Georgia Bulletin

The Newspaper of the Catholic Archdiocese of Atlanta

  • (Left to right) Seminarian Joseph Nguyen, Jonathan Patino, a young man in discernment, and Sally Scardasis, executive assistant to the vocations director, trim the brush around burial plots as other seminarians work on staining the Martin Gatins Chapel in the background. It took place during a May 16 seminarian workday on the natural burial grounds of the Monastery of the Holy Spirit’s Honey Creek Woodlands, Conyers. Photo By Michael Alexander
  • Nearly 20 seminarians and a lay volunteer from St. Brigid Church, Johns Creek, Ted Prenares, second from right, do the prep work on the Martin Gatins Chapel before they seal and stain the wood. It was one of the tasks undertaken during a May 16 seminarian workday on the natural burial grounds of Honey Creek Woodlands, Conyers. Photo By Michael Alexander
  • Seminarians gather the landscaping tools they will need for clearing brush and unwanted weeds around burial plots. Looming in the background is Martin Gatins Chapel, where another group of seminarians were sealing and staining its wood. Photo By Michael Alexander
  • Seminarian Colin Patrick, right center, hands a piece of brush he cut to fellow seminarian Brandon Scherff. One of the jobs during the May 16 seminarian workday was to clear some of the brush from around the burial plots. Photo By Michael Alexander
  • Standing on the scaffold, Deacon Paul Porter, top left, sprays sealant on the wood beams and ceiling before they follow that up with a coat of stain. It was one of the tasks undertaken during a May 16 seminarian workday on the natural burial grounds of Honey Creek Woodlands, Conyers. Photo By Michael Alexander
  • Seminarian Ben Thomsen uses the gas trimmer to clear unwanted brush and weeds around the burial plots. Thomsen was one of nearly 20 seminarians participating in a workday at the natural burial grounds of the Monastery of the Holy Spirit’s Honey Creek Woodlands, Conyers. Photo By Michael Alexander
  • (Counter-clockwise from left) Seminarians Brandon Scherff and Juan Carlos Villota stain a column from the ground level, as seminarian Patrick Lamar stands on a ladder to stain a higher point on a column. Photo By Michael Alexander

(Left to right) Seminarian Joseph Nguyen, Jonathan Patino, a young man in discernment, and Sally Scardasis, executive assistant to the vocations director, trim the brush around burial plots as other seminarians work on staining the Martin Gatins Chapel in the background. It took place during a May 16 seminarian workday on the natural burial grounds of the Monastery of the Holy Spirit’s Honey Creek Woodlands, Conyers. Photo By Michael Alexander

Conyers

Seminarians spruce up chapel, clear brush at Honey Creek Woodlands

By ANDREW NELSON, Staff Writer | Published June 13, 2019

CONYERS—Honey Creek Woodlands, a natural burial ground affiliated with the Trappist Monastery of the Holy Spirit, received extra attention from 20 seminarians, along with a handful of laypeople May 16.

Honey Creek Woodlands is a memorial nature preserve situated within the monastery’s 2,300 acres.

The group of seminarians and volunteers cleared weeds around burial plots and sealed and stained wood at the Martin Gatins Chapel on the grounds in Conyers.

The work is part of an effort for the men to get to know the Archdiocese of Atlanta beyond the walls of their churches or their seminaries, said Father Tri John-Bosco Nguyen, director of vocations for the archdiocese.

Deacon Cristian Cossio stains one of the columns at the Martin Gatins Chapel on the natural burial grounds of the Monastery of the Holy Spirit’s Honey Creek Woodlands, Conyers. In the background seminarian Patrick Lamar is performing the same job. Photo By Michael Alexander

There are some 50 seminarians for the Atlanta Archdiocese currently studying for the priesthood.

Father Nguyen said one goal of these workdays is to make sure the men engage with each other and build a community with themselves and with the Catholic community in Atlanta. The young men don’t have many chances to socialize while completing studies at various seminaries, scattered from Florida and Maryland to Illinois and Rome, Italy.

The men attending seminary are assigned to serve in parishes during the summer. But Father Nguyen said other parishes are welcome to call and coordinate with the vocations office to learn if groups of seminarians can help with parish projects.

Seminarians are available for a planned workday on Saturday, Aug. 3 but are still in need of a specific parish project to undertake, Father Nguyen said. There must be enough tasks for 25 men to work for eight hours in the same place to build community.

If your parish is in need of assistance for a project, contact the Office of Vocations by calling 404-920-7463 or 404-920-7464.

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