About Holy Spirit · Macon, Georgia
Holy Spirit Catholic Church is a Roman Catholic parish located at 4074 Chambers Road in Macon, Georgia (Bibb County), in the Macon Deanery of the Diocese of Savannah. Founded on June 16, 1968, the parish was established to serve Catholics in the South/West area of Macon and has grown from 125 founding members worshipping in a funeral home chapel to nearly 500 weekend attendees today. The parish is currently led by Fr. Michael J. Kavanaugh and offers daily and weekend Masses, the Sacrament of Reconciliation, Eucharistic Adoration, CCD religious education, a food pantry, St. Vincent de Paul outreach, and a robust calendar of parish groups and ministries.
- Established
- 1968
- Patron
- Holy Spirit
- Rector
- Rev. Michael J. Kavanaugh
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Savannah (Macon Deanery)
Why belong here
Holy Spirit is a close-knit Catholic parish where founding families and new arrivals worship side by side. Members gather for weekday and Sunday Mass, weekday Eucharistic Adoration with the Rosary, Saturday confessions, and CCD religious education on Sundays from September through May. Parish life is built around active ministries — a Parish Council, Finance Council, Parish Life Committee, Prayer Chain, Bereavement Committee, Bible Sharing group, Altar Care, men's and women's groups, a parish food pantry, and the St. Vincent de Paul conference — and the parish joins other Macon-area Catholic churches in feeding the hungry through the Weekend Meals Ministry. If you are looking for a parish where you can know your priests, your fellow parishioners, and serve the South Macon community, Holy Spirit welcomes you.
Mass times at Holy Spirit
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 4:15 PM – 4:45 PM (some directories list 4:00 PM – 4:45 PM)
- By appointment
Adoration times
- Monday – Thursday: 8:00 AM – 9:00 AM (with 8:25 AM Rosary)
- 1 hour before all Masses (per parish schedule)
Parish History
Holy Spirit Parish was officially established on June 16, 1968, after St. Joseph Parish purchased land on Chambers Road in 1965 and a 1967 feasibility study confirmed the need for a new mission in south Macon. Father E. Perot Fiero led the founding community of about 125 members, who worshipped for their first 18 months in the chapel of Crest Lawn Funeral Home. Bishop Gerald L. Frey dedicated the original church at 4074 Chambers Road on June 14, 1970, just weeks after Fr. Fiero's tragic death. The parish has expanded twice — a new sanctuary was dedicated in 1982 and a further expansion was rededicated by Bishop J. Kevin Boland on January 11, 2009.
- Founded June 16, 1968
- First home: Crest Lawn Funeral Home chapel
- Original church dedicated June 14, 1970 by Bishop Gerald L. Frey
- New church dedicated December 4, 1982
- Mortgage burned in 1994 under Fr. Patrick Shinnick
- CCD schoolhouse added in 1998 under Fr. Brett Brannen
- Church expanded and rededicated January 11, 2009 by Bishop J. Kevin Boland
Clergy & Staff
Holy Spirit is currently served by Fr. Michael J. Kavanaugh as pastor. The parish staff also includes Joyce Danovi as parish secretary and Petra Baker as Director of Religious Education. A long succession of priests has served the parish since its 1968 founding.
- Pastor: Rev. Michael J. Kavanaugh
- Secretary: Joyce Danovi
- Director of Religious Education: Petra Baker
Parish Mission
The parish mission, drawn from its official directory entry, is 'to demonstrate and share God's teachings and unconditional love by developing community service, promoting the sanctity of all life, and nurturing a spirit-filled environment of truth and worship.' This three-fold focus — community service, sanctity of life, and Spirit-filled worship — shapes the parish's ministries and sacramental life.
Faith Formation & CCD
Holy Spirit runs a parish-based CCD (Confraternity of Christian Doctrine) religious education program for parish children, meeting on Sundays from 11:15 AM to 12:15 PM, September through May. A dedicated CCD schoolhouse was added to the parish grounds in 1998 under Fr. Brett Brannen, fulfilling a long-held dream of parishioners for a proper space for faith formation.
- CCD Sundays 11:15 AM – 12:15 PM
- September through May
- Dedicated CCD schoolhouse built 1998
- Director of Religious Education: Petra Baker
Parish Ministries & Groups
Parish life at Holy Spirit is organized around a wide array of councils, committees, and lay groups. Members can serve on governance and spiritual-life bodies like the Parish Council, Finance Council, Parish Life Committee, Prayer Chain, Bereavement Committee, and Altar Care, or join fellowship and formation groups such as Bible Sharing, the Men's group, and the Women's group.
- Parish Council
- Finance Council
- Parish Life Committee
- Prayer Chain
- Bereavement Committee
- Bible Sharing
- Altar Care
- Men's Group
- Women's Group
Outreach & Charity
Holy Spirit reaches beyond its walls through a parish food pantry and its local St. Vincent de Paul conference, which provides assistance and casework to those in need. The parish also partners with St. Joseph and St. Peter Claver parishes to form the Macon Area Catholics (MAC) team of the ecumenical Weekend Meals Ministry, which prepares and serves free weekend lunches in downtown Macon to the poor, homeless, and marginalized — over 10,000 meals are served each year through the combined effort of all participating churches.
- Parish Food Pantry
- St. Vincent de Paul (SVdP) Conference at Holy Spirit
- Weekend Meals Ministry — MAC (Macon Area Catholics) team with St. Joseph and St. Peter Claver
- Saturday and Sunday serving 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM in downtown Macon
Sacraments
Alongside daily and Sunday Mass, the parish celebrates the other sacraments of the Church. Reconciliation is offered each Saturday afternoon and by appointment; the parish also coordinates Baptisms, marriages, Anointing of the Sick, and funeral liturgies through the parish office.
- Reconciliation: Saturday 4:15 – 4:45 PM or by appointment
- Baptism: contact parish office
- Marriage preparation: contact parish office
- Anointing of the Sick: by request
- Funerals and Bereavement support
Visit, Location & Contact
Holy Spirit Catholic Church is located at 4074 Chambers Road in southwest Macon, Georgia, in Bibb County. Travelers from I-75 can take the I-475 bypass to Exit 3 (U.S. Hwy. 80), head east, and turn right onto Chambers Road; the church is about one mile ahead. The parish office can be reached at (478) 788-6386 or by email at [email protected].
- Address: 4074 Chambers Road, Macon, GA 31206
- Phone: (478) 788-6386
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://www.holyspiritmacon.org
- Diocese: Roman Catholic Diocese of Savannah (Macon Deanery)
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. E. Perot Fiero1968 – April 1970
Founding Administrator; killed in an automobile accident on April 7, 1970, before the new church was dedicated.
- Fr. Brendan TimminsMay 1970 – May 1972
Administrator after Fr. Fiero's death; known for his Irish wit and pastoral warmth.
- Fr. John Hurley
Served Holy Spirit after Fr. Timmins.
- Fr. Michael Collins
- Fr. William Leahy
- Fr. Dermot O'Mahony
- Fr. John Kenneally
Led the 1979 parish survey that launched the new church building campaign.
- Fr. Finbarr Stanton
- Fr. Robert Cushing
- Fr. Patrick Shinnick
In 1994, burned the mortgage on the new church building in a ceremony before parishioners.
- Fr. Brett Brannen
In 1998, oversaw construction of a CCD schoolhouse on parish grounds.
- Fr. Sam Zebron
- Fr. Timothy Donahue
- Fr. Mike Ingram
Led the 2008 expansion of the church; rededicated by Bishop J. Kevin Boland on January 11, 2009.
- Fr. Michael J. Kavanaughpresent
Current pastor.