Parish Update on the Property at 505 Highway 174
It has been almost a year since Saint Francis purchased the property at 505 Highway 174, and I want to offer a clear sense of where we are and where we are headed. From the beginning we committed to keeping the parish informed, and both the Dreamers and Doers Task Forces, chaired by Olivia Padget and Gary Cantrell respectively, have been faithful to that charge.
The Doers: Preparing the Land
The Doers have focused on the practical, physical work that allows everything else to move forward. Over the past months:
Underbrush has been cleared and the land surveyed.
Burnable debris has been moved to the field; metal debris is staged near the gate for recycling.
Significant progress has been made in the Con Bailey Cemetery. With the help of Toni Carrier, a historian and friend of Gretchen Smith, we have located 17 death certificates and identified many of those buried there.
In April, the Doers will select a vendor to conduct ground‑penetrating radar (or similar technology) to determine the cemetery’s exact boundaries.
Meanwhile, Steve Stemkowski has been working with Charleston County on the drainage ditch along the western edge of the property. We are now on step five of seven in the county’s process to assume responsibility for its maintenance.
All of this work sets the stage for the next major step: building the road into the property. I’ll return to that in a moment.
The Dreamers: Articulating a Mosaic Vision
While the Doers have been clearing and preparing the land, the Dreamers have been tending to the equally important work of imagination. They presented their initial vision at our Annual Meeting on February 15, and a video summary appears in this newsletter by following this link.
Their task was not to design buildings or choose finishes, but to ask the deeper questions: What ministries require a campus? How can Saint Francis serve the community seven days a week? What does faithful, generous, future‑oriented ministry look like on this land?
We already have access to a beautiful historic sanctuary built in 1818. If all we wanted was another church building, there would be little point in this effort. Instead, the Dreamers have been gathering input from the Saint Francis members as well as our diaspora, those who live off‑island but still call this parish home, and helping us imagine a campus shaped by mission rather than nostalgia.
It’s important to remember, that not every idea can be included, and some contradict each other, but we will not limit ourselves to small thinking. On a tour of our property last Easter, Bishop Ruth challenged us to dream boldly, and we intend to do just that. The Dreamers will complete their work soon and then disband.
A Turning Point: From Imagining to Discerning
With the Dreamers nearing completion and the Doers continuing their work, we now arrive at a critical juncture. To begin using the property, we must build a road. But several things must happen before that first load of gravel is ever delivered.
These are the “dominos” that must fall in order:
1. Cemetery boundaries must be confirmed.
2. The drainage ditch must be cleared, either by Charleston County or by us because standing water increases the moisture content where the road will go.
3. Utilities must be buried before the road is built. Digging up a finished road later would multiply the cost.
And to bury utilities responsibly, we need to know:
How many buildings the campus may eventually include
Where septic systems might go
Where wells will be located
How much electrical service (amperage) we will need
What size conduit must be installed now to avoid costly rework later
This is why we will enlist an architect to create a conceptual site plan. This is not a final design. It is a working map, a tool that translates the Dreamers’ work into a practical layout so we can make informed decisions about infrastructure.
Forming a Building Committee
As we enter this discerning phase, we will form a small, nimble Building Committee. I think of them as “model parents”: people who certainly have their own hopes and ideas, but who can make decisions for the good of the whole parish rather than for themselves. Most parents I know haven’t gotten exactly what they wanted since having children; this committee will embody that same selfless spirit. If God is calling you to discern with us, discern for us, please contact Fr. Joseph+.
