December 12, 2019
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Pope’s 2019: Preaching the Gospel globally, dealing with scandals
By CINDY WOODEN, Catholic News Service
Published December 12, 2019For Pope Francis, 2019 included his sixth anniversary as pope and his 50th anniversary as a priest, but it also was a year that saw him still confronted with the clerical sexual abuse crisis and with Vatican financial scandals. He earned more points than ever on his frequent-flyer card, making seven foreign trips in 2019.
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The mouse in the manger
By LORRAINE V. MURRAY, Commentary
Published December 12, 2019The manger on the altar glittered with pinpoints of light. The brightly painted animals surrounded the baby, whose arms were outstretched in welcome.
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Iraqi-born Christian remains hopeful, despite separation from family
By MSGR. RICHARD LOPEZ
Published December 12, 2019Many are aware of the crisis in the Middle East, where Christians are persecuted. However, it is rare to hear the voice of someone who has first-hand experience of these tragic events. Landy Youkhana, who was born in 1985 and raised in Baghdad, now lives in Atlanta. He came to the United States as a college student.
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Pope Francis Children’s Home and School project moves forward
By NICHOLE GOLDEN, Staff Writer
Published December 12, 2019With support from the Catholic community in Atlanta, construction for the Pope Francis Children’s Home and School in Ghana is underway. Michael Barry, founder of the home and former parishioner of St. Philip Benizi Church, Jonesboro, traveled to the west African nation Oct. 21-29 for a ribbon cutting.
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Faith, support and encouragement found in Stephen Ministry
By SAMANTHA SMITH, Staff Writer
Published December 12, 2019Based in St. Louis, Missouri, Stephen Ministry is a not-for-profit Christian organization that equips and empowers lay caregivers to provide high quality, confidential and Christ-centered care.
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St. Oliver Plunkett Men’s Club bakes Polish treats with Christmas cheer
By ANDREW NELSON, Staff Writer
Published December 12, 2019The sweet aroma of walnuts, vanilla and sugar, mixed with the yeasty smell of fresh dough, filled the kitchen as the annual tradition of baking holiday Polish nut bread gets underway. For 25 years, the St. Oliver Plunkett Church Men’s Club has rolled hundreds and hundreds of these baked delicacies.
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St. Anna expands Wall of Honor tribute to veterans
By MARY THERESE GRIFFIN, Special to the Bulletin
Published December 12, 2019Last year, St. Anna Church, Monroe, honored the military veterans of the congregation with a Wall of Honor. The Knights of Columbus Council #14425 built four panels to display more than 200 photos. The wall drew much interest, and the faces of those featured increased this year to 286.
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Deacon Thomas Metzger, of St. Anna Church, dies November 21
Published December 12, 2019
Deacon Thomas J. Metzger died unexpectedly at his home on Nov. 21, at the age of 67.
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Catholic Charities Atlanta connects donors with families in need
By SAMANTHA SMITH, Staff Writer
Published December 12, 2019Christmas Connections, also known as Adopt-A-Family is sponsored by Catholic Charities Atlanta and links parishioners with families in need.
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Senior Christmas luncheon a 20-year tradition for Woodstock parish
By ANDREW NELSON, Staff Writer
Published December 12, 2019Some 216 senior citizens were the VIP guests at the annual Christmas luncheon at St. Michael the Archangel Church on Friday, Dec. 6.
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Reading Prufrock at Advent
By DAVID A. KING, Ph.D, Commentary
Published December 12, 2019Yesterday, for perhaps the 100th time in my long career as a college professor, I taught once again T.S. Eliot’s astonishing poem “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock,” which was published in 1915 in Harriet Monroe’s Poetry magazine.Over a century later, the poem still remains one of my favorite works in English literature.
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Buechner Blood Drive marks a decade
By MICHAEL ALEXANDER
Published December 12, 2019Holy Cross Church held its 10th annual Bob Buechner Blood Drive Saturday, Dec. 7. The initial visionary for the drive and its coordinator is Mark Kelly, but numerous volunteers and American Red Cross staff pitch in to make it happen.
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Building blocks for thriving parishes
By ANDREW W. LICHTENWALNER, Ph.D., Commentary
Published December 12, 2019What Amazing Parish does is provide pastors and their teams with tools to help transform their parish from maintenance mode to a mission-driven culture. It starts with a cohesive leadership team founded on three building blocks: a culture of prayer, a culture of healthy teamwork and a culture of active discipleship.
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USCCB president urges prayers for pope’s 50 years as a priest
By CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE
Published December 12, 2019The faithful across the United States are invited to pray for Pope Francis as he celebrates 50 years as a priest on Friday, Dec. 13. Los Angeles Archbishop Jose H. Gomez, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, sent a letter to bishops asking them to encourage parishioners to honor the jubilee during Advent.