Our Mission

Nourished by the Eucharist and empowered by the holy spirit, we strive to become true disciples of Jesus Christ and to build His Kingdom on Earth. We are called to lovingly share God’s gifts as we serve Him and the needs of our neighbors.

Our History

Before the Church of the Infant Jesus was built, Catholic families in the Marion Community had to travel to neighboring communities for mass. Sometimes Mass was held in homes by traveling priests. During the early 1900’s Marion was attached to Sumter and Florence parishes.

In 1943 Marion became a mission of St. Louis in Dillon. Construction of the new church in Marion began in 1964 after the land was obtained. The actual deed of the land states that the 8.166 acres cost $9,799.20. It was bought by The Most Reverend Francis F, Reh, Bishop of Charleston.

The land for the building site was purchased from Douglas Wiggins and the late E.J. Wiggins. The structure was designed by James E. Cooney, architect, of Myrtle Beach, S.C. It was built by the Owens Construction Company also of Myrtle Beach. The structure, costing approximately $65,000, was financed by the Catholics and their friends of Marion.

A generous donation in memory of Anna Kraus was made to the Church through the Catholic Church Extension Society of the United States of America and from the Diocesan Development Fund.

Marion was the last county in South Carolina to have a Catholic church. The church was formally dedicated on January 22, 1967, and the Catholics of Marion County had their first and only church.

The Church meant much to the religious life of area Catholics and had a strong bearing on the industrialization of the county as many of the families who moved to Marion with our local industries were Catholic. It was with great pride that on the tenth anniversary of the dedication of the Church of the Infant Jesus, parishioners were able to formally retire our building debt.

Our Founding Pastor- Father Anthony A. Plikunas