Georgia Bulletin

Smyrna

• Chancery staff treated to savory Hispanic feast by co-workers

  

  By DANIELA MORENO, Special to the Bulletin
  Published November 4, 2016

  SMYRNA—Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated every year from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15 and all over the country events are held to honor the legacy and history of Hispanic cultures. This year, on Oct. 11, a group of Hispanic employees at the Chancery of the archdiocese decided to celebrate by cooking special meals from their […] Full Story

• Magazine to help young people during confirmation prep

  By NICHOLE GOLDEN, Staff Writer
  Published October 20, 2016

  SMYRNA—The 8,000 young people preparing to receive the sacrament of confirmation in the Archdiocese of Atlanta will soon receive a gift of encouragement. The Office of Formation and Discipleship of the archdiocese will unveil The Mark—a magazine designed for confirmation candidates in the ninth and 10th grades. Katherine Angulo, associate director of youth ministry for […] Full Story

• Ground zero survivor keeps alive memory of 9/11 to honor those lost

  

  By NICHOLE GOLDEN, Staff Writer
  Published September 22, 2016

  SMYRNA—Joe Dittmar credits split-second decisions and divine providence that he was able to make it out of the south tower of the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001. Now he makes presentations to give a voice to those who died and to make sure they and the tragic events of 9/11 are not forgotten. […] Full Story

• Jam session brings a cool vibe to Chancery workday

  By ANDREW NELSON, Staff Writer
  Published August 19, 2016

  SMYRNA—Brendan Dudley jammed with a pianist and a saxophonist as he played the drums in the dorms of the Catholic University of America. “The three of us would rock out, have fun, and the hallway went crazy,” he said, surrounded by the drums of his trap set. The crew, dubbed The Incandescents, would count on […] Full Story

• Hispanic leaders challenged to take resources, put them to work in parishes

  

  By PRISCILLA GREEAR, Special to the Bulletin
  Published August 18, 2016

  SMYRNA—Over 90 Spanish-speaking leaders from about 30 parishes participated Aug. 6 in the annual Encounter of Hispanic Ministries, where they received formation, practical resources and inspiration to more intentionally grow and integrate their ministries in parishes and deaneries. They were then sent forth to catechize and evangelize the faithful and fortify Hispanic ministries across north […] Full Story | En Español

• Women leaders encouraged to be disciples

  By JEAN DRISKELL, Special to the Bulletin
  Published August 4, 2016

  SMYRNA—The Atlanta Archdiocesan Council of Catholic Women held its annual leadership and networking seminar on Saturday, June 25, at the Chancery in Smyrna. The seminar included talks on the structure and mission of the AACCW and servant leadership, a report on the National Council of Catholic Women, and the various duties of officers in the […] Full Story

• Sale puts historic Catholic land ‘in friendly hands’

  

  By NICHOLE GOLDEN, Staff Writer
  Published August 4, 2016

  SMYRNA—With the signing of a few documents on July 20, Cathedral of Christ the King parishioner Betsy Orr became owner of 200 acres surrounding the historic Locust Grove cemetery in Taliaferro County. The cemetery, dating to 1794, is where many of the earliest Roman Catholic settlers are buried and is the oldest Catholic cemetery in […] Full Story

• Tribunal offers sessions on ‘Marriage, Annulment and the RCIA’

  By KARREN DE BOW, Special to the Bulletin
  Published August 4, 2016

  SMYRNA—A June 11 presentation by the Metropolitan Tribunal on “Marriage, Annulment and the RCIA” for RCIA parish directors, team members and adult confirmation teams drew a fantastic response and exceeded all expectations. One hundred people registered for the two-hour session using online registration. They represented 42 parishes and missions of the Archdiocese of Atlanta. Eight […] Full Story

• Alpha encourages college students to wrestle with faith questions

  

  By ANDREW NELSON, Staff Writer
  Published July 7, 2016

  SMYRNA—Scores of college-age women and men—from the questioning to the believer—are exploring fundamental Christian beliefs to get to know God better. For eight weeks, the archdiocesan Office of Formation and Discipleship is hosting Tuesday night gatherings with Alpha, an international evangelization program. Alpha is this year’s focus for On the Deck, the annual weekly gathering […] Full Story

• Georgia Bulletin to sponsor 2017 pilgrimage—with a special focus on Mary

  Published May 26, 2016

  SMYRNA—The Georgia Bulletin, newspaper of the Archdiocese of Atlanta, is sponsoring a pilgrimage next year, with an emphasis on the Marian sites of Our Lady of Fatima in Portugal, Our Lady of Lourdes in France and the Pilar Basilica, the number one Marian shrine in Spain. We invite you to join us on this spiritual, […] Full Story

• New program offers 40 grants to try local Catholic schools

  

  By NICHOLE GOLDEN, Staff Writer
  Published May 12, 2016

  SMYRNA—Welcoming new students to archdiocesan schools is the goal of a pilot tuition reduction grant program announced May 12 by the Office of Catholic Schools. The Welcome Grant program of the Archdiocese of Atlanta will provide reduced tuition to families who want to give Catholic schools a try. The archdiocesan grant program is modeled after […] Full Story

• On the Deck is Alpha this summer

  Published May 12, 2016

  SMYRNA—On the Deck, a program of the Archdiocese of Atlanta’s Young Adult Ministry, will present Alpha on Tuesdays June 14 to Aug. 2 at the Chancery of the archdiocese, 2401 Lake Park Drive, SE, Smyrna. The free programs begin at 7 p.m. and are for college students, ages 18 to 25. Alpha is a chance […] Full Story

• Tree planting keeps acts of care for the earth in spotlight

  

  By NICHOLE GOLDEN, Staff Writer
  Published April 28, 2016

  SMYRNA—Justice and Peace Ministries of the Archdiocese of Atlanta encourages parish groups, schools and families to plant a Laudato Si’ tree in celebration of Earth Day 2016. Archbishop Wilton D. Gregory launched the campaign by blessing and planting a donated white dogwood tree on the grounds of the Chancery in Smyrna April 21. The tree […] Full Story

• New program to fight abuse of vulnerable people underway in archdiocese

  By ANDREW NELSON, Staff Writer
  Published April 14, 2016

  SMYRNA—Thousands of teachers, clergy, religious women and men, parish staff and volunteers and employees of the Atlanta Archdiocese will be trained under a new program to prevent and combat child abuse. A national program is being rolled out in the 69-county archdiocese to ensure adults can identify and report abuse of children and vulnerable people, […] Full Story

• Vigil at Jackson prison March 31 for inmate Joshua Bishop

  Published March 17, 2016

  SMYRNA—The execution of death row inmate Joshua Bishop is scheduled for Thursday, March 31, at 7 p.m. As part of an effort to increase the Catholic presence at death penalty prayer vigils, organizers have scheduled a bus trip that day for those who want to participate in a prayer vigil on the grounds of the […] Full Story

• Winners of the Archdiocesan Spelling Bee

  Published February 5, 2016

  SMYRNA—The following students were honored at the 2016 Archdiocesan Spelling Bee, held Tuesday, Feb. 2, at the Chancery, Smyrna. The bee is held each year as one of the annual events for Catholic Schools Week. Organizers said the bee is held to promote the love of spelling, language and grammar. Third place: Julian Ogbonna, eighth […] Full Story

• Atlanta Archdiocese team featured on social justice website

  Published January 8, 2016

  SMYRNA—The Catholics Confront Global Poverty website featured two archdiocesan employees for their efforts on behalf the poor. Kat Doyle and Kathy Montag are members of the Archdiocese of Atlanta Office of Life, Dignity and Justice. Doyle is the director of Justice and Peace Ministries, while Montag focuses on Catholic Relief Services’ work. Part of their […] Full Story

• Parish ministers get training in mental health ‘first aid’ for teens

  

  By NICHOLE GOLDEN, Staff Writer
  Published January 7, 2016

  SMYRNA—More than 20 parishes took advantage of special training offered in December that will help staff support young people with mental health problems and their families. Youth ministry directors and volunteers, deacons and others attended Youth Mental Health First Aid USA training programs Dec. 10 and 14 at the Chancery of the archdiocese. The archdiocesan […] Full Story

• Catholic school students get a jumpstart on the 2016 CRS Rice Bowl program

  

  Published January 7, 2016

  SMYRNA—The Catholic Relief Services (CRS) Rice Bowl program will soon begin on Ash Wednesday, Feb. 10—and area Catholic school students will be ready. Justice and Peace Ministries, in partnership with CRS, held an early kickoff for the annual CRS Rice Bowl Lenten Faith Formation program with students and faculty from Catholic schools on Friday, Dec. […] Full Story

• School superintendent at Vatican congress ‘renewing passion’ for Catholic education

  

  By NICHOLE GOLDEN, Staff Writer
  Published December 10, 2015

  SMYRNA—Diane Starkovich, superintendent of Catholic schools for the Archdiocese of Atlanta, is mulling over the experience of attending the World Congress on Catholic Education Nov. 18-21 in Rome and looking forward to sharing lessons learned with educators at home. More than 2,000 educators and administrators took part in the congress, sponsored by the Congregation for […] Full Story