CofC Podcast: Father West's Journey From Maritime to Ministry
On this episode of 'Speaking of ... College of Charleston,' we talk to Father Gregory West '80 about his life in the ministry.
On this episode of Speaking of … College of Charleston, Father Gregory West ’80, pastor of Saint Clare of Assisi on Daniel Island, shares his journey from a devout Catholic upbringing on Sullivan’s Island to a successful career in the maritime industry and eventually to the priesthood. He discusses the challenges and divine interventions in building the church including financial hurdles.
The initial cost estimate for the church was around $14 million, but due to rising construction costs in the Charleston area, the final bill came closer to $25 million. This escalation required West and his team to rethink parts of the project. For example, the church had planned to include several stained glass windows, but it wasn’t financially feasible. According to West, either coincidence or divine providence intervened and they were able to secure the exact number of stained glass windows they needed from a church in Pittsburgh that was closing that just happened to include a large stained glass window of Saint Clare of Assisi.
“Einstein said there are no such things as coincidences, just God’s way of remaining anonymous,” says West.
Read the full story in the College of Charleston’s alumni magazine here.
Listen to the full conversation here.
Resources from this episode:
