BY GRETCHEN KEISER

Staff Writer

GAINESVILLE--Father Richard Kieran, pastor of St. Michael’s Church and co-spiritual director of the Cursillo movement of the archdiocese, was in critical condition Nov. 2 at Northeast Georgia Medical Center following surgery for a brain hemorrhage.

Father Kieran, 59, collapsed at his doctor’s office Oct. 30. The pastor called Dr. Miguel Jurado early that morning because he was having severe headaches. Dr. Jurado, a parishioner, came and took Father Kieran to his office and then he was rushed to the hospital for surgery.

The priest is in intensive care and visitors have been restricted. Family members at the hospital include Father John Kieran, his brother and the pastor of St. Pius X Church, Conyers, and his brother and sister-in-law, Eugene and Rosemary Kieran, who came from California.

Father Kieran described his brother’s condition as serious and guarded. At the same time, he said, doctors have advised the family that it would be at least three days following surgery before a more definitive prognosis could be given.

He said that the priest had massive bleeding in the brain and swelling before surgery. Since the surgery the swelling has gone down considerably, he said. Father Kieran is in a coma, which his brother said was to be expected following this surgery, and is on a ventilator. He has shown some movement, his brother said, and “we feel he is hearing us.”

Although there are no visitors, many lay people, priests and Religious have come to the hospital, some leaving their names, messages and prayers in a book.

“A huge number of visitors have come by. People are signing the book and leaving messages. There has been a great outpouring of prayer, which the family greatly appreciates,” Father Kieran said.

The rest of the family, including their mother, Joan, in Ireland has been in touch by telephone, he said. Her words are that “we must go on,” he said.

The prayers of the people and of the parishes of the archdiocese are the best support, Father Kieran said.

“Just to have prayer at their parishes and to continue the good work that Richard would always want us to do,” he said, when asked how people might help. “Richard would want us to keep going and do the good work he was so dedicated to doing.”

Father Richard Kieran was scheduled to lead his annual pilgrimage to the Holy Land in mid-November. The trip will go on as scheduled with Father Dan Fleming, parochial vicar at St. Thomas Aquinas Church, Alpharetta, and Sister Margaret McAnoy, IHM, as leaders. Sister McAnoy is the co-spiritual director of the Cursillo movement and has been on two previous Holy Land pilgrimages led by Father Kieran. Father Fleming was scheduled to go on the pilgrimage this year.

“Richard was to lead a group of 52 people to the Holy Land. That will continue,” Father Kieran said, adding that he is certain his brother would want events like this to go forward for the good that people could draw from it.

Father Kieran has been a priest of the archdiocese for 34 years, and a pastor of many parishes including St. Anna’s, Monroe, Immaculate Heart of Mary, Atlanta, St. Joseph’s, Athens, and Holy Family, Marietta. He was rector of the Cathedral of Christ the King, Atlanta, from 1987-90. He has also served as archdiocesan Secretary for Catholic Education and, as a bilingual priest, has been active in the establishment and expansion of ministry to Hispanic Catholics. He is active in evangelization through Cursillo and has preached many parish renewal missions.

Sister McAnoy, who has been visiting the hospital regularly, said information on Father Kieran’s condition would be left on the Cursillo phone line, which is (770) 455-4131, and would be updated.

Archbishop John F. Donoghue has requested the prayers of the archdiocese for Father Kieran and his family.