The Mission Church of Our Lady of the Americas in the city of Lilburn, Georgia, serves the Spanish-speaking Local community under the pastoral care of its proper Administrator. Sacramental, liturgical, and pastoral ministries are carried out under the direction of the Administrator, as are educational and apostolic works and temporal administration. This Mission has been attached for reasons of pastoral governance and parochial communion to Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish in Atlanta.

Having heard the opinions of the affected clergy and their Dean, and having considered the advice given by the Archdiocesan Presbyteral Council on this matter, it seems opportune at this time, in order to provide more effectively for the pastoral governance of the Mission, to attach the Mission Church of Our Lady of the Americas to the Parish of St. Patrick’s in the city of Norcross. Respecting the proper autonomy of the Mission’s Administrator, the pastor of St. Patrick’s Parish is to cooperate with fraternal solicitude in the pastoral governance of the Mission Church and its ministries. The Mission Administrator shall retain office; no ministries or apostolic works of the Mission are affected by this decree and territorial boundaries of affected parishes remain unaltered.

This decree shall be made known to the affected Pastors and Administrator, and shall become effective at Midnight on the 1st Day of January, 2007.

Given in Atlanta, Georgia, this Twenty First Day of December, in the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand and Six.

Wilton D. Gregory

Archbishop of Atlanta