On Sept. 26, the Pan African Catholic Organization of Atlanta (PACOA), in collaboration with the Office of Intercultural Ministries of our Archdiocese, sponsored a Pan African Mass and reception at St. Lawrence Church in Lawrenceville. 

I was privileged to participate in this celebration and to learn more about our brothers and sisters from the many nations and cultures of the African continent. In this column, I invite you to join me in learning more about PACOA, its history, its contributions to our local Church and how we can continue to support and accompany this vibrant Catholic community. 

I extend my profound gratitude to Ashley Morris, director of the Office of Black Catholic Ministry, for his valuable contribution to this column. 

The Pan African Catholic Organization of Atlanta (PACOA) was established as a nonprofit organization under the leadership of the late Charles Prejean, then director of the Archdiocese of Atlanta’s Office of Black Catholic Ministry. Its founding organizational meeting was held on Oct. 14, 2010, bringing together African clergy, religious, lay faithful and representatives of the Archdiocesan Office of Black Catholic Ministry. 

Three combined choirs shared their gifts by singing the liturgy at the Pan African Mass at St. Lawrence Church in Lawrenceville on Sept. 26. The Pan African Catholic Organization of Atlanta (PACOA) was established to welcome, connect and support Catholic immigrants from African countries. Photo by Julianna Leopold

PACOA was established to welcome, connect and support Catholic immigrants from African countries, including Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, The Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria and Togo. It sought to provide spiritual and social support by creating opportunities for newcomers to share their stories and aspirations and to receive encouragement, guidance and assistance with the practical and spiritual challenges of resettlement. 

At the same time, PACOA sought to connect African Catholics more fully with local parishes, enabling them to share their rich cultural gifts and traditions and thereby enrich the life and experience of the Catholic Church in the Archdiocese of Atlanta. 

To advance this mission, PACOA brings together organized and registered African immigrant parish groups and ministries, each operating with the support and approval of its respective pastor. The groups reflect the rich cultural diversity of the African Catholic community: some are composed of members from multiple countries, while others represent Catholics from the same country but different ethnic or tribal traditions. African chaplains, pastors and religious are also active members of PACOA, contributing to its pastoral and communal mission.  

PACOA is currently led by Father Henry Atem, president, with members Philomena Asiafor, Uche Chioke, Malik Diomande, Thomas Fagbamiye, Susan Jammeh, Peter Yaw Boateng-Poku, Ashley Morris, James Njenga, Tega Omabele, Jane Turner and Tony Uba.

It is comprised of the following member groups: African Parishioners of Saint Thomas the Apostle, St. Thomas the Apostle Church, Smyrna; Gambian Christian Organization (GCO), Immaculate Heart of Mary Church, Atlanta; Ghanaian Catholic Community, St. Patrick Church, Norcross; Nigerian Igbo Catholic Community of Atlanta (NICCA),  St. Anthony of Padua Church, Atlanta; African Community of Saint John Vianney, St. John Vianney Church, Lithia Springs; Kenyan Catholic Community, St. Francis of Assisi Church, Cartersville; Cameroon Catholic Community and the African Catholic Organization of Saint Lawrence (ACOSLAW), both based at St. Lawrence Church, Lawrenceville; African Community of Saint Patrick’s, St. Patrick Churchh, Norcross; African Catholic Families of Corpus Christi, Corpus Christi Church, Stone Mountain; Francophone Catholic Movement of Atlanta, St. Philip Benizi Church, Jonesboro; St. Josephine Bakhita Catholic Faith Community, St. Teresa Church, Douglasville; African Community of Saint Catherine’s, St. Catherine of Siena Church, Kennesaw; and the Kidanemehret Eritrean Ge’ez Rite Catholic Community, Kidanemehret Eritrean Ge’ez Rite Church, Stone Mountain. 

Most PACOA member groups celebrate at least one Mass each month, often led by an African chaplain or priest who speaks the community’s native language. They also hold annual cultural, harvest, or national celebrations—such as Nigerian Independence Day or The Gambia’s Sang Marie observance of the Feast of the Assumption, which strengthen community bonds and often raise funds for youth catechesis, parish activities and families in need. Members also contribute actively to parish life through parish and finance councils, liturgical ministries and other apostolates. 

After 16 years, as the PACOA and its member groups continue to adapt to the changing realities and needs of African immigrant communities in 2026. Ashley Morris offered the following ways for us to support PACOA: 

Outreach and engagement: Reach emerging African communities and ministries, especially those not yet connected with PACOA. 

Inculturation and integration: Foster greater collaboration among archdiocesan offices to accompany African communities in integrating into the life of the local Church, with an emphasis on personal presence and relationship-building. 

Parish engagement: Encourage non-African clergy and parishioners to participate in African community celebrations, recognizing them as opportunities for the whole Catholic community. 

Immigrant services: Increase awareness and access to immigration and other support services for African communities, including those with limited English proficiency, through stronger inter-office collaboration. 

Youth and young adults: Give focused pastoral attention to the declining participation of African youth and young adults, taking into account their particular cultural and pastoral realities. 

Vocations: Strengthen the promotion and accompaniment of priestly and religious vocations within African communities, especially by fostering local vocations through intentional collaboration with established communities. 

I believe that, with intentional and coordinated collaboration among PACOA, its member communities, parishes and archdiocesan offices, our African Catholic communities will become increasingly integrated, while their gifts and contributions continue to enrich the life of the Archdiocese of Atlanta.