Georgia Bulletin

Atlanta

• Jesuit priest, Father Jack Vessels, dies at 90

  Published January 27, 2017

  ATLANTA—A former director of Ignatius House Jesuit Retreat Center, Father John L. “Jack” Vessels, SJ, died Thursday, Jan. 19, in Opelousas, Louisiana. He was 90 years old, a Jesuit for 72 years and a priest for 59 years. His life will be celebrated in a Mass of Christian Burial on Saturday, Jan. 28, at 2 […] Full Story

• Flawed 1973 abortion decision damages society, archbishop says

  

  By NICHOLE GOLDEN, Staff Writer
  Published January 26, 2017

  ATLANTA—Archbishop Wilton D. Gregory spoke of God’s wisdom and human folly at the 28th annual Mass for the Unborn, held Jan. 23 at the Cathedral of Christ the King in Atlanta. Students, parish groups and individuals gather each year to remember the Jan. 22 anniversary of the 1973 U.S. Supreme Court Roe v. Wade decision […] Full Story

• MLK Mass-goers urged to fulfill Isaiah’s vision, King’s dream

  By ANDREW NELSON, Staff Writer
  Published January 26, 2017

  ATLANTA—Prayers recited in 15 languages, a spirited choir singing songs of the civil rights era and women in brightly colored blue and white African dresses chanting and dancing as they escorted the Book of the Gospels: All showcased the diversity of the Catholic community at the observance of the birth of Atlanta’s own Rev. Dr. […] Full Story

• Parishes urged to help south Georgia tornado victims

  

  Published January 26, 2017

  ATLANTA—Archbishop Wilton D. Gregory is encouraging parishes wishing to support tornado relief efforts in south Georgia to contribute to the American Red Cross. Fifteen people in south Georgia died Jan. 22 in severe thunderstorms and tornadoes. Many families have been displaced from their homes. Archbishop Gregory contacted Savannah Bishop Gregory J. Hartmayer, OFM Conv., and […]

• Catholic ethic of life will be lecture topic at Emory Jan. 23

  Published January 12, 2017

  ATLANTA—The Aquinas Center of Theology at Emory University is hosting a program on “The Seamless Garment of Life: Exploring the Catholic Church’s Ethic From Birth to Death” on Monday, Jan. 23. Dr. Cory Labrecque will be the presenter of the 2017 lecture on the consistent ethic of life. The lecture was made possible by the […] Full Story

• Pinecrest community comes together to feed those in need

  

  Published January 12, 2017

  ATLANTA—More than 750 Pinecrest Academy students and their families, along with faculty and staff at the Catholic school, served on Sunday, Dec. 11, 2016, at the Feed My Starving Children MobilePack event at the Cobb Galleria in Atlanta. Feed My Starving Children is a Christian nonprofit organization committed to feeding children hungry in body and […] Full Story

• Gail Buffong will speak at Magnificat gathering on Jan. 28

  Published January 12, 2017

  ATLANTA—Gail Buffong, director of religious education at St. Benedict the Moor Church in Columbus, will be the guest speaker at the Magnificat breakfast for women on Saturday, Jan. 28. All women are invited to come and to be refreshed in faith during this morning gathering at Holy Cross Church, Atlanta. Born in Trinidad, West Indies, […] Full Story

• Open Door Catholic Worker community closes home, but leaders will still serve

  

  By ANDREW NELSON, Staff Writer
  Published January 12, 2017

  ATLANTA—On a December evening, residents and volunteers in Open Door Community’s dining room prayed aloud and ended with a verse of “Go Tell It on the Mountain.” They shared a dinner of yellow rice, turkey meatloaf, bite-sized macaroni and cheese balls and salad. Large black and white banners of the faces of executed death row […] Full Story

• St. Pius boys, girls sweep Marist in regular season games

  By MICHAEL ALEXANDER, Staff Photographer
  Published December 22, 2016

  ATLANTA—The St. Pius X High School girls basketball team never relinquished a lead they held over Marist School from the end of the first period to the conclusion of their Dec. 6 game at the Pius gymnasium. Guards Emma Drash and Mai Vy Madden and post player Kathryn McKenzie scored 13, 10 and eight points […] Full Story

• Lay Dominicans pursue vocation to preach through their everyday lives

  

  By ANDREW NELSON, Staff Writer
  Published December 22, 2016

  This is the first in an occasional series featuring area Catholics deepening their faith by affiliating with religious orders. ATLANTA—When the alarm in the Peachtree City Fire Department sounds for an emergency, firefighter/paramedic Robert Hebert scrambles into his gear and a seat in the fire truck. He takes his faith with him also. “When the tones go […] Full Story

• Melkite parishioners honor their patron saint

  Published December 22, 2016

  ATLANTA—The Atlanta Melkite parish held three days of celebration to mark the feast of its patron saint, St. John Chrysostom. On Friday, Nov. 11, parish children were treated to an outdoor movie on a giant screen, with popcorn and soft drinks. The ceremony of Great Vespers was celebrated on Saturday, Nov. 12, with the veneration of […]

• Upcoming MLK weekend to emphasize ‘call to peace’

  Published December 22, 2016

  ATLANTA—The Office of Intercultural and Ethnic Diversity will sponsor the 2017 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Weekend Celebration Jan. 12, 14 and 15. All are invited to attend the events. The theme for this year’s celebration is taken from Colossians 3:15, “As Members of One Body, You Were Called to Peace.” The weekend of events […] Full Story

• Christ the King students mark 30 years of support for outreach ministry

  

  Published December 22, 2016

  ATLANTA—Christ the King School celebrated its 30th year of service to the Midtown Assistance Center (MAC) through the annual seventh-grade food drive this November. The school provides the longest continuous support to the outreach ministry for the Basilica of the Sacred Heart, integrating Catholic social teaching and Gospel justice. Students collect food and work at […] Full Story

• IHM packs gift boxes for impoverished children overseas

  

  Published December 22, 2016

  ATLANTA—Immaculate Heart of Mary School spread Christmas cheer this year to children in Haiti, the Dominican Republic and Guatemala. Students from kindergarten to eighth grade packed simple “Boxes of Joy” for children who may have never received a gift. The local campaign is part of nationwide effort organized by Cross Catholic Outreach, a Catholic nonprofit […] Full Story

• Father Richard’s priesthood became ministry of presence

  

  By ANDREW NELSON, Staff Writer
  Published December 1, 2016

  ATLANTA—Beneath a large wooden crucifix and with his well-studied Bible resting on his draped casket, Father Richard A. Kieran received his final blessings and prayers. In a funeral Mass at Immaculate Heart of Mary Church, Atlanta, the native of Ireland was eulogized by his fellow priest and brother, Father John Kieran, who spoke about the […] Full Story

• Birth mother grateful as fullness of time brings reunion with daughter

  

  Published December 1, 2016

  ATLANTA—The Aug. 26 reunion in Atlanta between Suzanne Hayes and her birth mother Heather Cardin was 29 years in the making. Born in August 1987 in Omaha, Nebraska, Suzanne was adopted by her parents, Paul and Ann Hayes. They are parishioners of St. John Neumann Church in Lilburn, where Paul is the business manager. “I’ve […]

• L’Arche Atlanta community bonds with Cathedral group

  

  By RAUL PINO, Special to the Bulletin
  Published December 1, 2016

  ATLANTA—In late August, parishioners of the Cathedral of Christ the King hosted an afternoon of food and fellowship for the residents of the L’Arche community in Atlanta. A group of alumni from the Christ Renews His Parish retreat ministry organized the event, for the second year, for the group as one of their ongoing service […]

• Sharing story to help others is mission for once suicidal man

  

  By NICHOLE GOLDEN, Staff Writer
  Published December 1, 2016

  ATLANTA—Kevin Hines, who survived a suicide jump from San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge in 2000, has made mental health advocacy his life’s work. Hines, who recently moved to Atlanta, speaks nationwide about suicide prevention awareness and improving care for those who suffer from mental illness. He works with church groups, congregations and schools to share […]

• Wit, humor of Father Eddie O’Connor lit up lives of fellow priests, parishioners

  

  By ANDREW NELSON, Staff Writer
  Published November 17, 2016

  ATLANTA—Priests, along with Archbishop Wilton D. Gregory, entered the Cathedral of Christ the King to the organ music of the hopeful “Love Divine, All Loves Excelling” as they said farewell to Father Edward O’Connor. Joining them in the stone Gothic church on Peachtree Road for the final goodbye were scores of friends and family members. […]

• As the Holy Year comes to an end, the Holy Doors close

  Published November 17, 2016

  ATLANTA—The Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy concludes Nov. 20 on the solemnity of Christ the King. Four of Atlanta’s seven pilgrim sites with Holy Doors have announced closing Masses: The Monastery of the Holy Spirit will close its door on Sunday, Nov. 20, with Mass at 9 a.m. The monastery is located at 2625 Highway […]