William F. Brandt

Age: 61
Date of Birth: March 22, 1942
Place of Birth: New York, N.Y.

Family: He and his wife, Wylone, have been married for 10 years. There are five children in the family: Jon Brandt, 38, Lisa Marziliano, 35, Matthew Brandt, 25, James Coker, 23, and John Ellis, 19.

Education: Regis High School; attended Fordham University in the Bronx, N.Y.

Work Experience: Retired after 35 years of working for AT&T.

Hobbies and Interests: Piano, classic cars, oil painting and watercolors.

Parish Ministries: Adult enrichment, catechist for parish school of religion and RCIA, member of the stewardship committee and the family dinner hospitality team.

Particular Ministries of Interest: Catechist; ministry to the sick.

Parish Assignment: St. Pius X Church, Conyers, a parish of 1,540 families.

Pastor: Father John C. Kieran

Robert (Patrick) Fagan

Age: 51
Date of Birth: Feb. 18, 1952
Place of Birth: Philadelphia, PA

Family: He and his wife, Eileen, have been married for 31 years and have three children, Patrick, 28, Brian, 25, and Julia, 22.

Education: Bachelor of science in business administration from Brenau University, Gainesville, 1992; master’s certificate in project management from George Washington University, Washington, D.C., 1998.

Work Experience: Has worked in the area of information technology, quality and business process improvement with firms such as Exxon, RCA, GE, IBM, Entex and Workscape. Recently began new career as a homebuilder with Sugarcreek Homes.

Hobbies and Interests: Woodworking, home fix-it projects, and reading.

Parish Ministries: Lector, eucharistic minister, liturgy committee, Bible study instructor, Cursillo/Ultreya, and Knights of Columbus.

Particular Ministries of Interest: RCIA, liturgy, visitation to the sick and imprisoned, and wherever needed to serve.

Parish Assignment: St. Lawrence Church, Lawrenceville, a parish of 1,700 families.

Pastor: Father Al Jowdy

Leo J. Gahafer

Age: 46
Date of Birth: Dec. 5, 1957
Place of Birth: Louisville, KY

Family: He and his wife, Carol, have been married for 26 years and have four children, Carla, 25, Lauri, 22, Lindsey, 19, and Cameron, 11. They have one granddaughter Aryn, who is 4 months old.

Education: Bachelor of business administration degree, McKendree College, Lebanon, Ill., 1983.

Work Experience: He and his wife are the owners of The UPS Store in the Crabapple Kroger Shopping Center, Alpharetta. He is also the Southeastern regional sales manager for Alcoa Home Exteriors, where he has been employed since 1988. From 1978-88, he was an accounting manager for Enro Shirt Co. in Louisville, Ky.

Hobbies and Interests: Playing golf, coaching youth sports.

Parish Ministries: Eucharistic minister, lector, certified religious education teacher, Life Teen core member, Education Commission board member, RCIA sponsor, small faith community member, hospitality minister, and member of the Knights of Columbus.

Particular Ministries of Interest: Working with youth in the Life Teen ministry.

Parish Assignment: St. Thomas Aquinas Church, Alpharetta, a parish of approximately 3,400 families.

Pastor: Msgr. David Talley

David W. Hanson

Age: 55
Date of Birth: Dec. 27, 1948
Place of Birth: Brainerd, MN

Family: He and his wife, Catherine, have been married for 28 years and have seven children, Raphael, 27, Celeste, 26, Noah, 25, Alexander, 23, Rekarda, 22, Caitlin, 20, and Maximilian, 5. They have one granddaughter, Charlotte.

Education: Washington High School, Brainerd, MN

Work Experience: Self-employed electrical contractor for 25 years.

Hobbies and Interests: Fly-fishing, woodworking.

Parish Ministries: Liturgy committee, adult faith formation committee, sacramental preparation for marriage and baptism, advocate for annulment, RCIA.

Parish Assignment: St. Mark’s Church, Clarkesville, a parish of approximately 500 families.

Pastor: Father Luis Zarama

Nicholas Johnson

Age: 41
Date of Birth: June 22, 1962
Place of Birth: North Hampton, Mass.

Family: He and his wife, Robin, have been married for 20 years and have three children, Jeremiah, 16, Rachel, 12 and Leah, 7.

Work Experience: Employed for 24 years in the design and construction industry, he is an account executive to the Ohio Valley region for Constructware of Alpharetta.

Hobbies and Interests: College sports, especially the Georgia Bulldogs, outdoor activities, spending time with family and friends.

Parish Ministries: Youth ministry, adult education, hospital and hospice ministry, funeral care, liturgy.

Parish Assignment: St. Lawrence Church, Lawrenceville, a parish of 1,700 families.

Pastor: Father Al Jowdy

Luis L. Londono

Age: 58
Date of Birth: Nov. 15, 1945
Place of Birth: Armenia, Colombia, South America

Family: He and his wife, Lucia, have been married for 40 years and have six children, Alejandro, Tula Maria, Jaime, Gloria, Marcela and Luis. They have 12 grandchildren.

Education: Degree in dentistry, University of Antioquia, Medellin, Colombia.

Work Experience: Practicing dentist in Colombia for approximately 30 years; now directs dental laboratory in Winder.

Hobbies and Interests: Reading.

Parish Ministries: Baptismal preparation class; Christian initiation.

Particular Ministries of Interest: Baptism and marriage preparation.

Additional Languages Spoken: Spanish

Parish Assignment: St. Matthew Church, Winder, a parish of 575 families.

Pastor: Father Jaime Barona

John T. Mason

Age: 63
Date of Birth: May 18, 1940
Place of Birth: New York, N.Y.

Family: He and his wife, Betty, have been married for 13 years. He and his late wife, Dorothy, who died of cancer in 1989, had three children, Jeanne Lyles, Eileen Kittrell and Tom Mason, a Peace Corps volunteer serving in Bulgaria. There are four grandchildren in the family.

Education: Graduate of Xavier High School, New York, N.Y., 1958; bachelor of science degree from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, New London, Conn., 1962; licensed professional engineer.

Work Experience: On active duty with the U.S. Coast Guard, he served on high endurance cutters in the North Atlantic and the Caribbean from 1962-66; after leaving active service, worked as a power plant engineer on Long Island, N.Y., until 1968. Rejoined the Coast Guard in civil service as a mechanical engineer. In 1980, transferred to the Department of Energy, Savannah River Operations Office, assisting in the oversight of nuclear weapons materials production until 1988, including serving as Deputy Director of Safeguards and Security for the Savannah River Plant during a time of heightened terrorist threat. Returned to the Coast Guard as an engineering manager in 1988 and retired in December 1994.

Hobbies and Interests: Sailing, visiting and flying kites with grandchildren, hiking, gardening, traveling, teaching, public speaking, time with spouse, sharing faith life with others, quiet time with God.

Parish Ministries: Junior high CCD, confirmation preparation, RCIA and adult education, extraordinary minister of the Eucharist to the sick and dying, lector, acolyte.

Particular Ministries of Interest: Adult education and catechesis, assisting non-Catholic Christians in understanding the Catholic faith, ministering to the sick, dying and the bereaved, working with and for the poor, preaching.

Parish Assignment: St. Anthony’s Church, Blue Ridge, a parish of 150 families, and Good Samaritan Mission, Ellijay, a mission of 120 families.

Pastor: Father Chris Williamson

Terry D. Millinger

Age: 47
Date of Birth: Sept. 2, 1956
Place of Birth: Port Clinton, Ohio

Family: He and his wife, Patti, have been married for 26 years and have two daughters, Jennifer, 24, and Stephanie, 21.

Education: High school

Work Experience: A self-employed contractor for the past five years, he previously worked in management for Kroger for 26 years.

Hobbies and Interests: Sports

Parish Ministries: A member of the Knights of Columbus and parish Ultreya, he has served as a eucharistic minister, lector, Bible study facilitator and in ministry to the sick.

Particular Ministries of Interest: Continuing to serve in the parish ministries listed above.

Parish Assignment: St. Lawrence Church, Lawrenceville, a parish of 1,700 families.

Pastor: Father Albert Jowdy

Joseph Patrick Rhodes

Age: 61
Date of Birth: Aug. 22, 1942
Place of Birth: Louisville, Ky.

Family: He and his wife, Carma Ann, have been married for 40 years and have two children, William Joseph, 39, and Ann Marie, 34.

Work Experience: Beginning as a truck driver, he has worked for 40 years in the automotive aftermarket, ending as the U.S. CEO of an Italian-owned raw material supplier. He has worked for two years as an executive assistant for a Conyers-based mobile dental organization that focuses on children who don’t have regular access to dental care.

Parish Ministries: Baptismal preparation, stewardship development, Liturgy of the Word for Children, ecumenical outreach.

Parish Assignment: St. Pius X Church, Conyers, a parish of 1,540 families.

Pastor: Father John C. Kieran

Robert G. Riddett Jr.

Age: 51
Date of Birth: April 22, 1952
Place of Birth: Yonkers, N.Y.

Family: He and his wife, Mary, have been married for 28 years and have three children, Karl, 26, Karinna, 23, and Peter, 21. They have three grandchildren.

Education: Bachelor of science degree in industrial engineering, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, Pa., 1974; master’s degree in business administration, Emory University, Atlanta, 1983.

Work Experience: Principal of an international bank consulting firm, Program Management Group, Lawrenceville. Previously in his career he served as president, MainStreet Healthcare, Tucker; president, Millennium Healthcare, Duluth; president, ACSI, Atlanta; vice president of development, card operations, National Data Corp., Atlanta; president, Results International, Atlanta; director, Deloitte Haskins and Sells, Atlanta; senior vice president, Results Consulting Group, Atlanta; vice president, BEI, Atlanta; and assistant vice president, credit card division, Citibank NA, New York, N.Y.

Hobbies and Interests: Golf, model railroading, woodworking, fantasy football/baseball.

Parish Ministries: Liturgy committee chairman, member of the finance board, member of the building committee, assisting on middle school retreats.

Particular Ministries of Interest: Adult Bible study, small Christian communities, elementary and middle school faith formation.

Parish Assignment: St. Jude the Apostle Church, Atlanta, a parish of 1,950 families.

Pastor: Msgr. James J. Fennessy

George A. Smith

Age: 59
Date of Birth: Oct. 3, 1944
Place of Birth: Louisville, Ky.

Family: He and his wife, Faye, have been married for 27 years and have two children, Mekka, 19, and Midion, 16.

Education: Bachelor of science degree from Tennessee State University, Nashville, 1966; master’s degree in business administration from Clark Atlanta University, 1971.

Work Experience: President, MASS Enterprises, Inc., 1984-present; marketing manager, Bell South Services Co., 1978-84; operations analyst, Trust Company Bank of Georgia, 1976-78; project development engineer, Monsanto Chemical Company, 1971-75.

Military Service: Served in the U.S. Army Military Intelligence & Signal Corps, 1966-69; Vietnam veteran.

Hobbies and Interests: Carpentry, golf, motorcycles.

Parish Ministries: Religious education instructor, acolyte.

Parish Assignment: St. Paul of the Cross Church, Atlanta, a parish of approximately 500 families.

Pastor: Father Melvin Shorter, CP