St. Brigid’s Begins Perpetual Adoration

By ERIKA ANDERSON, Staff Writer

Published: November 13, 2003

ALPHARETTA—The priorities of the St. Brigid Church community were clear from its inception.

The first Mass for the then mission was celebrated on Nov. 1, 1998 at Centennial High School in Alpharetta.

“Since that very first Mass, the Eucharist has been the center of our parish life, just as it was the center and priority in the lives of the saints whose intercession we prayed for on Nov. 1, 1998 and do every day,” said Father Joe Corbett, pastor.

Almost four years later, Archbishop John F. Donoghue was on hand to reaffirm that priority as he celebrated a Mass, blessed a statue of Mother Teresa and officially instituted perpetual adoration.

It was a dreary fall day, but the standing-room-only crowd that filled the church to capacity did well to mask the rain outside with the spirit of joy and faith.

Father Corbett concelebrated the Mass, along with Father Bob Frederick, parochial vicar, and Msgr. Paul Reynolds, vicar general of the archdiocese. Two Religious from Mother Teresa’s order, the Missionaries of Charity, sat in the front row, wearing their trademark white saris trimmed in Marian blue. The Mass was celebrated Oct. 26.

Though now beatified and known as Blessed Teresa of Calcutta, Mother Teresa may always be called by the name most familiar to those whose lives she touched whether they knew her or not, the archbishop said in his homily.

He recalled his own meeting with Mother Teresa, in 1995, when she visited Atlanta and Sacred Heart Church.

“I think we know now, that Mother Teresa was one of those saints who God sends us, to teach us how to give a thousand percent—and to teach us to never stop giving as long as we live.”

Mother Teresa was influenced by St. Frances Cabrini and wrote to her bishop, asking to start a new order of sisters. Mother Cabrini “did not wait for souls to come to her … she went to them. Why can’t I do the same for Jesus?” she wrote.

“And I do hope that from this day on, when you come into this beautiful church, you will pause a moment before the statues of any of these saints, these heroic men and women, and remember those words of Mother Teresa, and then ask yourself the same question: ‘What can I do here, at St. Brigid’s, for Jesus Christ, and for His people?’” the archbishop said.

There are many ways to get involved at St. Brigid’s, the archbishop said, beginning with perpetual adoration.

“Now, a good place to start giving a thousand percent is here in the company of the saints,” he said. “But an even better place to begin, is by spending time with the Lord—sitting with Him for awhile, holding with Him that kind of quiet conversation that can only happen during private devotion.”

“Dear friends, in our struggles to be like the saints, in our fight to give a thousand percent, in our efforts to bring the love of Jesus Christ alive in our homes and our parishes, let us never forget that when we falter, when we stumble and when the goals that once seemed so clear are hidden behind the blindness of our fatigue, our worry and our fear of defeat, that it takes but a moment before the tabernacle, it takes but a simple prayer from our hearts, ‘Jesus, Son of God, have pity on me,’” the archbishop said. “And the Lord will have pity on us, He will open our eyes and send us strengthened and renewed on our way.”

Following the homily, the archbishop walked over to the statue of Mother Teresa, and with a prayer of blessing, sprinkled it with holy water.

The statue, which stands just a few inches taller than Mother Teresa herself did, is the only statue of that size in North America. Only one other statue in the world is like it, and it resides at the Missionaries of Charity motherhouse in Calcutta.

Joel Gray, director of stewardship, gave tours of the church, which houses statues of 10 saints, when it first opened and said it was immediately obvious that many were touched by Mother Teresa’s life and faith.

“I’d go into the sanctuary during tours and I would find people praying near that statue,” he said. “A lot of people come to the parish who aren’t even parishioners, just to see the statue.”

At the conclusion of Mass, the archbishop brought forth the monstrance containing the Blessed Sacrament, placed it upon the altar and knelt before it. Then, led by the Knights of Columbus in their plumed caps, the archbishop processed with the monstrance downstairs to the St. Brigid Adoration Chapel. Those in attendance knelt in the pews, and those without a seat knelt on the floor as the Blessed Sacrament passed them.

Downstairs in the chapel, the choir continued to sing, and the archbishop led the Divine Praises.

Denise Ballard, who leads the eucharistic ministry at the parish, said that perpetual adoration was the number one priority of the pastor and the parish community from the first day.

“It’s everything. It’s the center of our faith,” she said. “We have to have a relationship with our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament. We have to know him. And you cannot know someone with whom you don’t spend time.”

Before the church was built, the parish held adoration in the small chapel in the former rectory. But parishioners wanted more.

“So many parishioners were just aching for perpetual adoration,” Ballard said.

During the first weekend of perpetual adoration in early September, over 700 people passed through the chapel.

“I expected that, because I knew what people wanted and needed,” she said. “But just to walk in and see eight or nine people in the chapel is so beautiful.”

Ballard has been touched by many parishioners who call her to share their stories of ways they have been affected by time in adoration. She and her husband serve as guardians for the 3 a.m. slot on Saturdays.

“You walk in, and Jesus is there. It’s so quiet. It’s so beautiful and such a gift,” she said. “It’s the greatest blessing in our lives. There are no words to describe the power of having our Lord present—the effect not only on our parish but on our entire community. We are blessed beyond words.”

Deacon Bill Lange has been the only deacon at St. Brigid since it began. He believes that it is through the Eucharist that St. Brigid’s has grown.

“That has been the foremost focus of our parish,” he said. “It has allowed us to grow into such a beautiful, active parish of 59 ministries.”

Though they began perpetual adoration nearly two months before the Mass of institution, Deacon Lange said that the archbishop’s visit solidifies the parish’s mission.

“It formalized what we already believe and brought home to many in our parish the importance of the Blessed Sacrament,” Deacon Lange said. “It just formalized what we’re already trying to live as a parish.”

Father Corbett said he is grateful for the dedication shown by so many in his parish.

“I really believe and trust in the words of the pope in his recent encyclical, ‘The Church and The Eucharist,’ when he said that adoration of the Blessed Sacrament is an important daily practice and becomes a source of great holiness,” he said. “I also know that many blessings and miracles will be bestowed upon the guardians, their families and our parish.”

Father Corbett also believes strongly that it is through the Eucharist that the parish has become so vibrant, but he also believes that it is because of the faith of the people of St. Brigid.

“St. Brigid Parish is truly blessed with over 50 great ministries and organizations all serving our parish and beyond,” he said. “It is because of their support and the awesome work of our adoration committee that we have come to this day. I am especially grateful to the committee for their dedication to this important ministry.”