A Catholic Home on the Grand Strand Since 1960
Our Lady Star of the Sea Catholic Church has stood at 1100 8th Avenue North in North Myrtle Beach since 1960, when Catholic faithful first gathered here under the patronage of Our Lady to worship and serve the Grand Strand. Six decades later, the parish remains what its pastors describe as a devout Catholic community open to all, drawing together English-speaking and Spanish-speaking Catholics, year-round residents and seasonal visitors, into one body of worship, formation and outreach.
The parish belongs to the Diocese of Charleston and operates from a single address on 8th Avenue North, with worship offered every day of the week, formation programs for every age, and a sprawling network of more than two dozen ministries, organizations and outreach services. Visitors and newcomers are welcomed into all of it.
Sunday Mass in English and Spanish, Daily Mass Every Weekday
Our Lady Star of the Sea schedules Mass so that almost any schedule can find a fit. The Sunday obligation is met with three English Masses at 8:00 a.m., 10:00 a.m. and 12:00 noon, and a Spanish Mass - Santa Misa - at 1:30 p.m. Saturday anticipates the Lord's Day with Vigil Masses at 4:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m.
Weekday Mass is offered Monday through Friday at 8:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m., with an additional Saturday morning Mass at 8:00 a.m. The 9:00 a.m. weekday Mass is the one most often used by those coming for confession or for adoration. The Sunday Mass in Spanish is celebrated every week, supported by a full Ministerio Hispano that walks families through sacraments and parish life in their own language.
For those unable to attend in person, Sunday and weekday liturgies are livestreamed through BoxCast and can be reached from the parish's broadcast page.
Confession, Adoration and a Week of Devotions
The confessional is open three days a week. On Thursday and Friday, priests hear confessions after the 9:00 a.m. Mass. On Saturday, the Sacrament of Reconciliation is offered from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. and again from 5:15 to 5:45 p.m. Appointments can be made by calling the parish office at (843) 249-2356.
Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament is a weekly fixture. On Friday, exposition follows the 8:00 a.m. Mass and continues through the day, ending with Benediction at 4:30 p.m. Three other devotions fill out the week. The Divine Mercy Chaplet is recited Monday through Friday in the Cry Room immediately after the 8:00 a.m. Mass. The Marian Movement Cenacle follows the chaplet on Wednesdays in the same space. The Rosary is prayed together on Wednesdays at 3:00 p.m.
The Seven Sacraments at OLSS
The parish celebrates each of the seven Catholic sacraments, and the rhythm of parish life follows them closely.
Baptism. Parents must be registered members of the parish for at least six months before a child can be baptized, and they are asked to take a monthly Baptismal Class. Registration is required by calling the church office.
First Holy Communion. Children enrolled in the second-grade Faith Formation class are prepared for the Eucharist after they have received First Reconciliation. First Communion is celebrated in May.
Reconciliation. Second-grade CCD students prepare for First Reconciliation during class, and the celebration is usually held in March. After that, regular confession times apply.
Confirmation. Preparation is a two-year process. The pre-Confirmation year begins in seventh grade, weekly CCD attendance is required, weekly Mass attendance is required, and a community-service project is part of the work. The sacrament is conferred by the Bishop of Charleston each fall.
Anointing of the Sick. Anyone preparing for hospitalization or coping with serious illness may call the parish office to arrange an anointing. Priests are available to visit before a hospital admission.
Matrimony. Couples must be registered, active members for at least six months, and newly registered couples wait a full year before a date can be reserved. Regular use of offertory envelopes is required. The parish asks couples to call the wedding coordinator six to twelve months in advance of any proposed date and reminds out-of-town couples that consultation is the first step.
Forming Children in Faith: CCD on Wednesday Evenings
Children's Faith Formation - the parish's CCD program - runs from August through May each year, with classes meeting weekly at 6:00 p.m. in the Parish Center. Kindergarten and grades 1 and 3 through 8 follow structured classroom catechesis. Second graders prepare for First Reconciliation and First Eucharist; seventh graders begin the two-year path to Confirmation.
The parish makes clear that parents are the first teachers of their children and that the program partners with families through at-home Mass attendance, prayer, review of materials, and parental involvement in prayer services and service projects. Catechist volunteers do the teaching, and the Director of Children's Faith Formation, Tena Vernon, walks families through registration. Registration forms are available in English and Spanish, and a baptism certificate is required at sign-up.
Becoming Catholic through OCIA
Adults who want to become Catholic, and baptized Catholics who have not yet been confirmed, find their doorway in the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults - OCIA, the new name for the long-familiar RCIA. The parish frames OCIA as a journey of faith rather than a program, and inquirers are accepted throughout the year.
Each week the group joins the Sunday liturgy, is dismissed after the homily and gathers to reflect on what the Mass teaches. The journey proceeds at the inquirer's own pace, with the usual length of preparation running one to two years, and the sacraments of initiation ordinarily celebrated at the Easter Vigil. There is no fee.
A separate, more casual entry point - Considering Catholicism - meets on Monday evenings from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. at St. John Center, 1048 Sea Mountain Highway in North Myrtle Beach. Anyone curious about Catholic belief, prayer, the Bible or worship can drop in, ask questions and learn what OCIA looks like. Ron Quinlan coordinates the process and can be reached through the parish office.
Adult Education and Scripture Study
For Catholics who want to keep learning, the parish offers Catholic Scripture Study, a Charismatic Community in the Catholic Charismatic Renewal tradition, and a Women's Scripture Sharing group. Adult Religious Education is coordinated through the parish office, with Catholic Scripture Study led by Christine Kleczkowski.
Ministerio Hispano: A Parish Within the Parish
Spanish is more than a translation at Our Lady Star of the Sea; it is the language of a full second congregation. The parish's Ministerios Hispanos section organizes the life of Spanish-speaking Catholics under one roof.
A weekly Rito de Iniciación Cristiana para Adultos (RICA) - the Spanish-language OCIA - meets on Wednesdays from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. in the church. Sacramental preparation is offered in Spanish for Baptism, Matrimony and Quinceañera, each through its own Ministerio de Catequesis. Liturgical roles for Spanish Mass are filled by Ministros Extraordinarios de Eucaristía, lectors (Ministerio de Proclamación de la Palabra), a music and liturgical-animation team, hospitality and ushers, altar servers, and a family prayer-promotion ministry.
Outside the liturgy, a youth group - Alegría del Evangelio - gathers teens, and a Young Adult Group serves the older cohort. Cursillo de Cristiandad provides a movement for lay spiritual growth. Two traditional dance ministries - Danza Azteca Ixtli Yólotl and Danza Guadalupana de Matachines - keep cultural and devotional traditions alive in processions and feast-day celebrations. A Pastoral Council (Consejo Pastoral), a separate bulletin, a Spanish-language calendar and a community-events-and-fundraising arm round out the structure.
The Hispanic ministry office, staffed by Miriam Schaefer and Sr. Lucy García, also serves the parish's mission outreach to Church of the Resurrection in Loris, where sacramental preparation in Spanish is offered through the same staff.
Serving at the Altar: Liturgical Ministries
Worship at OLSS depends on a large corps of lay volunteers. The liturgical ministries include Altar Servers, Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, Lectors, Ushers and the Music Ministry, all listed among the parish's formal groups and all open to new members.
The Music Ministry, directed by Michael Drajic, supports Mass with choral and instrumental music. Bulletins are published online and worshippers can keep up with parish life through the weekly parish bulletin and the live-stream broadcast.
Feeding the Community: Our Lady's Outreach
Outreach is organized around three programs that together make up Our Lady's Outreach.
- Our Lady's Pantry collects and distributes food to neighbors in need.
- Our Lady's Kitchen serves a hot meal every Thursday from 4:00 to 5:30 p.m.
- The Advocacy Unit is staffed Monday through Thursday, 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., helping parishioners and neighbors navigate community resources.
The Outreach Ministry can be reached directly at (843) 663-0108. Volunteers are the program's backbone, and the parish makes clear that help is welcome whether someone can give an hour a week or fill in occasionally.
Service Organizations and Other Ministries
Four parish organizations knit members into the wider Catholic fabric: the Knights of Columbus and the Columbiettes, the Legion of Mary, and the Rosary Makers. A list of eighteen further ministries rounds out parish life, including:
- Cancer Care Ministry for those facing serious illness.
- Grief Share, a support program for the bereaved.
- Prayer Shawl Ministry and the Quilters, who craft handmade items for the sick and the grieving.
- Crafters and the Ladies Guild, who support parish fundraising and fellowship.
- Lay Carmelites, living the Carmelite spirituality in the world.
- Tau Community, a weekly Tuesday-evening faith-sharing group that follows the spirit of St. Francis and St. Clare of Assisi.
- Light of the World (LOTW), a twice-yearly parish retreat. Talks, small-group discussion, personal prayer, fellowship and meals are provided at no cost; over two hundred parishioners have attended, and the parish has held twelve such weekends.
- Women's Scripture Sharing.
- Young Adults Group and the parish Youth Group.
Pax Nigeria and the Book & Gift Shop
The parish maintains a mission partnership called Pax Nigeria - Pax America with St. Michael Catholic Church in Nigeria, the former parish of Father Patrick Balogun, a former parochial vicar. The two parishes share spiritual, educational and material goals, with the American parish especially mindful of the children of St. Michael's. Inquiries can be left for PAX NIGERIA - PAX AMERICA in the parish mail slot.
The OLSS Book & Gift Shop is a parish ministry in its own right. Volunteer-staffed, it carries Catholic books, sacramental articles and devotional items, and is open weekends before and after Mass as well as Monday through Friday from 8:30 to 10:00 a.m. It is closed during funerals. Shoppers can call (843) 249-5018 to make an appointment, and the shop maintains its own Facebook page.
Clergy and Staff
The parish is served by Rev. John M. Zimmerman as pastor, with Rev. Francis Bakongo Mfesao and Rev. David Michael as parochial vicars. Deacon John Crapanzano and Deacon Richard M. Flenke assist in ministry.
Lay leadership is provided by Linda Britzke, Business Manager; Michael Drajic, Director of Music Ministry; Miriam Schaefer, Hispanic Ministries Manager; Tena Vernon, Director of Religious Education; and Juan Cervantes, Director of Maintenance. Office staff include Vicki McCambley, Ceferina Meli, Stacy Paterchak and Rose Plank.
Safe Environment, Columbarium and Sacramental Records
Our Lady Star of the Sea follows the Diocese of Charleston's Safe Environment program. Every priest, deacon, sister, staff member and volunteer who has any contact with children or vulnerable persons is required to complete the diocesan training and to pass a background screening. A parish Columbarium provides inurnment on-site for those who wish to be interred at their home parish.
Visiting Our Lady Star of the Sea
The parish office is open Monday through Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., and on Friday from 9:00 a.m. to noon. The church itself sits at 1100 8th Avenue North in North Myrtle Beach; maps and directions are available online.
Newcomers are asked to consider registering as parishioners so the parish can plan for sacraments, envelopes and community life. Anyone seeking Baptism, Marriage, Anointing of the Sick, OCIA or any other sacrament is encouraged to call the office at (843) 249-2356; the parish asks that sacraments be arranged in advance and through consultation rather than by walk-in.
The parish welcomes students of the local Catholic schools - Holy Trinity Catholic School in Myrtle Beach and St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic High School - and serves as a home parish for many of their families. With daily Mass, Saturday Vigil, the Spanish Mass on Sunday, weekly adoration on Friday and the long pastoral reach of its ministries, Our Lady Star of the Sea remains the steady Catholic presence that opened its doors on the Grand Strand in 1960.