Our Guest Columnists Columns
The Georgia Bulletin features guest columns and spiritual reflections from laypeople and clergy from the archdiocesan community.
Our Guest Columnists
“Witnessing History In St. Peter’s Square”
BY FATHER LUKE BALLMAN, CommentaryEnglish
Father Luke Ballman, of the Atlanta Archdiocese, serves at the North American College in Rome. He spoke to The Georgia Bulletin March 13 by phone after witnessing the announcement of the election of Pope Francis and the pope’s first public appearance on the loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica. The previous night, March 12, I went […] English
Previous Columns by Our Guest Columnists
A Voice That Proposed Love And Fulfillment
It seems nearly impossible to say anything that will be unique or new about the most talked about news of the week, and probably of the year. However, we imagine that one of the first acts of the 267th pope to lead the Catholic Church since it was established by Jesus Christ will be to […] English
By PETER ROSENGRENPublished: February 28, 2013
The Season’s Message Found In Chapel’s Simplicity
Through the hospitality of Trocaire—a Catholic humanitarian relief agency of Ireland—I began Advent in the stunningly beautiful chapel of St. Patrick’s College in Maynooth, the pontifical university and national seminary of Ireland. Built in the mid-1800s, the chapel’s woodwork, stained glass and paintings conveyed a powerful sense of the love for God that enabled human […] English
By CAROLYN WOO, CommentaryPublished: December 20, 2012
Christmas Message For 2012
When we read the Gospels about the birth and the resurrection of Jesus, we see both have something in common. The birth, according to the traditions, takes place inside a cave, and the resurrection inside a sepulchre. It is interesting that God, made man, is born in the darkness of a cave and then later […] English
By BISHOP LUIS R. ZARAMA, CommentaryPublished: December 20, 2012
Calling For A ‘Spiritually Profound’ Advent
The end of a calendar year in modern American culture has become an odd and frenzied mixture of the sacred and the profane. From Thanksgiving through New Year’s, this culture offers a heady mixture of consumerism, special foods accompanied by a great deal of drink, major football games, lavish decorations, family get-togethers—and increasing stress and […] English
By FATHER DOUGLAS K. CLARK, STL, CommentaryPublished: December 6, 2012
Christmas: Use Values To Find Value in Giving
Images of people breaking down the doors of popular big box stores are starting to be standard fare during the holiday season. This year the sales began even before the turkey on the dinner table was barely cold. This kind of crazed rush to shop for bargains is at odds with the true meaning of […] English
By FATHER DAVID GARCIA, CommentaryPublished: December 6, 2012
¡Viva Cristo Rey! Long Live Christ The King!
The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, popularly known as “Christ the King,” is a relatively recent feast, in terms of the history of the 2,000-year-old Catholic Church. It was instituted by Pope Pius XI in 1925, as a challenge to the growing totalitarianism of the times. After the Second Vatican […] English
By FATHER DOUGLAS K. CLARK, STL, CommentaryPublished: November 22, 2012
7 Keys To The New Evangelization
Pope Benedict XVI has announced a Year of Faith, starting Oct. 11 and ending Nov. 24, 2013, to strengthen the faith of Catholics and draw the world to faith by their example. The Year of Faith is meant to reflect one of the themes of Pope Benedict’s pontificate, the New Evangelization. He called a Synod […] English
By PETER MURPHY, CommentaryPublished: October 25, 2012
7 Keys To The New Evangelization
Pope Benedict XVI has announced a Year of Faith, starting Oct. 11 and ending Nov. 24, 2013, to strengthen the faith of Catholics and draw the world to faith by their example. The Year of Faith is meant to reflect one of the themes of Pope Benedict’s pontificate, the New Evangelization. He called a Synod […] English
By PETER MURPHY, CommentaryPublished: October 25, 2012
10 Ways Vatican II Shapes The Church Today
The Catholic Church marks the 50th anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Council by Blessed Pope John XXIII on October 11. The Council ran from 1962-1965, producing 16 documents over the course of four sessions. Over 2,000 bishops from around the world participated. The Council introduced major reforms and stands among the most […] English
ByPublished: October 11, 2012
Catholics Care. Catholics Vote: Conscience Formation By The Numbers
Numbers can be cold and impersonal. They lack the depth and nuance of words and ideas. “I feel like I’m just a number,” a person struggling with a large or bureaucratic system might say. But numbers can also be uncompromising. They force us to confront realities that can be dizzying, unavoidable and downright unwelcome. Someone […] English
ByPublished: September 28, 2012
Helping At A Friend’s Funeral
In “As Befits a Man,” Langston Hughes wrote: “I don’t mind dying—But I’d hate to die all alone!” The pew sitters were shoulder to shoulder Saturday. Ushers brought out extra chairs, and still people filled the back of the church, two and three people deep. Certainly, Yolanda Colin didn’t die alone. I was honored to […] English
By ANDREW NELSON, Staff WriterPublished: September 13, 2012
Our Faith Should Transform Our Politics
The start of the Year of Faith and our country’s elections will take place less than a month apart. And we have an excellent opportunity as Catholics to apply the principles of our faith to our political system—not only in how we vote, but in how we choose to influence our country’s political discourse, too […] English
ByPublished: September 13, 2012
The Dignity Of Labor
This is Labor Day weekend—so all should look happy and be content. Sadly that is not so for millions of our people. At this time there are 12 million workers looking for a job. Over 10 million families are “working poor”—they work hard, but their pay does not meet their basic needs. Forty million U.S. […] English
By FATHER JOHN KIERAN, CommentaryPublished: September 3, 2012
Denver prelate: Death, evil will not have last word
The confusion and carnage that unfolded in the dark Aurora theater July 20 was surreal for Emily Stetson. The loud pops she heard and irritating smoke she inhaled eventually forced her and the midnight moviegoers out of the packed theaters inside Century Aurora 16. In the lobby, she witnessed a police officer cradle a child […] English
By NISSA LAPOINT, CNSPublished: August 2, 2012
Tilting At Windmills
In Miguel de Cervantes’ masterpiece, “Don Quixote,” the title character famously attacks some windmills, which he mistakes for “ferocious giants”: “Just then they came in sight of thirty or forty windmills that rise from that plain. And no sooner did Don Quixote see them that he said to his squire, ‘Fortune is guiding our affairs […] English
By FATHER DOUGLAS K. CLARK, STL, CommentaryPublished: July 19, 2012
Beauty Of 1920s Mexico Shines In Religious War Epic
“For Greater Glory,” the historical epic from director Dean Wright, has much to recommend it: an inspiring true story, a positive representation of spirituality and the Catholic Church, excellent production values, and sweeping historical drama. Ultimately, however, the film falls short in creating an emotional connection to its characters, and this keeps it from being […] English
By JANE WILSON, Special To The BulletinPublished: June 7, 2012
Chancery Staffer Enters Church Among Co-Workers
It took me 40 years to find the Catholic Church. I was raised very religious as a primitive Baptist. We had Catholic neighbors and for all intents and purposes I was like a son to them. They were such wonderful people. They never tried to convert me, but I saw from them a way of […] English
By JEFFERY DEAN, Special To The BulletinPublished: April 12, 2012
‘We Have To Open The Door And Let The Lord In’
Growing up, I always thought my religion was Buddhism. But as I grew older, I started to wonder why we did not go to the temple as much and why we did not follow certain practices as Buddhists. My parents explained to me that although we believed in Buddhism, we practiced more by praying to […] English
By JULIE LE, Special To The BulletinPublished: April 12, 2012
My Journey To The Roman Catholic Church
Growing up in a small town in Alabama, I didn’t exactly see a Roman Catholic church that often. There was one Catholic church and I remember one person that I went to school with was Catholic. That was my very limited experience with the Catholic Church growing up. My family had a history of being […] English
By GREGORY C. WRIGHT, Special To The BulletinPublished: April 12, 2012