About Christ The King · Pine Mountain, Georgia
Christ the King Catholic Church is a Eucharistic-centered Roman Catholic faith community located in Pine Mountain, Georgia, in the Diocese of Savannah (Columbus Deanery). The parish serves the residents of Harris and Talbot counties and welcomes many visitors who come through the nearby Callaway Gardens area. Mass is offered six days a week in English, with Saturday Vigil and Sunday morning celebrations plus weekday Masses Tuesday through Friday. The parish is led by Father Brian O'Shaughnessy, and its life is marked by a small but tight-knit community that worships, prays, and serves together — including a well-developed outreach program that helps neighbors in emergency need.
- Established
- 2006
- Patron
- Christ the King (Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe)
- Rector
- Rev. Brian O'Shaughnessy
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Savannah (Columbus Deanery)
Why belong here
Christ the King is a small, Eucharistic-centered Catholic community in Pine Mountain where members really know one another and where young families worship alongside the few remaining original members of the Harris County Catholic mission. The parish offers daily and weekend Mass, regular Saturday confessions, a Vacation Bible School for children, and a hands-on Outreach Program that distributes emergency food and helps neighbors in Harris and Talbot counties with utilities and community resources. Visitors — including those drawn by nearby Callaway Gardens — are warmly welcomed.
Mass times at Christ The King
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 5:00 PM – 5:30 PM
- By appointment
Parish Identity & Mission
Christ the King Catholic Church describes itself as a 'Eucharistic-centered faith community that lovingly serves one another, our many visitors, and all our neighbors in Harris and Talbot counties.' Despite being a small parish — one that still counts among its members a few of the original members of the Catholic mission in Harris County — it offers Mass six days a week and an active outreach to those in material need.
- Roman Catholic, Latin Rite
- Diocese of Savannah, Columbus Deanery
- Located in Harris County, GA; also serves Talbot County
- Parish motto / character: 'In the merciful hands of Christ who is our King'
History of the Catholic Community in Harris County
The Catholic community in Pine Mountain grew out of a mid-twentieth-century mission staffed by priests from St. Anne's Church in Columbus, who said Mass in homes and hotels in Hamilton and Pine Mountain. A permanent foothold came in 1964, when land was purchased and the property's gas station was converted into a chapel. In 1972, the chapel was traded for a chalet that served as the church for thirty years, after which the land under and around today's Christ the King church was acquired.
- Mid-20th century: Masses celebrated in homes and hotels by priests from St. Anne's, Columbus
- 1964: Land purchased; existing gas station converted to a chapel
- 1972: Chapel exchanged for a chalet that became the church
- After ~30 years in the chalet: land under and around the current church purchased
Designation as a Parish (2006) and Rebuilding After the Fire
In 2006, on the Feast of Christ the King, Bishop J. Kevin Boland of the Diocese of Savannah formally designated Christ the King a parish and appointed Fr. Ron Madden as its first pastor. About eleven years later, on the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, a lightning strike and fire caused significant damage to the church. The community came together to rebuild, and two years later Bishop Gregory John Hartmayer, OFM Conv., returned to rededicate the church.
- 2006 — Parish designated on the Feast of Christ the King by Bishop J. Kevin Boland
- Fr. Ron Madden named first pastor
- Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary — lightning strike and fire
- Bishop Gregory John Hartmayer, OFM Conv. rededicated the rebuilt church
Clergy & Pastoral Staff
The parish is currently served by Father Brian O'Shaughnessy, who is identified by the Diocese of Savannah as Pastor of Christ the King, Pine Mountain. The parish's founding pastor, Fr. Ron Madden, is honored in the naming of Madden Hall, the parish's gathering space.
- Rev. Brian O'Shaughnessy — current Pastor
- Fr. Ron Madden — founding pastor (2006); honored in Madden Hall
Parish Outreach: Helping Neighbors in Harris & Talbot Counties
Christ the King runs a hands-on Outreach Program that is one of the most visible ministries of the parish. The program provides clients with information about community resources, distributes emergency food packages, and offers limited financial assistance with utilities and other essential needs. It depends on volunteers willing to answer the phone, talk with people who come to the church in search of a listening ear, and occasionally help with emergency food distribution and arranging financial aid.
- Christ the King Outreach Program
- Information and referrals to community resources
- Emergency food packages
- Limited financial assistance for utilities and other essential needs
- Welcoming visitors who come to the parish seeking conversation and help
Faith Formation & Youth: Vacation Bible School
Each summer the parish hosts a Catholic Vacation Bible School in Madden Hall for children in the area. The most recent program ran July 8–11, 9:00 AM to 11:30 AM, on a 'Biblical Heroes' theme. Registration and volunteer sign-ups are coordinated through online forms on the parish website. Adult volunteers who work with children are required to complete VIRTUS training, in keeping with the Diocese of Savannah's safe-environment policies.
- Annual Catholic Vacation Bible School
- Held in Madden Hall
- Online registration for participants and volunteers
- VIRTUS training required for adult volunteers
Parish Office, Contact & Virtual Office
The parish office is staffed Tuesday through Friday from 10:00 AM to 3:30 PM (the office is closed on Fridays during June and July). To make it easier to connect, Christ the King is building a 'Virtual Parish Office' on its website; forms are currently available for Parish Registration, Mass Intentions, and Baptism requests. An online giving portal handles recurring and one-time donations.
- Parish office hours: Tuesday–Friday, 10:00 AM–3:30 PM (closed Fridays in June–July)
- Phone: 706-663-0090
- Email: [email protected]
- After-Hours Sacramental Emergency: 706-333-5155
- Virtual Office forms: Parish Registration, Mass Intention, Baptism
- Online Giving portal available
Diocese of Savannah: Annual Catholic Appeal & VIRTUS
As a parish of the Diocese of Savannah, Christ the King participates in the Annual Catholic Appeal and follows diocesan safe-environment policies. Any adult who volunteers in ministry — particularly with children — must be VIRTUS trained.
- Annual Catholic Appeal (Diocese of Savannah)
- VIRTUS safe-environment training for volunteers
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Ron Madden2006 — (first pastor; years of service not specified)
Named the parish's first pastor when Bishop J. Kevin Boland designated Christ the King a parish in 2006. The parish hall is named Madden Hall in his honor.