Pastor's Corner

2020 09-27   Priesthood Sunday

Written by: Father Neil Herlihy

This Sunday in the United States we celebrate Priesthood Sunday.  It is a special day set aside to honor the priesthood and is celebrated this year on the last Sunday in September.  The day is coordinated by the USA Council of Serra International.  It is a day to reflect upon and affirm the role of…

2020 09-20   During These Uncertain Times, Let Us Not Forget Our Military and Chaplains Who Serve Us

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In these difficult and uncertain times, when many are preoccupied with the devastating impact of the COVID-19 virus, we should not forget our men and women who serve in the military and who sacrifice so much to preserve our freedoms through their dedicated service to our country.  We live in a world where the potential…

2020 09-13  Remembering Sept. 11, 2001, Patriots Day Mass

Written by: Father Neil Herlihy

As we know, we are still in the midst of the devastating impact of the COVID-19 virus.  The fabric of our country and our world has changed dramatically in these last few months. While preoccupied with the impact of this virus, many paused recently to focus on the events of September 11, 2001. This past…

2020 09-06  Honor for Those Who Labor in the Spirit of Jesus and Joseph

Written by: Father Neil Herlihy

This Monday, as a nation, we celebrate Labor Day.  On this day, we honor all those who labor for a living.  We thank them for their service to their families, and for their service to all those who benefit from their efforts.  As we know, prayer and work go hand in hand.  Therefore, we are…

2020 08-30   Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship

Written by: Father Neil Herlihy

Our election season is upon us, and Catholics are urged to embrace the opportunity to vote.  Pope Francis has addressed the issue of voting.  He stated, “We need to participate for the common good.  Sometimes we hear: a good Catholic is not interested in politics.  This is not true:  good Catholics immerse themselves in politics…

2020 08-23   Welcome our New Parochial Vicar, Fr. Cristian Cossio

Written by: Father Neil Herlihy

Fr. Cristian Cossio recently has been assigned by the Archdiocese of Atlanta to Saint Brigid parish.  He will serve as a parochial vicar along with Fr. Michael and Fr. Bill.  Fr. Cristian is a newly ordained priest, originally from Colombia, and has been in the United States since 2014.  He said his family has always…

2020 08-16  Children’s Liturgy of the Word- Immerse your Children to the Word of God

Written by: Father Neil Herlihy

Our Catechism teaches that parents are the primary educators of their children in the ways of faith. As reported in the publication the “National Catholic Register”, Pope Francis, in one of his weekly general audiences, stated that the Church and all Christian communities are called to accompany and support parents in their educative role. One…

2020 08-09   “We Are Blessed to Have Many Faithful, Dedicated, and Holy Deacons to Serve Us At Saint Brigid.

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In addition to “transitional deacons” who are in formation for the priesthood, the Catholic Church provides an opportunity for men to serve as Permanent Deacons.  Those men who are called to the Permanent Deaconate can be married, and they are ordained usually after a rigorous period of five years of training and formation.  Many permanent…

2020 08-02   We Cannot Afford to Become Indifferent to the Plight of Persecuted Christians Throughout the World

Written by: Father Neil Herlihy

As we strive to deal with the devastating impact of the COVID-19 virus and the recent civil unrest in our nation, we may tend to forget that violence continues to be rampant in the Middle East.  Many people, especially Christians, have been singled out for persecution.  Many have been victims of planned acts of terror….

2020 07-26   Reminder of our Call to Live a Life of Love and Service

Written by: Father Neil Herlihy

At this time, we are in the midst of the Archbishop’s Annual Appeal for 2020.  The Archdiocese has recently sent reminder notices urging parishioners to support the Appeal., and Bishop Joel Konzen has spoken about the importance of the Appeal.  He stated, “The theme of our 2020 Archbishop’s Annual Appeal, ‘You are the Light of…

2020 07-19  Our Children and the Celebration of the Great Gift of the Eucharist

Written by: Father Neil Herlihy

In the last few weeks, at various scheduled times, many of the children in our faith community have made their First Holy Communion at Saint Brigid.  Their parents and other loved ones presented them to share with us in the fullness of the Lord’s Supper for the first time and watched proudly as these children,…

2020 07-19   Vocations and First Holy Communion

Written by: Father Neil Herlihy

In the last few weeks, at various scheduled times, many of the children in our faith community have made their First Holy Communion at Saint Brigid.  Their parents and other loved ones presented them to share with us in the fullness of the Lord’s Supper for the first time and watched proudly as these children,…

2020 07-12   Our Local SVdP Society Works Quietly and Effectively for Those in Need of Our Community

Written by: Father Neil Herlihy

Here at Saint Brigid, our local Saint Vincent de Paul Society Conference works quietly and effectively to help those in need in our local community. The need for assistance has increased dramatically in the Atlanta area at this time due primarily to the impact of the COVID-19 virus. Some people have lost their jobs, while…

2020 07-05   We Celebrate the Birth of Our Nation and Cherish Our Religious Freedoms

Written by: Father Neil Herlihy

Saturday on this weekend we celebrate the Fourth of July, Independence Day.  On this day, we remember and appreciate the birth of our nation.   As previously noted, Catholic author Norm Langenbrunner reminds us that Independence Day is also a time “…for remembering the courage and sacrifice of our nation’s founding generation, and succeeding generations who…

2020 07-28   Vocation – A Response to the Lord’s Unmerited Call

Written by: Father Neil Herlihy

This Saturday, Archbishop Hartmayer ordained three men to the priesthood for the Archdiocese of Atlanta at the Cathedral of Christ the King.  We thank these men for discerning and answering the call to serve, and we pray that Our Lord will bless them and guide them in their priestly ministry.  They are challenged to embrace…

2020 06-21   Our Love for our Fathers Should Reflect the Love that God Has for All of Us.

Written by: Father Neil Herlihy

Today we celebrate Father’s Day and we remember fathers in a special way.   As we know, Pope Francis has placed great emphasis and focus on fatherhood, reminding us that being a father is a great privilege and also a great responsibility.  Many of our parishioners are fathers, and they are challenged to set a good…

2020 06-14   A Prayer for National Healing

Written by: Father Neil Herlihy

This Sunday we celebrate the great solemnity of Corpus Christi, the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ.  We focus especially on this day on our devotion to the Eucharist, the source and summit of our faith, a faith united and rooted in community. However, this sense of communal unity is not reflected in our…

2020 06-07   We Welcome Seminarian Jacob Butz, and Pray For Vocations

Written by: Father Neil Herlihy

As a faith community, we strive to assist seminarians in the Archdiocese of Atlanta as they discern a vocation to the priesthood.  We also assist Fr. Tri as he provides guidance to our seminarians in his role as Director of Vocations for the Archdiocese of Atlanta.  This summer we welcome seminarian Jacob Butz to our…

2020 05-31   We are Challenged to Allow the Holy Spirit to Come into Our Minds, and into Our Lives, and into Our Hearts

Written by: Father Neil Herlihy

This Sunday we celebrate the great feast of Pentecost. On this day, we see the fulfillment of the promise of Jesus to send the Holy Spirit upon his Apostles. And as we know, the Holy Spirit will transform the lives of these Apostles. These frightened men who abandoned Jesus at his Passion will be transformed…

2020 5-24   We Are to Truly Appreciate our Precious Faith and Freedom on this Memorial Day Holiday

Written by: Father Neil Herlihy

This Monday, as a nation, we celebrate Memorial Day.  This federal holiday is celebrated each year in the United States on the last Monday in May.  On this day, we remember in a special way those men and women in the armed forces who have made the supreme sacrifice in defense of our nation.  We…

2020 05-17   Pray for Our Bishops, that Inspired by the Holy Spirit, Will Make Prudent Decisions for Our Church

Written by: Father Neil Herlihy

As we know, we are currently in difficult and uncertain times due primarily to the devastating impact of the Covid-19 virus.  Very few could have predicted the drastic changes that have occurred in our society in a very short time.  We recently went from crowded Churches to empty Churches.  Most Church services were suspended throughout…

2020 05-10   We Honor the Blessed Virgin Mary and all Mothers in a Special Way at This Time. 

Written by: Father Neil Herlihy

This Sunday we celebrate Mother’s Day.  We are invited on this day to make a special effort to honor mothers for all they do for their families and for the many sacrifices they make on behalf of their spouses and children.  In addition, we can also thank them for the love they provide in so…

2020 05-03   We Are Invited to Keep Archbishop Hartmayer in our Prayers as he Assumes his role as Shepherd of our Archdiocese.

Written by: Father Neil Herlihy

Pope Francis recently named Bishop Gregory Hartmayer as the new Archbishop of Atlanta.   He will be installed on May 6th.  Bishop Hartmayer is a Franciscan priest and is currently serving as the Bishop of Savannah.  He is very familiar with certain aspects of the Archdiocese of Atlanta having served as a Pastor here for more…

2020 04-19  Jesus’ Message to Faustina Reminds Us That There is NO Limit to God’s Mercy

Written by: Father Neil Herlihy

Today we celebrate Divine Mercy Sunday.  Pope John Paul II, now Saint John Paul II, had a great appreciation for and understanding of mercy.  He stated in one of his papal addresses:  “What is mercy if not the boundless love of God, who confronted with human sin, restrains the sentiment of severe justice and, allowing…

2020 04-05  Our Lord is Risen!  Let us Rejoice and be Glad. Alleluia.

Written by: Father Neil Herlihy

Today, Easter Sunday, we celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus.  The suffering of the cross gives way to the glory of the Resurrection.  Just as we share in the suffering of Christ in this life, we hope to one day share in his glory. Through his Resurrection, Jesus has conquered sin and death.  This is the…

2020 04-05   The Holiest Week of the Church Year

Written by: Father Neil Herlihy

This Sunday we celebrate Palm Sunday as we begin the holiest week of the Church year.  We focus on the triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. In our faith tradition, during Holy Week we commemorate the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Jesus. In a Palm Sunday address, Pope Francis called on the faithful to focus…

2020 03-28  Enter More Fully Into the Spirit of Sacrifice, Renewal and Repentance by Praying the Stations of the Cross

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During the season of Lent, Our Holy Father, Pope Francis, invites us to enter more fully into the spirit of sacrifice, renewal, and repentance.  We can embrace this invitation in various ways such as by praying the “Stations of the Cross”. The publication “Catholic Online” stated that “The Stations of the Cross are a 14-step…

2020 03-22  We Find Ourselves in Difficult and Uncertain Times

Written by: Father Neil Herlihy

We quickly find ourselves in difficult and uncertain times.  As we strive to deal with the on-going and fluid impact of the Coronavirus, as a faith community we are invited to turn to Mary, Our Lady of Guadalupe, Mother of the Church and our Mother for her guidance and intercession as we pray the following…

2020 03-15   Saint Patrick …. a faithful witness to the Gospel as he embraced the mission and ministry of Christ. 

Written by: Father Neil Herlihy

St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated on Tuesday, March 17th.  It is a national holiday in Ireland and is generally recognized as an important day for people of Irish heritage.  St. Patrick joins Saint Brigid as one of the patron saints of Ireland.  St. Patrick was a priest and later became a bishop in the fifth…

2020 03-08  We Congratulate the 2020 Catholic Women and Teen of the Year for Saint Brigid

Written by: Father Neil Herlihy

On Saturday morning, March 7th, a Mass was celebrated at Holy Cross Catholic Church honoring the Catholic Woman and Teen of the Year for each of those parishes which are members of the Cappy Foley was chosen as the Catholic Woman of the Year, and Kaya Ilustrisimo was chosen as the Catholic Teen of the…