St. Brendan Beginnings
The History of St. Brendan Catholic Community
February 1999: Establishing the Mission
The tremendous population growth of Forsyth County in the 1990′s, was the prime impetus for establishing a mission to meet the needs of the Catholic population in the southern portion of the County. As a result, Saint Brendan Catholic Mission was formed from the Church of the Good Shepherd in Cumming, Georgia in February 1999. An announcement was made by Father Peter Rau to his parishioners advising that Father William (Willie) Hickey would serve as Administrator for this Mission. These announcements were greeted with overwhelming enthusiasm.
May 1999: Mission Activities
Father Willie began his service to the Catholic Mission by offering to celebrate Mass at private residences. Larry and Kathy Lane hosted one such service on May 1, 1999. While ministering to those who committed themselves to becoming members of the Mission, a search for suitable land was undertaken. It was also necessary to locate an appropriate temporary facility to conduct Sunday services.
In the midst of all these activities, preparations were underway for our first Mass. An announcement was made that this Mass would be celebrated at South Forsyth Middle School, located on the comer of Old Atlanta and Sharon Roads, at 10:00 am on June 6, 1999. Father Willie was quoted in the Georgia Bulletin as stating “We will have a 10:00 am Mass each week. Hopefully our community will grow from there.”
June 6, 1999: First Mass
The first Mass was celebrated in the South Forsyth Middle School with overwhelming attendees. Initially, it was thought that since it was a “first” for the Mission, Mass attendance would stabilize. However, the following Sunday’s attendance dropped only slightly. After several weeks of Mass attendance far beyond our expectations, it became evident that additional Masses should be scheduled. It was soon decided to add an 8:30 am Sunday Mass, followed in the fall by a 5:30 p.m. Saturday Mass. Subsequently, as our parish family continued to grow, the 5:30 p.m. Sunday Mass was added in October of 2000.
Building Our Church
In late spring of 1999, twenty-eight acres were purchased on Shiloh Road in Cumming, Georgia. A Building Committee was formed on September 6, 1999, and the architectural firm of Precision Planning was retained to develop a master plan for the construction of our parish facilities. After a very successful fundraising campaign, Phase I of the project began on April 18, 2000, with site preparation, which included relocation of the rectory, followed in August 2000, with the construction of the CCD Village.
Becoming a Parish
On June 23, 2000, Archbishop John Francis Donoghue issued a Decree of Establishment instituting the new Parish of Saint Brendan effective July 9, 2000, noting “That the Mission has now grown to the point where it merits establishment as a Parish.” Community Growth Registration began in earnest with the first Mass on June 6, 1999.
The first registered family was Mr. & Mrs. George Colmant. By July 1, 1999, Saint Brendan Mission enrollment statistics showed 171 registered families. Six months later, on January 1,2000, the Mission’s enrollment grew to 520. By January 1, 2001, our Parish enrollment numbered 1,012 families with enrollment increasing daily.
St. Brendan The Navigator – 2001
On February 25, 2001, at 5:30 p.m, our last Mass was celebrated at the South Forsyth Middle School gymnasium. Ash Wednesday services on February 28, 2001, were held at our newly constructed Church. Leading these services were Fr. Willie Hickey, our pastor, and Fr. Bob Cushing, who joined the parish family in December of 2000.
With great joy, the Mass of Dedication for the Church of St. Brendan the Navigator was celebrated on Sunday, March 4, 2001 at 5:30 p.m. The Most Reverend John Francis Donoghue, Archbishop of Atlanta, presided over the services. Principal concelebrants were our pastor and homilist, Fr. Willie Hickey, Fr. Bob Cushing, Spiritual Director in Residence, Fr. Steve Yander, Chaplain at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Atlanta, and Fr. Peter Rau, pastor of the Church of the Good Shepard in Cumming, Georgia. Over 1100 parishioners and other supporters attended this ceremony.
Parish Ministry Growth
While settling into our new facilities, the Church’s ministries, now numbering over thirty-six, expanded dramatically. For example, the needs of the Hispanic community were realized early in the year. By fall, Fr. Samuel Porras was welcomed into the parish, and the first Hispanic Mass was celebrated on November 4, 2001, with 500 faithful in attendance. Ministries such as Small Faith Communities, Catholics Returning Home, and the Stephen Ministry now serve adult faith formation, while RCIA, Rainbows and our Religious Education program address the needs of our children.
St. Brendan Spiritual Life
The first major spiritual endeavor was realized in the form of our first Parish Retreat, held during Holy Week titled “Our New Journey Home”. This retreat was led by Sister Joan Daly and Fr. Steve Vasek, OMI. The spiritual renewal experienced by those attending provided a strong faith based celebration for our first Easter in our new home. Each celebration took on new meaning as the year progressed.
From the First Communion service in May to the beginning of the daily rosary in August to our first Christmas celebration, the parish family grew in faith and love of God.
Activities
A major goal upon moving to the Shiloh Road location was the conversion of the existing barn into the parish Youth Center. The barn was completely renovated using the funds raised at Casino Night, held on April 21, 2001, and the Georgia Celebrity Golf Classic, held on June 18, 2001. Both events were so well attended it was decided that they will become annual events. Our enthusiastic Youth Group moved into their new home on September 30, 2001.
The children of the parish were treated to “Summer In the Spirit” daycamp from July 23-27th. The entire parish was invited to the First Annual Parish Picnic on October 13, 2001. This celebration, sadly, also became a farewell party for Fr. Bob Cushing as he returned to the Diocese of Savannah.
Our first Town Hall Meeting was held on September 10, 2001. Discussion was held pertaining to the present and future needs of the parish. These needs paled less than twenty-four hours later with the terrorist attacks in New York City and Washington, DC. Our parish welcomed all those in need of consolation and continued, over the remainder of the year, to help those struggling with the emotional impact of this tragic event.
Community Growth in 2001
Beginning the year with 1,012 families enrolled, the parish grew steadily with the number totaling 1,685 on December 31, 2001.
