Georgia Bulletin

Sharon

• Church of the Purification celebrates 200 years 

  

  Published March 6, 2023

  On Feb. 2, six bishops, several priests and laymen and women celebrated the 200th anniversary of the historic Church of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

• Purification Heritage Center expands in east Georgia

  

  By SAMANTHA SMITH, Staff Writer
  Published October 29, 2021

  The Purification Heritage Center, a quiet space for visitors to immerse themselves in Catholic history, welcomes guests as its expansion continues. The center is located some 100 miles east of Atlanta.

• Mary’s Seven Sorrows: A journey from death to life in Taliaferro County 

  

  By JOHNATHON KELSO
  Published October 29, 2021

  Betsy Orr, president of the Purification Heritage Center in Sharon, shares her story of new life after pain.

• Historic Catholic center thrives in east Georgia

  

  By SAMANTHA SMITH, Staff Writer
  Published November 14, 2019

  Catholics looking for a historic and sacred place to renew their faith can discover what is considered “the cradle of Catholic Georgia.” Purification Heritage Center, located some 100 miles east of Atlanta, is serving groups for day retreats that include Mass, walking pilgrimages and lunch.

• Restoration work to begin at historic Sharon Catholic church

  By ANDREW NELSON, Staff Writer
  Published May 12, 2016

  SHARON—The oldest parish site in the Atlanta Archdiocese is undergoing a preservation effort with the hope of drawing people to what its supporters call “the cradle of Catholic Georgia.” Built in 1883, the wood-frame Church of the Purification, located some 100 miles east of Atlanta, is the focus of a conservation campaign. The Friends of […] Full Story

• Groundbreaking on May 5 for restoration of state’s first Catholic church

  Published April 28, 2016

  SHARON—Archbishop Wilton D. Gregory will conduct a special groundbreaking ceremony on Thursday, May 5, at 4:30 p.m. in Sharon to mark the formal start of restorations to the Church of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Georgia’s first Catholic church. All are welcome to attend. Purification Church dates from 1790, when a small band […] Full Story

• Christmas Eve Mass to be celebrated at historic Sharon church

  

  Published December 13, 2013

  SHARON—Catholics and their friends from across Georgia are creating a Christmas Eve tradition in the state’s oldest parish, the Church of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the village of Sharon. Pilgrims will gather for carols at 4 p.m. on Christmas Eve, Dec. 24, and Mass at 4:30 p.m. in the white clapboard […] Full Story

• Sharon church listed as historic ‘place in peril’

  

  By SUZANNE HAUGH Special to the Bulletin
  Published October 24, 2013

  SHARON—The first lay Catholics to reach Georgia in 1790 tamed the wilderness in what is now called Taliaferro County. Without a concerted effort to preserve their historical footprints, the wilderness will reclaim that territory, as well as its important significance to Catholics and to state history. Fortunately, the situation of the state’s oldest Catholic church, […] Full Story

• Archbishop Celebrates Mass At Oldest Cemetery

  By JAMES GRIFFIN, special Contributor
  Published December 8, 2005

  Standing where Bishop John England and other bishops and priests have stood for two centuries, Archbishop Wilton D. Gregory presided at Mass at Locust Grove Cemetery on Saturday, Nov. 5. The Mass for All Souls is a long tradition at Locust Grove Cemetery, which is the former site of Our Lady of Purification Church, a […] Full Story