Georgia Bulletin

The Newspaper of the Catholic Archdiocese of Atlanta

  • In the sanctuary at St. Philip Benizi Church six, red candles burn for the victims of human trafficking, modern day slavery, exploited laborers, child soldiers, those afflicted by disease or shame and for the women and girls abused throughout society. The white candle in the center represents our prayers and assistance for the victims mentioned above. The Jonesboro parish was an outside the perimeter host site for the south side of the city on May 6, the third day of 125 Hours of Prayer. Photo By Michael Alexander
  • On day one of Atlanta Prays, May 4, at St. Brigid Church, Johns Creek, Mary Francis Bowley, background, stopped by to speak about domestic sex trafficking. Citing various verses from the Bible, she encouraged assistance and prayers for the victims. Bowley is the founder and chief strategy officer of Wellspring Living, a non-profit that helps to restore the lives of domestic sex trafficking victims. Here she prays with a group of participants, including Art Merriman, left, of St. Benedict Church, Johns Creek. Photo By Michael Alexander
  • Deacon Leo Gahafer of St. Brigid Church, Johns Creek, conducts a closing prayer following the presentation by Mary Francis Bowley, background left, founder and chief strategy officer of Wellspring Living, a non-profit that helps to restore the lives of domestic sex trafficking victims. Photo By Michael Alexander
  • (L-r) Karen Pinsonneault, Karen Hughes and Deborah Holcomb pray with others for the victims of domestic sex trafficking. The prayer was led by Mary Francis Bowley, founder and chief strategy officer of Wellspring Living, a non-profit that helps to restore the lives of domestic sex trafficking victims. Photo By Michael Alexander
  • Deacon Carlos Garcia of St. John Vianney Church reflects on one of the seven readings, under the theme Truth, during Atlanta Prays at the Lithia Springs parish. St. John Vianney was an outside the perimeter host site for the west side of the city on May 4, the first day of 125 Hours of Prayer. Photo By Michael Alexander
  • Russell Lewis of Corpus Christi Church, Stone Mountain, joins others in praying Psalm 51 (Prayer of Repentance). While some of the five-hour prayer service included prepared readings and a talk by the pastor, Claretian Father John Molyneux, there was also heartfelt, extemporaneous prayer. Corpus Christi served as a host site on May 5 when the theme was Holiness and Purpose. Photo By Michael Alexander
  • Marlene Lee-Seaton leads a prayer at Corpus Christi Church. The parish’s Servants of the Lord prayer group coordinated the Atlanta Prays efforts at the Stone Mountain church. Corpus Christi served as a host site on May 5 when the theme was Holiness and Purpose. Photo By Michael Alexander
  • Posters line the center aisle at St. Philip Benizi Church in Jonesboro. The first 60 minutes, of a five-hour prayer service during Atlanta Prays, focused on ending human trafficking. St. Philip Benizi was an outside the perimeter host site for the south side of the city on May 6, the third day of 125 Hours of Prayer. Photo By Michael Alexander
  • A group of parishioners pray at St. Anthony of Padua Church for Atlanta Prays. They united in prayer for an end to some of the ills facing the Metro Atlanta community like human trafficking. St. Anthony was a May 6, inside the perimeter host site for the west side of the city. In addition to prayer and meditation under the theme of Forgiveness, Repentance and Healing, the pastor, Father Victor Galier, heard confessions and concluded the five-hour period of prayer with a Mass. Photo By Michael Alexander
  • (Foreground to background) Sarah Cepeda, Elenna D’Amico and Beatrice Rouamba pray with others at Immaculate Heart of Mary Church, Atlanta. Immaculate Heart served as an inside the perimeter host site for the east side of the city during Atlanta Prays, May 6. Deacon Bob Hauert led the four-hour time of prayer at the parish. Photo By Michael Alexander
  • A sign on the door at Our Lady of Lourdes Church, Atlanta, welcomes parishioners and visitors to stop in and pray for the city, May 8. Our Lady of Lourdes was one of three downtown host sites. The other two were Ebenezer Baptist Church and Atlanta Mission. Photo By Michael Alexander
  • Deacon Ed Patterson of Our Lady of the Assumption Church, Atlanta, leads the four–hour, afternoon period of exposition of the Eucharist, silent meditation and prayerful reflection during Atlanta Prays. On May 8 Our Lady of the Assumption served as an inside the perimeter host site for the north side of the city when the theme was Love. Photo By Michael Alexander

In the sanctuary at St. Philip Benizi Church, six red candles burn for the victims of human trafficking, modern day slavery, exploited laborers, child soldiers, those afflicted by disease or shame and for the women and girls abused throughout society. The white candle in the center represents our prayers and assistance for the victims mentioned above. The Jonesboro parish was an outside the perimeter host site for the south side of the city on May 6, the third day of 125 Hours of Prayer. Photo By Michael Alexander

Atlanta

125 hours of prayer for Atlanta: Catholics participate in citywide effort

By MICHAEL ALEXANDER, Staff Photographer | Published May 14, 2015
Margaret Stevenson prays in silence as she and others at Our Lady of the Assumption Church, Atlanta, meditate on seven selective mysteries of the rosary that represent God’s love for us. Photo By Michael Alexander

Margaret Stevenson prays in silence as she and others at Our Lady of the Assumption Church, Atlanta, meditate on seven selective mysteries of the rosary that represent God’s love for us. Photo By Michael Alexander

ATLANTA—After months of planning, Atlanta’s Salvation Army, churches of many and varying faiths and a host of community organizations were all united around a single purpose from noon on May 4 to 5 p.m. on May 9—125 hours of prayer for the metro Atlanta area.

Atlanta Prays was a collaborative effort to pray for the ills plaguing the city. The key areas of concern included sex trafficking, rising crime and violence, ongoing generational poverty and the exposure of children to a culture of disappearing Christian morals and values.

Each day presented a different theme. The first and last day’s theme was “truth” and those that came in between, in succession, were “holiness and purpose,” “forgiveness, repentance and healing,” “unity, wholeness and peace,” and “love.”

The Metro Atlanta Salvation Army provided each participating church with “Atlanta Prays Prayer Guides,” which provided suggested subtopics under a given theme, along with Scripture passages that correlated to subtopics.

St. Anthony of Padua Church parishioner Lauren Jelks, 26, reads Psalm 107:19-22 and A Prayer for the Forgiveness of Sins by St. Gemma Galgani. Jelks and others united in prayer for an end to some of the ills facing the metro Atlanta community like human trafficking. Photo By Michael Alexander

St. Anthony of Padua Church parishioner Lauren Jelks, 26, reads Psalm 107:19-22 and A Prayer for the Forgiveness of Sins by St. Gemma Galgani. Jelks and others united in prayer for an end to some of the ills facing the metro Atlanta community like human trafficking. Photo By Michael Alexander

Of the nearly 40 churches that served as host sites for prayer, inside and outside the perimeter (Interstate 285), eight of the churches were Catholic. They included Corpus Christi Church, Stone Mountain; Immaculate Heart of Mary Church, Atlanta; Our Lady of the Assumption Church, Atlanta; Our Lady of Lourdes Church, Atlanta; St. Anthony of Padua Church, Atlanta; St. John Vianney Church, Lithia Springs; St. Philip Benizi Church, Jonesboro; and St. Brigid Church, Johns Creek. Each church brought a unique approach to the many hours of prayer.

The photographs are comprised of images from the eight Catholic churches over the four days of fervent prayer.