Our Guest Columnists Columns
The Georgia Bulletin features guest columns and spiritual reflections from laypeople and clergy from the archdiocesan community.
Our Guest Columnists
“ORB: Changing Lives From Cameroon To Atlanta”
BY JADE BROWN, CommentaryEnglish
I spent last year in a rural town in the North West Province of Cameroon as a volunteer with Catholic Relief Services. Working with one of CRS’ partners, I learned firsthand how the organization works on the ground to serve the most poor and vulnerable people. My experience in Cameroon has changed my life and […] English
Previous Columns by Our Guest Columnists
In Praise Of George W. Bush
The following is best appreciated if read aloud in the best Irish accent you can manage: Paddy, the local scoundrel, was dead. The entire population of the village where he spent a lifetime making others miserable attended the funeral Mass—some, doubtless, to make sure he was really gone. Knowing the congregation’s sentiments, the wise old […] English
By GEORGE WEIGEL, CommentaryPublished: January 15, 2009
The Incarnation’s Realism And Our Present Time
The Gospel reading for the vigil Mass of Christmas Eve is the genealogy of Jesus according to Matthew: a terror to priests and deacons with poor Hebrew pronunciation and a bore to most congregants. Once, it was a string of “begats;” now, it’s a catalogue of strange names with which most Catholics are unfamiliar. Why […] English
By GEORGE WEIGEL, CommentaryPublished: January 8, 2009
Persons With AIDS Have A Place At Our Table
On Dec. 1, the world will mark the 20th anniversary of World AIDS Day, when individuals and organizations come together to bring attention to the AIDS pandemic. AIDS has been ravaging the world since the early 1980s. During the disease’s first decade and a half, much attention was paid to the epidemic in the United […] English
By BRENDA TIRADO-TORRES, CommentaryPublished: November 27, 2008
Tithings Of Comfort And Joy
My home is in the South—often called the Bible Belt because we hear so much about Bible study classes, living by the Bible and preaching straight from the Bible. Another admirable custom of this area is the practice of Christians “giving testimony” on their beliefs in order to strengthen the faith of others. Tithing is […] English
By AGNES HULSEY, Special To The BulletinPublished: October 23, 2008
Dreams Of A New America
Over the last several months Americans have heard the growing rhetoric for change. Up and down, over and across the country, the politicians and their pundits promise us the change and reform we need. Of course, there is nothing new about the idea or notion of change. It has been around for a long time, […] English
By MSGR. HUGH MARREN, Special To The BulletinPublished: October 23, 2008
Transform Society, Cultivate Life
“The will of God prevails. In great contests each party claims to act in accordance with the will of God. Both may be, and one must be—wrong. God cannot be for and against the same thing at the same time.” Abraham Lincoln In 1855 Abraham Lincoln wrote, “As a nation we began by declaring that […] English
By TOM REICHERT, Special To The BulletinPublished: October 23, 2008
The Catechist: Echoing The Gospel, Making Disciples
Every diocese throughout the world has them. Few roles in ecclesial life are more critical. Parishes use them extensively. The Archdiocese of Atlanta has them by the thousands. Who are they? They are catechists. Catechists are entrusted to help others develop on their faith journeys, collaborating closely with pastors, clergy, religious, lay ecclesial professionals, parents […] English
By DENNIS JOHNSON JR., CommentaryPublished: September 18, 2008
Navigating The Political Season With Faith
Labor Day has come and gone. The official end of summer (someone needs to inform nature) gives way to the change of seasons. Those “lazy, hazy, crazy” days of barefoot, lemonade and sleeping late have been replaced by falling leaves, a real breakfast and shouts of “it’s time to get up for school!” This year […] English
By FATHER WILLIAM F. MAESTRI, CommentaryPublished: September 11, 2008
Preaching The Cross, Paul Evangelized Two Continents
How did you receive the Catholic faith? Perhaps it was from a faith-filled parent or grandparent; perhaps it was a treasure that was shared with you in adulthood, or perhaps many figures in your life helped you to deepen the gift of faith. In any case, the gift of faith was something received. Each one […] English
By FATHER THEODORE BOOK, CommentaryPublished: September 4, 2008
Making Friends, Being Proud Of What You Believe
Only a few of the friends I grew up with were raised Catholic. The rest came from Protestant denominations and a few were Jewish. Some weren’t raised in a faith at all. Lunchtime conversations could get pretty crazy when we were feeling a little theological. We wanted to know everything. My Jewish friends would ask […] English
By KAREN OSBORNE, CommentaryPublished: July 17, 2008
Tough Times Require Trust
The secret of Christian spirituality is found in one’s ability to believe in God’s goodness, responding to it with trust. Trust is a gift, and God is known to be most generous with his sacred gifts in times of turmoil. Attaining the gift of trust is highly possible for the ordinary person. The theological foundation […] English
By FATHER JOHN CATOIR, CommentaryPublished: July 17, 2008
Justice For All: Thoughts For July 4th
Dear brothers and sisters: I am glad to be with you on this July 4th weekend. American people everywhere have been celebrating Independence Day to mark the anniversary of our beginnings. July 4th is like September 16th in Mexico, when everyone celebrates their national history and tradition. National holidays are the occasion to recognize what […] English | En Español
By FATHER JOHN KIERAN, ReflectionWe Still Remember
Where were you on May 5, 1988? So many of us remember, quite clearly, our joy and excitement on that sunny day at the convention center here in Atlanta. We remember the scampering about and wheeling and dealing to get precious tickets for the historic event—the installation of America’s first African-American archbishop, Most Reverend Eugene […] English
By FATHER EDWARD BRANCH, CommentaryPublished: May 1, 2008
Prayer, Perseverance Take Local Family To Pope
A professor in college once told me, you are only eight people away from anything you want to accomplish in life. I took that lesson to heart recently when there was a mix-up while my pastor was out of town caring for his ill brother, and I did not receive tickets from our archdiocese to […] English
By CINDY CONNELL PALMER, CommentaryPublished: May 1, 2008
Confounding Compasses And Malignant Myths
Published: November 29, 2007 I was in second grade when I first explored the marvelous world of Narnia. And, partly as a result of C. S. Lewis’ “Chronicles of Narnia” I came to love the fictional tales that we now call fantasy, but which Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien referred to as mythopoeic. Mythopoeic […] English
By JEF MURRAY, CommentaryPublished: November 29, 2007
Carrying The Torch: Second Wave Of AIDS Pandemic
As of Aug. 31, the National Catholic AIDS Network ceased its staffing and office operations. For nearly 20 years, this network helped make spirituality and faith a powerful resource for all of us living with or affected by HIV and AIDS. The network helped the Catholic Church respond with understanding and compassion to the pain […] English
By IRENE MIRANDA, CommentaryPublished: November 22, 2007
Using Our Lives, Possessions For God’s Glory
Each Sunday, we begin the Creed by saying, “We believe in one God … the creator of heaven and earth.” This might be the most basic thing that we can say about God—He is the creator—He is the one that brought the whole world into being from nothing. For many of us, this is also […] English
By FATHER THEODORE BOOK, CommentaryPublished: September 13, 2007
Body Language: Lessons From ‘Spider-Man 3’
I took my two older boys to see “Spider-Man 3” this past weekend. Watching all that jam-packed action had the same effect on them as would a 2-liter bottle of Coke. After their “sugar high” subsided and they could actually speak, we had some great father-son chats about the movie’s many moral lessons. I’ve been […] English
By Body Language: Lessons From ‘Spider-Man 3’Published: May 17, 2007
Monk’s Writings Invite Readers To Encounter God
ANGELS: Our Guides to Contemplation for the Third Millennium: Trinitarian and Cosmic by Thomas Francis Smith, OCSO, (Monastery of the Holy Spirit, Conyers, 2006), 68 pp., $5.95. This compact book by a Cistercian monk at the Monastery of the Holy Spirit in Conyers challenges Christians to be more open to the presence of our cosmic […] English
By VICTOR A. KRAMER, CommentaryPublished: March 29, 2007