YOUR PERSONAL TOUR OF HOLY FAMILY CHURCH
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Holy Family Catholic Church is not the name of a building. Holy Family Catholic Church is us. We are folks sharing a living experience of unity with Christ in the organization which he established. We have made an imprint on our campus and would like to share some interesting details with you in the following pages. Download Parish History (Acrobat PDF file - 14MB!)
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1. OUR HISTORY
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At the invitation of local businessmen, Father Siminon came to the island to celebrate Mass at the Hilton Head Inn. It was 1961 and the island was in its infancy.
Ten years later, the current location of Holy Family Church was donated by the Fraser family. In February of 1973, the original Holy Family Church was dedicated.
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2. THE NEW CHURCH – 1988
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Crowds could not be accommodated in the original church, so in 1985 planning began for a new church; the current structure was completed in 1988 under the direction of the pastor, Father Philip Hamilton.
On this tour we will start with the campus of Holy Family and then move inside the church.
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3. CAMPUS ENTRANCE
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As you approach from Pope Avenue, note the copper depiction of the Holy Family by sculptor Wayne Edwards. The inscription on the marble tablet is quite thoughtful. It ends with the positive “Sharing their example will bring us happiness and eternal peace.”
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4. GARDEN OF ST. FRANCIS
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As you drive down the driveway, on the right just before Seitz Hall and the parish office, you are treated to the Garden of St. Francis. The Carrere marble statue was installed in 1986.
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5. HOLY FAMILY MOSAIC
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Opposite the church is a marble outdoor altar. Featured is a mosaic of the Holy Family which was donated by the Ladies Guild. The Holy Spirit is depicted as a dove. Joseph holds a toy boat with a Greek logo for Christ on the sail symbolizing the universal church.
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6. HOLY FAMILY BRONZE SCULPTURES
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In front of the church there are bronze sculptures that are gifts from the Helen T. Cantwell estate and the Marjorie C. Barreca family depicting Joseph in his work shop, with Mary and a young Jesus.
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7. ABORTION VICTIMS PLAQUE
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On the lawn adjacent to Shiller Hall is a marble plaque in the form of a tombstone dedicated to victims of abortion. Standing in the back toward the building is a guardian angle statue is dedicated to the memory of all religious teachers who serve or have served the parish.
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8. HAMILTON PARK
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Further on is Hamilton Park, a picnic area honoring the first pastor of the new church. The gazebo is a symbol of welcome.
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9. OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE SHRINE
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Holy Family has a dedicated Hispanic ministry. An outward sign of this commitment is the beautiful Shrine to Our Lady of Guadalupe.
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10. STATIONS OF THE CROSS BOARDWALK
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Flanking the Shrine to Our Lady of Guadalupe is the Stations of the Cross boardwalk. Note the beautiful ceramic stations. It was an Eagle Scout project of James Rankin. More than $20,000 was donated by parishioners and construction was completed in April of 2008.
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11. ADORATION CHAPEL
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| As you approach the church, to the left of the entry doors is the Adoration Chapel. There perpetual adoration allows the faithful to visit Christ present in the Holy Eucharist. The side window contains Blenko glass mounted in an epoxy mixture portraying the Magi. Note the Stations of the Cross inside the chapel. These antique treasures in an oil medium are the gift of several parishioners. The paintings are by noted artist Daniel Bonnell. |  |
12. OUR LADY OF FATIMA WINDOW
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All of the glass in the church was designed by Fr Methodius Telnack of the Trappist monastery in Conyers, Georgia. On entering the church, you see, on the right, the incredibly beautiful stained glass creation of Fr Methodius. It depicts Our Lady of Fatima appearing to three Portuguese children. An angel is seen holding the Holy Eucharist. This window is illuminated each evening by spotlights reflecting in reverse off special reflective screens which are lowered nightly for this purpose and can be viewed from the outside.
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| 13. ETCHED STATIONS OF THE CROSS |  |
The etched Stations of the Cross which adorn the walls are also works by Fr Methodius.
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14. PIPE ORGAN
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The magnificent pipe organ was built in North Carolina by W. Zimmer & Son and includes a Chamade trumpet stop set on the back wall of the sanctuary. The organ was enlarged in 1992 to a four manual and pedal instrument with 56 stops and 2,619 pipes.
To accomplish this modification, organ pipes were purchased from several churches in the southeast who were removing organs to replace them with electronic substitutes. Parishioners helped to remove these “purchased” pipes from the other churches and transported them to our church where they organized a “pipe washing party.” After washing, the pipes were laid out on the pews to dry. They were then installed by the Zimmer Company. The finished product has been host to many recitals presented by internationally renowned artists.
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