By Kathi Stearns, Staff Writer

CUMMING—For the community at Pinecrest Academy a sense of shock and sadness was evident as members wept openly upon hearing of the sudden death of their headmaster.

Brian A. Tierney, Ph.D., 56, who died of a massive heart attack Sunday, July 22, was also a prominent member of Regnum Christi, the lay apostolate of the Legionaries of Christ.

A Mass of Christian Burial was held July 26 at the Church of St. Benedict in Duluth, the Tierney family parish, where he served as a eucharistic minister.

Father Scott Reilly, LC, and Father Dan Rogaczewski, parochial vicar at St. Benedict, concelebrated the Mass with priests of the archdiocese as Archbishop John F. Donoghue presided.

In attendance from the Archdiocese of Atlanta was Donald T. Sasso, Secretary for Education. Other school representatives included Frank Moore, principal of Blessed Trinity High School, Roswell, Elaine Whalen and Kathy Wood, deans of students at St. Pius X High School, Atlanta, and Jamie Arthur, associate head of school from The Donnellan School, Atlanta.

The first reading was given by John Gannon, co-founder of Pinecrest Academy, which has 521 students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade. The responsorial psalm was led by Kersti Peyton and the second reading was given by Bruce Carlisle.

The Gospel reading, John 11: 32-45, recalled the raising of Lazarus from the dead. During the homily Father Reilly, chaplain at St. Pius X High School, said that tears are appropriate when we lose someone, citing the example of Jesus who wept when he heard that his friend Lazarus had died.

“We are still trying to deal with the shock of Brian Tierney’s death. It is still sinking in, and each of us in our own way is trying to come to grips with it.”

The very tangible loss of life often makes it difficult to focus upon the promise of the resurrection when death comes unexpectedly to take a loved one away.

Father Reilly told the congregation that Christ’s resurrection is the final victory over death and belongs to all those who believe. There-fore, we should be joyful in spite of our present sorrow because of the promise of eternal life.

“Joy is the consequence of our faith,” Father Reilly said. “Dr. Tierney lived with joy, and that joy challenged each and every one of us . . . His witness spurs us on to live our lives in joy, which means to live our lives in Christ. We are indebted to Brian because each one of us here today is better because of him. We live our life with our focus on Jesus Christ who gives us the strength to go on.”

Margaret Richardson, the former dean of studies at Pinecrest who is now serving as acting headmaster, read the prayers of the faithful with her son Stephen, an eighth-grader at the school.

After the eucharistic celebration, Dr. Tierney’s adult son and namesake, Brian, addressed the congregation. He thanked them for their attendance and spoke of his father. For Father’s Day the younger Brian Tierney’s 2-year-old son gave him a poem that began, “Walk a little plainer, Daddy. I’m trying to follow in your footsteps.” Tierney went on to say that being the educator that he was, his own father always made it easy for him to see his footsteps.

“He would consistently make sure I saw the right path, but he wasn’t afraid to let me fall down a few times along the way. I can only hope that I can walk as plainly for my children as my Dad walked for me.”

Archbishop Donoghue then addressed the congregation. The archbishop pointed out that Pinecrest Academy’s web page stands as an epitaph to Dr. Tierney since it describes the three core activities carried on at Pinecrest Academy: to teach the intellect, to educate the heart and to form the character.

“Now, with the sore absence of his person fast upon us, we must, with resolution in our intellect, with no regret in our hearts, and with all the courage our character can summon, promise to his spirit and to one another, the continuance of his work—-work to which he was devoted, and for which, in a real way, he gave his life.”

Archbishop Donoghue added that Dr. Tierney’s life truly exemplified the school’s motto, “Semper Altius - Always Higher.”

“Dr. Tierney. . . has now been raised to that degree . . . where our Lord’s protection becomes eternal reward.”

Finally, a poem by Henry Scott Holland that the family had requested was read by Dr. Jim Dugal. “Death is nothing at all . . . I have only slipped away into the next room. I am I, and you are you . . . whatever we were to each other, that we still are . . . Why should I be out of mind because I am out of sight? I am but waiting for you, for an interval, somewhere very near, just round the corner . . . All is well.”

Father John Hopkins, LC, president of the board of Pinecrest Academy, which is a private Catholic school under the direction of the Legionaries of Christ, was attending an eight-week session of spiritual exercises and renewal in southern Mexico when he was notified of Dr. Tierney’s unexpected death.

“Immediately I was struck with a feeling of deep sadness and worry for the Tierney family. I spent a lot of time in the chapel praying for his wife, his children and the community at Pinecrest. Dr. Tierney was someone who dedicated himself 100 percent to the education of children. I remember him in the chapel down on his knees praying before the Blessed Sacrament with rosary in hand. His leadership brought the school to a wonderful new level. He left the community with a legacy . . . of academic excellence, love for the faith and joy. He will be missed.”

According to Arlene Gannon, co-founder and dean of students at Pinecrest Academy, Dr. Tierney’s death took everyone by surprise especially since several members of the community had spent the preceding day with him at two functions.

Upon learning of his death the community gathered before the Blessed Sacrament for an hour of adoration.

“When something like this happens, all I know to do is to go before the Blessed Sacrament and pray,” Gannon said. “I started to call people when we found out around 7:30 p.m. and told them that there would be a holy hour in the chapel from 9 to 10 p.m. When I arrived at the school there were already hundreds of people in the chapel praying.”

On July 25, after recitation of the rosary and the wake at St. Benedict, the Pinecrest community and members of Regnum Christi gathered before the Blessed Sacrament for 12 hours of adoration from 10 p.m. to 10 a.m. at Pinecrest Academy before the funeral Mass.

Approximately 30 members of the faculty and staff of Pinecrest sacrificed attending the funeral to staff a camp program, “Summer in the Spirit,” that was scheduled to begin the day following Dr. Tierney’s death. The camp, which had close to 250 participants, was a project that was special to Dr. Tierney. In memory of their headmaster, each day of this week of faith formation and fun began and ended with two minutes of prayer for the repose of his soul.

Born in Orange County, New Jersey in 1945, Dr. Tierney received a bachelor’s degree in math and natural science from Transylvania University, Lexington, Ky., in 1969. In 1972 he earned a master’s degree in chemistry from the University of Mississippi, Oxford. He went on to obtain an educational specialist degree in 1977 and a doctorate in school administration and supervision in 1983 from Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton.

Before coming to Pinecrest in 1998, Dr. Tierney was the headmaster at Lee Academy, Clarksdale, Miss., from 1991-98. Additionally, he served as the headmaster at Lee-Scott Academy, Auburn, Ala., from 1985-91. He worked from 1969-85 for the Indian River County public middle and high schools in Vero Beach, Fla., in several capacities, including math and science teacher, science department chairman and system administrator.

He is survived by his wife, Connie; two children, Kelly Tierney Stewart, D.V.M., and Brian J. Tierney, M.D., and two grandchildren, Ian and Connor. He is also survived by his mother, Carolyn Johns Tierney, and his brothers, Dennis and Michael Tierney.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Dr. Brian A. Tierney Merit Scholarship Fund at Pinecrest Academy, 955 Peachtree Parkway, Cumming, GA 30041.