ATLANTA—With the recent publication of her prayer journal and growing anticipation regarding film adaptations of her work, interest in writer Flannery O’Connor is at a peak.

“The Prayer Journal” affirmed at last, even for those remaining skeptics, the profound importance O’Connor’s Catholic faith had to her fiction works.

“I write the way I do because I am a Catholic,” said O’Connor.

Holy Spirit Church, Atlanta, begins its John Paul II Faith and Culture Lecture series with three presentations on Flannery O’Connor by Dr. David A. King. King is director of adult education at the parish and an award-winning columnist for The Georgia Bulletin.

He will present his talks on three Wednesday evenings, Feb. 12, 19 and 26, from 7-8:30 p.m. at Holy Spirit’s McDonough Hall, Side B.

The first session will provide an overview of O’Connor’s life, her Catholic faith and spirituality. The program will examine not only what the Georgia author believed, but how she lived her belief and incorporated it into her art. The second and third talks will examine in detail some of O’Connor’s short stories that include explicit references to sacramental imagery and theology.

Experienced readers of O’Connor, as well as newcomers to her work, will benefit from this series, which explores the connection between faith and imagination.

Holy Spirit is located at 4465 Northside Drive in Atlanta. For more information, call 404-252-4513.