Georgia Bulletin

The Newspaper of the Catholic Archdiocese of Atlanta

Our Guest Columnists Columns

Our Guest Columnists

“The man who needed a chance”

BY LAURETTA HANNON

English

Mama was at the grocery store when she noticed a man didn’t have enough money for food for his family. Seeing he was at wit’s end, she waited until he left and then paid for his groceries.

Previous Columns by Our Guest Columnists

  • Letters from Rome: Life in the interregnum, and witnessing the pope’s election

    Father Gaurav Shroff of Atlanta shares his experiences during the mourning period for Pope Francis and the election of a new leader for the Catholic Church. He is currently serving at the Dicastery for the Clergy at the Vatican.

    By FATHER GAURAV SHROFF, Special to the Bulletin
    Published: May 15, 2025
  • From ‘Buona sera’ to ‘Buona Pasqua’

    The passing of Pope Francis took us by surprise in this jubilee year of hope. However, it is precisely this theological virtue that propels us forward as a church of communion and mission. 

    By FATHER LEANDRO NUNES TEIXEIRA
    Published: May 2, 2025
  • For Catholics not feeling it anymore: Guidance from a convert on how to get the fire back

    If you’re sensing a disconnection from God, take heart: you’ve joined the company of the saints, a number of whom endured years in such desolation.

    By LAURETTA HANNON
    Published: March 13, 2025
  • The man lunged at me and then this happened

    The campus police officers escorted the wild man to my office. He’d just exploded in a fury outside the Financial Aid Office. Screaming, thrashing about, and spewing threats of violence.

    By LAURETTA HANNON
    Published: January 28, 2025
  • The baby in the woods

    A pastor recently gave a sermon on the topic of “Turning Away.” He told of an encounter he had with a stranger, a woman in need.

    By LAURETTA HANNON
    Published: December 8, 2024
  • I turned 55 and got old overnight

    I turned 55, and something strange happened. Suddenly 50-year-olds were saying “yes ma’am” and “no ma’am” to me.

    By LAURETTA HANNON 
    Published: August 11, 2024
  • A cat tale 

    This is a true story. It comes from a close friend who is the mom in the narrative. At the time, she was a young mother of 3 kids aged 5, 6 and 9. 

    By LAURETTA HANNON
    Published: July 11, 2024
  • The Eucharist and Easter

    I believe we complicate the simplicity of the Eucharist—the Real Presence of Christ, who wishes us to consume him so that we can go forth to love as he loves.

    By BISHOP JOHN TRAN 
    Published: April 3, 2024
  • Are you entitled or blessed? 

    There are some in the world who feel “entitled,” as if the world owes them something, but live in perpetual dissatisfaction and have no peace. There are others in the world who feel “blessed,” as if God has showered his grace upon them.

    By BISHOP BERNARD E. SHLESINGER III
    Published: March 7, 2024
  • Knowing the mysteries of faith through sacred art

    People, of course, find the doors to the spiritual in many different forms, but sacred art has been one of them from the time of the first churches in Rome and elsewhere to museums containing great paintings of biblical events. 

    By BISHOP JOEL M. KONZEN, S.M.
    Published: February 23, 2024
  • The sacrifices of deacons

    On Feb. 3, I had the honor and privilege of ordaining eight permanent deacons to serve the church in the Archdiocese of Atlanta. The weather outside reflected the celebration inside the Cathedral of Christ the King; it was beautiful. 

    By BISHOP JOHN N. TRAN 
    Published: February 14, 2024
  • Growing in grace and cherishing life

    How we value life will determine the culture in which our children are being formed. We champion the cause for life when we preach a consistent life ethic that values each person created in the image and likeness of God no matter how small or how guilty.

    By BISHOP BERNARD E. SHLESINGER III
    Published: January 12, 2024
  • Sustaining our priests with prayer

    For us Catholics, centered on the reality of Christ in the Eucharist, priests are much of the binding that holds our family of faith together. In a very direct and personal way, they oversee the life of faith that we Catholics participate in.  

    By BISHOP JOEL M. KONZEN, S.M.
    Published: December 30, 2023
  • If I were the devil 

    In 1965, Radio Legend Paul Harvey recorded a piece titled “If I Were the Devil.” It became his most famous recording. Here’s my version. 

    By LAURETTA HANNON, Commentary
    Published: December 20, 2023
  • History-making event on the horizon: National Eucharistic Congress

    As the fruits of Rescue Atlanta and various initiatives around this archdiocese continue to unfold, we now set our sights on a national event—the National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis on July 17-21, 2024.

    By ANDY LICHTENWALNER, Special to the Bulletin
    Published: December 6, 2023
  • Is there hope within the young?

    Last month, I went to the Catholic Center at the University of Georgia (UGA) to celebrate the Eucharist and participate that evening in a session of questions and answers with the students.

    By BISHOP BERNARD E. SHLESINGER III
    Published: November 17, 2023
  • Fulfilling faraway needs in the name of Christ

    I have just returned from visiting a Catholic school in Ghana, West Africa, that is more than a school. It is also a health center where people from the surrounding area, as well as the students, can receive proper health care.

    By BISHOP JOEL M. KONZEN, S.M.
    Published: November 3, 2023
  • A power humans were not meant to wield

    This past Oct. 10, the 21st Annual World Day Against the Death Penalty, Archbishop Gregory Hartmayer joined other faith leaders to ask our state elected officials to change the standard of proof for those with intellectual disabilities in capital cases.

    By BISHOP JOHN N. TRAN
    Published: October 20, 2023
  • The ‘happy hour’ is the ‘holy hour’

    The holy hour with Jesus will ultimately lead us to happiness. During this time of Eucharistic Revival, let us allow Jesus to speak to any feelings of hopelessness that we may have. 

    By BISHOP BERNARD E. SHLESINGER III
    Published: September 21, 2023