Our Guest Columnists Columns
The Georgia Bulletin features guest columns and spiritual reflections from laypeople and clergy from the archdiocesan community.
Our Guest Columnists
“Dragonfly anointing at the Monastery of the Holy Spirit”
BY LAURETTA HANNON, CommentaryEnglish
Where do you feel closest to the gates of heaven? For me, it’s when I am in nature. Not in a place of walls, chatter, or fluorescent lights. But amid the work of the Creator of Creation
Previous Columns by Our Guest Columnists
Hope and courage in a Southwest Atlanta parking lot
The two men in the parking lot didn’t make any sense. One figure moving erratically at warp speed—first doubled over and zigging to the left—then head reared too far back and zagging to the right and finally an abrupt stop that flung his body over the “handlebars” of his metal walker.
By LAURETTA HANNON, CommentaryPublished: October 5, 2025
‘Carlo Acutis: Roadmap to Reality’ highlights beauty of human connection
It’s always a breath of fresh air when a religious documentary is released and is also met with generally positive reviews. “Carlo Acutis: Roadmap to Reality” is not one to miss.
By LUKE CHILDS, Special to the BulletinPublished: September 22, 2025
1,700 years: The First Ecumenical Council of the church and its proclamation of Jesus Christ
Although ancient, the Council of Nicaea remains highly relevant today, offering valuable insights for the promotion of ecumenical dialogue, the development of synodality, and above all, the proclamation of Jesus Christ.
By FATHER LEANDRO NUNES TEIXEIRAThe case of the accidental retreatant
The light outside the monastery was golden and coppery, in that way you see only in a fall afternoon gloaming. After battling through Friday Atlanta traffic to get there, I sat on the ground in front of the abbey to decompress.
By LAURETTA HANNONPublished: August 10, 2025
The miracle monk of Lebanon
He is known as “the Miracle Monk of Lebanon,” with more than 33,000 recorded miracles attributed to his intercession. He lived as a hermit for 23 years, renowned for his holiness and asceticism. And yet, he is widely unknown to Roman Catholics.
By ROBIN CONTE ISAF, Special to the BulletinPublished: July 12, 2025
Defending freedom through faith and solidarity
Lucia Corbea is the winner of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ 2025 Religious Liberty Essay Contest, which is for high school juniors and seniors.
By LUCIA CORBEA, CommentaryPublished: July 1, 2025
Faith at the forefront of sustainability: Bridging hearts and minds for a greener future
In my life’s journey, I’ve come to see sustainability as more than just an intellectual challenge or a technical goal—it is, at its core, a deeply spiritual and moral calling.
By LEONARD ROBINSONPublished: June 14, 2025
The man who needed a chance
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.
By LAURETTA HANNONPublished: May 21, 2025
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 BulletinFrom ‘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 TEIXEIRAFor 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 HANNONPublished: 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 HANNONPublished: 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 HANNONPublished: 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 HANNONPublished: 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 HANNONPublished: July 11, 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 IIIKnowing 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.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. TRANGrowing 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