A new Bishop for Charleston South Carolina

 

Pope Francis Accepts Resignation of Bishop Robert Guglielmone of Diocese of Charleston; Appoints Rev. Jacques Fabre, C.S. as Successor

FEBRUARY 22, 2022 BY PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICE

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WASHINGTON - Pope Francis has accepted the resignation of Bishop Robert E. Guglielmone, 76, from the pastoral governance of the Diocese of Charleston, and has appointed Reverend Jacques E. Fabre, C.S., as Bishop-elect of Charleston. Bishop-elect Fabre is a priest of the religious order, the Missionaries of St. Charles (Scalabrinian Fathers), and currently serves as administrator at San Felipe de Jesús Mission in Forest Park, Georgia, and as the local superior of the Scalabrinian priests in Atlanta, Georgia.

The resignation and appointment were publicized in Washington, D.C. on February 22, 2022, by Archbishop Christophe Pierre, apostolic nuncio to the United States.

Father Fabre was born November 13, 1955, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. He immigrated to New York City while he was in high school and completed his secondary school education. He attended St. John’s University (Jamaica, New York); St. Michael’s College (Toronto, Ontario, Canada); Chicago Theological Union (Hyde Park, Illinois); and Scalabrini House of Theology (Chicago, Illinois). He received a Master’s in Divinity and a Licentiate in Human Mobility (migration) from the Pontifical Urbaniana College in Rome. He was ordained to the priesthood in Brooklyn, New York on October 10, 1986, for the Community of Missionaries of St. Charles.

Bishop-elect Fabre’s assignments after ordination include: parochial vicar at Our Lady of Guadalupe parish in Immokalee, Florida (1986-1990); chaplain to the Haitian refugees at Guantanamo Base, Cuba (1990-1991); pastor at San Pedro de Macorís parish in the Dominican Republic (1991-2004); parochial vicar at St. Joseph’s parish in Athens, Georgia (2006-2008); parochial vicar at Holy Trinity parish in Peachtree City, Georgia (2008-2010); and administrator at San Felipe de Jesús Mission in Forest Park, Georgia (2010-present).

Since 2010, Bishop-elect Fabre has also served as a member of the Archdiocese of Atlanta’s Finance Council, the Budget and Operations Committee, the Projects Review Committee, and as Director and Spiritual Director to the Hispanic Charismatic Renewal. He is fluent in English, Spanish, Italian, French, and Creole.

The Diocese of Charleston is comprised of 31,189 square miles in the state of South Carolina and has a total population of 5,148,714 of which 192,764 are Catholic.

Prison Ministry in South Carolina leads to Baptisms and Confirmations

Wow Weekly Ministry in Maximum Security Prison leads to Baptisms and Confirmations by Bishop

The Catholic Miscellany Greenville Deanery, South Carolina reports that the Diocese of Charelston Prison ministry led to baptism of inmates by bishop. In a report by Terry Cregar on January 14, 2020 it was noted that Bishop Robert E. Guglielmone celebrated the sacrament of baptism for inmates at Perry Correctional Institution near Pelzer on Dec. 10, 2019.
Five men received sacraments during a Mass led by Bishop Robert E. Guglielmone.

Father Rhett Williams said three of the inmates were baptized and all five received confirmation.

 “Overall, it was a great Mass that involved many inmates, staff, and even guards who were present,” he said.

 “So many loving, caring people attended to watch me being welcomed into the Church. I truly felt the spirit of God throughout the Mass,” said Timmy, one of the men receiving confirmation.

James, another inmate, described his confirmation as “the most important day of my adult life. The understanding of the role Christ plays in my life has taken new shape. I have come to love the Catholic faith, and the more I learn, the better my life becomes.”

A reception was held after the Mass, and the men were treated to Subway sandwiches and soft drinks provided by the prison ministry.

Mass is held at Perry every Thursday, with weekly Catechism classes led by Deacon Leininger or a lay volunteer.

The ministry has lay volunteers that rotate in and out from the local parishes, he said.

 “Each week for Mass we have anywhere from eight to 12 guys, and about the same for classes,” Father Williams said.

During Advent, parishioners from the four Upstate parishes prepared and served a home-cooked Christmas meal to around 125 of the inmates, Father Williams said. It included Christmas carols by parishioners from St. Anthony of Padua.

Located 10 miles west of Fountain Inn, Perry is a maximum-security prison with around 1,000 inmates.
Edited from The Catholic Miscellany