About Sacred Heart · Griffin, Georgia
Sacred Heart Catholic Church is a bilingual (English/Spanish) Roman Catholic parish in Griffin, Georgia, belonging to the Archdiocese of Atlanta. The community worships at 1323 MacArthur Drive and is currently pastored by Father Dennis R. Juan, supported by Deacon Ken Bishop and a small staff. The parish maintains about 317 registered households, offering six Masses per week, weekday adoration, Saturday confessions, a CCD religious education program for children, an OCIA process for adults, and active outreach through its 50+ Club and seasonal service initiatives.
- Established
- 1942 (parish status; mission dates to 1879; chapel dedicated 1910)
- Patron
- Sacred Heart of Jesus
- Rector
- Father Dennis R. Juan
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Atlanta (Metropolitan Archdiocese of Atlanta)
Why belong here
Sacred Heart is a small but lively bilingual parish where the same pastor and deacon know regulars by name, and where worship is rooted in daily Mass, weekday adoration, and a strong Eucharistic devotion. Children grow in faith through the CCD program (K–10), adults journey toward the Church through the OCIA process, and seniors put the Corporal Works of Mercy into practice month after month through the 50+ Club — donating water to police, food to the Five Loaves and Two Fish Food Pantry, and clothing to Haven House. It's a parish that takes seriously both the Mass schedule and the works of mercy that flow from it.
Mass times at Sacred Heart
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 4:30 PM (in the Day Chapel)
- By appointment (call 770-227-2378)
Adoration times
- Monday 8:30 AM (Exposition, Benediction, and Adoration)
- Wednesday 8:30 AM (Exposition, Benediction, and Adoration)
- Friday 8:30 AM (Exposition, Benediction, and Adoration)
Parish History
Catholic life in Griffin stretches back to 1879, when the first Mass was celebrated for just five people. A small chapel dedicated to the Sacred Heart was built and consecrated on May 2, 1910, with Bishop Kelley of Savannah's permission. For nearly two decades the mission was served monthly by the Reverend Harry Clark, traveling from Saint Joseph Church in Athens, until weekly Masses began in 1926. The Redemptorist Fathers took responsibility for the mission in May 1942, and on June 9, 1942, Sacred Heart was officially established as a parish with 120 members. The first resident pastor was the Reverend John Walsh. The Sisters of Notre Dame opened Sacred Heart School in October 1946 (grades 1–8), which served the community until 1973. After the old church was decommissioned, the present church on MacArthur Drive was dedicated on December 18, 1982 by Archbishop Thomas A. Donnellan. Its signature round stained-glass Sacred Heart window was designed by the Trappist monks of the Monastery of the Holy Spirit in Conyers.
- 1879: First Mass in Griffin (5 Catholics)
- 1910 (May 2): Chapel dedicated as Sacred Heart Church
- 1942 (June 9): Sacred Heart formally established as a parish
- 1946 (October): Sisters of Notre Dame open Sacred Heart School
- 1973: School closes; old church worship ends in September
- 1982 (December 18): New church on MacArthur Drive dedicated by Archbishop Thomas A. Donnellan
Faith Formation and Religious Education
Sacred Heart's faith formation program serves children from Kindergarten through 10th grade through the CCD (Confraternity of Christian Doctrine) program, with classes meeting Sundays at 10:15 AM. Adults interested in becoming Catholic, or who simply want to learn more about the faith, are invited to the Order of Christian Initiation for Adults (OCIA, formerly RCIA), which meets Wednesdays from 7:00 to 8:00 PM. Additional adult enrichment is offered through the Rediscover My Faith study and other small-group faith studies.
- CCD — Sundays at 10:15 AM (K–10th grade)
- OCIA (formerly RCIA) — Wednesdays 7:00–8:00 PM, beginning September 24, ending at the Easter Vigil
- Rediscover My Faith — Wednesday-evening small-group study
- Faith Studies — additional formation resources for parishioners
50+ Club and Corporal Works of Mercy
The 50+ Club meets on the second Friday of each month at 11:00 AM (September through May) for fellowship and a hands-on service program. The club dedicates each month to one of the Corporal Works of Mercy — including a bottled water drive for the Locust Grove Police Department, canned food donations to the Five Loaves and Two Fish Food Pantry, and clothing for Haven House and Blessings Thrift Store. The club was featured in the January 8, 2026 edition of The Georgia Bulletin for this work. Annual dues are $5.
- Meets 2nd Friday, 11:00 AM, September–May
- October: 'Give Drink to the Thirsty' — water for Locust Grove PD
- November: 'Feed the Hungry' — Five Loaves and Two Fish Food Pantry
- December: 'Clothe the Naked' — Haven House & Blessings Thrift Store
- Year-round: 'Bury the Dead' — bereavement lunches for grieving parishioners
- Upcoming: 'Comfort the Sick' (Feb), 'Shelter the Homeless' (Apr), 'Visit the Imprisoned' (May)
Liturgical Devotions
Beyond the regular Mass schedule, Sacred Heart nurtures devotion to the Eucharist and the Blessed Mother. The parish offers weekly Exposition, Benediction, and Adoration on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings, and gathers for the Rosary each Sunday at 8:30 AM. During Lent the community prays the Stations of the Cross in both English and Spanish and shares a parish Fish Fry each Friday.
- Adoration: Monday, Wednesday, Friday at 8:30 AM
- Sunday Rosary: 8:30 AM
- Lenten Stations of the Cross: 5:30 PM (Spanish) and 7:00 PM (English)
- Lenten Fish Fry: 6:00–7:00 PM
Parish Life and Fellowship
Sunday Social after the 9:00 AM Mass keeps the community connected week to week. Two parish-wide gatherings anchor the social calendar: an Annual Spaghetti Dinner in June and an Annual Parish Picnic in September.
- Sunday Social — every Sunday after 9:00 AM Mass
- Annual Spaghetti Dinner — June 2026
- Annual Parish Picnic — September 2026
Holy Week, Advent, and Christmas
Sacred Heart observes the full liturgical year with bilingual celebrations. Ash Wednesday features three Masses (including a Spanish Mass at 7:00 PM), and Holy Week includes Palm Sunday, Holy Thursday (Mass of the Last Supper and Washing of Feet, English and Spanish), Good Friday, and the Easter Vigil at which OCIA candidates are baptized and received. Christmas begins with a Children's Nativity Pageant on December 24, a Vigil Mass, a Mass in Spanish, Midnight Mass (music at 11:30 PM), and Christmas Day Mass at 9:00 AM.
- Ash Wednesday — 9:00 AM, 5:30 PM, 7:00 PM (Spanish)
- Palm Sunday — Saturday Vigil 5:30 PM; Sunday 9:00 AM (English) & 11:30 AM (Spanish)
- Holy Thursday — 5:30 PM (English), 7:00 PM (Spanish)
- Good Friday — 5:30 PM (English), 7:00 PM (Spanish)
- Easter Vigil — 7:00 PM (Spanish) and 9:00 PM (English)
- Christmas Eve — 5:00 PM Nativity Pageant, 5:30 PM Vigil Mass, 7:00 PM Spanish Mass
- Christmas — Midnight Mass (music 11:30 PM), 9:00 AM Christmas Day Mass
Parish Staff and Leadership
Sacred Heart is served by a pastor, a deacon, and a small office staff. The parish office is open Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday from 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM, and the sacramental emergency line is available around the clock.
- Pastor — Father Dennis R. Juan — (770) 227-2378
- Deacon — Rev. Mr. Ken Bishop — (770) 412-9626
- Office Manager — Marty Maranto — (770) 227-2378
- Bookkeeper — Anne Marie Lombardo — (770) 227-2378
Visit, Contact, and Directions
The church is located at 1323 MacArthur Drive in Griffin, about 10 miles west of I-75 Exit 205 along Hwy 16. Visitors can reach the church by turning from Hwy 16 onto 6th Street, then College, Grandview, and MacArthur Drive — the church will be on the right. Office hours are Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday from 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM.
- Address: 1323 MacArthur Drive, Griffin, Georgia 30224
- Phone: (770) 227-2378 (sacramental emergencies anytime)
- Office hours: Mon, Wed, Thu, Fri — 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM
- Website: sacredheartofgriffin.org
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Reverend Harry Clarkearly 1900s–c. 1926
First priest to serve the Griffin mission, traveling monthly from Saint Joseph Church in Athens, GA.
- Reverend John Walsh1942–
First resident pastor of Sacred Heart when it was formally established as a parish on June 9, 1942.
- Father Thomas Hennessy2001–
Assigned as Pastor of Sacred Heart in Griffin in 2001 (per St. Peter the Rock church history).
- Fr. Paul Williams1999–
Appointed administrator and later pastor when the Archdiocese assumed oversight of the area in February 1999.