Congratulations Jay Burke

Welcome Seminarians

Happy Lent!

St. Michael’s Church is very excited and proud that one of our members, Jay Burke, has been elected to be the Grand Marshall of the 2025 St. Patrick’s Day Parade!   Jay (and his family) have been part of St. Michael’s for most of their lives and he is well known and beloved figure here on Tybee Island.  We will celebrate our annual mass for the Grand Marshall and his aides on Saturday, March 15^th at 10:00 a.m., followed at 3:00 p.m. by the Tybee Island St. Patrick’s Day Irish Heritage parade.  Please come out and support Jay Burke, as we celebrate this honor with him.  

I have just returned Friday night from Austin, Texas where I was giving a retreat to the priests of the Diocese of Corpus Christi.  They were a wonderful group of about 40 priests, who really love the Lord Jesus and his Church!  

This week, seven young seminarians from The Pontifical College Josephinum (the seminary in Ohio where I was assigned) will be on their official, canonical retreat here at Tybee Island.  These men come from several different dioceses, from New York to Birmingham, and they are all scheduled to be ordained transitional deacons this June.   The Canon Law of the Catholic Church requires a man to go on a five-day retreat in preparation for their diaconate ordination, and since they knew me from the seminary, they asked if they could come and make that retreat here on Tybee.  These men will all be ordained priests in May or June of 2026.  

This will be a silent retreat, which means that they are not able to speak or be part of a conversation.  However, they will be attending the Sunday 11:00 Mass with the parish today and they will be allowed to speak with parishioners before and after that mass.   (After that mass, they will be on silence the rest of the week, so please do not be offended if you greet them and they do not greet you in reply!  ) A wonderful group of our parish ladies will be helping with the meals for the retreat. 

Lent begins this Wednesday, Ash Wednesday, and I encourage all to attend mass and receive the blessed ashes.  Mass will be offered at 8:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. on Ash Wednesday.  Stations of the Cross will be prayed at 6:00 p.m. each Friday during Lent.  

I am glad to be back home on Tybee Island!  Many of you have communicated with me and been praying for these retreats.  I am so grateful for your support.  

Fr. Brett Brannen

Pastor