Carlton Byrd, top center, and his mother Jeannie, bottom center, join Diane Starkovich Ph.D., left, superintendent of schools, and Rebecca Hammel, associate superintendent of schools, at the Atlanta Archdiocese Chancery. Byrd, a retired DeKalb County water meter reader and a 1978 graduate of St. Thomas More School, Decatur, was so grateful for his Catholic education, in 2015 he made contributions, totaling $7,010, to 21 of the 25 Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Atlanta. Photo By Michael Alexander
Atlanta
Readers’ Choice: 2015 stories
Published January 7, 2016
Another barometer of significant stories in 2015 is the number of visits readers made to The Georgia Bulletin website to view particular articles and columns. Four of the stories viewed most by readers online were also on the Editors’ Choice list. Archbishop Wilton D. Gregory’s statement in response to the U.S. Supreme Court decision on same sex marriage was the most viewed post on the website in 2015. Also, the Year of Consecrated Life; Archbishop Gregory reflects on first decade in Atlanta; and Notre Dame Academy, Duluth, opens high school.
In chronological order, other stories most viewed by online readers were:
DeKalb County meter reader’s donations to 21 Catholic schools
This story about a recent retiree from the public sector touched a lot of hearts. Carlton Byrd’s gifts to local Catholic schools and schools in New York and Baltimore were in celebration of his mother and of his retirement from DeKalb County after 26 years of service.
View the story at: http://bit.ly/schooldonation2015
Articles about the ministry of two Atlanta-area priests
On a happy occasion, Msgr. Henry Gracz, pastor of the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, Atlanta, was honored at the downtown parish, well known for its social justice ministry, on his golden jubilee in May.
View the story at: http://bit.ly/MsgrGraczShrine
The death of Franciscan Father Tom Vigliotta, the chaplain at the University of Georgia Catholic Center, moved many students, families and alumni who had been touched by his ministry.
View the story at: http://bit.ly/FrVigliottatribute
“Catholic Drinkie” blends faith and spirits in unique book
First-time author Sarah Vabulas—who goes by the moniker of “Catholic Drinkie”—mixed her passion for her faith with an interest in small-batch home brewing. The interview with Vabulas, a member of the Cathedral of Christ the King in Atlanta, on the publication of her first book offered an offbeat look at the crossroads of Catholic faith and beer.
View the story at: http://bit.ly/CatholicDrinkie2015
First woman athletic director at local Catholic schools named
Wynter Kelly, named the new athletic director at Monsignor Donovan High School in Athens, in 2015 wrote her master’s thesis on “Strengthening Gospel Values in Athletics.” Kelly explored students’ perceptions of athletics with regard to promoting Christian values, strengthening their faith, and deepening understanding of social justice issues in order to determine tangible ways to improve the student experience.
View the story at: http://bit.ly/athleticdirector2015
Columnist Lorraine Murray writes about the death of her husband, Jef
“When I remember what my sweetheart said that day about walking home, I realize that he kept his promise, in his own quiet way, on that green stretch of lawn. True, he didn’t come back to me, but he did go home to his loving Father awaiting him in heaven,” she wrote. Murray has taken her readers on her pilgrimage of faith and grief with her columns since Jef’s death.
View the column at: http://bit.ly/apeacefuldeath
St. Michael the Archangel dedicates new church ‘for the glory of God’
The dedication of the new church at the Woodstock parish completed a year and a half project. The $8.5 million effort doubled the seating space of the church, to 1,100 people.
View the story at: http://bit.ly/StMichaeldedication
Archbishop’s column on Planned Parenthood:
‘Don’t fund those who traffic in aborted children’
Archbishop Gregory wrote in his Sept. 16 column in The Georgia Bulletin about the undercover videos of Planned Parenthood officials discussing marketing the organs and tissue of aborted babies. He asserted that government funds should be redirected to organizations that provide real medical assistance to women.
View the column at: http://bit.ly/defundingplannedparenthood
Archdiocesan Sports 2015
Last year provided exciting moments in Catholic school athletics. Archdiocesan and independent Catholic schools won 15 state championships in a variety of sports during 2015. Some of the most notable achievements were the Marist School girls cross country team winning its eighth consecutive state title, the Blessed Trinity High School girls tennis team winning its seventh consecutive title and the Marist School boys golf team winning its fourth consecutive state championship.
View 2015 sports stories at: http://bit.ly/GBsports2015