People

Atlanta

Foreign-born priests rejoice at easing of religious worker visa restrictions  

A federal rule change easing restrictions on religious worker visas is bringing relief to Catholic priests serving in the Archdiocese of Atlanta.

• St. John Bosco student uses crochet skills to create papal gift

  

  By NATALIA DURON, Staff Writer
  Published January 25, 2026

  Juliet Guidry, an eighth grader at St. John Bosco Academy in Cumming, crocheted a candy Peep for Pope Leo XIV. The handmade chick was given to the pontiff during a general audience at the Vatican, and the moment captured global attention across social media.

• Atlanta Catholics find strength praying centuries-old Liturgy of the Hours

  

  By ANDREW NELSON, Staff Writer
  Published January 22, 2026

  Across the Archdiocese of Atlanta, Catholics rely on the Liturgy of the Hours—prayer that structures the day, from sunrise to sundown. The Liturgy of the Hours, also known as the Divine Office, has been a daily prayer for clergy and others living in religious communities for centuries. 

• Father John T. Howren, pastor of Atlanta’s basilica, remembered

  

  Published January 14, 2026

  Father John T. Howren, pastor of the Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Atlanta, died Monday, Jan. 12. He served Atlanta Catholics for nearly three decades at several parish communities.