About Sacred Heart · Milledgeville, Georgia
Sacred Heart Catholic Church is a historic Catholic parish in downtown Milledgeville, Georgia — the former antebellum capital of Georgia — established on June 9, 1874. The parish belongs to the Archdiocese of Atlanta (Southeast Deanery, Baldwin County) and its gothic revival brick church, at the corner of North Jefferson and Hancock streets, is on the National Register of Historic Places. Well known as the home parish of Southern fiction writer Flannery O'Connor, Sacred Heart now serves more than 300 families of diverse cultural backgrounds — including a long-standing Cuban community — alongside nearby Georgia College & State University, Georgia Military College, and the historic college-town downtown.
- Established
- 1874
- Patron
- Sacred Heart of Jesus
- Rector
- Father Bryan Kuhr
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Atlanta (Southeast Deanery, Baldwin County)
Why belong here
Sacred Heart offers a small, historically rooted Catholic community in the heart of Milledgeville where generations of families — including the Treanors and Flannery O'Connor's family — have worshipped for 150 years. Parishioners can pray before the Blessed Sacrament in daily adoration Monday through Wednesday mornings and all day Friday, prepare their children for the sacraments through a robust Faith Formation program, and serve neighbors through ministries like St. Vincent de Paul, Helping Hands, and Cursillo. With Mass in English and a vibrant college-student ministry serving Georgia College and Georgia Military College, it is both a deeply traditional parish and a welcoming home for new arrivals from across Latin America and beyond.
Mass times at Sacred Heart
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday: 11:15 am (in the confessional, only when daily Mass is celebrated)
- Saturday: 9:00 am (and by appointment)
Adoration times
- Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday: 11:00 am – 12:00 pm
- Every Friday: 7:00 am – 8:00 pm (extended Adoration)
Parish Identity and History
Sacred Heart Catholic Church was established on June 9, 1874, in Milledgeville, then the capital of Georgia. The parish traces its origins to 1845, when Catholic Mass was first celebrated in the Hugh Treanor apartment at the Newell Hotel. Bishop William Gross of Savannah raised nearly $4,000 on the steps of the statehouse in 1873 to build the present church on the site of the former Lafayette Hotel, incorporating the hotel's handmade pressed glass into the new structure. The church was dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus on June 7, 1874. Today Sacred Heart, a gothic revival brick building on the National Register of Historic Places, is the home parish of writer Flannery O'Connor, the great-granddaughter of Hugh and Joanna Treanor, who donated the land the church stands on.
- Established June 9, 1874
- Dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus
- Falls under the Archdiocese of Atlanta (Southeast Deanery, Baldwin County)
- Listed on the National Register of Historic Places
- First resident pastor: Father Robert Kennedy, S.J. (1889–1894)
- Under Jesuit administration from Pio Nono College, Macon, 1894–1901
- Came under the newly created Diocese of Atlanta in 1956
Historic Downtown Campus
The parish occupies an entire block in the historic downtown of Milledgeville, between North Jefferson and East Hancock streets. The main church is a small gothic revival brick sanctuary seating about 125 people. Adjacent to the church is Aquinas Hall — the former rectory, which burned in the 1930s, was moved, and remodelled into the parish's education building. The current rectory is on the property as well, along with the Flannery O'Connor Social Hall (the parish hall originally built in the 1940s–50s, rededicated in 1985 in honor of the writer). A statue of Our Lady of Charity, patroness of Cuba, is displayed in the social hall to commemorate the parish's long-standing Cuban community.
- Gothic revival brick sanctuary, c. 1874
- Aquinas Hall (education building; former rectory, 1930s)
- Flannery O'Connor Social Hall (parish hall, rededicated 1985)
- Statue of Our Lady of Charity in the social hall
Faith Formation and Religious Education
Directed by Cammie Branan, the parish Faith Formation (Religious Education) program supports parents as the primary educators of their children's faith, building a 'Domestic Church' in each home. Sacramental preparation emphasizes family evangelization, discipleship, and encounter with Jesus Christ.
- Preschool (age 4), Kindergarten and 1st grade classes
- First Reconciliation & First Holy Communion preparation (2nd grade)
- Grades 3–5
- Middle school youth ministry
- High school youth ministry and Confirmation (begins in 9th grade, two-year preparation)
- At least one year of prior Religious Education required before sacramental prep
- Director: Cammie Branan ([email protected])
Sacraments
The parish prepares parishioners for the seven sacraments in accord with the norms of the Archdiocese of Atlanta. Sacramental preparation for First Holy Communion begins in second grade; Confirmation preparation begins in ninth grade and is a two-year process. A sacramental emergency line is staffed for the anointing of the dying.
- Baptism
- First Reconciliation & First Holy Communion
- Confirmation (CCC 1285, 1303, 1309)
- Matrimony (couples should contact the parish office)
- Anointing of the Sick / Last Rites
- Funerals / Holy Orders discernment
- RCIA and adult faith formation
Parish Ministries and Groups
Sacred Heart offers a wide range of ministries inviting parishioners of all ages into formation, service, and community. Ministries include men's and women's faith groups, hospitality and outreach, and the active campus ministry serving two local colleges.
- Cursillo / Ultreya (Shannon Lowery)
- That Man Is You (men's program)
- Helping Hands (outreach)
- Gianna's Way (support for those affected by miscarriage / pregnancy loss)
- Choir & Music Ministry (Director: Susan Craig)
- Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion
- St. Vincent de Paul Conference
Campus Catholics — College Student Ministry
Because the parish is a short walk from Georgia College & State University and Georgia Military College, Sacred Heart runs a College Student Mass on Sundays at 4:00 pm (suspended during summer) and a broader Young Adult / Campus Catholics ministry. It also offers the dedicated Young Adult contact point staffed by Robert Grimes.
- College Student Mass: Sundays 4:00 pm (resumes in fall)
- Contact for Young Adult ministry: Robert Grimes
- Outreach to Georgia College and Georgia Military College students
Music and Liturgy
Sacred Heart's parish choir is directed by Susan Craig. Sunday Masses feature traditional liturgical music, and the parish livestreams Sunday Mass via its website for those unable to attend in person.
- Choir & Music Director: Susan Craig ([email protected])
- Free subscription to FORMED, the parish's online Catholic formation library
Staff
Sacred Heart is served by a pastor and several lay staff. Day-to-day administration is handled by an administrative assistant in the parish office.
- Pastor: Father Bryan Kuhr ([email protected])
- Deacon (Emeritus): Deacon John Shoemaker ([email protected])
- Administrative Assistant: Cindy Senci ([email protected])
- Choir & Music Director: Susan Craig ([email protected])
- Director of Faith Formation: Cammie Branan ([email protected])
- Young Adult contact: Robert Grimes
Getting Involved and Visitor Information
New parishioners are welcomed to register through the parish office, and visitors are invited to any Mass or Eucharistic devotion. The parish offices are open Monday through Friday, 9:00 am to 3:00 pm; a Sacramental Emergency line is staffed around the clock for the dying.
- Parish office hours: Mon–Fri 9:00 am – 3:00 pm
- Phone: 478-452-2421 · Fax: 478-454-1110
- Sacramental Emergency (danger of death): 478-227-3676
- Email: [email protected]
- Free FORMED access for all parishioners
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Robert Kennedy, S.J.1889–1894
First resident pastor
- Jesuit priests from Pio Nono College, Macon1894–1901
Administered the parish
- Father Dennis Dullea
Pastor at the 1974 centennial Mass
- Father Michael McWhorter
Predecessor to Father Bryan Kuhr
- Father Young Nguyen
Served before Father Michael McWhorter
- Father Bryan Kuhr
Current pastor