Georgia Bulletin/By Linda Schaefer

ATLANTA—Father Gregory David “Greg” Goolsby, a priest of the Archdiocese of Atlanta, died May 29 after a prolonged illness. He was 68 years old and a priest for nearly 32 years. 

Father Goolsby was born on August 29, 1956, in Atlanta. He was the only child of the late Charles Burnard Goolsby and Margaret Altizio “Peggy” Goolsby. He was baptized at St. Thomas More Church in Decatur. After attending elementary school at Sts. Peter and Paul, he went to North Gwinnett High School and was active at St. Patrick Church in Norcross.  

Father Goolsby earned a bachelor’s degree in history with a minor in theology from Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1978. He then spent a year in the Jesuit novitiate, before returning to Atlanta in September 1979. Father Goolsby worked for a couple of years for Service Merchandise. He advanced quickly through their management ranks in the Atlanta area and was offered a position at their corporate headquarters in Nashville, Tennessee. 

Despite his rise in the corporate world, he felt called to other endeavors in Atlanta. He enrolled in Georgia State University’s College of Law and graduated with a Juris Doctor (Doctor of Law) degree in 1986. He practiced law in Atlanta until 1988, then entered the program of priestly formation for the Archdiocese of Atlanta. 

Father Gregory Goolsby pursued the priesthood after a career in business and law. He died May 29 and had served multiple parishes in the archdiocese.

In September 1991, he spoke about his vocational journey.  

“God really prepares us,” said Father Goolsby. “He speaks to us in gentle whispers” although “the din of our daily lives can drown that out.” 

He attended the College of Theology at St. Meinrad in Indiana for his studies in philosophy and then was sent to St. Mary’s Seminary and University in Baltimore, Maryland, for his major theology studies. He earned a Master of Divinity at The Catholic University of America in 1993.  

He was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Atlanta on Nov. 27, 1993, by Archbishop John F. Donoghue at the Cathedral of Christ the King. For Father Goolsby, ordination was an overwhelmingly beautiful experience.  

“It’s almost beyond words,” he told The Georgia Bulletin that day. “It’s been a long road. There are so many priests to thank. Each has given me something of himself.”  

Following ordination, Father Goolsby served as parochial vicar at St. Benedict Church in Johns Creek, under the leadership of Msgr. Terry Young, who was his mentor. 

Father Goolsby was assigned as administrator of St. Monica Mission, Duluth, in 1996. St. Monica was erected as a separate parish in 1998 with Father Goolsby as founding pastor. The now thriving parish has more than 3,000 families. He led construction of the first two of the community’s structures—the church and the administration/religious education building. Both were dedicated in January 2000 by Archbishop Donoghue. 

He was transferred to St. Thomas Aquinas Church in Alpharetta in 2006 as its pastor. While at the Alpharetta parish, he founded the Blue Star Support Group to provide comfort and support to military personnel and their families in the community. Father Goolsby served there until the spring of 2012, when he took a medical leave of absence. 

His next assignment was as parochial vicar at Holy Spirit Church in Atlanta from 2013 to 2015. He was named the seventh pastor of St. Pius X Church in Conyers in 2015, serving there for three years. 

Father Goolsby’s last assignment was as parochial vicar at St. Theresa of the Child Jesus Church in Douglasville during the summer months of 2019. He was then granted medical disability retirement, taking up residence in St. George Village in Roswell. He later moved to Covington.  

The priest’s dedicated ministry within the archdiocese also included working as a judge for the Provincial Court of Appeals from 1996 to 2001. He is remembered by friends and parishioners for his sense of compassion and humor. 

Father Goolsby was preceded in death by his parents. He is survived by his cousin, Heidi Hodges, and her family Lindsey LaGrange; her son William Partridge, Cody Bryant and Lacey Bryant; and his cousin Michael Hodges (Stephanie) and their family Brittney, Jacob, Rachel and Leslie. Father Goolsby is also survived by his longtime friend and caregiver, Dawn Foley, and Lil’Bit, his beloved cat. 

A viewing will be Thursday, June 12, at 7 p.m. at St. Pius X Church in Conyers. The vigil will be at 7:30 p.m. with an additional viewing to follow. The church is located at 2621 Hwy 20 SE, Conyers. 

The funeral Mass will be at the Cathedral of Christ the King, 2699 Peachtree Rd. in Atlanta, at 10 a.m. on Friday, June 13. Archbishop Gregory J. Hartmayer, OFM Conv., will celebrate the Mass, with Bishop Bernard E. Shlesinger III as the homilist. Following a luncheon at the cathedral, the burial will be at Arlington Memorial Park in Sandy Springs. 

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Archdiocese of Atlanta to support the seminarian program and the Office of Senior Priests.