About Good Shepherd · Hazlehurst, Georgia
Good Shepherd Catholic Church (El Buen Pastor Iglesia Católica) is a bilingual Roman Catholic parish in Hazlehurst, Georgia, located at 259 Baxley Highway in Jeff Davis County. As one of the southernmost Catholic parishes in Georgia's interior, it serves the local faithful in a rural stretch of the Diocese of Savannah's Valdosta-Brunswick Deanery. The parish shares pastoral leadership and resources with two other small congregations—St. Rose of Lima in Baxley and St. Frances of Rome in Alma—under the care of a single priest. Worship at Good Shepherd centers on a bilingual Sunday Mass and weekly devotions including First Friday Sacred Heart Mass with Eucharistic Adoration.
- Patron
- Good Shepherd (Jesus Christ)
- Rector
- Rev. Anthony Madanu, MF (Parochial Administrator)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Savannah
Why belong here
Good Shepherd offers a warmly bilingual Catholic home in a part of Georgia where parishes are few and far between. Every Sunday, English- and Spanish-speaking Catholics gather for one Mass together, followed by ongoing CCD Confirmation classes for the children. First Friday Masses and Eucharistic Adoration, the recitation of the Holy Rosary before Mass, and Saturday confessions make the parish a place where traditional devotions still shape the week. As part of a three-parish family serving Hazlehurst, Baxley and Alma, Good Shepherd is small enough that everyone knows each other, and accessible enough that visitors from anywhere in Jeff Davis County can find a home there.
Mass times at Good Shepherd
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturdays 5:00–5:30 PM
- Sundays before Mass (per parish schedule)
- Weekdays 5:00–5:30 PM (per parish schedule)
Adoration times
- First Friday of every month after the 7:00 PM Sacred Heart Mass
About Good Shepherd Catholic Church
Good Shepherd Catholic Church — known in Spanish as El Buen Pastor Iglesia Católica — is a bilingual Roman Catholic parish at 259 Baxley Highway in Hazlehurst, Georgia. It belongs to the Diocese of Savannah and sits within the Valdosta-Brunswick Deanery. The parish shares its pastor and its website with two sister missions: St. Rose of Lima in Baxley and St. Frances of Rome in Alma.
- 259 Baxley Highway, Hazlehurst, GA 31539
- Diocese of Savannah – Valdosta-Brunswick Deanery
- Jeff Davis County, Georgia
Parish History
Good Shepherd is the historic anchor of Catholic life in this stretch of southeast Georgia. Its story is interwoven with that of nearby St. Christopher in Baxley, which was a mission of St. Paul in Douglas from 1948 to 1967, then of St. Joseph in Jesup from 1967 to 1985. From June 1985 to June 1990, St. Christopher was a mission of Good Shepherd, served by Glenmary missionaries. In 1990 both parishes came under the Diocese of Savannah, and the widening of US Highway 1 forced the move that gave birth to St. Rose of Lima in 1991.
- 1985–1990: Glenmary Home Missioners serve St. Christopher from Good Shepherd — Fr. John Garvey, Fr. William Archambault, Fr. William Smith, Fr. Charlie Hughes, Brother Ken Woods, Brother Mike Springer, Deacon Tony LePaine
- 1948–1967: St. Christopher served from St. Paul, Douglas, by Oblate priests
- 1967–1985: St. Christopher served from St. Joseph, Jesup, by diocesan priests (Fr. Edward Frank, Fr. Larry Lucree, Fr. William Leahy, Fr. Cyril Gabbett, Fr. Gerald Murphy)
- June 1990: Diocese of Savannah assumes pastoral care of Good Shepherd and St. Christopher
- December 15, 1991: Inaugural Mass of new St. Rose of Lima parish on City Circle Road, Baxley
Faith Formation & CCD
Children's faith formation is offered through a bilingual CCD / Confirmation program that gathers on Sunday mornings before Mass, so families can attend class and then worship together.
- CCD / Confirmation Classes — Sundays at 8:00 AM (Bilingual)
- Clases de Confirmación — Domingos 8:00 AM (Bilingüe)
- Youth retreats
Sacraments
The parish website has a dedicated bilingual Baptism page that walks families through the steps: classes, study material, exam, registration, and finally scheduling with Fr. Anthony or parish coordinator Merry Burkett. Baptisms are usually celebrated on Saturdays, though other days can be arranged.
- Baptism / Bautismo — preparation classes and exam required
- Registration form available on the parish website
- Baptisms typically scheduled on Saturdays
- Confirmation prepared through CCD program
- Reconciliation — see confession schedule above
- First Friday Sacred Heart Mass and Adoration
Parish Staff & Contacts
Day-to-day parish coordination is handled jointly by Fr. Anthony Madanu, MF, and parish staff member Merry Burkett, who is the point of contact for baptism registrations.
- Fr. Anthony Madanu, MF — Parochial Administrator (also serving St. Rose of Lima and St. Frances of Rome)
- Merry Burkett — parish staff, baptism registration
- Parish phone: 912-705-8927
- Diocese fax: 912-366-0239
A Three-Parish Family
Good Shepherd shares its pastor, website, and bulletin with St. Rose of Lima (Baxley) and St. Frances of Rome (Alma). The combined website goodshepherdsaintrose.com presents all three communities together, with separate pages for Mass times, sacraments, and history at each location.
- Good Shepherd — 259 Baxley Highway, Hazlehurst, GA 31539
- St. Rose of Lima — Baxley, GA
- St. Frances of Rome — 1497 12th St. W, Alma, GA 31510
- Clustered under one Parochial Administrator since January 2025
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Patrick ShinnickJune 1990 – July 1992
Pastor when Good Shepherd and St. Christopher came under the Diocese of Savannah; oversaw move to new site and dedication of St. Rose of Lima on Dec 15, 1991.
- Fr. Herbert GrafJuly 1992 – Aug 2001
Pastor of St. Rose of Lima / cluster.
- Fr. Lorenzo GarciaSept 2001 – June 2005
Pastor of St. Rose of Lima / cluster.
- Fr. Paul O'Connell
Listed among pastors of the cluster.
- Fr. Rafael Estrada
Listed among pastors of the cluster.
- Fr. Anthony Madanu, MFJan 2025 – present
Current Parochial Administrator for Good Shepherd, St. Rose of Lima, and St. Frances of Rome.