Father Rhett Williams attended Bishop England from 1999 – 2003 and played baseball all four years. In 2007, Father Williams graduated from Furman University with a double major in History and Spanish. He was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Charleston on June 8, 2018. In July 2020, Father Williams was made Administrator of St. Thomas More Catholic Church at the University of South Carolina and Chaplain of Cardinal Newman School.

What do you remember from your time at BE? 

I remember the hard transition that it was the first year into private school and a new environment where I didn’t know anyone.  I remember how I came to know some lifelong friends over time. I remember the quality teachers who invested and cared and were good at what they did.  I remember so many good times on the baseball field.  I remember coming to know and embrace the Catholic faith the longer I was around it.

What impact did attending Bishop England have on your life?

BE challenged me in so many ways that it gave me the opportunity to grow on many different levels.  It gave me the gift of my Catholic faith by planting seeds in my time there that grew in the years to come.  I remember many lessons taught to me by Coach Darnell and my teammates on the baseball team over the years.  The example of many good teachers as well allowed me to stay in touch over the years and give a little back of what was given to me.

Who influenced you the most during your time at Bishop England?

Oh, I have some good stories from the library with Ms. Emory back in the day!  I also had some great battles with D. Runey as she helped us all pass AP Calc classes and moved us along in NHS.  The Dursts were also great people who showed me the passion for things that are good and true and beautiful.  Also, Coach Darnell was very influential in my years on the baseball team.  The more you win the more you run,… humility haha!!!

Life after Bishop England? College/Graduate School?

I left Bishop England and went to Furman University in Greenville, SC where I double majored in History and Spanish.  I walked on to the baseball team for a couple years and then ran the Club Baseball team for a couple years.  I left Furman and entered the Peace Corps where I lived and served in El Salvador for over 3 years.  I came back, worked for the diocese for a year in the Vocations Office and then entered seminary.  I was one semester at Holy Trinity Seminary at the University of Dallas and then moved to Theological College in Washington DC where I stayed for the next 5 and half years.  In that time, I received a Licentiate in Philosophy (PhL), a Masters in Divinity (MDiv), and a Bachelors in Sacred Theology (STB) from the Catholic University of America.  I was ordained to the priesthood on June 8, 2018 on the Feast of the Sacred Heart.  I served almost two years as a parochial vicar at our largest SC parish, St. Mary Magdalene in Simpsonville.  As of July 2020, I serve as the Administrator of St. Thomas More Catholic Church, Catholic Chaplain to the Newman Center at the University of South Carolina and Chaplain to Cardinal Newman School in Columbia.   I currently also run out as a supply priest at McEntire Joint National Guard Base. 

Describe a current day in the life of Father Rhett Williams.

All day at the middle/high school and all evening and night at the university.  That about sums it up J.  To be a bit more detailed though, I typically am with either the school or university for the morning holy hour we host and then if I am at the school, it is a mix of meetings, groups, talks, retreats, or just a ministry of presence.  I keep a pulse on what the seniors have going on by being around for their free period hangouts.  If I am at the university, it is full of meeting with students, confessions, Mass, administrative work, or just giving everyone a hard time!  There is daily Mass and Confessions at the university and Mass and Confessions a couple times a week at Cardinal Newman.

What are the most difficult and rewarding aspects of your job?

The most difficult part of my job is being pulled in so many directions that you can’t be completely involved in any one area.  With so many demands on the priest’s time we have to prioritize and reprioritize repeatedly to get what we can done.  Still working on that bi and tri location!  The most rewarding aspects of being a priest are being able to such a part of many different families and walk with them through both good and hard times.  Being a steward of the sacraments and of God’s grace is a constant blessing as well as it reminds me daily of my mission and purpose. 

What would alumni be surprised to learn about you?

I don’t completely hate blue cheese dressing anymore…. Although Ranch still reigns supreme.  I have 9 nieces and nephews.  I never realized how exciting playoff hockey is.  There’s nothing like being a Catholic priest!

Hobbies?

I still like me a good B movie…it is like brain candy for me.  I also like any kind of pick-up sport and watching college football, basketball, and Gamecock baseball.  When there is time and I don’t fall asleep trying, I enjoy reading in history or theology.  I’m also currently crushing a lot of fiction audiobooks while in the car. 

If you could give one piece of advice to current BE students, what would it be?

Invest in your future by learning to be the man or woman you are called to be…. Not who the culture or the people around you expect or want you to be.  High School is about much more than just doing enough to get into a good college.  High School sets the stage and foundations for who you will be as a person in college and how you will use that newfound freedom.  The more you learn about yourself and form good friendships and habits in high school, the more you come to be who are meant to be in the Lord there, and the more fruitful your time in college and in life.