By Tom Schulte

ATLANTA—The Georgia Bulletin looks at some of the stories that impacted Catholics in the Archdiocese of Atlanta in 2024 including the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage’s stops here, the welcoming of new priests and deacons and achievements in Catholic education: 

JANUARY 

The faithful gathered Jan. 13 at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus for the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Mass. Archbishop Gregory J. Hartmayer, OFM Conv., celebrated the Mass, and Father Robert Boxie of the Archdiocese of Washington was the homilist. The archbishop recalled in his closing remarks that Dr. King was never deterred because God was his strength, and that when challenges seem too great to overcome, that’s when people must bond together. It’s important to “recognize the Christ in one another and see each other as brother and sister and accompany one another into that Promised Land—that to me will always be the message of Dr. Martin Luther King,” he said.  

The Archdiocese of Atlanta and the Neocatechumenal Way entered a partnership to form men to serve as priests in local parishes. Archbishop Hartmayer, marked the new relationship by celebrating Mass in Cornelia the previous month with some of the 300 local members of the Neocatechumenal Way, and signed a memorandum to formalize the partnership. The partnership entailed that Marcos Lluna and Noah Schmit, would study for the priesthood at the Redemptoris Mater Seminary and the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., and once ordained will serve as priests in north Georgia. The archbishop pledged that after five years of service in the archdiocese, the men will be considered for evangelization opportunities elsewhere with the Neocatechumenal Way.  

FEBRUARY 

Eight men were ordained as permanent deacons in the Archdiocese of Atlanta. The Mass of ordination to the permanent diaconate was held at the Cathedral of Christ the King on Feb. 8. Bishop John N. Tran served as the ordaining bishop. During the Mass, Bishop Tran prayed over the deacons and handed each one a Book of the Gospels. He urged each to “to believe what you read, teach what you believe and practice what you teach.” Ordained were Deacons Robert Fraundorf, Michael Heubel, Gerard LaHatte, Michael Martell, Alonso Rigg, William Schubring, Phillip Tran and Thang Vu. Bishop Tran reminded them, “Serve others with great joy and humility because you are serving the Lord.”  

Deacon William Hardeman Schubring, left, takes a cell phone picture with Father Paul Moreau following the Mass of ordination to the permanent diaconate Feb. 3, 2024, at the Cathedral of Christ the King. Photo by Johnathon Kelso

Educators and students across the archdiocese wrapped up a celebration of Catholic Schools week Feb. 3. Each year archdiocesan and independent schools recognize an employee of the year as part of the observance. The Georgia Bulletin profiled two of the honored educators—Deacon Sami Jajeh of Cristo Rey Atlanta Jesuit High School and Alison Loyd of St. Joseph School in Athens. Deacon Jajeh teaches theology to 10th graders, working to connect faith and theology to issues ripped from the headlines. Being in a classroom of teenagers is demanding, but it’s the “changing lives business,” he said. Alison Loyd’s deep commitment to education, understanding of learning differences and faith motivated her to pursue a career in teaching. Loyd, who is legally blind with a left side physical disability, is driven by her experience to encourage others. “My life’s mission is to inspire anyone struggling with limits to endure and overcome,” the resource teacher said.  

The archdiocese welcomed some 2,500 women and men at the Rite of Election Feb. 22. Members of the Elect acted as sponsors for adults preparing for baptism. Typically held on the first Sunday of Lent, the Rite of Election is a public declaration where women and men express their desire for baptism to the bishop. Their names are recorded, and they are called the Elect. At the same time, people baptized in other Christian traditions also state their intentions to join the church. Atlanta bishops greeted the assembled at four churches—St. Philip Benizi Church, Jonesboro; Holy Vietnamese Martyrs Church, Norcross; the Cathedral of Christ the King, Atlanta; and St. Catherine of Siena Church, Kennesaw. Around 800 people were preparing to be baptized at Easter, while close to 1,700 Christians sought full communion with the church.  

MARCH 

Students from St. Mary’s Academy, Fayetteville, led the way around the Georgia Capitol as hundreds turned out for the 2024 Georgia March for Life. A large crowd filled Liberty Plaza in the shadow of the capitol building, to hear from two dozen elected officials and advocates promoting crisis pregnancy centers and other resources. Bishop Bernard E. Shlesinger III opened the hour rally. “We fail to protect the precious gift of life if we choose to remain silent and fail to speak up for those brothers and sisters who are vulnerable to having their lives terminated, especially the unborn who have no voice to plead their cause before the courts of the whole world,” said the bishop. 

A new statue of St. Patrick was installed during a ceremony at the Hibernian Benevolent Society section of Oakland Cemetery in Atlanta. Father John Kieran, chaplain of the society, attended the ceremony. Guests, members of the society and others participated as well, and witnessed a variety of Irish celebrations, including traditional Irish dances. With the large statue of St. Patrick, the society celebrated a new landmark at its parcel. It is one of the most prominent statues remembering Irish influence in Atlanta. The Irish were one of the early immigrant groups to settle in Atlanta. The Hibernian Benevolent Society remains, with some 100 members. It is credited as the oldest civic association in Atlanta, founded in 1858.  

Sister Miriam Mendoza, a native of Guadalajara, Mexico, and belonging to the Franciscan Sisters of Our Lady of Refuge, joined the archdiocese to work in the Hispanic and Latino Ministry and the Office of Vocations. Father Rey Pineda, director of the Office of Vocations, said that in her role, Sister Miriam would support Hispanic communities, and guide discernment for women. Sister Miriam observes the community and gauges vocational support and reports to Father Pineda about these needs. Sister Miriam emphasized the importance of Hispanic guidance in Atlanta for women, saying that when they come to the United States, they can feel disconnected and discriminated against. Having Sister Miriam is a sign of the growth of the Hispanic community, and there is a need to see its members represented in church leadership, Father Pineda said.  

APRIL 

Pope Francis appointed Father Michael T. Martin, OFM Conv., as bishop of the Diocese of Charlotte. The announcement was made the morning of April 9. Father Martin was pastor of St. Philip Benizi Church in Jonesboro in the Archdiocese of Atlanta at the time. Bishop Martin is a priest of the Order of Friars Minor Conventual. He has deep roots in Catholic education—having served as a teacher, coach and school administrator in Baltimore, New York and Durham, North Carolina—and arrived at a time of record enrollment in the Diocese of Charlotte’s 20 schools. 

St. Mary’s Academy hosted a STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) Showcase, highlighting assignments by students from pre-k to 12th grade. Parents and friends were invited to see the projects and catch a glimpse of the education offered. From indi coding cars to complex principles of 3D printing, each table highlighted topics that embodied the rigorous curriculum and interests of the students. Students led conversations and explained their projects. Dr. Brent Hollers, director of information technology and computer sciences, said the STEM program is built upon a vision for student success. “We want the kids to have a little curiosity about what they’re doing,” Hollers said. “We want them to be engaged, and to be creative thinkers and problem solvers. We want them to understand that all those things that they are doing is to utilize their God-given abilities to glorify God.”  

The new St. Joan of Arc Field House at St. Pius X High School was the final project of the $14.2 million Ring the Bells Capital Campaign at the Atlanta high school. Built behind Maloof Stadium on a former softball field, the 26,000-square-foot building includes a strength and conditioning facility, athletic training room, locker rooms, offices, storage and two classrooms. The Arc’s new weight room promised to impact teams’ goals, along with the school sports culture. Up to 120 students can use it at one time.  

Bishop Joel M. Konzen named Patty Childs, the previous principal of St. Jude the Apostle School, as Superintendent of Catholic Schools. Childs served as principal of St. Jude for 23 years, during which the school earned a U.S. Department of Education Blue Ribbon designation three times. She was nominated for the U.S. Department of Education Terrel H. Bell award and was awarded a National Catholic Education Association Distinguished Principal Award, a Catholic Schools for Tomorrow Innovations in Education Award and an archdiocesan Principal of the Year Award. “I am humbled to be able to serve our Catholic schools and I look forward to moving forward together,” said Childs. 

MAY 

Sue Stubbs, director of the Archdiocese of Atlanta victim assistance program in the Office of Child and Youth Protection, brought home the top honor from the Child and Youth Protection Catholic Leadership Conference. Stubbs earned the St. Joseph the Protector Award at the conference. Her work was recognized in the field by her peers. The St. Joseph the Protector Award recognizes an individual who has made a significant contribution at the diocesan level in the area of child protection. 2024 was the inaugural year of the award.  

The archdiocese launched an intercultural commission based in the Office of Intercultural Ministries. The commission will cater to the needs of families of various cultures and embrace diversity in the archdiocese. The office created the commission under the recommendation of the Catholic Leadership Institute. The institute stressed the initiative to focus on diversity in the archdiocese in a more intentional way, said Deacon Dennis Dorner, chancellor of the archdiocese. The commission is led by Deacon Dorner; Yolanda Munoz, director of Hispanic and Latino Ministries; and Ashley Morris, director of Black Catholic Affairs. The commission’s goal is to create a space that is safe and open for discussion, and to speak about the issues and experiences of each group represented. Deacon Dorner said that the meetings will resemble the synodal process. 

Volunteer Nancy Campos helps a shopper at the Client-Choice Food Pantry of St. Vincent de Paul Georgia in Chamblee. Photo by Johnathon Kelso

Leaders at St. Vincent de Paul Georgia mounted a new push to ease the burden on the ministry volunteers who respond to crisis phone calls, visit people in their homes and provide emergency assistance as requests for help escalated. The charity started a recruitment campaign to draw more people into its ministry. The number of people served by volunteers, known as Vincentians, jumped some 25 percent from 2022 to 2023. About 192,000 people in 2023 were helped, according to the nonprofit. Called “Love Your Neighbor. Live Vincentian,” the effort aimed to reach a new group of prospective volunteers who can deliver food, visit families and fulfill tasks helping people in need and connecting them with the community.   

JUNE 

Friends, family, clergy and parishioners rejoiced inside Holy Vietnamese Martyrs Church on June 1 as five paths merged and became united in the mission to serve God and his people as ordained priests. Tears of joy filled the church as Archbishop Hartmayer, Bishop Bernard E. Shlesinger III, Bishop Joel M. Konzen, SM; Bishop John N. Tran and brothers of the priesthood placed hands on the newly ordained priests of the archdiocese. As the new priests saw themselves in chasubles for the first time, they shared spontaneous hugs. Those ordained were Father Jared Kleinwaechter, Father David DesPres, Father Colin Patrick, Father Joseph Anh Tuan Nguyen and Father Arturo Merriman. “Five very different personalities with distinctive characteristics and particular gifts,” is how Archbishop Hartmayer described the newly ordained.  

On Tuesday, June 4, Archbishop Hartmayer was elected to a three-year term as chairman of the board of the National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA). The organization is the largest, private professional education association in the world. NCEA works with Catholic educators to support ongoing faith formation and the teaching mission of the Catholic Church. The association’s membership includes nearly 140,000 educators serving 1.6 million students in Catholic education. As a professional association with a focus of Catholic school education, NCEA’s aim is to lead, learn and proclaim by developing current and future leaders; providing educational resources and strategically expanding professional development opportunities for those committed to the mission of Catholic education and serving as the national voice for Catholic schools. 

Believers at Corpus Christi Church said goodbye to the Claretian community, an international missionary religious order, which shepherded the parish for more than 30 years. In a heartfelt message to the nearly 2,000 families of the Stone Mountain parish, the pastor encouraged the people in the pews to trust in God through the changes. “Trust in the Divine Providence as we continue to say the prayer of serenity bearing in mind the mission is not ours. It belongs to God!” said Claretian Father Paschal Amagba. On June 16, the church officially commemorated the handover, calling it the “passing of the torch.” Archdiocesan priest Father José Luis Hernández Ayala was appointed as the new spiritual leader. The move came as the religious community, formally known as the Missionary Sons of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, was re-organized in North America.   

Father Mark McCormick of the Diocese of Rapid City kneels before the Blessed Sacrament at adoration at St. Mary’s Academy in Fayetteville. Father McCormick was accompanying the Perpetual Pilgrims on the St. Juan Diego Route as it made its way through Atlanta. Photo by Johnathon Kelso

The National Eucharistic Pilgrimage made its way through the Archdiocese of Atlanta with pilgrims spending three days walking under the blazing southern sun. Eight perpetual pilgrims walked the St. Juan Diego route of the national pilgrimage. Their journey to the National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis began in Brownsville, Texas, on May 19. The pilgrims stopped seven times in the archdiocese, first attending a welcome Mass at St. Mary Magdalene Church in Newnan, south of Atlanta, the morning of June 21. The first eucharistic procession was at St. Mary’s Academy in Fayetteville on June 21, and the last at St. Joseph Church in Dalton on June 23. Parishioners from the archdiocese and neighboring states joined in to process with and celebrate the Eucharist. A day of service was also part of the pilgrimage. 

JULY  

Absolute silence filled Lucas Oil Stadium as tens of thousands of people dropped to their knees to adore Jesus Christ in the Blessed Sacrament as the long-anticipated National Eucharistic Congress officially got underway on the evening of July 17 in Indianapolis. Some 400 pilgrims from Atlanta including families, clergy and ministry leaders attended the national event. The Congress, the first in 83 years, was the last step of the historic threefold mission to light a fire in this generation, one that sparks a new love for the faith. 

On July 28, Archbishop Hartmayer issued a statement regarding the controversial events at the opening ceremonies of the Olympics in Paris, France. He wrote, “Sadly, what should have been a platform to celebrate the good, the true and the beautiful was used as an opportunity to desecrate and scandalize the Christian faith.” The archbishop urged prayer and fasting in reparation for the blasphemy witnessed by the world. 

AUGUST 

Three archdiocesan schools earned the Cognia STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) certification, creating history as the first three institutions to achieve this status in the Archdiocese of Atlanta. St. Jude the Apostle School, Sandy Springs; St. Joseph School, Athens; and St. Mary’s Academy, Fayetteville, were officially declared as Cognia STEM certified schools in May. It was announced later in the year that St. Thomas More School in Decatur also earned the certification. The Cognia STEM certification is awarded to schools that excel educationally in the subject areas and showcase a potential for continued success. 

GRACE Scholars helped thousands of students to attend some three dozen Catholic schools since it opened its doors 16 years ago. As the program was sunset, the same mission was picked up by Georgia GOAL Scholarship Program Inc., which serves more than 200 private schools. GRACE Scholars was founded by Cardinal Wilton Gregory, former Archbishop of Atlanta, and Bishop J. Kevin Boland of Savannah in 2008 as a student scholarship organization. Since its founding, the GRACE program distributed $42 million to 12,848 students. In the 2023-2024 school year, some 1,115 students received scholarships. However, financial figures forecasted a decline in taxpayer donations to GRACE, leading to the new partnership. 

SEPTEMBER 

Members of St. Matthew Church faced the scourge of school violence in the parish’s backyard. A 14-year-old student at Barrow County’s Apalachee High School is accused of killing two students and two teachers. The alleged gunman’s father is also facing related charges. One of the victims, Christian Angulo, 14, worshipped at the Winder parish. Archbishop Hartmayer attended the funeral Mass at the parish, some 50 miles northeast of Atlanta. Approximately 600 students, families and community members filled the church for the bilingual service. “This tragedy was not God’s plan for Christian,” said the archbishop.    

The archdiocese continues to foster multicultural communities, including the growing Vietnamese community. The Our Lady of Lavang community gathers weekly at Blessed Trinity High School in Roswell, drawing Vietnamese Catholics from the northwest regions of the archdiocese. Many had previously attended Holy Vietnamese Martyrs Church in Norcross, one of the area’s largest churches, which now struggles with overcrowding. The high school gatherings mark a first step toward establishing a permanent worship space for Vietnamese Catholics in the Roswell and Marietta areas.  

Holy Spirit Preparatory School in Atlanta welcomed its new president, Aimee Viana, an experienced educator. Previously, she was a partner at Partners in Mission School Leadership Search Solutions. She also worked for the U.S. Department of Education, including as principal deputy assistant secretary and executive director of the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics. Before moving to Virginia, Viana and her family lived in North Carolina. In the Diocese of Raleigh, she served as the senior executive director of the Secretariat of Lay Formation, Marriage and Family Life and as principal of two Catholic schools. “I’ve been very blessed to serve God’s people in a wide variety of ways, but what has never lacked is that commitment to children, families, youth and serving them with the ultimate goal of changing lives,” Viana said.  

Photo by Andrew Nelson 
A rotating crew of men and women carry the altar with the Blessed Sacrament during the Oct. 25 Pilgrims of Hope procession along Beaver Ruin Road, a response to a threatened black mass event. Photo by Andrew Nelson

Hundreds of middle school youth renewed their baptismal promises at “Holy Fire,” a Sept. 14 event featuring music, encouraging speakers, the sacrament of reconciliation and Mass. Middle school youth from across the archdiocese, and from as far away as the Diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee in Florida, attended Holy Fire at the Georgia State University Convocation Center. Some 400 students, joined by parish youth leaders, participated. Hosted by the Office of Evangelization and Discipleship of the archdiocese, Holy Fire was sponsored by the National Federation for Catholic Youth Ministry, in partnership with Equipping the Saints (EQ Saints).  

OCTOBER 

Commuters on Beaver Ruin Road on Oct. 25 witnessed hundreds of the faithful following an eucharistic procession, Pilgrims of Hope. One participant said he was motivated to “stand against evil” by joining with other Catholics in the public display of faith. The Friday afternoon display of faith was a multicultural celebration of devotion to the Most Blessed Sacrament. It was one of several instances of the Catholic community responding to request by Archbishop Hartmayer in response to a threatened “black mass.” Organizers of the event admitted the scheduled event was intended as entertainment and possessed no consecrated hosts. The procession of hundreds, from senior citizens to babies in strollers, began at St. Patrick Church in Norcross, stopped at Holy Vietnamese Martyrs Church, and concluded at Our Lady of the Americas Mission.  

Schools and parishes are responding to growing mental health challenges, particularly among young people. Catholic schools in the archdiocese are fostering stronger relationships between students and counselors to address academic and social anxiety, stress, and burnout. Counselors host sessions to support students and destigmatize seeking help. To address the increasing demand, American bishops are speaking out against the stigma of embarrassment or guilt that can prevent people from seeking help. “Such a stigma contradicts the compassion of Jesus and is contrary to the foundation of Catholic social teaching,” wrote Archbishop Borys Gudziak, who leads the USCCB Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development, and Bishop Robert Barron, chairman of the USCCB Committee on Laity, Marriage, Family Life and Youth.   

Archbishop Hartmayer established the first pastoral affairs commission to better serve LGBTQ+ Catholics in the Archdiocese of Atlanta. The commission includes priests and lay members from Courage, the church’s outreach ministry to gay Catholics, and Fortunate & Faithful Families, a support group for families with LGBTQ+ members. The board is “dedicated to better understanding the realities and pastoral needs of LGBTQ+ Catholics in the Archdiocese of Atlanta,” according to information from the Restorative Justice Ministry, which will coordinate the group. Concerns about the church’s approach to the LGBTQ+ community arose during listening sessions for the 2022 Synod on Synodality hosted by the archdiocese.  

NOVEMBER 

 Our Lady of Assumption Church in Brookhaven is saying goodbye to the Marist priests, the spiritual leaders here. For some 60 years, the clergy from the Society of Mary have served at the church. The community is withdrawing from its ministry because there are not enough men to serve due to a decline in vocations. Father Jim Duffy, the pastor for more than 20 years, said his goal for the upcoming months is to encourage the parishioners to continue their welcoming ways and serve each other in the scores of ministries here.   

Longtime Georgia Tech chaplain, Franciscan Brother Mario Di Lella, died at 97. He served at the campus for almost 40 years, growing the ministry into one of the most vibrant and largest collegiate Newman Centers in the archdiocese. At his 2008 farewell Mass, he told the hundreds in attendance, “Guys and girls, we are all in this thing together. It is our obligation, our duty, to carry out the work of the church.” Priests and deacons serve is the same Lord lay people serve, he said. “This is the mind-boggling truth. We are the people of God. Know this and believe it.”  When he retired, Father Mario said more than 20 vocations to the priesthood or religious life came from those who worshipped at the Georgia Tech Catholic Center while in college or graduate school.   

Mercy Care Atlanta celebrated its new affordable apartment complex, combining healthcare and housing. The 170 apartments sit next to the medical nonprofit’s campus in the Sweet Auburn neighborhood. Leaders from real estate developer Pennrose, Mercy Care Atlanta, civic officials and others celebrated its opening. Community leaders, along with Atlanta Archbishop Hartmayer,  cut a ceremonial ribbon on Oct. 30 to mark the completion of the $50 million development, the first in the city to match a medical provider with housing. “It is the first time in our community where a health system has been an investor in making an affordable housing project come to life,” said Mercy Care CEO Kathryn Lawler. “Because of our roots with the Sisters of Mercy and the big, bold visions that go back to Sister Catherine McAuley in the early 1830s, no idea has ever been off the table.”   

DECEMBER 

The faithful seeking spiritual renewal have a new oasis to visit. Known affectionately as “The Farm,” this center aspires to become a haven, inviting families, individuals, and parishes to its quiet for rest and reflection. This refuge is the heart of a retreat center in north Rockdale County called Our Loving Mother’s Children. Michael O’Connor, one of the center’s leaders, described it as “an oasis of peace.” Here, visitors can find quiet in its grotto, a pocket carved from the forest, its ground rough and uneven with exposed bedrock. Encircling the space are small chapels dedicated to Jesus, the Blessed Mother, and revered saints from around the world. “I encourage families to come and spend the day with their children, share a meal, and pray together,” O’Connor said. “We have picnic tables, plenty of open space, and a welcoming atmosphere for all.” In a significant milestone, The Farm moved closer to its goal of becoming a spiritual center for North Georgia when it gained formal recognition as a Catholic-serving facility within the Archdiocese of Atlanta.  

President Jimmy Carter led a Sunday school lesson at Maranatha Baptist Church in Plains as Archbishop Gregory J. Hartmayer, OFM Conv., seated far left then-Bishop of Savannah listens. President Carter died Dec. 29. Photo Courtesy of Archbishop Hartmayer

Archbishop Hartmayer expressed prayers and condolences to the family of President Jimmy Carter when he died on Dec. 29. During his time as bishop of Savannah, then-Bishop Hartmayer met the Carters at Maranatha Baptist Church in October 2019. President Carter invited him to his Bible class, and that particular morning the lesson was on love. The bishop remained for the Baptist church service, where he recalled feeling “so very welcome.” Later that same day, Carter and the late First Lady Rosalynn Carter attended a Mass he celebrated in the local parish. In his remarks, the archbishop said “President and Mrs. Carter exemplified the Christian faith. Whether it was traveling the globe to advance democracy and champion human rights or building houses with Habitat for Humanity and teaching Sunday school in Plains, Georgia, they made the world a better place.”