The Reverend Liam Collins

Liam Collins was appointed Vicar of St. Luke’s on September 6, 2009.  Liam was raised on the hills of County Tipperary Ireland.  He was ordained a priest in Ireland on June 12, 1971.  Shortly afterwards, he began his ministry in Savannah, Georgia. Liam has a Masters in Divinity from St. Patrick’s College, County Tipperary and a Masters in Family Studies from Mercer University, Macon,Georgia.

His ministry has been rich and varied.  Liam’s pastoral experiences range from inner city parishes, to aging downtown communities, to more rural settings reminiscent of where he grew up.

Liam’s pastoral theology and spirituality has been shaped by the Good News of Jesus’Gospel of compassion and love.  The first emphasis is on compassion and is drawn from Matthew 25:40, “Whatever you did for one of the least, you did unto me.”  Consistent with this theology, Liam believes that the Good News begins as a living experience around the intimacy of the kitchen table and works its way out to include all of God’s children at the larger table, where the food of God’s holy presence is blessed, broken, and given for all.

The second emphasis is on the love that grounds his spirituality and is drawn from John 15:12, “My command is this, love one another as I have loved you.”  In this, all of the conflicts and controversies of our day will find ultimate resolution only if we are obedient to this command.

Liam is married to Mary Brennan of Savannah.  Mary is the oldest of eight siblings.  They have twenty-six nieces and nephews on this side of the Atlantic, and they consider it a great gift to finally be close to their family since moving back to the Savannah area.

Liam and Mary both felt a deep call to St. Luke’s even before an opening presented itself.  They both sensed the vitality and resilient faith of the community.  Their primary focus is to cultivate the rich gifts of the Spirit within the community of St.  Luke’s.  This cultivation empowers us to move out into the larger community and be joyful witnesses and heralds of the Good News.

Liam’s commitment is to remind us constantly that we are God’s hands, God’s heart, and God’s life giving presence.  This concurs completely with St. Luke’s mission statement:

SHARING FAITH THROUGH HEARTS THAT WELCOME AND HANDS THAT SERVE