Notable
Published November 25, 2010
The Knights of Columbus in Georgia are putting on a full court press to make the second annual Camp Inspire Gala more successful than ever to raise money for Special Olympics athletes.
More than 100 supporters of Special Olympics are expected to gather for the celebration on Jan. 29, 2011 at the Georgian Club in Marietta.
“We anticipate raising over $15,000 in 2011,” said Mike Feeney, the gala chairman. Last year, the Knights earned more than $7,500.
The evening is the largest fundraiser for Camp Inspire, a one-week camp devoted exclusively to Special Olympics athletes. All the proceeds from the event pay for training 100 athletes at the Winder camp.
During camp, the athletes mingle, learn from one another and train for the upcoming national games. The fundraising pays for costs for athletes, their special medical care, qualified volunteers, and other expenses.
Camp Inspire is a non-denominational camp reaching out to all Special Olympics athletes. The 14,700 Knights of Columbus in Georgia are the sole sponsors of this endeavor. The Knights of Columbus is the largest supporter of the Special Olympics nationwide.
For information about attending the gala or becoming a corporate sponsor, contact Mike Feeney at (706) 455-4896.
More than 80 volunteers from Marist School cleaned up Nancy Creek on Sunday, Nov. 7, as a project organized by the Environmental Club and the Terra Project.
Some 15 bags of trash were yanked from the stream, and sporting equipment, a large real estate sign, PVC drains and five tires were removed from the 550 meters of creek bed that run through Marist’s campus on Ashford Dunwoody Road.
The Keep Atlanta Beautiful Campaign supplied gloves and trash bags for the clean-up efforts.
The annual faculty and staff retreat of St. John Neumann Regional School was held at St. John Chrysostom Melkite Catholic Church, Atlanta, on Monday, Oct. 4.
Father John Azar, pastor of St. John Chrysostom, led the day of reflection.
The Melkite community welcomed the Lilburn school staff and gave out commemorative holy cards for them to remember their visit.
Father Azar gave a tour of the sanctuary, including explanations of various Eastern rite customs, such as reverencing the icons of Mary and Jesus when entering the church. He also celebrated the Divine Liturgy and spoke in his homily on the vital role of Catholic school teachers in today’s culture.
The faculty and staff had a lot to say about the day’s experience.
Kelly Smith, a kindergarten teacher, said: “I loved the retreat! I learned so much history and it was shared in such a relevant, eloquent way. … Wonderful experience!”
Diane Boyd, who teaches eighth grade, said, “The eighth-graders have gone for years during Lent for a retreat and visit with Father John. He is as warm with students as he is with our faculty. The faculty enjoyed the chanting in three languages and his in-depth explanation of the Divine Liturgy. The richness of the Church is quite evident.”
Mary Feeney, an accreditation coordinator/development assistant, said, “What I loved about going to St. John Chrysostom is the opportunity to see my Western Roman Church through the eyes of a sister Eastern Church who is in communion with Rome. Seeing my faith from another point of view has enriched and confirmed many of my own beliefs. We should reach out to our sister churches so that we can understand our common faith as it is practiced differently in other parts of the world.”
Backers of St. Pius X High School gathered for a groundbreaking ceremony at the future site of the new Seaver Family Sports Complex.
The complex, at the corner of Shallowford Road and Frontier Trail adjacent to the Atlanta campus, will include an on-campus baseball stadium and multipurpose fields to be used by the athletic and physical education departments, as well as the marching band.
The ceremony on Tuesday, Nov. 23, was followed by a Thanksgiving Mass in the John Paul II Student Activities Center.
Construction is to begin shortly and organizers plan to have it ready by spring 2011. The fields will be covered in a synthetic turf to increase the usability of the complex, as well as cut maintenance costs.
The Seaver Family Sports Complex is the initial phase of the Expanding Our Legacy Capital Campaign started by St. Pius X in 2009. The project will be known as the Seaver Family Sports Complex in honor of Jim and Susan Seaver, class of 1964, and their son, Chris Seaver, class of 1995.
Augusto Michael Trujillo is the new communications program officer for Atlanta’s regional office of Catholic Relief Services. Trujillo is working with the dioceses in Georgia, Tennessee and Alabama to build relationships with diocesan communication directors, Catholic and mainstream media and promote CRS Fair Trade and economic justice programs.
Trujillo, 27, previously worked at Catholic Charities Atlanta. He’s an Atlanta native from a Cuban-American family and holds dual degrees in public relations and political science from the University of Georgia. He grew up attending Christ the King Cathedral and is the current president of the Alumni Board at St. Pius X High School, Atlanta. Trujillo also served a year as a volunteer middle school teacher in inner city St. Louis and volunteered with Amigos for Christ in Nicaragua.
Archbishop-emeritus John F. Donoghue was recognized recently as one of the “Stars of the South” at a black tie event.
The award, started in 2006, celebrates Irish and Scotch Irish heritage in the South.
The ceremony in Atlanta features outstanding Irish-Americans and Scotch Irish who achieve accomplishments and success in their given fields. Honorees have included philanthropists, artists, business leaders, charity workers and volunteers, members of the service industry and armed forces, members of police and fire departments, and outstanding members of academia.
He’s in good company among clergymen. Last year, Msgr. Edward J. Dillon, pastor of Holy Spirit Church, Atlanta, received the honor.
If you have news items or submissions for Notable, contact Andrew Nelson at anelson@georgiabulletin.org or (404) 877-5512.