Pastor's Corner

2020 03-01   “Finding Inner Peace” Parish Lenten Mission

Written by: Father Neil Herlihy

This week we will host a Lenten Parish Mission from Monday, March 2nd to Wednesday, March 4th.  A Parish Mission can provide an opportunity for spiritual growth as we strive to renew and strengthen our relationship with the Lord.  The Mission will be presented by Deacons Eddie Ensley and Robert Hermann.  They are nationally recognized…

2020 02-23  We Begin Our Lenten Journey

Written by: Father Neil Herlihy

The season of Lent begins on Wednesday which in the Church year is Ash Wednesday. It is a day of fasting and abstinence. Ash Wednesday derives its name from the practice of placing ashes on the foreheads of people as a reminder of human mortality and as a sign of repentance and contrition. Many Christians…

2020 02-16  The 2020 Archdiocese Annual Appeal

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The Archdiocese of Atlanta has initiated its Archbishop’s Annual Appeal for 2020, and this weekend we begin the discussion of the Appeal at our Masses.  he theme of the Appeal is “You are the Light of the World.” Bishop Konzen states that this theme “reminds us of our call to live a life of service,…

2020 02-09  Pastoral Life Center Survey

Written by: Father Neil Herlihy

For more than two decades, Saint Brigid Catholic Church has served the spiritual needs of Catholics in the North Atlanta area.  We have provided a spiritual home where our people could find fellowship in Christ, raise their children in a spiritual environment, expand the knowledge of their faith, and work to fulfill their God-given purpose….

2020 02-02  The Married Couple Joins Christ as an Outward Sign of the Love of God.

Written by: Father Neil Herlihy

Next Saturday, many married couples in our faith community will renew their marriage vows after the 5:00 p.m. Vigil Mass, and then gather in Corbett Hall for their annual Sweetheart Dinner Dance, as they await Valentine’s Day.  They will focus on the sacrament of marriage and affirm Christ as the foundation of their marriage.  They…

2020 01-26  Catholic Schools Week and the Patron Saint of Students, Saint Brigid of Kildare

Written by: Father Neil Herlihy

This week we celebrate “Catholic Schools Week.”  Catholic education has always been a priority for the Catholic bishops of our nation.  For many years, Catholic schools had been staffed primarily by dedicated nuns, religious brothers, and priests.  They are now staffed primarily by dedicated lay teachers who truly view teaching as their vocation.  They strive…

2020 01-12   Alveda King: “We cannot ignore another grave injustice that continues in our time, ……the disregard for human life, especially the life of the unborn.”

Written by: Father Neil Herlihy

This Monday as a nation we honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. for his work in promoting the dignity of the human person.  In honoring his legacy, we recognize the great strides that our country has made in overcoming the racial injustices of the past as hearts and minds have been changed. …

2020 01-12  Jesus Begins His Public Life After Having Himself Baptized by John the Baptist

Written by: Father Neil Herlihy

This Sunday we celebrate the feast of the Baptism of Our Lord.  It marks the end of our Christmas Season.  Our Catechism states, “Jesus begins his public life after having himself baptized by John the Baptist in the Jordan.”  It further indicates that although the baptism by John was intended for sinners, “Jesus’ gesture is…

2020 01-05   Like the Wise Men, We are Challenged to Persevere on our Journey of Faith

Written by: Father Neil Herlihy

This past Wednesday we celebrated the Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God, as we began a New Year.  As we reflect on this day, we look to Mary as a model, and we are urged to follow her example of holiness.  As noted in the publication “Catholic News Agency”, Pope Francis said, “Devotion…

2019 12/29   Let Us Not Lose Confidence in the Family, the Most Important Mission

Written by: Father Neil Herlihy

This Sunday we celebrate the feast of the Holy Family, the family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph.  Our Holy Father Pope Francis has a great appreciation for the family unit.  He stressed the need for the presence of God in the family and has called the family “the leaven of society.”  Pope Francis has challenged…

2019 12-22  May We Truly Experience the Joy and Love of the Lord this Christmas

Written by: Father Neil Herlihy

My brothers and sisters in Christ:  At Christmas, Christ comes into the world and into our lives as a sign of the love God has for us.  The Christmas Season should be a time of prayer and reflection, wonder and silence as we celebrate the birth of Jesus, the Light of the world.  In a…

2019 12-15   Reflecting on the Memory of Msgr. Paul Reynolds and the Example of John the Baptist on Gaudete Sunday

Written by: Father Neil Herlihy

We celebrate Gaudete (Rejoice) Sunday on this Third Sunday of Advent as we wait in joyful anticipation of the coming of the Christ Child.  In our Sunday gospels during Advent, the call to prepare for Christ comes primarily from John the Baptist.  He, in essence, tells us to prepare the way of the Lord, acknowledge…

2019 12-08   Focus on the Feasts of Mary and Avail Ourselves of the Sacrament of Reconciliation

Written by: Father Neil Herlihy

Our Advent Season continues as we strive to remain watchful and alert as we prepare for the coming of the Lord. This past week we sponsored our Advent Parish Mission and it was pleasing to see so many of our parishioners and friends in attendance.  The focus by our presenter, Fr. Francis Reque, on Saint…

2019 12-01  The 2019 Advent Mission, “The Three Theological Virtues as Revealed by St. Joseph”

Written by: Father Neil Herlihy

This Sunday begins the Season of Advent.  It is a special time in the Church year as we prepare for the coming of the Lord.  Advent holds out the hope and desire to see the light of Christ shine through the darkness of our world. As reported in the publication, “The Catholic World Report”, in an Advent message, Pope Francis focused on the invitation…

2019 11-24  Thanksgiving Day, A Day for Our Lord

Written by: Father Neil Herlihy

  This Sunday we celebrate the feast of Christ the King as we approach the end of the liturgical year of our Church.  We remember in a special way what Christ means to us, and what Christ did for us, and that we are called to serve the King of Kings.  This coming Thursday, we…

2019 11-17   Invite Your Neighbors and Friends to Consider Becoming Members of our Saint Brigid Faith Community

Written by: Father Neil Herlihy

Periodically we sponsor a “Newcomers Social” and invite all those who are new to the Parish to join us for an evening of food and fellowship at the Parish rectory.  The gathering is a way to welcome newcomers into our faith community.  Those who have recently joined our community are invited to meet our priests and…

2019 11-10   We Remember All Who Sacrificed For our Country

Written by: Father Neil Herlihy

This coming Monday we celebrate Veterans Day.  At this time we remember in a special way our men and women who served in the military and who sacrificed so much through their dedicated commitment to our country.   The Johns Creek Memorial Walk, located in Newtown Park, serves as a vivid and sobering reminder of the…

2019 11-3   Confirmation Should Strive to Awaken a Sense of Belonging to the Universal Church of Jesus Christ

Written by: Father Neil Herlihy

Later this month Bishop Joel Konzen will administer the Sacrament of Confirmation to approximately two hundred of our teens.  Confirmation along with Baptism and the Holy Eucharist comprise the sacraments of Christian initiation.  Our Catechism states, “Confirmation completes the grace of Baptism by a special outpouring of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, which seal or ‘confirm’ the baptized in union with Christ and…

2019 10-27  We are Invited to Honor our Great Saints and Deceased Loved Ones

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This coming Friday, November 1st we celebrate All Saints Day.  The Catholic Church recognizes this day as a Holy Day of Obligation.  We remember in a very special way on this day the many saints who came before us, holy men and women marked with the sign of faith.  They set such good examples for…

2019 10-22   The “Fostering LOVE” at Saint Brigid

Written by: Father Neil Herlihy

October has been designated as Respect Life Month by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.  The Respect Life Program stresses the value and dignity of all human life.  It is observed in Catholic dioceses throughout the United States.  According to the Office of Family Life, the month of October is dedicated to ‘increasing a…

2019 10-15   Marriage and Religious Vows, Witness of God’s Perfect Fidelity and Enduring Love

Written by: Father Neil Herlihy

The Catechism of the Catholic Church (2364), states that the married couple forms “the intimate partnership of life and love established by the Creator and governed by his laws.”  It further states, “Both give themselves definitively and totally to one another.  They are no longer two; from now on they form one flesh.  The covenant…

2019 10-06  Respect Life Sunday- Be the Voice for the Voiceless

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This Sunday we celebrate Respect Life Sunday.  As Catholics, we are encouraged to promote the dignity of all human life from conception until natural death.  Our Holy Father, Pope Francis has called us to promote the Gospel of Life, and protect and cherish the lives of the elderly, the physically and mentally challenged, and the…

2019 09-29   Priesthood Sunday

Written by: Father Neil Herlihy

This Sunday we celebrate Priesthood Sunday, a special day set aside to reflect upon and affirm the role of the priesthood in the life of the Church.  The day is coordinated by the USA Council of Serra International.  In the midst of the recent clergy abuse scandals, it is easy to lose focus on the…

2019 09-21   Enrich and Strengthen our Parish Community – Ministry Fair

Written by: Father Neil Herlihy

My brothers and sisters in Christ:  God has blessed each of us with a unique set of gifts, skills, talents and resources so we can play a special role in building up His kingdom here on earth.  Stewardship assists us in more fully embracing our call to discipleship and brings us closer to Our Lord…

2019 09-15   Can You Not Take ONE Hour to Pour Your Heart Out to Christ and ADORE Him?

Written by: Father Neil Herlihy

Pope Benedict XVI comments on Eucharistic Adoration stated, “Adoration means entering the depths of our hearts in communion with the Lord, who makes Himself bodily present in the Eucharist.  In the monstrance, He always entrusts Himself to us and asks us to be united with His Presence, with His risen Body.” The publication “Our Sunday…

2019 09-08   World Day of Peace, September 11th

Written by: Father Neil Herlihy

This Wednesday we will mark the eighteenth anniversary of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.  We as a nation recall the tragic deaths and injuries that occurred at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and on the fields of Somerset, Pennsylvania.  It is a date that many of us will never forget. As reported…

2018 09-01   A Day of Honor for Those Who Labor for a Living and Labor for the Lord

Written by: Father Neil Herlihy

As a nation, this Monday 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.  We also called to remember and pray for all those who are now…

2019 08-25  Deacon David Briselden, He Will Be Greatly Missed

Written by: Father Neil Herlihy

The “Order of Christian Funerals” states, “At the death of a Christian, whose life of faith was begun in the waters of baptism and strengthened at the Eucharistic table, the Church intercedes on behalf of the deceased because of its confident belief that death is not the end nor does it  break the bonds forged…

2019 08-18  The Power of Prayer

Written by: Father Neil Herlihy

Jesus, Our Lord and Savior, is also our Teacher.  Throughout His public ministry, through His example, He taught us much about the need for prayer.  Jesus often prayed for others, including His Apostles. Following the example of Jesus, Pope Francis has also focused on the need for prayer.  He has often spoken about the power…

2019 08-11  Mary, Our Lady of the Rosary, Intercede for Us

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This Thursday we celebrate the feast of the Assumption of Mary.  Our Catechism states that “…the Immaculate Virgin, preserved free from all stain of original sin, when the course of her earthly life was finished, was taken up body and soul into heavenly glory, and exalted by the Lord as Queen over all things, so…