Georgia Bulletin

Conyers

• Father Anthony Delisi, ‘the one who invited people in,’ is laid to rest

  

  By GRETCHEN KEISER, Staff Writer
  Published May 26, 2016

  CONYERS—Father Anthony Delisi, 87, a Cistercian monk for 67 years and priest for 61 years, was buried in the monks cemetery alongside Our Lady of the Holy Spirit Abbey on Saturday, May 14, following a Mass of Christian Burial attended by hundreds of people whose lives he had touched. Because the portion of his monastic […]

• Father Anthony Delisi, Cistercian monk and priest, dies

  Published May 12, 2016

  CONYERS—Father Anthony Delisi, Cistercian monk and priest of the Monastery of the Holy Spirit in Conyers, died peacefully with the company of his brother monks praying at his side on Monday, May 9. He was 87. His body will be received at the monastery church on Friday, May 13, at 5 p.m. before vespers and […]

• Joshua Bishop, executed March 31, was a ‘powerful witness for forgiveness’

  By GRETCHEN KEISER, Staff Writer
  Published April 14, 2016

  CONYERS—Joshua Bishop, who died by lethal injection March 31, was remembered by his faith community, friends and supporters at a funeral Mass celebrated April 12 at St. Pius X Church in Conyers by Father Tom Zahuta. Bishop, who became a Catholic in prison, regularly attended Mass and other faith gatherings. He met with visiting deacons […] Full Story

• Opening of monastery Holy Door draws large crowd

  By ANDREW NELSON, Staff Writer
  Published February 19, 2016

  CONYERS—Peggy Sandy waited for more than two hours ahead of several hundred pilgrims. “I’m trying to grow in my faith and this is part of it,” she said. A member of St. Pius X Church, Conyers, for Sandy the hours of waiting for the opening of the Holy Door at the Monastery of the Holy […] Full Story

• Monastery chosen to receive charity fund from court case

  

  Published January 21, 2016

  CONYERS—The Monastery of the Holy Spirit was one of the four beneficiaries in Rockdale County from a court settlement thanks to the efforts of a lawyer who thinks highly of the religious community. In 2004, a fire at the Bio-Lab chemical plant in Conyers forced the evacuation of homes within two miles of the plant. […] Full Story

• Visit to native Cuba, meeting Pope Francis there was ‘trip of a lifetime’

  By NICHOLE GOLDEN, Staff Writer
  Published November 26, 2015

  CONYERS—The opportunity to return to Cuba in September to reunite with family and meet Pope Francis was a pilgrimage nearly 50 years in the making for Maria Morera Johnson. A parishioner of St. Pius X Church in Conyers, Johnson traveled to her native Cuba with her mother, Begoña Morera, and her aunts. “It was a […]

• Archbishop, local scientists release ‘Laudato Si’’ Action Plan, urge ‘care for our common home’

  

  By ANDREW NELSON, Staff Writer
  Published November 26, 2015

  CONYERS—Mimi Soileau goes nearly weekly to see what vegetables are ripe to be plucked from garden beds beside her parish church, St. Pius X. Time spent with her hands in the dirt is nothing new for this 85-year-old master gardener. She’s currently harvesting hearty kale, eggplant and broccoli from the raised beds, a new initiative […]

• Title meant to shake off clichés about audacious women saints

  By NICHOLE GOLDEN, Staff Writer
  Published November 26, 2015

  CONYERS—The title of Maria Morera Johnson’s new book is meant to give a bit of a jolt. “My Badass Book of Saints: Courageous Women Who Showed Me How to Live,” published by Ave Maria Press, is no ordinary profile of the saints. Right off the bat, Johnson addresses the book’s title in its forward. We […] Full Story

• Behind-the-scenes tour of architectural landmark

  Published October 29, 2015

  CONYERS—Visitors will see special areas of the Monastery of the Holy Spirit usually reserved for monks as they open its grounds for an architectural tour on Saturday, Nov. 14, from 2-5 p.m. Starting outside the Monastic Heritage Center, visitors will learn the history of the farmland and visit the historic barn where the monks lived […] Full Story

• “Jeopardy!” Clue Crew films at monastery

  Published July 23, 2015

  CONYERS—“At the Monastery: Understanding the quieter way of life among the Trappists” was the category. And the Conyers Monastery of the Holy Spirit had a starring role as the game show “Jeopardy!” challenged its contestants with questions about the monastic community. The broadcast was Monday, July 20, but the behind-the-scenes work took place in April. […] Full Story

• Conyers monks host celebration of those in consecrated life across archdiocese

  

  By NICHOLE GOLDEN, Staff Writer
  Published February 19, 2015

  CONYERS—Men and women called to consecrated life in the Archdiocese of Atlanta marked the feast of the Presentation of the Lord Feb. 2 with prayer and joyful fellowship. Priests, monks, nuns and others gathered to celebrate the gift of consecrated life at the Monastery of the Holy Spirit in Conyers, which is an annual tradition […] Full Story

• St. Pius X Church unveils new environment at Christmas

  

  Published January 8, 2015

  CONYERS—The words of a saint and pope were there to inspire and edify parishioners at St. Pius X Church as renovations in the church’s sanctuary were revealed this Christmas. Construction for the sanctuary project began Sept. 15, 2014, and the first phase of renovations was unveiled on Dec. 19 at the Conyers parish, led by […]

• Devout doctor chooses hermitage ‘to focus just on’ Jesus

  By ANDREW NELSON, Staff Writer
  Published October 2, 2014

  CONYERS—Sister Mary Beatrice Raphael wakes before dawn and walks down a narrow hall to begin hours of prayer. She lights the beeswax candles. Opening the hand-carved wooden tabernacle with angels adorning its front to see the Eucharist, she kneels as she prays in this bedroom converted to a private chapel. Later, she’ll spend time with […]

• Conyers parish to host death penalty conference

  Published October 2, 2014

  CONYERS—Attorney Dale Recinella will headline a daylong death penalty conference at St. Pius X Church on Saturday, Nov. 1. The event, sponsored by the St. Pius Chapter of the Order of St. Luke the Physician, will be held from 9:15 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The conference will take place in the parish hall at St. […] Full Story

• Drunk driving victim, offender, tell stories of how separate accidents intersected their lives

  

  By LINDSAY WOOD, Special to the Bulletin
  Published April 3, 2014

  CONYERS—An unlikely pair of brothers-in-law shared the story of their meeting with over 100 people at St. Pius X Church in Conyers on March 2. But it wasn’t a happy story. It was one about enduring regret and the ripple effect of drunk driving. On the night of his 21st birthday, April 11, 1997, Eric […] Full Story

• Monastery’s last living founder, Father Luke Kot, dies at 102

  

  By ANDREW NELSON, Staff Writer
  Published January 23, 2014

  CONYERS—Shovels of red dirt were dropped in the sign of the cross onto the shroud-wrapped body of Father Luke Kot as the community of Trappist monks buried their beloved brother. The joyful, ancient Psalm 118 accompanied him on his final journey from the nearby abbey church. “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, […] Full Story

• Trappist Brother Ken Sullivan, 85, dies

  Published December 19, 2013

  CONYERS—Brother Kenneth (Ken) Sullivan, 85, monk of the Monastery of the Holy Spirit in Conyers, died peacefully in the monastery’s infirmary on Monday, Dec. 2. The celebration of the Mass of Christian Burial was Friday, Dec. 6, in the Abbey church. Brother Ken was born in February 1928 in Newport, R. I., the son of […]

• ‘Play of Herod’ bowing out after this season’s performances

  Published December 5, 2013

  CONYERS—“The Play of Herod,” a 39-year tradition, is staging its grand finale performance at 7 p.m. on Dec. 14 at the Monastery of the Holy Spirit in Conyers. The production, performed by Atlanta Camerata Theater, is among the earliest dramatic works in the Christian era. The manuscript for the play was compiled around 1200. The […] Full Story

• Brother Alphonse, 89, who served at monastery for 63 years, dies

  Published October 11, 2013

  CONYERS—Brother Alphonse Insalaco, 89, monk of the Monastery of the Holy Spirit in Conyers, died on Tuesday, Sept. 24, after a few months of illness. Brother Alphonse died peacefully in the monastery infirmary in the arms of his brother infirmarian after suffering from heart complications during the past year. The Mass of Christian Burial was […] Full Story

• Remembering Brother Alphonse

  By FATHER JAMES S. BEHRENS, OCSO, Commentary
  Published October 11, 2013

  There is a saying that good things come in small packages. And so it is that a small package, say, a gift, can contain something of no great size but of immense value. People can be the same kind of gift. Such was Brother Alphonse. He passed away recently, and we rejoiced in his going […] Full Story