighbor across the street, Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim Synagogue (a historically important Jewish congregation), were among the buildings that were totally destroyed. Both buildings were immediately rebuilt; the cornerstone for St Mary's was fittingly laid on the Feast of the Assumption that same year, August 15, 1838. It was reopened just under a year later, on June 9, 1839, and is the current church building. During the Civil War, although the organ was destroyed along with some gravestones, the remainder of the damage was relatively minor. Fortunately, Saint Mary subsequently escaped three additional noteworthy natural disasters with only minor damage: the 1886 Charleston earthquake, the 1893 Sea Islands Hurricane, and Hurricane Hugo of 1989.
ART AND ARCHITECTURE
Rebuilt in the Greek Revival style after the Great Fire of 1838, Saint Mary is distinguished by the temple-style pediment on its gable-front roof, which is supported by four Ionic columns. The church is entered through a portico.
Over the main altar hangs a painting of the Crucifixion by John S. Cogdell, painted in 1814. Severely damaged in the fire of 1838, it was completely repainted on the same canvas by the artist. Mr. Cogdell lived in Charleston and was a member of Saint Michael Episcopal Church. (He also painted two portraits of Bishop England in 1842. One was sent to Rome; the other was gifted in 2014 to St Patrick Catholic Church in Fayetteville, NC, the oldest parish in that state.)
The remaining twenty-three paintings that adorn the church are copies of masterpieces, and were rendered by Caesare Porta of Rome. They date from 1895 and 1896. These were created in the same way as the Crucifixion; painted on canvas and installed directly on the wall/ceiling. There are six paintings in the sanctuary, flanking the Crucifixion. The two larger ones depict the Adoration of the Magi and the Resurrection; the source paintings are unknown. The four smaller ones are copies of four angels found in Fra Angelico's Madonna of the Linen Weavers (1433) located in the Museum of Saint Mark, Florence, Italy. The five paintings on the ceiling depict the four Evangelists with their liturgical symbols (Matthew, angel; Mark, lion; Luke, ox; and John, eagle), as well as the Assumption of Mary. Again, the source paintings are unknown. The large central ceiling painting of the Assumption of the Virgin was placed in the memory of Dr. James A. Corcoran (who served the parish briefly in the mid-1840s) by several priests he had taught in the Philadelphia Theological Seminary. The surrounding clouds and depiction of the Holy Spirit were added in 1945, along with embellishments surrounding the ceiling paintings. The Twelve Apostles are depicted on the walls of the balcony and choir loft. They are identified by their Latin names and appear in the following order, clockwise from front left: Simon, Andrew, Thomas, James the Greater, Thaddeus, Paul, Peter, Bartholomew, Philip, James the Lesser, Barnabas, and Matthias. The source was Johan Friedrich Overbeck's drawings created for the chapel of the Villa Torlonia in Castle Grandolfo.
The most recent round of restoration work is currently ongoing; the depiction of the Resurrection to the right of the Crucifixion was completed in January 2022, and work will be beginning soon on the Apostles. Read the complete restoration report here.
The church has a crowded graveyard of local interest. Predominant inscriptions are written in Latin, French and English. Seventeen nationalities are represented, spanning two centuries and three continents.
In 1895, parishioners undertook a restoration effort for the church, completed on the Feast of the Annunciation on March 25, 1896. The main altar and sanctuary were donated by Mrs. Louis Storen and Mrs. Theodore Wilbur, in memory of their parents, Mr. and Mrs. George C. McNulty, and were erected on March 25th of that year. The Sacred Heart altar was given by the family of Henry Oliver. The Blessed Virgin altar was donated by Mary J. Powers, in memory of her parents, Mr. and Mrs. James Powers, in 1905. Additional projects have been completed in the years since then, and the parish is currently in the middle of another round of renovation and restoration. Please see here for more details.
On March 25, 1901, the church was consecrated by Bishop Northrop; the consecration crosses were painted on the walls, and are still visible. There are four in the Sanctuary area, two on each side of the Crucifixion; the remaining eight are underneath the Stations of the Cross on the side walls.
STAINED GLASS
The stained glass windows portray various Biblical scenes and were donated by some of Saint Mary’s longstanding and prominent families; they are from the famed Mayer Glassworks in Munich.
PASTORS
The ten most recent pastors of St Mary's are listed below. For a complete list, please click here.
Rev. Charles H. Rowland, June 13, 1975 – June 15, 1982
Rev. Msgr. John A. Simonin, June 15, 1982. June 5, 1999
Rev. Msgr. Chester M. Moczydlowski, June 5, 1999 – June 28, 2001
Rev. Msgr. Joseph R. Roth, June 28, 2001 - April [??] 2008
Rev. Gregory B. Wilson, Administrator, April 8, 2008 – Aug. 10, 2011
Rev. Jeremi Wodecki, Administrator, Aug. 10, 2011 – Sept. 5, 2011
Rev. Msgr. Steven L. Brovey, Administrator, Sept. 5, 2011 – June 30, 2017
Rev. H. Gregory West, JCL, Pastor, July 1, 2017 -- June 30, 2020
Rev. Patrick S. Allen, Temporary Administrator, July 1, 2020 - September 8, 2020
Rev. Msgr. D. Anthony Droze, VG, Pastor, September 9, 2020 - present
The first priest to reside in Charleston, Rev Matthew Ryan, was sent from Dublin in 1788. A parish began to be organized, but Fr Ryan left the next year due to ill health. His successor, Rev Dr Thomas Keating, came from Philadelphia. He named the parish Saint Mary of the Annunciation. The property Fr Ryan had been using was purchased during this time by parishioners who served as trustees. Father Keating soon fell ill and returned to Philadelphia. Father Simon Felix Gallagher, also sent from Dublin, was the third pastor; his leadership enabled the parish to erect a brick building in place of the original wood one. It was completed in December 1806, having taken five years to complete. By this time, in addition to the Irish, many French began to arrive as well. They came mainly from Santo Domingo, which at this time was under French control but was politically unstable.
In 1810, the trustees rebelled and enacted rules that overruled the authority of the pastor. In 1816, Fr Gallagher was replaced with Father Pierre J. de Cloriviere with the hope the issue could be resolved, but the trustees refused to cooperate with him as well. The church was placed under canonical interdict, prohibiting its use as a place of worship. Fr Cloriviere found an alternate site to provide the Sacraments to the faithful parishioners. He resigned in 1818 and was replaced by Father Benedict Fenwick, S.J. and his assistant, Father James Wallace, S.J. It took until 1824 for full reconciliation to take place and the church to be reopened.
In April 1838, the Great Fire swept through the city, destroying nearly two-thirds of it. Saint Mary and its neighbor across the street, Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim Synagogue (a historically important Jewish congregation), were among the buildings that were totally destroyed. Both buildings were immediately rebuilt; the cornerstone for St Mary's was fittingly laid on the Feast of the Assumption that same year, August 15, 1838. It was reopened just under a year later, on June 9, 1839, and is the current church building. During the Civil War, although the organ was destroyed along with some gravestones, the remainder of the damage was relatively minor. Fortunately, Saint Mary subsequently escaped three additional noteworthy natural disasters with only minor damage: the 1886 Charleston earthquake, the 1893 Sea Islands Hurricane, and Hurricane Hugo of 1989.
ART AND ARCHITECTURE
Rebuilt in the Greek Revival style after the Great Fire of 1838, Saint Mary is distinguished by the temple-style pediment on its gable-front roof, which is supported by four Ionic columns. The church is entered through a portico.
Over the main altar hangs a painting of the Crucifixion by John S. Cogdell, painted in 1814. Severely damaged in the fire of 1838, it was completely repainted on the same canvas by the artist. Mr. Cogdell lived in Charleston and was a member of Saint Michael Episcopal Church. (He also painted two portraits of Bishop England in 1842. One was sent to Rome; the other was gifted in 2014 to St Patrick Catholic Church in Fayetteville, NC, the oldest parish in that state.)
The remaining twenty-three paintings that adorn the church are copies of masterpieces, and were rendered by Caesare Porta of Rome. They date from 1895 and 1896. These were created in the same way as the Crucifixion; painted on canvas and installed directly on the wall/ceiling. There are six paintings in the sanctuary, flanking the Crucifixion. The two larger ones depict the Adoration of the Magi and the Resurrection; the source paintings are unknown. The four smaller ones are copies of four angels found in Fra Angelico's Madonna of the Linen Weavers (1433) located in the Museum of Saint Mark, Florence, Italy. The five paintings on the ceiling depict the four Evangelists with their liturgical symbols (Matthew, angel; Mark, lion; Luke, ox; and John, eagle), as well as the Assumption of Mary. Again, the source paintings are unknown. The large central ceiling painting of the Assumption of the Virgin was placed in the memory of Dr. James A. Corcoran (who served the parish briefly in the mid-1840s) by several priests he had taught in the Philadelphia Theological Seminary. The surrounding clouds and depiction of the Holy Spirit were added in 1945, along with embellishments surrounding the ceiling paintings. The Twelve Apostles are depicted on the walls of the balcony and choir loft. They are identified by their Latin names and appear in the following order, clockwise from front left: Simon, Andrew, Thomas, James the Greater, Thaddeus, Paul, Peter, Bartholomew, Philip, James the Lesser, Barnabas, and Matthias. The source was Johan Friedrich Overbeck's drawings created for the chapel of the Villa Torlonia in Castle Grandolfo.
The most recent round of restoration work is currently ongoing; the depiction of the Resurrection to the right of the Crucifixion was completed in January 2022, and work will be beginning soon on the Apostles. Read the complete restoration report here.
The church has a crowded graveyard of local interest. Predominant inscriptions are written in Latin, French and English. Seventeen nationalities are represented, spanning two centuries and three continents.
In 1895, parishioners undertook a restoration effort for the church, completed on the Feast of the Annunciation on March 25, 1896. The main altar and sanctuary were donated by Mrs. Louis Storen and Mrs. Theodore Wilbur, in memory of their parents, Mr. and Mrs. George C. McNulty, and were erected on March 25th of that year. The Sacred Heart altar was given by the family of Henry Oliver. The Blessed Virgin altar was donated by Mary J. Powers, in memory of her parents, Mr. and Mrs. James Powers, in 1905. Additional projects have been completed in the years since then, and the parish is currently in the middle of another round of renovation and restoration. Please see here for more details.
On March 25, 1901, the church was consecrated by Bishop Northrop; the consecration crosses were painted on the walls, and are still visible. There are four in the Sanctuary area, two on each side of the Crucifixion; the remaining eight are underneath the Stations of the Cross on the side walls.
STAINED GLASS
The stained glass windows portray various Biblical scenes and were donated by some of Saint Mary’s longstanding and prominent families; they are from the famed Mayer Glassworks in Munich.
PASTORS
The ten most recent pastors of St Mary's are listed below. For a complete list, please click here.
Rev. Charles H. Rowland, June 13, 1975 – June 15, 1982
Rev. Msgr. John A. Simonin, June 15, 1982. June 5, 1999
Rev. Msgr. Chester M. Moczydlowski, June 5, 1999 – June 28, 2001
Rev. Msgr. Joseph R. Roth, June 28, 2001 - April [??] 2008
Rev. Gregory B. Wilson, Administrator, April 8, 2008 – Aug. 10, 2011
Rev. Jeremi Wodecki, Administrator, Aug. 10, 2011 – Sept. 5, 2011
Rev. Msgr. Steven L. Brovey, Administrator, Sept. 5, 2011 – June 30, 2017
Rev. H. Gregory West, JCL, Pastor, July 1, 2017 -- June 30, 2020
Rev. Patrick S. Allen, Temporary Administrator, July 1, 2020 - September 8, 2020
Rev. Msgr. D. Anthony Droze, VG, Pastor, September 9, 2020 - present
