Our Guest Columnists Columns
The Georgia Bulletin features guest columns and spiritual reflections from laypeople and clergy from the archdiocesan community.
Our Guest Columnists
“We’ve been here before: marriage and the ‘room of tears’”
BY BISHOP ROBERT BARRONEnglish
Just last week, I had the privilege of spending four hours in the Sistine Chapel with my Word on Fire team. Toward the end of our filming, the director of the Vatican Museums, who had accompanied us throughout the process, asked whether I wanted to see the “room of tears.” This is the little antechamber, […] English
Previous Columns by Our Guest Columnists
Pope Francis made my mom stop hating Catholicism
My mom was raised in a big and very Catholic family. Bad things happened in that family. In my mom’s mind and more importantly, in her heart, it seemed that the church, religion, God, the whole works, had not been there to protect her and her siblings. All of that Catholicism seemed to my mom […] English
By DAVE SLOAN, CommentaryPublished: March 5, 2015
Reflections for the Lenten journey
The following meditations—for the first three days of Lent—were written by Father Robert Barron, a noted author and speaker, of Mundelein Seminary in Illinois. Ash Wednesday, day 1: “Back to Basics” At the beginning of baseball season, the coach has to bring his players back to basics. He has to remind them of the three-point […] English
By FATHER ROBERT BARRON, CommentaryPublished: February 19, 2015
Why having a heart of gold is not what Christianity is about
Many atheists and agnostics today insistently argue that it is altogether possible for non-believers in God to be morally upright. They resent the implication that the denial of God will lead inevitably to complete ethical relativism or nihilism. And they are quick to point out examples of non-religious people who are models of kindness, compassion, […] English
By FATHER ROBERT BARRON, CommentaryPublished: February 5, 2015
‘St. Vincent’: A meditation on poor souls, not saints
Bill Murray is brilliant. He’s also Catholic, although I’m not sure whether or not he practices his Catholic faith. Murray has eight siblings and one of them is a Dominican sister who travels the country playing St. Catherine of Siena in a one-woman show. In the new film “St. Vincent,” Murray plays the role of […] English
By FATHER DAMIAN FERENCE, CommentaryPublished: January 8, 2015
God is searching for hearts of good will
Announcing the birth of the Son of God, the angels sang, “Glory to God in the highest, and peace on earth among people of good will.” Today we are bombarded by commercials inviting us to prepare for the celebration of the “holidays” and manipulating our will through ads that tell us we need to spend […] English | En Español
By BISHOP LUIS RAFAEL ZARAMA, CommentaryFather Robert Barron: Daily Advent reflections
ATLANTA—Advent begins Sunday, Nov. 30, as Catholics quietly prepare spiritually for Christmas and the birth of the Christ child. Included here are meditations for the first three days of Advent, written by Father Robert Barron, a noted author and speaker, of Mundelein Seminary in Illinois. These are part of a series of daily meditations made […] English
By FATHER ROBERT BARRONPublished: November 27, 2014
Fresh look at the parable of the talents
The attendance at our daily Mass at Mundelein Seminary on Labor Day weekend was sparse. Many of the students had gone home while others were on a special tour of Chicago churches. The celebrant and preacher for the Sunday Mass was Father Robert Schoenstene, our veteran Old Testament professor. Father Schoenstene offered the best interpretation […] English
By FATHER ROBERT BARRON, CommentaryPublished: October 2, 2014
We are Church
“When we are dreaming alone it is only a dream. When we are dreaming with others, it is the beginning of reality.” Archbishop Hélder Câmara. When Jesus came to dwell among us, he conducted his ministry with a group of followers. As God incarnate, he could have just as easily healed the sick, fed the […] English
By DEACON BILL GARRETT, Special to the BulletinPublished: August 7, 2014
Spiritual delights await at the Spring Hill College Summer Institute
Imagine that it might be possible to have a weekend, or two, within a stretch of 13 days where you could pray, attend Mass, have delicious meals and take, or listen in on, classes which would be a stimulant to your life as a Catholic? Imagine you could do all this as an auditor of […] English
By VICTOR A. KRAMER, CommentaryPublished: May 15, 2014
Holy Week’s Reflection
Something that always caught my attention on Holy Thursdays during my time as a pastor was the difficulty in getting volunteers for the washing of the feet. Sometimes even a few minutes prior, I was still pleading for volunteers to complete my group of 12. I haven’t been able to understand the reason behind it, […] English | En Español
By BISHOP LUIS R. ZARAMA, CommentaryRenewing my ‘yes’ to God
At some point on the Fifth Sunday of Lent I noticed that the statues were veiled. This customary detail, which points to the hiddenness of the divinity of Christ especially in the cruelty and brutality of his Passion, signals to the faithful the transition to Passiontide, the final two weeks of Lent. The Preface changes […] English
By FATHER GAURAV SHROFF, CommentaryPublished: April 16, 2014
Lenten reflections for the journey to Easter
ATLANTA—The season of Lent began on Ash Wednesday, March 5, and Catholics around the world began their yearly observance of this quiet liturgical season with Mass, prayer, fasting and good deeds. The following meditations—for the first three days of Lent—were written by Father Robert Barron, a noted author and speaker, of Mundelein Seminary in Illinois. […] English
ByPublished: March 6, 2014
Remembering Father Austin Fogarty
I actually cannot remember the first time we met, but the years have been long since his arrival to Death Row. Our deacon was Mr. Tom Silvestri, and at the time we had no priest to say Mass. Instead the bishop would come in a couple of times a year and at times we’d be […] English
By JOSHUA BISHOP, Special to the BulletinPublished: February 6, 2014
The only answer to what we want for Christmas
Christmas is a time we honor Jesus for who He is: the gift and son of God. Francis of Assisi thought the ultimate wonder is that God loved us enough to be one of us. Jesus came to earth in the simplicity and vulnerability of a child and honors us with His holy presence because […] English
By FATHER JUDE MICHAEL KRILL, OFM Conv., CommentaryPublished: December 19, 2013
May this Christmas be a reason to continue making more memories
Advent is a time that brings warm memories to our hearts and allows us to be grateful to God, while preparing for Christmas. This feeling of gratitude towards God is a powerful source that seeks to stretch and improve our relationship with him and lets us rejoice in the kindness of his love. Part of […] English
By BISHOP LUIS RAFAEL ZARAMAPublished: December 18, 2013
‘Missionary America: Share your faith!’
MARACAIBO, Venezuela—Coming to the Missionary Congress of the Americas in Maracaibo, Venezuela, was a little like coming to a huge, huge family reunion. We are, after all, brothers and sisters in Christ. That was what I felt most from the moment I landed in Caracas to change planes for Maracaibo. The theme of this congress […] English
By MSGR. DAN STACK, Special to the BulletinPublished: December 6, 2013
My retirement and a chalice of memories
Retirement is like climbing a mountain and not knowing what to expect on the other side. My moving on this summer from 46 years as a fully active priest of the Atlanta Archdiocese to the role of senior priest was an unexpected consolation amidst the arduous work of uprooting. For sure, the withdrawal from the […] English
By FATHER JOHN KIERAN CommentaryPublished: October 10, 2013
Voting: A Matter of Conscience
Serious people feel overwhelmed going into the 2012 election. Seeing many choices or none, some seek a rationale to stay home on Election Day, but to give in to such discouragement is political despair. Fortunately, conscience can guide us, even when we don’t know it. The voice of conscience can include a feeling of disconnect—a […] English
By SISTER MARY ANN WALSH, RSM, CommentaryPublished: September 13, 2013
A visit to Georgia’s first Catholic parish
The Archdiocese of Atlanta’ s Archives team recently went on its first exploratory road trip, uncovering history in the process. In June, I traveled with archivist Carolyn Denton (director of the Office of Archives and Records) and Archives intern Amber Smith to the tiny Georgia town of Washington. We made the trip at the invitation […] English
By ANGELIQUE RICHARDSON, CommentaryPublished: July 18, 2013