Photo by Julianna Leopold

GAINESVILLE—Thousands of people gathered in the cold to celebrate the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, with barefoot Aztec dancers wrapped in blankets and a mariachi band playing after Mass. For Lorena Almaguer, the memory captures the passion of the Catholic community in Gainesville.

A few weeks later, she recalled, the Archdiocese of Atlanta announced it would purchase land for a permanent home. In 2018, then-Archbishop Wilton Gregory dedicated the community’s new church.

Now, nearly two decades after she and her husband registered as family No. 91, Almaguer watched as that mission became St. John Paul II Church.

“It’s surreal, honestly, that after 20 years, finally, we’re becoming a church,” she said.

On Oct. 22, Archbishop Gregory J. Hartmayer, OFM Conv., celebrated the elevation Mass marking the canonical establishment of St. John Paul II as a parish. The date was especially meaningful as it was the feast day of St. John Paul II.

Hundreds of parishioners and community members filled the church at the intersection of Smith Road and Cherryhill Drive. Families gathered among flowers decorating the sanctuary, and some children dressed as St. John Paul II.

The vested statue of St. John Paul II watches as parishioners carry flags representing their countries during the procession at the beginning of the elevation Mass marking the canonical establishment of the mission as a parish. Photo by Julianna Leopold

A procession of flags representing the countries of parishioners opened the Mass, followed by members of the church’s ministries carrying their banners. The scene reflected a community shaped by people from different countries who brought their traditions and hopes to Gainesville.

After Archbishop Hartmayer’s homily, Father Gerardo Ceballos Gonzalez, the archbishop’s priest secretary, announced the decree establishing the parish in English and Spanish. The congregation erupted in applause and cheers.

Archbishop Hartmayer and Father Roberto Herrera, pastor of St. John Paul II, later unveiled a plaque commemorating the decree as parishioners embraced.

Father Herrera said parishioners have responded to the elevation with happiness and gratitude.

“Everyone is so grateful for this change,” he said. “Our people are very happy about this elevation, that we are finally a church.”

For those who helped build the community, the celebration represented years of prayer and sacrifice. For those serving it today, the new status brings both joy and a greater responsibility to welcome families and serve the wider Gainesville community.

“It’s been my home for so many years,” said Cristel Vivaldo, the parish’s ministry coordinator, who has been part of the mission for more than 15 years. “I would have never thought that I would have been here for so long.”

Five-year-old Alexandra Velasquez holds a banner before the procession at the beginning of the Mass of elevation at St. John Paul II Church on Oct. 22. The banner translates to “Apostles of the Word” and represents an apologetic and missionary movement focused on adults and families. Photo by Julianna Leopold

A community built door by door

Before the permanent church, the mission and the first Masses in a shopping center, there were young adults knocking on doors.

In 2004 and 2005, Almaguer and her husband were involved in Pastoral Juvenil, a young adult ministry at St. Michael Church in Gainesville. Under the direction of Father William Canales, the group was tasked with evangelizing residents in the area where a new mission was being planned.

Almaguer’s family had settled there in 1989. She remembers a time when there were few Hispanic residents in the area. As the Hispanic community grew, however, many people were not attending Mass. Some could not drive to St. Michael, and the parish’s more than 6,500 registered families at the time created a need for another place to worship.

On Friday afternoons, the young adults went door to door, talking with residents about God and the Church and inviting them to become part of the new community.

“We were going in groups, knock on the doors, talk to people about the church, let them know that we were going to open a mission there for people that couldn’t drive or make it to St. Michael,” she said. “We told them that they could go there and learn about God, and that we were trying to get Mass started over there.”

Missionaries from France helped the group gather residents. Once enough people had come together, Father Canales began celebrating Mass, first on Fridays, then Saturdays and eventually Sundays.

The community initially gathered in a small house in a Hispanic neighborhood before moving to a larger space at Sherwood Plaza, near a Target. As attendance increased, so did the need for a permanent place to worship.

Almaguer and her husband became deeply involved in the life of the growing community. From 2006 to 2022, they served with Messengers of Christ, a ministry that organized annual celebrations for Our Lady of Guadalupe in December and live Stations of the Cross during Holy Week at a local park. Almaguer also served as a catechist.

The work was not always easy, she shared. The community had to raise money to purchase land, and parishioners from across its ministries joined together to help.

“At first, it was hard,” Almaguer said. “It was very hard because the community was a low-income community. So, we all worked. All the ministries, the parishioners, we worked together, along with our priest, to raise the funds.”

Now, the permanent church home sits on 18 acres along Browns Bridge Road.

Construction was funded through the archdiocese’s Special Projects Program, an initiative established under its 2015 Archdiocesan Pastoral Plan. St. John Paul II was among the first three participants in the program.

For Almaguer, the community’s elevation to parish status brings back memories of those who helped establish it. In 2024, she and her husband traveled to France and visited some of the missionaries who had served in Gainesville. They told them about the mission’s growth and the many new people joining the community. “They were amazed, and they were so happy,” she recalled.

Almaguer is grateful for the years she devoted to the church.

“My young years that I dedicated to God and to the church, I wouldn’t trade them for anything,” she said. “They were probably one of my best years.”

Deacon John Peterson holds the Gospel above his head as he enters the sanctuary for the Mass of elevation for St. John Paul II Church. Photo by Julianna Leopold

A home for generations

For Vivaldo, the mission’s growth is visible in the people who return year after year, the families who become involved and the children growing up in the community.

Vivaldo began working at the mission as an administrative assistant and front office worker, a role she held for seven years. She later became front office manager and then ministry coordinator, overseeing the mission’s ministries, including its pastoral council.

Her husband and children are also parishioners, and the family volunteers in the community.

“Right now, we have so many young parishioners and families,” she said.

The growth is especially evident in the Aztec dance ministry, which Vivaldo said has about 50 dancers, the largest number it has ever had. She also sees the relationships that keep people connected. Parishioners have told her they appreciate the friendships and trust they have built.

“They say it’s different from other groups because they feel welcomed,” she said.

Now, as the mission becomes a parish, she hopes to see the community continue growing and its facilities expand. The parish is working on plans for additional religious education classrooms. Vivaldo also hopes for a sanctuary, more classrooms and possibly a larger parking lot. For her, those are not simply construction projects. They are signs of a community preparing to welcome more people.

Liliana Samano, who has been part of the mission since its early years, has also served through Messengers of Christ, the dance ministry and the Via Crucis, or Way of the Cross. She said the milestone reflects the commitment of the people who have supported the mission over the

“Thanks to God and a lot of hard work, this moment is possible,” Samano said. “This moment also comes from the people, the community that has supported the mission for years.”

Samano hopes the new parish will continue to grow and foster relationships.

“I hope the community will grow more, bring greater unity to the community and bring more help to the people,” she said.

A wider mission

Father Juan José Terán, the parish’s parochial vicar, said the elevation represents more than a change in title. He arrived at the mission two and a half years ago and has witnessed the community’s continued growth. A mission, he explained, is created to respond to a specific pastoral need. St. John Paul II began to serve Gainesville’s large Hispanic community, which needed more space for worship and religious formation than St. Michael could provide.

As the community grew more stable and developed the ability to manage its own affairs, it became ready for the responsibilities of a parish.

The new status provides greater autonomy in pastoral decisions and the management of property while maintaining full communion with the archbishop, Father Terán said. It also reflects the archbishop’s trust in the community.

“We have acquired a fuller mission,” Father Terán said. “The parish’s responsibility is no longer limited to meeting the specific needs of the Hispanic community, he explained, but extends to the pastoral needs of the entire territory it serves.
The change has brought him joy and pride, he said, while deepening his sense of responsibility.

“During my two years here, I have lived alongside the people, walked with them and helped broaden our horizons so we can see a bigger future,” he said. “I feel great joy and pride, but above all, this gives me a greater sense of responsibility for the mission entrusted to us.”

The parish’s future, he said, depends on continuing to grow while ensuring that younger generations remain connected to their faith.

Parishioners immigrated from Mexico, Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala and other countries, bringing with them a faith deeply rooted in their homelands. Passing that faith on to their children and grandchildren presents a challenge, Father Terán said, because younger generations may experience the Church differently.

Archbishop Gregory J. Hartmayer, OFM Conv., censes the framed mosaic of St. John Paul II next to the altar of St. John Paul II Church. Flags of the different ministries stand in front of the artwork to represent the rich community that has shaped the culture of the parish. Photo by Julianna Leopold

The parish’s plans for additional religious education classrooms are one way to meet that need. The community reported 875 students in faith formation classes this year, along with 467 baptisms, 233 first Communions, 79 marriages and 36 funerals. It also reported 137 confirmations, with an additional figure of 112 confirmations for people older than 18, as recorded in parish data. The parish serves 6,756 households.

For Father Terán, these numbers represent more than activity. They reflect the responsibility to accompany people through the sacraments, form young Catholics and offer a place of welcome to those arriving in Gainesville.

“We want always to have a place open to new immigrants arriving in this country, making our parish a place where faith is passed on to future generations,” he said.

The parish has approximately 28 ministries, he said, offering ways for people to participate in the life of the Church.

“There is a place for everyone,” Father Terán said. “There is a place for everyone in the parish and a place for everyone in our hearts.”

He also emphasized that the parish hopes to serve the entire Gainesville community, not only Catholics.

“The Catholic Church does not belong only to Catholics, it is for everyone,” he said. “We are here to serve everyone. Everyone has a place in our hearts and in our prayers.”

The goal, he said, is for St. John Paul II to become a place of encounter and welcome.

Catherine Apedoh, a young parishioner of St. Michael Church in Gainesville, holds her hands in prayer as her and her family show their support for their sister church, St. John Paul II at its elevation Mass Oct. 22. Photo by Julianna Leopold

Growing with the Church

The needs of St. John Paul II reflect a broader pattern across North Georgia as the Archdiocese of Atlanta responds to a growing Catholic population.

The archdiocese’s “Rooted in Christ—Growing in Faith” capital campaign aims to raise $185 million over five years to strengthen parishes, support clergy and invest in the future of local Catholic communities. According to campaign materials, the archdiocese serves approximately 1.2 million Catholics, a 97% increase since 2000. Six parishes have Mass attendance exceeding 150% of seating capacity, while 40 more exceed 80%, underscoring the pressure growth can place on worship and ministry spaces.

The campaign includes $55.5 million for local parish priorities, such as renovations, ministry growth, staffing and endowments. Another $25 million is designated for the Parish Mission Expansion Fund, which provides interest-free grants and loans to help parishes purchase land, expand facilities or relocate as needs change.

Those investments are intended to help communities meet immediate needs while preparing for the future. At St. John Paul II, the need for adequate space has been part of the story from the beginning.

The parish’s current classroom expansion plans reflect that same ongoing challenge to make sure a growing community has room to worship and learn.

In his homily, Archbishop Hartmayer connected that work to the legacy of St. John Paul II, recalling the pope’s first public words after his election in 1978: “Do not be afraid. Open wide the doors to Christ.”

Archbishop Hartmayer said the community had understood from the beginning that the Church’s mission extends beyond its buildings.

“From the beginning, you understood that a church is not only a sacred place where the sacraments are celebrated, but also a spiritual home from which Christ’s love radiates into the surrounding community,” he said. “You served the wider community even before you had a proper roof over your heads.”

The archbishop also recalled St. John Paul II’s concern for people who suffer and struggle, saying a parish named for the saint must be willing to meet people in their pain with compassion.

“A parish named for this saint must not be afraid to touch those wounds with the hands of Christ,” he said.

Then he offered the community a declaration of its new place in the archdiocese.

“Today the Church says that you have taken root,” he said. “You are here to stay.”

The elevation does not mark the end of the community’s growth, Father Terán said. It marks a new responsibility to keep serving the people who come through its doors.

“We see it as an opportunity the archbishop is giving us to serve our brothers and sisters with greater stability,” Father Terán said. “We have a greater mission, and that is what fills us with joy.”