BY PRISCILLA GREEAR

Staff Writer

ATLANTA--Father Darragh W. Griffith, who will begin serving as a parochial vicar at Holy Spirit Church in Atlanta this month, spent consecutive summers from 1991 through 1996 working in the archdiocese.

Ordained June 15 in Dublin, Ireland, Father Griffith assisted in ministry at various parishes during those years and designed a map of archdiocesan parishes for the Catholic Center.

He was raised in a Catholic family in the Templelogue suburb of Dublin and his parents were active in the charismatic renewal movement with a focus on deepening prayer, devotion to Mary and prayer meetings with hymns, Scripture readings and meditation.

Yet Father Griffith describes himself as an irreligious teenager during his high school years and says that not until he was 21 did he begin to seek a deeper relationship with God as he became more involved in the charismatic movement.

Finishing high school, Father Griffith worked in administration for a fabric and textile company in Dublin. He views his 10 years of work in the industry as a positive experience in which he developed solid office skills and patience and was able to observe relationships in the secular working environment.

But as he grew spiritually, he began to feel restless. In 1990, "seeking what I wanted to do for the rest of my life," he went to Australia and New Zealand with an ecumenical Christian community.

"It helped me to seek what God wanted me to do. The outward journey helped prepare me for the inward journey," he said. "I felt I found what I was seeking--the priesthood."

Returning from Australia, Father Griffith read an ad placed by Msgr. Donald Kenny in an independent Irish newspaper for vocations within the Archdiocese of Atlanta.

"After meeting Msgr. Kenny, I was impressed," he said. "I felt a great peace and certain joy." In 1991 he traveled to Atlanta and worked at Holy Spirit Church. He earned a degree in theology from St. John's College in Waterford in March 1997.

The demand for priests is greater in this country than in Ireland, he said, describing the archdiocese as "an exciting Catholic Church because it's growing and they badly need priests." He finds Catholic laity in North Georgia to be supportive of their priests and likes the spirituality and multicultural diversity he has seen.

In his ministry, Father Griffith hopes to "reveal God to people," and says he is eager to provide spiritual leadership and to bring healing by preaching, sharing Scripture and offering the sacraments, especially confession. He also hopes to minister to young people and to help them to grow in their relationships with God and each other.