By Paula Day

Two priests educated at St. John’s College in Waterford, Ireland will become first-time pastors Feb. 1.

As parochial vicar Father William (Willie) Hickey wore several hats. The 36-year-old priest assumes another level of responsibility when he takes up residence in St. Theresa’s rectory in Douglasville as pastor. He will succeed Father Hugh Marren who has been assigned pastor of Saint Anthony’s Church in Atlanta.

“I feel it’s a wonderful privilege to become a pastor,” Father Hickey said. “But I’m worried. I have priest friends who tell me, ‘Everybody loves you when you’re an assistant. When the buck stops with you things can change.’ It will be a bigger challenge to meet the expectations of parishioners, so I’m going to ask for their prayers.”

The 500-household parish west of Atlanta has a “functional church,” but needs to build other facilities and that will be one of his new challenges as new pastor.

“We’re tight for space. There’s a dire need for offices, classrooms, an activity hall.” On the other hand, the priest said he’s “delighted” with the parish youth program, Life Teen, “I’ve been working with the youth here at All Saints and youth are a big priority for me.”

His assignments as parochial vicar in the Atlanta archdiocese were at St. Jude’s in Sandy Springs, Corpus Christi in Stone Mountain and All Saints in Dunwoody.

Father Hickey is chairman of the Committee for the Continuing Education of Clergy and assistant Vicar for Clergy. His is also archdiocesan liaison to the American Jewish Committee in Atlanta and is on the board of directors of the Organization for Continuing Education for Roman Catholic Clergy, a national body.

Father Hickey is the son of the late John and Brigid Dillon Hickey. A native of Edenderry, County Offaly, Ireland, he studied for priesthood at St. John’s College in Waterford and was ordained in his home parish June 15, 1986.

Commenting on his appointment as pastor of the eastern Georgia Catholic community of St. Joseph’s in Washington, Father G. Philip Ryan said, “We’ll grow in faith together.”

Including the mission churches of Purification in Sharon and St. Mary’s in Elberton, he will be the spiritual leader of approximately 100 families.

“I’m looking forward to the challenge. My first task will be getting used to the role of pastor and familiarizing myself with the people. The good thing about (the size of the parish) is you get to know the families well and soon.”

“It’s lovely country,” the first-time pastor added, “very reminiscent of my home country area where you can’t walk a mile in any direction without being in pasture.”

Purification mission is the site of an early Catholic community in Georgia. The first Catholic congregation settled in nearby Locust Grove. Its original log church was built in the 1790s and replaced three decades later when it received its present name.

Father Ryan, 43, is a native of Kilkenny, Ireland, where two brothers and a sister continue in the family business. An alumnus of St. John’s College in Waterford, he was ordained May 12, 1988.

His first assignment in the archdiocese was parochial vicar at St. John Neumann where he had been a transitional deacon. For the past 18 months he has been a parochial vicar at St. Joseph’s in Athens. He succeeds Father James Adams who has been assigned pastor of Prince of Peace Church in Buford.