Letter to the Editor from Thomson, GA

Published: May 27, 2004

To the Editor:

I just felt the necessity to write to you about my church home, Queen of Angels in Thomson, Ga.

We aren’t the biggest parish in the diocese, but we may be the parish with the biggest heart. Much of that has to do with our pastor, Father Edward J. O’Connor. Certainly Ireland has never turned out a kinder, gentler soul in its long, blessed history than this wonderful son of Erin’s Isle.

I returned to the church after being away for many years, and after my first meeting and discussion with Father O’Connor, it was as if I had never left.

Shortly after returning, my wife, who is Southern Baptist, was diagnosed with brain tumors and had to undergo a number of life-threatening surgeries. Her own pastor never visited her during these stressful times, but Father O’Connor was there many times, reassuring her, popping in on her, offering Masses and blessing her. He didn’t do this out of a sense of duty or because we were anybody special (we are not)—he did it out of Christian love and brotherhood.

She is recovering somewhat now but will, of course, never be the same. However she still remembers those visits four years ago from a true “minister of God,” as she calls him. He has continued his concern and caring for her, and we get some wonderful cards and notes from him which she treasures. She will probably never convert to Catholicism, but she now has a deep, abiding respect and love for the church which she never had before.

In addition I must also talk about the wonderful love and help we have received from the St. Vincent de Paul Society at the church. It has made life bearable for us in many ways.

In these days when the media seems busy trying to destroy the Catholic Church, I thought it might be nice for people to read what Christ’s real church and his priests are really like.

Eric Gearns, Thomson