Women of St. Francis
Contact: Mary Georgopolos, President
The First Saturdays Devotion, also called the Act of Reparation to the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary, is a Catholic devotion which, according to Sister Lúcia of Fátima, was requested by the Virgin Mary in an apparition at Pontevedra, Spain, in December 1925. This devotion has been approved by the Roman Catholic Church.
St. Clare Prayer Garden
The future St. Clare prayer garden, which will be located across from the Family Center, is a gift from the Women of St. Francis to the Parish. If you would like to make an additional donation in honor or in memory of someone special in your life, please click on this link for you may go to the parish office to pick up a form.
Names of all donors will be printed in the prayer garden brochure, which we will distribute at the statue dedication later this year. This brochure will also eventually be available in the Narthex for parishioners and visitors to the garden.
Scheduled Meetings:
Women of St. Francis Celebrate St. Clare Day with Prayer Garden Groundbreaking, Installation of Officers
In addition to her many other gifts, St. Clare of Assisi is known for providing good weather. And so the skies were clear for St. Clare Day on August 11. The Women of St. Francis celebrated the feast day of their patroness with a groundbreaking ceremony for the St. Clare Prayer Garden, located between the church and the Family Center, and by installing officers for the 2020-2021 year.
“The prayer garden will be a special place for all of our parishioners to pray and to quietly contemplate,” said Mary Georgopulos, president of the Women of St. Francis. Work to construct the site, including pavers, crushed stone, benches, and greenery, will begin immediately. The centerpiece of the prayer garden, a marble statue of St. Clare, is being made in Italy and should arrive in time to dedicate the completed prayer garden in December.
New officers were installed at Mass just before the groundbreaking . They include: Mary Georgopulos, President; Kay Crawford, Vice President; Sandy Merritt, Vice President; Mary Ann Bell, Recording Secretary; and Lindie Spencer, Treasurer.
The organization was formed in 2004 to promote the spirit of unity among its members and the parish as a whole, and to foster the spiritual, cultural, educational, social and service oriented life of the parish.
For more photos of the Women of St. Francis, please click on the above photo.
Mission Statement: This women’s group was formed in 2004 to promote the spirit of unity among the members of the group and the parish as a whole and to foster the spiritual, cultural, educational, social and service oriented life of the parish.
Current Activities: Rosary Makers make rosaries for the First Communicants, RCIA Candidates, sick & homebound parishioners, and Chaplets for the Confirmandi. Blanket Makers make blankets for homeless children, who are being helped by Family Promise. Spiritual events include Annual Advent Day of Reflection, Retreat for the women of the parish, and “Mary’s Way of the Cross” – Lenten Stations of the Cross. We participate in the Parish Ministries Fair, host Fellowship Sunday in September, and co-sponsor the Notre Dame Hesburgh Lecture. Members distribute pillows to patients and hold parties for the residents at the Life Care Center. The Women of St. Francis are active in the Beaufort Deanery and South Carolina Council of Catholic Women, which includes choosing a member for our Catholic Women of the Year. Fundraising through our Annual Fashion Show & Luncheon and Soup for Scholarship Dinner provides money to support the Church, Community, and school as well as international charities.
South Carolina Council of Catholic Women Annual Convention
Congratulations to The Women of St. Francis who were recognized
By the South Carolina Council of Catholic Women for outstanding
Work in several fields for the 2019 calendar year.
- The International Committee was awarded the Father Pentis Multicultural Outreach Award for donating a cargo ship containerload of diapers of all sizes to the Mustard Seed Ministry in Jamaica. Gregory Ramkissoon, founder of the Mustard Seed ministry, has visited our parish in the past and provides loving and lifelong care for the disabled and mentally challenged children and adults as well as teen mothers and those suffering from AIDS. A traveling statue of the Blessed Mother was presented at the convention to Mary Georgopulos, President, who thanked Jo Timperman, our International Chair, for her suggestion and implementation of this project that was aptly called Dollars for Diapers.
- The State President’s Service Award was granted to our Fashion Show Committee headed by Rosa Miriello and Sandy Merritt, for the outstanding event that brought in over $20,000 that will be distributed to various nonprofits in the area. Thank you both for the incredible job you did in
Coordinating such a successful event.
- The State President’s Spirituality award was granted to our Spirituality Commission for the July 4th Patriotic Rosary, our participation in the Coast-to-Coast Rosary in October, and efforts to contact legislators on pro-life issues as well as our participation in the Rally for Life in January.
- Our Historians, Lois Bubnell and Patty Bullen, were awarded the Outstanding Scrapbook Award. These wonderful ladies documented all of the activities of the Women of St. Francis over the course of 2019 in a colorful array of photos and décor in a well organized scrapbook. Several other parishes thanked us for our efforts and said they got great ideas from viewing it at the convention.
Congratulations to all of our members who do such an outstanding job of serving our parish and community! If anyone would like to join this wonderful group of women, we welcome you at any time of year to come to our meetings and learn more about our ministry. Contact Mary Georgopulos at (843) 715-8255 if interested.
2018 Advent Retreat Deacon Vernon Dobelmann, Director of Religious Education at St. Francis, led a wonderful Advent Retreat on Saturday, December 15th with 40 ++ parishioners and friends attending. Thank you to the Women of St. Francis for hosting this event.
Rosary Makers: The Rosary Makers are comprised of a small group of ladies affiliated with the Women of St. Francis. They make Rosaries for the First Communicants and the RCIA Candidates each year. Also, they make Chaplets for the Confirmandi. More recently, they have begun making rosaries for sick and homebound parishioners. We also make and sell specialty rosaries and these proceeds help pay for the supplies needed to make the rosaries that are given away. The Rosary Makers meet in the Sacristy behind the Main Altar in the Church on the 1st and 3rd Thursday afternoons from 1:00 p.m. until 3:00 p.m. Anyone interested in additional information about our group can call Audrey McGovern at 843-682-8280.
"Cell Phone for Soldiers"
The Women of St. Francis is collecting Cell Phone for Soldiers. All donated cell phones are either:
- Repurposed - Repaired, wiped of data and given to the vets and active military members or sold
- Recycled - If too old or broken, are recycled down to parts and sold for remaining value
- Proceeds - Provide international calling cards and domestic wireless minutes for vets and active military members. Proceeds also provide emergency financial assistance to veterans.
When Donating:
- Remove -your SIM card (instructions in the Narthex) and then see your type of phone below
- IPhone - Click on "Settings", "General", "Reset", and "Erase all content & Settings"
- Anroid - Click on "Settings, Type "Reset" in Search Bar, Click "Factory Data Reset"
- Flip Phone - Remove back of the phone; remove batteries; check model number. Online, go to manufacturing (Samsung, etc.) type in the model number and follow the instructions.
If all else fails, your providers (AT & T, Sprint, etc.) will help you terminate your data.
Please place your phone and chargers in the box in the church's narthex or bring them to a Women of St. Francis' General Meeting. Any questions, please contact Kathy Struna (843)682-4045. Thank you for your support of our military!
Current Volunteer Opportunities: We promote volunteerism amongst our members and have been a resource for other ministries and non-profit organizations locally.