Welcome to the Knights of Columbus
Monsignor George Lewis Smith 
Aiken Council 3684

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, I cannot express the amount of gratitude I have for the people of South Carolina as I celebrate my first anniversary as Bishop of the Diocese of Charleston. I wish to share a few observations of the good work that has taken place over the past year and where we are today. First, I have discovered that beauty abounds in South Carolina. Beyond the physical wonder of this state, the beauty shines brightest in our parishes. I visited and celebrated Mass at 93 of them in the past year. Our pews are filled with children and babies, the future of our Church, and our priests, deacons, and men and women religious, are ministering to the flock of Christ. In short, I can see the image and likeness of God in the people here. Second, I want to take a moment to recognize the accomplishments of all students in our Catholic schools across the state. I’m proud to report that our projected graduation numbers for the high school classes of 2023 are nearly 400 students. And finally, we are building new sanctuaries, working to expand our network of schools, and creating a plan to transform our state through our various ministries. As I move into my second year as bishop, I ask you to love one another — especially our families, the poor, and vulnerable. As we know from the Book of Matthew, “Whatever you do to the least of my children, you do to me.” Let us work together to build up something sweeter and greater than ourselves. May God bless you all! REPLY TO: bishop@charlestondiocese.org