At Holy Cross Church, Atlanta, an annual Taste of Life fundraiser, hosted by the AIDS ministry, raised more than $8,300 recently.

Living Room, Georgia’s leading provider of supportive housing services for individuals and families affected by HIV/AIDS, is helped by the support.

Created by Living Room board member Pam Dorsett and her colleagues at the Holy Cross AIDS ministry, this year’s all-volunteer effort treated guests to tastings of wines, spirits and beverages, and hors d’oeuvres and desserts donated by local restaurants.

A wide range of silent auction and raffle items were offered, and the event was graced with live musical performances by a pianist and percussionist and a string quartet.

For more information about Living Room, visit their Facebook page www.facebook.com/LivingRoomATL or their website at www.livingroomatl.org.

Also at Holy Cross, parishioner Harry Andrews, a Life Scout of the church’s Boy Scout Troop 15, completed his Eagle Scout project by organizing a dignified disposal of American flags.

Parishioners and members of the community turned in 105 worn and torn U.S. flags for disposal, more than twice the amount planned for the ceremony. The flags were disposed of by burning them, which is the preferred method.

If you are a fan of the Olympics, make sure to be on the lookout for Team USA swimmers Kathleen Hersey and Eric Shanteau. Both have roots in the Catholic community in Atlanta.

Hersey graduated from the Marist School, class of 2008. She was a member of the swim team and also competed with Swim Atlanta. She left state records in her wake, with three individual state titles in the 100 butterfly and 200 individual medley—breaking school, state and national prep school records.

It is her second Olympic appearance.  The Georgia Bulletin wrote about her participation in the 2008 Olympics. Read it at http://bit.ly/NTFcSQ.

Hersey’s Twitter page includes a Bible verse from the prophet Jeremiah 29:11, which is, “For I know well the plans I have in mind for you—oracle of the LORD—plans for your welfare and not for woe, so as to give you a future of hope.”

Shanteau is a native of Lilburn but lives in California now. His mother, who declined to be interviewed, attends Holy Cross Church, Atlanta.

He holds the fastest American time for the 100-meter and 200-meter breaststroke. He’ll be competing in London in the 100-meter breaststroke.

Scores of people from the Archdiocese of Atlanta attended the National Black Catholic Conference XI. The event, held in Indianapolis beginning July 19, drew some 2,500 people.

It is part of a movement dating to the 1890s. This year’s theme was  “Faith Engaged: Empower. Equip. Evangelize,” to reflect the mission of the National Black Catholic Congress and “to remind the members of the black Catholic community of their baptismal responsibilities as witnesses of the Good News of our Lord and savior, Jesus Christ,” said Charles Prejean, the director of the archdiocesan office of Black Catholic Ministry.

Prejean said Catholics gathered to reaffirm their longstanding commitment to their faith, to learn, and to be better informed and share experiences.

Rudy Cadney, a leader at St. Anthony of Padua Church, Atlanta, attended his fifth congress. The opportunity to listen to speakers makes it a great experience, but what makes it truly special is the enlivening liturgies and the fellowship, he said.

Evangelization was a key theme that parishes in southwest Atlanta may want to work together to reach out to the black community, he said. What was missing from the congress is the young adults and that is an area that needs to be looked at in local parishes, he said.

The first Servant of Christ Awards were given to representatives. And the Atlanta recipient was Janis Erwin Griffin, of Our Lady of Lourdes Church, where she is a cantor, active in the HIV/AIDS ministry, along with many other programs. Deacon Chester Griffin is her husband.

Some 63 Atlantans attended, representing Sts. Peter and Paul Church, Decatur; Our Lady of Lourdes Church, Atlanta; St. Paul of the Cross Church, Atlanta; St. John the Evangelist Church, Hapeville; Christ Our Hope Church, Lithonia; St. Thomas More Church, Decatur; Most Blessed Sacrament Church, Atlanta; and St. Philip Benizi Church, Jonesboro. Among the delegation was Archbishop Wilton D. Gregory, four priests, and four deacons.