Georgia Bulletin

Georgia

• St. Mary’s Academy student earns global award for work in technology and community building

  

  By NATALIA DURON, Staff Writer
  Published April 7, 2026

  St. Mary’s Academy student Keaton Garcia is a 2026 international finalist for the FIRST Leadership Award. The Fayetteville junior was chosen for success in robotics and community outreach, and will represent the school at the FIRST World Championships in Texas.

• Archbishop Hartmayer leads priests in renewing promises at chrism Mass

  

  By NICHOLE GOLDEN, Editor
  Published April 1, 2026

  Calling the March 31 chrism Mass “a moment of grace for our entire local church,” Archbishop Gregory J. Hartmayer, OFM Conv., consecrated the chrism and blessed the oils of the catechumens and the sick to be used in parishes for the next year.

• Atlanta’s Franciscans gather in prayer

  

  Published March 26, 2026

  On Feb. 12, in an evening of prayer, members of the Franciscan community, other religious communities and the faithful of Holy Cross gathered to mark the beginning of the Year of St. Francis 

• Father Michael Shannon, LC, remembered

  

  Published March 25, 2026

  Father Michael Shannon, a priest of the Legionaries of Christ, died March 18. He was 70 years old and had been serving as a parochial vicar at St. Brendan the Navigator Church.

• Hawthorne Dominicans serve Christ in the suffering 

  

  By SARAH METTS, Special to the Bulletin
  Published March 24, 2026

  “Sent to Serve” profiles the religious orders serving in the Archdiocese of Atlanta, and this inaugural story shares the work of the Hawthorne Dominicans of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Home.

• Georgia March for Life emphasizes healing after abortion

  

  By NATALIA DURON, Staff Writer
  Published March 24, 2026

  On March 12, parishioners, families and students of the Archdiocese of Atlanta and other advocates participated in the Georgia March for Life. The day began with a Mass for the Preborn and continued with a rally and march at the Georgia Capitol. This year, advocates emphasized healing and mercy.

• Catholic Charities Atlanta honors McCarthys

  Published March 24, 2026

  Catholic Charities Atlanta (CCA) announced the 2026 recipients of the Bishop’s Award as Jean Ann and Barry C. McCarthy. The award was given at the organization’s annual soirée on Feb. 21.  

• Shuttered school transformed into mission church for Habersham Catholics 

  

  By ANDREW NELSON, Staff Writer
  Published March 19, 2026

  A closed school building has become St. Dominic’s Chapel, serving a primarily immigrant community in the northeast corner of the Archdiocese of Atlanta. “This is a beautiful place where they can feel love,” says pastor, Father Jose DeLeon.  

• Chesterton Academy marks inaugural swim season  

  

  Published March 19, 2026

  Chesterton Academy of Atlanta competed in the Georgia Independent Athletic Association (GIAA) with an inaugural swim season.

• Catholic hospital opens in North Georgia, expanding access to healthcare

  

  By NATALIA DURON, Staff Writer
  Published March 18, 2026

  Community members and clergy gathered March 5 to celebrate the opening of a Catholic hospital in North Georgia, fulfilling a vision decades in the making.  

• Georgia Catholic Conference director shares legislative session update

  

  By ANDREW NELSON, Staff Writer
  Published March 18, 2026

  Human dignity has been the focus of the Georgia Catholic Conference during the early days of the 2026 legislative session. 

• Monroe church dedicates a place of prayer  

  

  Published March 15, 2026

  Bishop John N. Tran joined parishioners of St. Anna Church in Monroe to bless the community’s new Marian grotto.

• Relics of Mexican saints draw hundreds to St. Jude the Apostle  

  

  Published March 15, 2026

  Relics of five Cristero War martyrs drew more than 500 of the faithful to St. Jude the Apostle Church in Sandy Springs for Mass, Holy Hour, and veneration on Feb. 6.

• A gift of hope: St. Matthew Church welcomes relic of Padre Pio 

  

  By TATIANA VILLA, Special to the Bulletin
  Published March 6, 2026

  “Padre Pio knew himself the love of God in his suffering,” said Bishop Bernard E. Shlesinger at a Mass to welcome the saint’s first-class relic to St. Matthew Church.

• Questions about the afterlife spur Atlanta couple’s journey to become Catholic 

  

  By NATALIA DURON, Staff Writer
  Published March 6, 2026

  This year, 3,442 people are entering the church in the Archdiocese of Atlanta. Among them are Allan and Sydney Coalla, whose journey toward the church began with a 2025 Palm Sunday visit to the Cathedral of Christ the King.

• Atlanta’s Shrine part of a trio of churches expanding affordable housing

  

  By ANDREW NELSON, Staff Writer
  Published March 5, 2026

  Real estate turns on hard metrics like location, cost and square footage. But for the churches involved with the Capitol Hill Neighborhood Development Corporation, prayer is vital. More than 30 years ago, two Protestant churches and one of the oldest Catholic churches in Atlanta formed this unusual coalition.

• Find a fish fry: Parishes announce 2026 Lenten dinners 

  

  By GEORGIA BULLETIN STAFF 
  Published February 26, 2026

  Churches and Knights of Columbus Councils across the Archdiocese of Atlanta share details of their fish frys, offering delicious food, fellowship and a sense of community this Lenten season. 

• Young scholars shine at archdiocesan spelling bee, theology bowl

  

  By NATALIA DURON
  Published February 24, 2026

  Students from the Archdiocese of Atlanta’s Catholic schools competed in a spelling bee and theology bowl during Catholic Schools Week.

• Holy Redeemer’s Flores honored for tireless work ethic, unwavering love 

  

  By NATALIA DURON, Staff Writer
  Published February 24, 2026

  Holy Redeemer School’s honoree of the year is Alma Flores, a facilities staff member there for nearly two decades. Principal Jill Rice called Flores’ dedication “a living testament to the values we cherish.”

• Pinecrest Academy’s Coach Coury focuses on life lessons over the scoreboard 

  

  By ANDREW NELSON, Staff Writer
  Published February 24, 2026

  Pinecrest Coach Shawn Coury watches to ensure young athletes he sees competing never define their worth based on their ability to “hit a ball or jump high or run fast.” Coury was named the Cumming school’s honoree for Catholic Schools Week.