Rev. Msgr. James Aloysius Carter, Pa

James A. Carter was born in Charleston, South Carolina, on March 1, 1939, of James Aloysius and Kathryne Magruder Carter, both deceased.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated 11:00 AM, Tuesday, September 17, 2024, at The Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, 120 Broad Street, Charleston. The Rite of Committal will be held at 2:30 PM at the Way of the Cross Garden at Christ Our King Catholic Church. The family will receive friends one hour prior to the service at The Cathedral.

James attended Cathedral School, Charleston, and Bishop England High School, Charleston. He then attended Mount St. Mary’s College, Emmitsburg, Maryland, and received his undergraduate degree from St. Mary’s Seminary in St. Mary, Kentucky. James Carter completed his theological studies at St. Mary’s Seminary, Baltimore, Maryland. He was ordained to the sacred priesthood on May 7, 1966, by Charleston Bishop Ernest L. Unterkoefler in the Cathedral Church of St. John the Baptist.

From 1966 to 1973, Fr. Carter served as an Associate Pastor at St. Mary’s, Greenville, St. John’s, Charleston, and St. Peter’s, Columbia. In 1973, he became Pastor of Holy Spirit, John’s Island, with its mission, Our Lady of Good Counsel, Folly Beach. In 1974, he became Pastor of the large parish of St. Paul, Spartanburg, and from 1980-1989, he served as Pastor of St. Mary Parish, Aiken. In 1989, he was appointed Pastor of Christ Our King Parish, Mt. Pleasant.

In the wake of Hurricane Hugo (1989), Fr. Carter established, organized and funded the East Cooper Community Outreach (ECCO) to minister in an abiding way to victims of the September 22, 1989, major disaster. He is the program’s Chief Operating Officer, and this Outreach has received very extensive national recognition for its community involvement and the assistance it provides to satisfy community needs. On September 21, 2006, Msgr. Carter was presented the first annual ECCO Stone Soup Award for his dedication and leadership in the community.

In 1991, then Fr. Carter, was named a Prelate of Honor of His Holiness, a papal honor with the title “Monsignor,” and in November, 1998, Msgr. Carter was appointed to the rank of Protonotary Apostolic, the highest honor a priest can receive from the Pope. Msgr. Carter was selected as an Honored Member of the Heritage Registry of Who’s Who in 2006-2007.

Among the many additional appointments Msgr. Carter held passim were: Vicar General of the Diocese of Charleston, Vicar for Clergy and Chairman of the Priests’ Personnel Board, Moderator of the Curia, Chairman of the Diocesan Building and Renovation Commission, Facilitator of the Presbyteral Council, Member of the Diocesan Board of Consultors, Moderator of the Council of Catholic Women in the Charleston Deanery, Rector of Cardinal Newman High School, Columbia, Chaplain of the Ursuline Convent, Columbia, Chairman of the Ecumenical Affairs Committee, Dean of the Aiken Deanery, Director of the Sites and Boundaries Committee, Member of the Priests’ Senate, Board of Governors, Christian Action Council, Member of the Theological Commission, Member of the Diocesan Pastoral Council, Dean of the Coastal Deanery and Member of the Synod Executive Committee.

In April, 2016, Msgr. Carter was the recipient of The Order of the Palmetto, the State of South Carolina’s highest civilian honor, for extraordinary lifetime service and achievements of statewide significance. The South Carolina House of Representatives read a resolution on the floor of the House in honor of his Golden Jubilee, and the Town of Mount Pleasant presented him with the Order of the Gavel, the Town’s highest municipal honor. The City of Charleston declared April 29, 2016, as Msgr. James A. Carter Day.

Arrangements by James A. McAlister, Inc. (843) 766-1365.