About Holy Family · Willacoochee, Georgia
Holy Family Catholic Church is a small rural mission of St. Paul Catholic Church in Douglas, Georgia, located on Holy Family Church Road in Atkinson County near Willacoochee. The mission was built around 1870 for Irish Catholic immigrants brought from New York to construct the railroad, making it one of the oldest Catholic communities in south Georgia. It is part of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Savannah and serves a bilingual and multicultural faith community that celebrates Sunday Mass at 8:00 AM and maintains one of only four Catholic cemeteries in the entire diocese. Today Holy Family is pastored along with its sister parish of St. Paul and the day chapel of St. Mary of the Assumption.
- Established
- c. 1870
- Patron
- The Holy Family (Jesus, Mary, and Joseph)
- Rector
- Rev. Saimel Perdomo (Parochial Administrator)
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Savannah
Why belong here
Holy Family offers a quiet, historic rural Catholic mission where an Irish-Catholic immigrant community has worshipped continuously since the 1870s, making it one of the oldest Catholic sites in south Georgia. The parish is bilingual and multicultural, part of a tightly-knit cluster that includes St. Paul in Douglas and St. Mary of the Assumption day chapel, with ministries spanning Knights of Columbus, Ladies Auxiliary, Music Ministry, Eucharistic Adoration, John XXIII retreats, and Spanish-language formation. Its grounds include one of only four Catholic cemeteries in the entire Diocese of Savannah, anchoring generations of local Catholic families.
Mass times at Holy Family
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday, prior to Mass time (at Holy Family)
History of Holy Family
Holy Family Catholic Church was constructed in Willacoochee around 1870 for Irish Catholics brought from New York to build the railroad. An early priest, Father James Carroll, who served the mission around the turn of the twentieth century, described the original structure as 'a sort of frame building consisting of 2×4 uprights, weathered boarding and a shingle roof.' About 1913 the building was dismantled and moved to its present location roughly seven miles northeast of Willacoochee, on what is now called Holy Family Church Road. The mission has continued without interruption as a place of Catholic worship ever since.
- Built c. 1870 by Irish Catholic railroad workers from New York
- Father James Carroll served around 1900
- Dismantled and re-erected at current rural site about 1913
Parish Identity & Mission
Holy Family is a mission of St. Paul Catholic Church in Douglas, GA, within the Roman Catholic Diocese of Savannah (Valdosta-Brunswick Deanery). The cluster — St. Paul, Holy Family, and St. Mary of the Assumption day chapel — presents itself as 'a bilingual and multicultural faith community rooted in the love of Christ and the teachings of the Catholic Church,' proclaiming the Gospel through Word, Sacrament, and service.
- Mission of St. Paul Catholic Church, Douglas, GA
- Diocese of Savannah, Valdosta-Brunswick Deanery
- Bilingual English/Spanish community
Clergy & Staff
The mission is served by the clergy and staff of the St. Paul cluster. The current Parochial Administrator is Rev. Saimel Perdomo, with Deacon Ron Milkas assisting and Janet Benton serving as Church Secretary. Parish office hours at the St. Paul office are Monday–Thursday, 9:30 AM – 4:30 PM.
- Rev. Saimel Perdomo — Parochial Administrator
- Deacon Ron Milkas
- Janet Benton — Church Secretary
- Office hours: Monday–Thursday, 9:30 AM – 4:30 PM
Liturgical Ministries
Parishioners at Holy Family and St. Paul serve the liturgy through a full set of ministries. The parish explicitly invites participation in music, lectoring, altar service, Eucharistic Adoration, and Communion ministry, with bilingual formation for Spanish-speaking members.
- Music Ministry / Church Choir
- Eucharistic Adoration
- Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion
- Lectors
- Altar Servers (Monaguillo) — boys and girls in 3rd grade and up
- Ushers and Greeters
Parish Life & Community Organizations
Beyond the sanctuary, Holy Family and St. Paul foster community through lay councils, fraternal and women's groups, and lay-mission movements. There is a Finance Council that advises the pastor and a Council of Hispanic Ministry for the Spanish-speaking faithful.
- Finance Council (Consejo de Finanzas)
- Council of Hispanic Ministry
- Ladies Auxiliary (Damas Auxiliares) — women age 18+
- Knights of Columbus — Council 15716
- John XXIII Movement / Retreats
Sacraments
The mission offers Baptism Preparation for parents, along with the celebration of the Eucharist, Reconciliation, and Eucharistic Adoration. The pastor is available for confession by appointment in addition to the regularly scheduled times.
- Baptism Preparation (English & Spanish)
- Reconciliation (Sunday before Mass at Holy Family; also Thursday and Saturday at St. Paul)
- Eucharist (Sunday 8:00 AM)
- Eucharistic Adoration
Holy Family Cemetery
The mission grounds include the Holy Family Church Cemetery, one of only four Catholic cemeteries in the entire Roman Catholic Diocese of Savannah. It is a recognized resource for genealogy and south Georgia Catholic history, drawing visitors interested in the generations of Irish and later Catholic families who built and sustained the rural mission.
- One of four Catholic cemeteries in the Diocese of Savannah
- Located adjacent to the church on Holy Family Church Road
- Noted by the diocesan newspaper, The Southern Cross, as a 'must' for Catholic heritage travelers
Visit, Contact & Directions
Holy Family is located at 126 Holy Family Church Road, Willacoochee, GA 31650 (mailed by some as Pearson, GA 31642). The parish phone is shared with St. Paul: 912-384-3560. The wider cluster's parish office is at St. Paul, 4178 US Highway 441 S, Douglas, GA 31535, with office hours Monday–Thursday, 9:30 AM – 4:30 PM.
- Address: 126 Holy Family Church Road, Willacoochee, GA 31650
- Phone: 912-384-3560
- St. Paul Office: 4178 US Highway 441 S, Douglas, GA 31535
- Office Hours: Monday–Thursday, 9:30 AM – 4:30 PM