Photo by Vatican Media 

ATLANTA—A year of two popes and a Jubilee Year, 2025 was one to remember.  

Pope Leo XIV urged pilgrims visiting St. Peter’s Square on New Year’s Eve to remember all of God’s blessings of the past twelve months. He also encouraged reflection on how they responded to those graces.  

The turning of the calendar is a time to remember God’s great love and “to ask forgiveness for all the times we have failed to treasure his inspirations and invest the talents he has entrusted to us in the best possible way,” the pope said at his Dec. 31 audience. 

Pope Leo highlighted three “important events” of the past year: “some of them joyful, such as the pilgrimage of so many of the faithful on the occasion of the Holy Year; others painful, such as the passing of the late Pope Francis, and the scenarios of war that continue to convulse the planet.” 

He said, “the church invites us to place everything before the Lord, entrusting ourselves to his providence, and asking him to renew, in us and around us, in the coming days, the wonders of his grace and mercy.” 

The Jubilee pilgrimage of millions of Catholics around the world in 2025 is a reminder that “our whole life is a journey, whose final destination transcends space and time, to be fulfilled in the encounter with God and in full and eternal communion with him,” the pope said. 

From Rome to Atlanta, The Georgia Bulletin remembers some of the stories that impacted Catholics of the archdiocese last year:

JANUARY 

As part of the Jubilee Holy Year, Archbishop Gregory J. Hartmayer, OFM Conv., announced local pilgrimage churches. The pilgrimage churches were the Church of the Purification, Crawfordville; Mary Our Queen Church, Peachtree Corners; St. Paul Church, Cleveland; Our Lady of the Mountains Church, Jasper; St. Brendan the Navigator Church, Cumming and St. Matthew Church, Tyrone. 

Mary Our Queen Church in Peachtree Corners, was one of several local pilgrimage churches, designated by Archbishop Gregory J. Hartmayer, OFM Conv. for the Jubilee Year. Photo by Julianna Leopold

The Vatican announced Jan. 6 the appointment of Cardinal Robert W. McElroy of San Diego as archbishop of the Archdiocese of Washington, following Pope Francis’ acceptance of the resignation of Cardinal Wilton D. Gregory, the first African American cardinal. Cardinal Gregory led the Archdiocese of Atlanta for more than 13 years. 

University of Notre Dame fans made a pilgrimage to Atlanta for a large service project and Mass before cheering on their team in the College Football Playoff National Championship Game. On Jan. 19, more than 250 alumni and fans of Notre Dame participated in the project benefiting the Center for Children & Young Adults. 

In a tribute to the legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., elementary students from across the Archdiocese of Atlanta showcased their creative talents at the 17th annual MLK Youth Celebration at St. John the Evangelist School on Jan 19. Teachers, families and parishioners celebrated the civil rights leader’s influence on education, faith and social justice. The Office of Intercultural Ministries organized the event. 

Pope Francis formally recognized that five Franciscan missionaries—who ministered in what is now the state of Georgia—were killed for their faith. By signing the decree in the sainthood cause of the Georgia Martyrs Jan. 27, the pope cleared the way for their beatification. The Spanish Franciscans Pedro de Corpa, Blas Rodríguez de Cuacos, Miguel de Añón, Antonio de Badajoz and Francisco de Veráscola were killed in September 1597, after Father de Corpa told a young Indigenous man, Juanillo, who was heir to a Guale chiefdom, that as a baptized Christian he could not take a second wife. 

FEBRUARY 

The bishops of Georgia and the Georgia Catholic Conference issued a statement Feb. 4 to bring attention to the plight of refugees and migrants. “The current rhetoric regarding the topic of immigration often demonizes all immigrants, causing anxiety, fear, harassment, and intimidation. Unsubstantiated and uncharitable comments about our brothers and sisters who have immigrated here from other countries do not respect our call to recognize human dignity and must be condemned,” they wrote. 

Coming from five countries, including Cuba, Peru, Venezuela and Togo, with diverse professional experiences from business and technology to medicine and sales, seven men were ordained to serve as deacons Feb. 1. Archbishop Gregory J. Hartmayer, OFM Conv., told the men as deacons they must live with a “servant’s heart.”     

Bernadette Naro, parishioner of the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, holds her child as she listens to the press conference for Ring Around the Capitol, an advocacy day to end the death penalty for people with intellectual disabilities in Georgia. Photo by Julianna Leopold

On Feb. 12, advocates from Georgians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty (GFADP) gathered at the Georgia State Capitol to urge senators and representatives to protect individuals with intellectual disabilities from facing execution in this state.  

Cardinal Wilton D. Gregory celebrated the faith and service of Eunice and Sargent Shriver during a Feb. 13 Mass at the Martin Luther King Jr. International Chapel at Morehouse College in Atlanta. The Mass, co-hosted by the Lyke House Catholic Center, marked the induction of Eunice Kennedy Shriver and Sargent Shriver into the African American Hall of Fame at the King Chapel. 

Pope Francis was hospitalized Feb. 14 after more than a week of suffering from bronchitis and difficulty breathing. A few days later, doctors at Gemelli Hospital in Rome diagnosed him with bilateral pneumonia. The pope’s prognosis remained guarded throughout February. 

Frank Mulcahy announced retirement from his role as the Catholic Church’s representative in Georgia’s public arena. Since 2000, Mulcahy served as executive director of the Georgia Catholic Conference. 

The Trump administration terminated its contract with the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops for refugee resettlement, effective Feb. 27, according to letters issued by the U.S. State Department a day earlier. 

MARCH 

In a pre-Lenten letter, Archbishop Hartmayer, OFM Conv., urged Atlanta Catholics to support the important work of Catholic Relief Services (CRS) amid a freeze of funds from the U.S. Agency for International Development, or USAID. The funding pause created gaps in the work undertaken by CRS. The archbishop released the letter March 3. 

The Archdiocese of Atlanta prepared to welcome nearly 3,000 men and women into the church following the Rite of Election March 8. The Rite of Election is among the final stages of full entry into the Catholic Church. Parishioners in the archdiocese and bishops witnessed as 2,110 candidates and 860 catechumens showed their intentions to embrace the church’s teachings.  

Before leaving Rome’s Gemelli hospital after more than five weeks of treatment for breathing difficulties, pneumonia and infections, Pope Francis greeted hundreds of people who had gathered outside the hospital March 23. 

Pope Francis’ portrait is displayed during a memorial Mass at Holy Spirit Church, Atlanta. The pope died on Easter Monday, April 21, and was remembered at Masses and vigils across the archdiocese. Photo by Julianna Leopold

APRIL  

The Georgia Senate passed House Bill 123, a measure that protects vulnerable individuals from the death penalty, March 31. The Georgia House unanimously approved the bill earlier in the legislative session, and the bill was later signed into law by the governor. Archbishop Gregory J. Hartmayer, OFM Conv., and Bishop Stephen D. Parkes of Savannah expressed their gratitude to lawmakers and advocates for the bill’s passage in an April 2 statement. 

In a special feature, The Georgia Bulletin recalled the impact of Georgia writer Flannery O’Connor’s life and works upon the 100th anniversary of her birth. A new generation of Catholics are discovering O’Connor’s stories and novels as scholars study the intersection of faith and grace in her works.  

Mercy Care hosted its annual foot washing event on April 17. Doctors, nurses and volunteers bent down at the feet of dozens of men and women experiencing homelessness, providing support and healing for them. The foot washing, held on Holy Thursday, was inspired by Jesus’ washing of his disciples’ feet during the Last Supper. 

U.S. Cardinal Kevin J. Farrell, the “camerlengo” or chamberlain of the Holy Roman Church, announced to the world that Pope Francis had died April 21, Easter Monday, at the age of 88. Despite his poor health, the pope spent Holy Thursday visiting prisoners and made an appearance in the popemobile in St. Peter’s Square on Easter Sunday, giving a blessing to the world. 

Archbishop Hartmayer remembered Pope Francis upon his death as Atlantans shared their own memories of the Holy Father. “Today, our tears of joy are mixed with tears of sadness as we mourn the death of Pope Francis. We thank God for his gift of the Holy Father’s life and for his papacy marked by a special love for the poor and marginalized,” said the archbishop. Atlanta’s Jesuit community remembered his papacy as one “grounded in joy.” Parishes across the archdiocese held memorial Masses and prayer vigils for the pontiff. 

MAY 

The election of a new pope dominated news in the Archdiocese of Atlanta and worldwide. On May 8, Cardinal Robert F. Prevost was elected as the 267th successor of St. Peter. Taking the name of Pope Leo XIV, the Chicago-born Augustinian became the first American pope. Archbishop Gregory J. Hartmayer, OFM Conv., called the election a moment of hope, noting that Pope Leo XIV brings a global missionary perspective shaped by years of ministry among the poor. Archdiocesan leaders emphasized the pope’s deep understanding of Catholic social teaching and pastoral leadership, rooted in the legacy of Pope Leo XIII and the Augustinian tradition. For many Catholics, especially young adults and members of Atlanta’s Hispanic and immigrant communities, the election sparked renewed enthusiasm for the faith. 

Sister Margarita Martin, a member of the Handmaids of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, blessed a youngster during the farewell Mass for the sisters on May 18. After two decades of living in a trailer park outside Athens, where they organized a tutoring program for neighborhood kids, the Handmaids were returning to be closer to their community members in Pennsylvania. Photo by Andrew Nelson

In Athens, parishioners gathered for a farewell Mass honoring Sister Margarita Martin and Sister Uyen-Chi Dang of the Handmaids of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, whose congregation concluded more than two decades of ministry at Oasis Católica Santa Rafaela, a mission serving Hispanic families in a mobile home community. The sisters were remembered for accompanying families through illness, immigration challenges and daily hardships, as the ministry transitions to serve refugee women while continuing its mission of hospitality. 

After nearly 60 years of service, the Marists priests of Our Lady of the Assumption Church departed the parish. Parishioners of the Brookhaven church paid tribute to the Marist priests at a May 18 Mass. Hispanic, English and Indonesian communities gathered to thank the Marists for their humility, multicultural vision and commitment to lay leadership. The priests’ departure closed a chapter in the parish’s history, as the community prepared to transition to archdiocesan leadership. 

Archbishop Borys Gudziak, the leader of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church in the United States, along with other local faith and civic leaders gathered for an ecumenical prayer rally in support of Ukraine. The rally was held on the grounds of the Mother of God Ukrainian Catholic Church, Conyers. 

Four seminarians were ordained to the transitional diaconate on May 31 at St. Peter Chanel Church in Roswell. At the ordination, Archbishop Hartmayer urged them to “be men of prayer, be men of the Word, be men of charity.” Those ordained were Sean Lee, Juno Lee, Eric Baylot and Jacob Butz. 

JUNE 

The Georgia Bulletin and the Archdiocese of Atlanta’s Office of Communications earned seven Catholic Media Awards at the annual Catholic Media Conference. The conference was June 24-27 in Phoenix, Arizona. Categories of the awards included excellence in news writing, feature reporting, analysis, multimedia and podcasting. Among the honors was a first-place award for Best Analysis/Background/Round-up News Writing (The Gerard Sherry Award) non-weekly for reporter Andrew Nelson’s news package on pastoral outreach to the LGBT community.  

During the Jubilee Year of Hope proclaimed by Pope Francis, thousands of Catholics participated in pilgrimage opportunities across the archdiocese. Archbishop Hartmayer designated six official pilgrimage churches in rural and suburban communities, inviting the faithful to seek spiritual renewal, prayer and plenary indulgences. The Georgia Bulletin visited each site, offering readers a look into the parish’s unique characteristics. Clergy and parish leaders reported a steady stream of pilgrims seeking healing and reflection as part of the universal church’s call to become “Pilgrims of Hope.” 

The end of May and early June marked the 10th anniversary of Laudato si’, Pope Francis’ landmark encyclical on care for the environment. Students at St. Thomas More School play on the school’s new turf field, installed with a water retention system to prevent flooding. The Decatur school celebrated its 75th anniversary with sustainable campus-wide renovations. Photo by Julianna Leopold

The end of May and early June marked the 10th anniversary of Laudato si’, Pope Francis’ landmark encyclical on care for the environment. Parishes, campus ministries and archdiocesan offices embraced the pope’s vision through environmental initiatives and educational programs. Ministry leaders emphasized that caring for creation is a spiritual responsibility rooted in Catholic social teaching.  

JULY 

Fifty-six parishioners in the Archdiocese of Atlanta completed the Certificate of Pastoral Ministry program. The three-year Spanish-language program equips graduates with the knowledge to serve as catechists and evangelists in their parishes. Since its creation, the program has formed more than 300 graduates, reflecting the growing role of Hispanic ministry in the archdiocese.  

In Cleveland, parishioners of St. Paul the Apostle Church celebrated a newly dedicated relic chapel housing 33 first-class relics of saints and martyrs, including a fragment of the True Cross. The installation was donated by an anonymous parishioner with claims of a family connection to a 17th century pope.  

Our Lady of the Angels Province welcomed a new friar priest—Friar Franck Lino Sokpolie, OFM Conv.—who was ordained to the priesthood by Friar-Archbishop Gregory J. Hartmayer on July 19, at Holy Cross Church in Atlanta. The new priest serves the Hispanic community at Holy Cross. 

AUGUST 

As the 2025-26 academic year began, several archdiocesan schools welcomed new presidents and principals, including appointments at St. Mary’s Academy in Fayetteville, Queen of Angels School in Roswell, St. Mary’s School in Rome and St. Joseph School in Marietta. Interim principals were also named at St. Pius X Catholic High School in Atlanta and St. Thomas More School in Decatur. New leaders emphasized vocation-driven service, collaboration and faith formation as they stepped into the roles. 

Catholic Charities Atlanta honored its 50th anniversary of Catholic Charities Atlanta’s refugee resettlement program. Since the 1970s, the agency has helped thousands of refugees rebuild their lives in Georgia. While federal funding changes brought the formal resettlement program to a close, Catholic Charities leaders reaffirmed their commitment to serving refugee families through education, workforce development, legal services and youth programs.  

The Archdiocese of Atlanta and Catholic Leadership Institute announced a collaboration to strengthen parish life. Church leaders unveiled plans to select 25 parishes for a multi-year initiative to reimagine evangelization. The partnership encouraged parishes to adopt an apostolic model of outreach while remaining faithful to Catholic teachings. Pastors and parish staff described the initiative as an opportunity to cultivate disciples and prepare for the future of the church in north Georgia. 

Several hundred Catholic sisters and guests gathered in downtown Atlanta for the annual assembly of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR). During days of conversation, prayer and friendship from Aug. 12-15, the meeting of elected leaders of religious congregations reflected on the theme of “Hope Unbroken: Journeying in God’s Promise.” 

Sister Miriam Mendoza, RFR, holds the relic of St. Carlo Acutis for parishioners to venerate at the Mass of Thanksgiving for his canonization and that of Pier Giorgio Frassati Sept. 7. The local Mass was celebrated at Holy Vietnamese Martyrs Church, Norcross. Photo by Julianna Leopold

SEPTEMBER 

Building on the interest in the newest millennial saints, two men who died young, the Archdiocese of Atlanta celebrated the canonization of Carlo Acutis and Pier Giorgio Frassati, who died at 15 and 24, respectively. At Holy Vietnamese Martyrs Church in Norcross, the archbishop along with Atlanta priests prayed with hundreds of young people and answered questions on the process of canonization and how young adults can follow the saints’ example. 

An Atlanta priest who became an archbishop was laid to rest. Bishop Eusebius J. Beltran was ordained in Atlanta in 1960. He not only attended the Second Vatican Council sessions in Rome but marched for voting rights during the Civil Rights era. He served in several parishes and in archdiocesan roles here. While pastor of St. Anthony of Padua Church Pope Paul VI appointed him the bishop of Tulsa in Oklahoma in 1978. He then served as the archbishop of Oklahoma City in Oklahoma from 1993 until his retirement in 2010. He died Sept. 12 at age 91. 

OCTOBER 

Putting it in the rarest of high achieving schools, St. John the Evangelist School, Hapeville, earned its fourth Blue Ribbon of Excellence. It was a national recognition organized by the U.S. Department of Education since 1982. The Trump Administration canceled the awards, saying the issue should be recognized by state leaders. The award honors both high-performing schools and schools that have narrowed academic gaps between student groups. 

A spirit of welcome defined a sensory Mass at St. John Vianney Church, designed especially for parishioners with autism, Down syndrome, intellectual disabilities. The shorter Mass featured dimmed lighting, soft music as parishioners were encouraged to sit, stand, move and participate in the Mass as needed. Father Jack Knight, the pastor of the Douglasville church, celebrated the event. During his homily, he spoke to the parents gathered. “I truly believe that our children and young adults with special needs are much closer to God than we could ever imagine,” he said. “So, it’s a joy and an honor to celebrate and serve your children today.” 

Youngsters at St. Catherine of Siena Church laced up dance shoes through the parish’s Dance Academy, as children, teens and adults learned new dance styles. The program is led by parish preschool teacher Karen Grantham and volunteer instructors. The academy welcomes dancers ages 2 and older, and provides classes in ballet, tap, jazz, pointe, tumbling and contemporary dance. The academy’s structure encourages students to have fun and meet fellow community members. 

The Bearing Witness Institute at Marist School marked its one-year anniversary. It is the work of longtime educator Brendan Murphy, who has worked to foster relationships between Christians, Jews and Muslims in the Atlanta area and around the country. The effort focuses on the history of Christian antisemitism leading to the Vatican II document Nostra Aetate which reset the relationship between the church and other world religions. Church leaders replaced hostility and antisemitism towards other faiths with respect and dialogue.  

NOVEMBER 

One of the Archdiocese of Atlanta’s oldest parishes completed a milestone renovation, the most extensive since opening its doors in 1898. Parish leaders at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus undertook the project to restore the Romanesque church, removing accumulated liturgical additions. As part of the renovation, the parish converted an overlooked closet into a eucharistic chapel, reusing some of the older sacred artifacts in this new sacred space. Its completion was celebrated by Archbishop Hartmayer on Nov. 16. “Today’s rededication and consecration of this new beautiful altar,” said the archbishop at Mass, “are powerful signs that Christ continues to dwell with his people here in the heart of Atlanta.” 

In a divisive political climate, parishes and ministries around the Archdiocese of Atlanta stepped up to fill the gaps. Many church food banks lifted rules to allow families to visit more often to replace a suspended food assistance program during the federal government shutdown. Ministries cooperated with ecumenical partners to ensure families did not go without food.  

A young boy holds a candle at a bilingual Mass to pray for immigrants at Holy Cross Church in Atlanta Oct. 22 as part of a national initiative of public witness. Photo by Julianna Leopold

With facing stronger immigrant enforcement action, Holy Family Church, Atlanta, and the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Atlanta, hosted prayer services to support immigrants and had a rally outside the federal building in Atlanta in opposition to the Trump Administration action. A bilingual Mass launched the archdiocese’s participation in the movement. Jesuit Father Michael Lamanna, an immigration counselor and attorney for Catholic Charities Atlanta, celebrated Mass. “We are the voice of the church, and of the people who don’t have a voice,” he said to the faithful.  

St. Ann Church in Marietta earned national recognition for its discipleship focus. With a parish culture that emphasizes forming the whole person, the faith community was named the 2025 recipient of the Archbishop Thomas Murphy Parish Stewardship Award, presented by the International Catholic Stewardship Council (ICSC). Father James Henault, MS, and Parish Administrator David Smith presented “Resurrecting Stewardship: A Year-long Discipleship Community Practice,” at a September stewardship conference in Chicago to outline the church’s commitment to prayer, service and sharing generosity.  

DECEMBER 

St. Vincent de Paul Georgia received its largest financial gift in its 122 years from the founder of Amazon. The Bezos Day 1 Families Fund, a nonprofit started by the founder of Amazon, awarded the $5 million grant. Executive Director Mike Mies said in a statement the funding “will greatly expand our capacity to walk alongside families in crisis, moving them to stable housing and helping to build pathways to long-term stability.”  

The Bishops of the Atlanta Province released a pastoral statement Dec. 3 on Pope Leo XIV’s first apostolic exhortation, Dilexi Te (I have loved you). “The heart of his message and the fruit of our conversation is to call Catholics beyond simply believing in Jesus, to the deeper relationship of being his disciples in service to the poor by fully implementing the mind and heart of Christ in every human endeavor,” said a statement signed by eight active bishops and one retired. Nine bishops, including Archbishop Hartmayer, Bishop Joel Konzen, SM, auxiliary bishop of Atlanta; Bishop Bernard E. Shlesinger, auxiliary bishop of Atlanta; Bishop John Tran, auxiliary bishop of Atlanta, and bishops from Charleston, Savannah, Raleigh and Charlotte signed the statement