A COMMUNITY OF REFUGE FOR THE PEOPLE OF GOD

Saint Mary's by the Sea is an outreach devoted to serving the Christian community in Georgetown and Horry Counties. With an emphasis on serving individuals who find themselves disconnected from their own congregations due to their health or lack of mobility, as well as those who have felt alienated by their previous experiences of church. We seek to sustain the people of God with the life-giving message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  It is our desire to be a community of refuge for all.

Our Sunday worship service is liturgical and sacramental; rooted in the proclamation of the Word of God and the celebration of the Holy Eucharist, and drenched in sacred song. Within our tradition, all baptized Christians who are sincerely sorry for their sins are welcomed to join us in receiving Communion at the Table of our Lord. A full array of pastoral and sacramental care is available through our ministry, and we welcome you to reach out to us if you find yourself in need.

Our ministry flows from the Old Catholic tradition via our denomination, the Communion of International Catholic Communities. We are a part of the North American Diocese, known as the American Catholic Communities.

We welcome your questions, your visit, and your deeper connection to our work. In particular, we are always open to inquiries from those who wish to join us in our charism of ministry. Of course, the best way to get to know us, to ask your questions, and to experience our charism is to join us in worship, so please accept this as your invitation to plan a visit with us soon.

Please contact us for Mass times and locations,
or if you have any other sacramental or liturgical needs.
We welcome all your inquiries!

ABOUT OUR PASTOR

Father Charles T. Wood was born on June 9, 1964, and raised in suburban Maryland, approximately 15 miles outside of Washington, DC.

He graduated from the University of Maryland in 1987, and worked in mapping and Geographic Information Systems in the Government Sector through 2018. Since then, Fr. Wood has worked full-time for Horry County Schools and currently works in the Technology Office at St. James High School in Murrells Inlet.

Fr. Wood studied with St. Andrew’s Theological College and Seminary and has been a priest since May of 2015. He is currently under the apostolic oversight of the Communion of International Catholic Communities, a communion of the Old Catholic Tradition.  Fr. Wood has served the Grand Strand area in various capacities including serving as rector of an area parish, and most recently in nursing home settings.

He, along with his wife Lauri, and two children have called the Grand Strand area of South Carolina home since 2006, and currently reside in the Murrells Inlet area.  In his spare time, Fr. Wood enjoys reading, traveling, cooking, gardening, beach time, scuba diving, paddle boarding, and other water related activities.