History

Holy Family Catholic Church started as a mission church of the Charleston, South Carolina Diocese. In the late spring of 1961, several Catholic businessmen invited Father John Simonin to celebrate Mass at the former William Hilton Inn (presently the Marriott Grand Ocean Resort on South Forrest Beach Drive). The first attendees, about forty in number, were mostly visitors to the island. As the number of worshippers grew, it became necessary to move the site for Sunday Mass to The Adventure Inn. In time, with the increase in the number of more permanent residents, better arrangements had to be made. Land was deeded for a Church by the Fraser family of the Sea Pines Company, who had given similar parcels of land to other churches in the area. 

The groundbreaking for the new church was on December 19, 1971 and was dedicated on February 25, 1973. Within a few short years, the original 340-seat church could no longer accommodate the crowds each Sunday. Plans were developed in 1985 by Father Philip A. Hamilton to construct a larger church. Bishop Ernest Unterkoefler approved the plans and construction of the new church was completed with a dedication Mass on October 30, 1988. The former church building was revamped for multi-purpose use and was originally named Seitz Hall but was later renamed the "Parish Hall." In 1977, a Religious Education Building/Parish Hall was built through the efforts of the parish’s first pastor, Father David J. Schiller, for whom the building was subsequently named and later renamed the Education Building. 

During the pastorate of Father Edmund McCaffrey (1996-2003), former Abbot of Belmont Abbey, a number of changes were made to the sanctuary with the addition of the Crucifix, a new Altar and a new Tabernacle. A beautiful shrine to Our Lady of Guadalupe was also constructed in the south portion of the campus. Also, new overhead lights were installed.

The pastorate of Father Hayden Vaverek (2004-2008) also brought further changes with a new adoration chapel, removal of the glass wall which formerly separated the daily Mass chapel from the main church to create a west wing, the relocation of the glass-etched Stations of the Cross to the interior perimeter wall and painting of the inside of the church.