To Our Jewish Brothers and Sisters in the Atlanta Metropolitan Area,

As you gather with family and friends to welcome Rosh Hashanah, I extend to you, on behalf of the Catholic Archdiocese of Atlanta, my warmest wishes for a sweet and blessed New Year.

This sacred season of self-examination and renewal speaks to something all people of faith recognize: the need to pause, take stock of the year that has passed, and turn again toward God and toward one another with humility and hope. The sound of the shofar, calling your community to reflection and repentance, resounds beyond the walls of any one tradition–it is a summons we would all do well to hear.

Since his election, Pope Leo XIV has spoken of his intention to continue and strengthen the Church’s dialogue and cooperation with the Jewish people in the spirit of the Second Vatican Council’s declaration Nostra Aetate–a commitment I share wholeheartedly as your neighbor here in Atlanta. The Catholic community of this Archdiocese of Atlanta is grateful for the long friendship we share with our Jewish neighbors–in works of charity, in interfaith dialogue, and in the quiet, ordinary bonds of civic life we build together.

May the Book of Life hold your names and the names of those you love. May this New Year bring health, peace and the sweetness of the honey and apple to your homes and to the city we share.

L‘shanah tovah tikatevu – may you be inscribed for a good year.

With fraternal esteem and prayerful good wishes,

+ Most Reverend Gregory J. Hartmayer, OFM Conv., Archbishop of Atlanta

Twenty‑five years is long enough that someone born on Sept. 11, 2001, has since grown up, entered a career and perhaps started a family of their own. It is long enough that many students—filling our Catholic school classrooms this fall—have no personal memory of that day at all. And yet 25 years is not nearly long enough to dull the ache still carried by those who lost a spouse, a parent, a child, a friend, or a fellow firefighter, police officer or first responder on that fatal Tuesday morning. 

I remember where I was on Sept. 11, 2001. Most of us who lived through it do. We remember the stillness of the grounded planes, the improvised memorials of flowers and photographs, the long lines to donate blood and the churches that filled—not just on the following Sunday, but on ordinary weekdays—with people who suddenly needed to pray. Fear drove some of that. But something else drove it too: a recognition, however brief, that we belong to one another, and that love is stronger than the hatred that had just been unleashed against us. 

September 11 taught us, in the cruelest way possible, how fragile life truly is. An ordinary Tuesday morning—coffee poured, children dropped at school, briefcases carried onto planes and into office towers—became, without warning, the last morning nearly 3,000 people would ever know. We are not owed tomorrow. That is a hard truth, but it is also, strangely, a gift, because it teaches us not to waste the days we are given, and not to let love go unspoken to the people beside us. 

That day also revealed, with unforgettable clarity, the cost that others pay so that the rest of us can live in safety. Three hundred forty‑three firefighters. Sixty law enforcement officers. Emergency medical technicians and Port Authority officers who ran up the stairwells while others were running down. We honor them each September, and rightly so—but I wonder how often, in the ordinary months between anniversaries, we take for granted the men and women who still answer that same call today: the police officer on patrol in the early hours of the morning, the firefighter trying to get some sleep at the station waiting for the alarm, the soldier deployed far from home. Their willingness to place their lives between danger and the rest of us did not end in 2001. It is a daily sacrifice, and it deserves much more than an annual moment of gratitude. 

Scripture gives us the language for a day like this one. St. Paul assures the Romans that nothing in all of creation is able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. I have returned to that assurance many times over the years, not because it makes the grief disappear, but because it refuses to let grief have the final word. The evil done on September 11 was real. The suffering it caused—the nearly 3,000 who died that day, and the first responders and survivors who died in the years since from illnesses tied to their exposure at Ground Zero—is real. But so is the promise that love does not end at the grave. 

St. John Paul II, addressing pilgrims just days after the attacks, called on the faithful to resist the temptation toward hatred and instead to become, in his words, artisans of peace. That charge has aged well. A quarter century on, we have watched what happens when nations answer violence with more violence, and we have watched, too, what happens when ordinary people—first responders running toward danger, neighbors sheltering strangers, communities of every faith standing shoulder to shoulder at candlelight vigils—answer violence with courage and with love. Both responses are still available to us today. The anniversary asks us, again, to choose. 

A silver jubilee of grief and grace 

I have not forgotten how, for a brief season after the attacks, our divisions seemed to fall away. Strangers helped strangers out of the wreckage and off the island of Manhattan by boat. Flags appeared on porches in every kind of neighborhood. Congregations of every faith—and no faith at all—gathered to pray, sometimes for the first time in years, simply because grief had made us need one another again. A nation that so often quarrels over much lesser things stood, for a while, genuinely united in mourning. That unity was forged in sorrow, and I do not wish sorrow on anyone. But I do wish we could recover what it taught us without having to relearn it through tragedy. Forgetting is the real danger now—not forgetting the names or the dates, which are carved in granite and steel, but forgetting the debt we owe to those who died and forgetting how quickly we can lose the solidarity that suffering, for a moment, gave us. 

Here in the Archdiocese of Atlanta, so many of our parishes carry their own quiet threads back to that day: firefighters and police officers in our pews who serve because of what they witnessed as young recruits; families who moved south afterward, carrying New York or Washington or Shanksville in their hearts; children, now grown, who were baptized in the weeks after 9/11 as their parents clung to hope for the future in the middle of grief.  

We do not forget our dead. We commend them to God, and we ask their intercession for a world still very much in need of peace. 

I think often of the words inscribed at the National September 11 Memorial, drawn from Virgil’s “The Aeneid,” promising that no day will erase the fallen from the memory of time. That is a pagan poet’s promise, and a true one, but our faith makes an even bolder claim. It is not only that we will remember. It is that God remembers—that every name lost that day is known and held by the One who numbers even the hairs of our heads, and that the mercy of Christ reaches even into the ashes of Ground Zero, the wreckage of the Pentagon and the Pennsylvania field where 40 passengers and crew chose, in their final minutes, to fight rather than surrender their fellow citizens to greater harm. 

Twenty‑five years is a jubilee number in our tradition—a time appointed for remembrance, for reckoning and for renewed hope. As we mark this silver jubilee of grief and grace, let us pray: for the dead, that they may rest in the peace they were denied that morning; for those who still mourn them, that their grief may soften into hope; for the first responders who continue to suffer the day’s long aftermath, in body and in memory; and for ourselves, that we may have the grace to be, in our own generation, the artisans of peace the Holy Father asked us to become. 

May God console the grieving, honor the fallen, and make of our remembering not a wound reopened, but a seed of the peace the world still awaits. 

The poor doll could not be featured in our games of “make believe” because she was too delicate, too thin-skinned and too perky. We could not trust her out on the open plain, riding one of our imaginary horses when we pretended we were cowboys. Her tutu would surely go up in flames at our campfire. 

Of course, I said none of this to my aunt, who thought I was thrilled with the gift. Instead, I thanked her politely and then found a nice corner in my closet for the doll. I had always been more of a stuffed-animal gal myself, since glamorous dolls had a way of making me feel inferior. As for realistic, rubber baby dolls you could feed with a tiny bottle, this seemed like a lot of work with little payback.  

I was much happier hauling around my well-loved Pluto dog, Poppa, even if his fur was coming off and his eyes were gone. The dog fit in just fine on the open plain, and I was confident he could hold his own in a fist fight. His neck had big black stitches, where my mom had reattached it to his body after a skirmish with my sister had resulted in serious injuries. My mom eventually embroidered him with new eyes as well. 

When I was child, I thought stuffed animals were alive, which is why I would cry my eyes out if anything untoward happened to my dog. Sometimes my sister took advantage of this fact, when she wanted to get even with me for some wrongdoing.  

All she had to do was threaten to hurt the dog, and I would beg her forgiveness and admit my errors. The dog had a way of comforting me, no matter what was going wrong. His presence reminded me that despite the slings and arrows of everyday life, deep down everything was fine.  

Children’s toys can impart lifelong lessons. The ballerina hinted at a different world to which I would never belong. The dog with his patches and scars revealed you don’t have to be perfect to be loved. In fact, you can be coming apart at the seams and still be someone’s favorite.  

I loved that dog so much, and my aunt predicted I would carry him down the aisle on my wedding day. She wasn’t too far from the mark, since he was tucked away in my hope chest, and accompanied my husband and myself to our first home. He is still with me.   

Now that I am old, he is a reminder that you can have plenty taken away from you and still march onward. You can have poor eyesight and hearing and creaky knees like me. You can go through numerous operations and be stitched back together with a needle and thread.  

The good news is we are infinitely more than the sum of our parts. Made in God’s image, we possess an immortal soul of inestimable value. When our soul is in a state of grace, no amount of scars and stitches, bumps and bruises can matter. After all, as the psalmist assures us, “I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” 

Six churches across the Archdiocese of Atlanta have been designated as pilgrimage sites by Archbishop Gregory J. Hartmayer, OFM Conv., for the Year of St. Francis: St. Philip Benizi Church, Jonesboro; St. Francis of Assisi Church, Blairsville; St. Anthony of Padua Church, Atlanta; Holy Cross Church, Atlanta; St. Francis of Assisi Church, Cartersville; and the Catholic Center at the University of Georgia, Athens.

The Year of St. Francis began Jan. 10 and continues through Jan. 10, 2027. It marks the 800th anniversary of the saint’s death on Oct. 3, 1226.

In announcing the local sites, Archbishop Hartmayer reflected upon this year as an opportunity for deeper conversion.

“May we return to the Lord with simplicity of heart, embrace the Cross with trust and allow Christ to conform our lives ever more closely to his own,” he said.

The Apostolic Penitentiary, the Vatican office that governs indulgences, said in a decree that the special year is a time for Catholics to follow the saint’s example and become witnesses of peace.

As stated in the Catechism of the Church, an indulgence is “a remission before God of the temporal punishment due to sins whose guilt has already been forgiven.” A plenary indulgence, plenary meaning full, removes all of the temporal punishment.

During this jubilee, the office grants a plenary indulgence to all faithful who make a pilgrimage to any Franciscan church or place of worship dedicated to St. Francis of Assisi, noted they pass through the pilgrim door at each church and fulfill necessary conditions. These include confession, reception of Communion and prayer for the intentions of Pope Leo XIV.

Pilgrims are asked to go to confession prior to visiting a pilgrimage church, but Communion and prayer for the pope’s intentions are fulfilled on site.

In Georgia, the invitation to make a pilgrimage is available across the archdiocese. The designated pilgrimage churches are spread throughout the region, offering Catholics in various locations a chance to participate in the jubilee without traveling too far.

While the churches differ in architecture and history, they share the same Franciscan spirit that the saint is known for. Each parish holds deep admiration for nature and welcomes any person who walks through their door.

Pilgrims are encouraged to contact each parish ahead of a visit to schedule their pilgrimage and confirm available times for prayer or other opportunities at the church. This will allow staff to provide any specific instructions for visitors and help ensure the parish is prepared to welcome pilgrims.

A statue of Saint Francis of Assisi with outstretched arms stands in the outdoor garden of St. Philip Benizi Church in Jonesboro. The church traces its beginnings to the early 1960s, when brothers Lee and Ware Hutcheson began searching for other Catholic families in Clayton County. Today, the parish remains rooted in the Franciscan tradition. Photo by Julianna Leopold

St. Philip Benizi Church, Jonesboro

About 25 minutes south of Atlanta, St. Philip Benizi Church sits on 33 acres in Jonesboro, where the parish’s indoor and outdoor spaces invite visitors to linger.

The church traces its beginnings to the early 1960s, when brothers Lee and Ware Hutcheson began searching for other Catholic families in Clayton County. As they built a community, a vacant storefront owned by the Hutcheson family was furnished to be used as a chapel. The first public Mass in Clayton County was celebrated there on Sept. 12, 1965.

The parish today remains rooted in the Franciscan tradition. Archbishop Hartmayer served as pastor of St. Philip Benizi from 1995 to 2010.

The church’s sanctuary is surrounded by windows and stained glass. Behind the altar, an open window reveals a fountain with water flowing over rocks.

The parish grounds include open gathering spaces, including a grassy area between the original education building and the present parish building. Pilgrims are encouraged to sit outside, bring lunch, pray or spend time admiring nature.

Father Russell Governale, OFM Conv., shared that the original church building is now used for community gatherings and retreats. For him, the pilgrimage has been a great way for visitors to really understand the spirit of St. Francis.

“They’re used to us after 35 years,” he said about St. Philip Benizi’s parishioners. “But for the pilgrims, they really notice the different spirit we bring because of the charism of St. Francis.”

Archbishop Hartmayer will celebrate a Mass at St. Philip Benizi for the Transitus of St. Francis on Sunday, Oct. 4 at 11 a.m. The bilingual Mass will be on the parish grounds.

To contact the parish, call 770-478-0178 or email parishoffice@stphilipbenizi.org.  

St. Francis of Assisi Church, Blairsville 

For a true road-trip experience, head to the hills.

A little more than two hours from Atlanta, St. Francis of Assisi Church is tucked into the mountains and trees of North Georgia.

Inside the small-town church is a large window behind the altar, framing the view of mountains. In autumn, parish staff said, the view becomes especially striking as the surrounding trees take an orange hue.

The scenery makes the parish a natural place to pause and reflect on the Franciscan love of creation. But for the church, care for creation is more than a beautiful view.

The parish is recognized for its active involvement in protecting the environment. Its Care for Creation team began in 2020 as a small online study of Pope Francis’ encyclical “Laudato Si’” and has since grown into a thriving ministry.

On the parish grounds, pilgrims can find a half-acre pollinator garden filled with native plants. The ministry also works on recycling, wildfire preparedness and other environmental projects. The ministry has also connected its care efforts with charitable work, including fundraising for communities in Uganda affected by unsafe drinking water.  

The parish celebrates the Feast of St. Francis each Oct. 4 with a blessing of animals, while pet food collected for the occasion is donated to a local shelter.

Father Cong Nguyen, who became pastor in July 2025, said the pilgrimage destination gives visitors an opportunity to go beyond admiring the scenery, sharing that “pilgrims can come not only to visit a beautiful place, but to deepen their relationship with Christ.”

For Ashley Shepherd, director of religious education, the designation has a personal significance. She grew up in the parish and remembers when the space now used for parking was a basketball court.

“It’s just fun to see how it’s grown and how it’s flourished and just the beautiful community that’s been cultivated here,” she said. “I’m very blessed to witness this history unfold.”

For pilgrims making an overnight trip, parish staff recommend staying at the Seasons Inn Motel & Plaza, located in downtown Blairsville and owned by a parishioner.

To contact the parish, call 706-745-6400.

As the first African American member of the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration, Servant of God, Sister Thea Bowman, FSPA, appears on the side of the altar at St. Anthony of Padua in Atlanta. She visited the church many times during her life. Photo by Julianna Leopold

St. Anthony of Padua Church, Atlanta 

In Atlanta’s West End, St. Anthony of Padua Church offers pilgrims the chance to step into more than 120 years of Catholic history.  

Founded in 1903, St. Anthony of Padua was the third Catholic community established in what is now the Archdiocese of Atlanta. Its present sanctuary dates to 1924. Inside, the historic sanctuary is filled with stained glass windows that stand out against the white walls. 

Renovations undertaken in 2022 modernized its technological systems and refurbished the sanctuary while still preserving the historic architecture.  

The parish has been a continuous presence in the area and remains an important center of Black Catholic life. It is one of the archdiocese’s predominately African American parishes and welcomes the Nigerian Igbo Catholic community of Atlanta.  

The parish’s Franciscan spirit can be found in the way Father Desmond Drummer approaches the community. 

The church participates in Atlanta Streets Alive, opening its doors to people walking and biking through the neighborhood. Father Drummer also makes a point of keeping the doors open and welcoming people who enter with questions or simply want to talk. 

For Leslie Geer, who has been a parishioner for 40 years and serves as office manager, the parish’s vibrant community is part of what makes it special. 

“It’s just such a vibrant African American church, we’ve got the music, the vibe, the love, everything,” Geer said. “That’s what draws so many parishioners from all over to be parishioners here.” 

To contact the parish, call 404-758-8861 or contact Geer at lgeer@stanthonyatlanta.org.  

Holy Cross Church, Atlanta 

Though placed inside busy city life, this Atlanta parish feels worlds away from the traffic and bustle outside its doors.  

The Tau cross that holds a first-class relic of St. Francis of Assisi sits next to the saint’s statue at Holy Cross Church, Atlanta. Tau is the last letter of the Hebrew alphabet and is thought to be the symbol with which Ezekiel marked those chosen by God. St. Francis eventually signed his letters not with his name but with this symbol. Many Franciscans wear such a cross on a piece of leather, representing a journey never completed this side of heaven. Photo by Julianna Leopold

Holy Cross Church, near Norcross and Chamblee, is home to Franciscan Friars and a campus of gardens and flowers.  

Father Jude Michael Krill, OFM Conv., serves as pastor, with Father Benedict Abugu, OFM Conv., and Father Franck-Lino Sokpolie, OFM Conv., serving as parochial vicars. 

The church’s sanctuary creates an almost gardenlike sense of space. Earthy tones and open space create a peaceful and serene feel. A large statue of St. Francis stands near the back of the church, accompanied by a first-class relic of the saint.  

The parish’s Franciscan identity is echoed in the words of its priests. 

“One thing about Franciscans is that we always keep our doors open,” said Father Sokpolie. “It doesn’t matter who walks in or when someone walks in. The door is always open.” 

That openness is reflected in the relationships the friars have built with parishioners. Holy Cross’ history stretches back to 1956, when the first Masses for the Tucker community were celebrated at Cary Reynolds School. The mission became a parish in 1964. The Franciscans took responsibility for the parish in 2014 when Father Krill was assigned as pastor. 

During the Year of St. Francis, the parish is inviting pilgrims to learn more about the saint and the order’s charism. Father Krill will host a presentation on St. Francis on Oct. 1, while Father Sokpolie is scheduled to lead another presentation Nov. 2. The talks will explore St. Francis’ spirit, the work of the Franciscans and how his example can remain alive in a changing world. 

To contact the parish, call 770-939-3501 or email office@holycrossatlanta.org.  

St. Francis of Assisi Church, Cartersville  

About an hour northwest of Atlanta, St. Francis of Assisi Church in Cartersville offers pilgrims a chance to slow down.  

Pastor Father Kevin Hargaden has served the parish since 2022. He acknowledges that the church is farther than some Atlanta Catholics may travel, but he sees value in making the journey itself part of the experience. 

“I know we’re a little far up north, but there is something beautiful intentionally taking a trip to receive a little mercy,” he said. 

The parish sits next to a local park and trail, giving pilgrims an opportunity to combine prayer with a walk outdoors. A cotton field borders the church parking lot, while the surrounding North Georgia landscape changes with the seasons. 

Inside the church, the connection to Francis is equally visible. Windows in the sanctuary depict images based on the “Canticle of the Sun,” the prayer attributed to St. Francis that praises God through elements of creation. 

The parish is home to more than 1,000 families and includes people from a variety of backgrounds, including longtime Cartersville residents, newcomers and parishioners from countries around the world. 

To contact the parish, call 770-382-4549.  

Catholic Center at the University of Georgia 

The final designation site is about an hour and a half from Atlanta. It is a great setting not only for Catholics wanting to make a pilgrimage, but especially for fans of the Georgia Bulldogs.  

The Catholic Center at the University of Georgia sits near UGA’s athletic complex, putting pilgrims within walking distance of Sanford Stadium and the energy of a college campus. 

The intimate interior of the Catholic Center at the University of Georgia is the perfect place to sit in silence with God. “When the sun rises in the morning and you’re here for adoration, the light just shines through the windows and casts a glow onto the altar,” said Rachel Lichtenwalner, associate director of mission advancement. Photo by Julianna Leopold

Behind campus activity, however, is more than six decades of Franciscan history. Before the center existed, Catholic students at UGA originally gathered at St. Joseph Church on Prince Avenue. In 1952, property was purchased near campus to remodel a brick house into a student center. 

In 1957, the Franciscan Friars of Holy Name Province arrived at the center. They remained at the center for 62 years, providing spiritual direction and leadership until the ministry transitioned to archdiocesan priests in 2020.  

Today, Father Brian McNavish serves as director of the Catholic Center, which has a community of more than 800 members and more than 700 students. 

Inside, the intimate chapel is surrounded by stained glass and warm, rustic pews and walls.  

“When the sun rises in the morning and you’re here for adoration, the light just shines through the windows and casts a glow onto the altar,” said Rachel Lichtenwalner, associate director of mission advancement. 

Kathy Bryan, administrative assistant and UGA alumna, first became involved with the Catholic Center as a student in the 1980s. She remembers the Franciscans who served there and said the jubilee designation provides an opportunity to remember their contribution. 

“It’s very exciting to highlight that part of our history and honor those men who have spent so much time here shaping the Catholic Center,” Bryan said, recalling the days she spent with the friars at the center. “The Franciscans just lived their lives very simply. They were just always present.”  

For pilgrims, Athens offers plenty to do. Visitors can walk the north campus trail, see Sanford Stadium, or visit the State Botanical Garden of Georgia.  

To contact the parish, call 706-543-2293. 

Doors that never close 

Though the six pilgrimage sites do not form a single trail, they offer the same invitation to explore nature and the communities in the archdiocese that carry the spirit of St. Francis.  

Pilgrims can sit beneath the trees in Blairsville, walk a trail while praying in Cartersville, pray in the morning light in Athens, reflect on a blanket in the grass in Jonesboro, admire the stained glass in Atlanta or feel the tranquility of Holy Cross Church.  

Most importantly, pilgrims are welcome to walk through doors that are never closed.  

A young girl enjoys a Tet celebration co-sponsored by the Vietnamese Apostolate, Catholic Social Services, and the Vietnamese-American Association held at First Presbyterian Church in Atlanta on Feb. 19, 1977. Photo by John Purdy

Working through the Resettlement Office of Catholic Social Services, about 50 families settled in Atlanta within a year. These resettlement efforts proved somewhat challenging as refugees struggled with a new language, a new climate and the general culture shock of their sudden move to the other side of the world. Their sponsors likewise struggled to adequately meet their needs. 

In response to these growing pains, Archbishop Donnellan formally established the Vietnamese Apostolate in September 1976, appointing Father Francis Pham Van Phuong as its director. The new apostolate would offer orientation and counseling services to refugees of all religions to help them acclimate to their new home. For Catholics, Masses in Vietnamese were held each week at St. John the Evangelist Church in Hapeville. 

On Sept. 18, a special Mass was celebrated by Archbishop Donnellan and Father Pham at St. John, followed by a reception featuring Vietnamese food and performances. In a speech at the reception, parishioner Bat Nguyen Van expressed the spectrum of gratitude and heartache his compatriots were experiencing:  

“In order to preserve our freedom, our faith, and our human dignity, we had to depart from our country with empty hands. In accepting these sacrifices, we knew that we could put our entire confidence in the providence of God and in the total and effective support of the Americans…  

“All of us have been sponsored and resettled, but it does not mean our hardship has ended, because the impact of the exodus continues to affect our hearts and our minds. For even though our body is here, our heart is often lifted up to the motherland.” 

Since those eloquent words were spoken 50 years ago, the Vietnamese Catholic community has grown and expanded throughout the archdiocese. Our Lady of Vietnam was established first as a mission in Forest Park in 1989 before being elevated to a parish in Riverdale 1998. The mission of Holy Vietnamese Martyrs was established in Norcross in 2003 and elevated to a parish in 2013. And just last year, the quasi-parish of Our Lady of La Vang was established.

After celebrating its first Mass in August, the Vietnamese community is transforming a vacant Cobb County grade school into a hub for worship, community and prayer.  

Its need for more space was quickly felt. At the first Mass, some 700 people came to worship, nearly doubling the chapel’s capacity. 

That is spurring Father Tran to move quickly to knock down walls and enlarge what was once the school gym into a sanctuary for Mass. 

This work is being accomplished with the grace of God, said the 54-year-old priest. This ministry is exciting, but when initially asked to take on the endeavor, he had apprehension about starting from nothing.  

“We didn’t have anything yet. I put my trust in God,” he said.  

Getting to know neighbors 

Building a church from the ground up is a new project for Father Tran, who was ordained in 2009. As part of his plan, he visited nearly two dozen neighbors of the building, leaving chocolates and bottles of wine, and encouraged them to call him with concerns. He plans to take up a lunch invitation from a pastor at a neighboring Protestant church.  

This community started about three years ago to serve the Vietnamese on the west side of the Archdiocese of Atlanta. It is the third established Vietnamese church. The original parish is Our Lady of Vietnam Church, south of the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, with Holy Vietnamese Martyrs Church in Norcross. For months, Our Lady of La Vang members worshipped in the gym at Blessed Trinity High School in Roswell. Last fall, the community and the archdiocese bought this property for nearly $4.3 million and got the necessary city permits in late July.  

The community is starting its own heartfelt traditions, such as honoring its patroness on August’s Feast of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary. Girls in white dresses carried flower bouquets as the faithful walked in a procession alongside a statue of its patron carried on men’s shoulders.  

Father Dominic Tran sits in the donated pews that he moved into Our Lady of La Vang Church himself with parishioners’ help. The former school building is some 60,000 square feet, larger than a football field. Photo by Julianna Leopold

A growing religious education program now numbers 100 students, starting from 20 in 2024, he said. A faith formation and social ministry for men and women is getting off the ground.  

The building is some 60,000 square feet, making it larger than a football field. Father Tran has plans for excess classrooms. One is developing the library wing into a retreat facility for youth and others. He envisions weaving a nature trail with Stations of the Cross prayer areas in the school’s two acres of woods. 

Another school may become home to the training of men studying for the permanent diaconate, moving it from St. Paul of the Cross Church. 

The building still has the marks of a school. Metal file cabinets and desks fill some rooms. A wooden sign nailed to a wall outside the former gym turned social hall announces “Eastvalley Elementary School is a caring community with a passion for learning.” 

The cafeteria where youngsters on stage once entertained beaming parents is now the chapel sanctuary. The altar and other sacred objects were donated by Our Lady of Vietnam Church in Riverdale and St. Thomas More Church in Decatur. The pews that can seat more than 300 people were donated from a Protestant church.  

Mass attendance has exceeded the chapel’s capacity. Since then, a large nearby room has been set up for crowds. Soon, there will be a Saturday Mass and two on Sunday to spread the crowds out.  

Parishioners like Dianne Vu are taking up the challenge of raising money. A member from the community’s start, she and a handful of others spend time in the commercial kitchen baking mooncakes sold after Mass. Vu said she isn’t a baker at all, leaving her home kitchen to her husband, but thinks it’s important to serve. Even if that means trial and error in preparing the cakes, she laughed.  

“We try to work hard to make this happen,” Vu said. “It’s just not because of our ability, but we’re working with love.” 

“We cannot remain as unengaged spectators; rather, we must listen with our hearts, allow ourselves to be challenged, and become involved,” the pope said Sept. 2 in St. Peter’s Square.

“With Christ and sustained by the power of His Spirit, believers are called to take on the burdens of their brothers and sisters, especially those who are crushed by injustice, discrimination and violence,” he said.

Pope Leo began a new series of reflections on the Second Vatican Council’s pastoral constitution “Gaudium et Spes,” which examines the relationship between the Church and the modern world.

Recalling St. John XXIII’s warning against the “prophets of doom,” who regarded their own times as worse than the past, Pope Leo said Christians are instead called to share in the life of humanity as Christ did.

Such closeness to humanity, the pope said, also opens the way to a deeper understanding of events and of Revelation itself.

“This is not, in fact, merely a moral imperative,” he said.

Addressing English-speaking pilgrims, Pope Leo said it is the Church’s pastoral responsibility to engage with the contemporary world, share in its joys and sorrows and advocate for the poor and marginalized.

The Church, he said, also must remain “attentive to the signs of the times,” confronting “pressing issues such as the technological progress that benefits only some and the persistence of widespread poverty.”

His remarks came months after the publication of his first encyclical, “Magnifica Humanitas,” which detailed his account of the global implications of artificial intelligence and warned against allowing technological development to proceed without prioritizing human dignity.

“In our own day, marked by profound change and much injustice, each of us, then, is called to play our part in welcoming and listening to the deepest questions and longings of the human heart, making present to all the merciful love of Christ our Savior,” the pope told English speakers.

During a period of profound change that is producing “worrying imbalances,” Pope Leo said the Church is called to serve the human person by listening to “the deepest questions of their heart and the longings that dwell within them.”

The Church must point people toward Christ, he said, as “the key, the focal point and the goal of all human history.”

In Rome, I was blessed to attend the Wednesday audience with Pope Leo XIV in the Basilica of St. Peter and, because I was dressed as a bishop with my house cassock and zucchetto, I was escorted to a front row seat below the high altar over the tomb of St. Peter. When the audience concluded, the Holy Father descended from his chair in front of the main altar to greet the pilgrims, beginning first with the bishops who were in attendance. I was third in line to meet Pope Leo and thought about what I might say to him. I introduced myself by stating my name and told him that I was an auxiliary bishop of Atlanta. He asked if we had ever met before. I was quick to respond, “No, this was our first meeting.” 

I was tempted to speak about baseball and the Chicago White Sox to Pope Leo, for which we know he is a fan, but then I felt that this might not be the appropriate time for the conversation. I simply thanked him for his “Yes” to his election as the successor of St. Peter and assured him of my prayers. Pope Leo smiled and then continued to greet the other pilgrims. 

Reflecting upon my brief encounter with Pope Leo, I pondered how anyone could bear the burden of the office of the Vicar of Christ with the eyes of millions looking to him for leadership and direction. I wondered how lonely he might feel as someone who lives in the constant view of the public with the eyes of the world upon him. I surmised that the importance of his office carried with it also the burden of temptation. What advice could anyone other than Jesus offer to the pope? 

Pope Leo XIV greets Bishop Bernard E. Shlesinger III of Atlanta at St. Peter’s Basilica in August at a Wednesday general audience. Photo by Simone Risoluti/Vatican Media

Interestingly, Jesus had already addressed a message to the first pope, Simon Peter, at the Last Supper. Taking Simon Peter aside from the other apostles, Jesus said to him: “Simon, Simon, Satan has demanded to sift you all like wheat, but I have prayed that your faith will not fail. And when you turn back to me, strengthen your brethren.” These words which the Lord addressed to Simon Peter are meant for Pope Leo and for all Christians who choose to exercise leadership within the Church. Turning back to Jesus is the one indispensable lesson that all of us must embrace. 

As the Holy Father proceeded to greet the other pilgrims, I prayed that he would have that strength to see himself as Christ’s companion. This word “companion” is rooted in the concept of breaking bread together (“panis” in Latin or “pan” in Spanish), especially at the Eucharist where Jesus is our companion and is the bread of life. 

It is my hope to meet Pope Leo again next year when the bishops of our province gather in Rome for our Ad Limina visit, and that one day we too will be able to break bread together as eucharistic companions in Christ and even talk this time about baseball.

A TPS designation grants the U.S. government the power to shield eligible migrants from deportation if they are from countries experiencing dangerous conditions such as war, disaster, or other unrest. El Salvador’s TPS designation is scheduled to expire Sept. 9, according to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. The removal of that legal status would impact about 170,000 Salvadoran nationals in the U.S., according to the Congressional Research Service.

In an Aug. 21 letter to President Donald Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, more than 270 faith leaders and organizations–including several U.S. bishops and many Catholic groups including the Catholic Legal Immigration Network, also known as CLINIC–argued that Mullins should extend El Salvador’s TPS designation to prevent disruption to U.S. communities where Salvadoran migrants have established ties and prevent family separation due to remaining dangerous conditions in that country.

“We believe that sending hundreds of thousands of Salvadoran TPS holders back into an unstable and unfamiliar country that does not have the capability to support its own nationals is a danger to those individuals and a decision that would have severe negative consequences for years to come,” the letter said. “A thoughtful review of the current conditions in El Salvador, consideration of their contributions as TPS holders to the United States and the administration’s obligation to respect the statutory framework which governs TPS, supports an extension of El Salvador’s TPS designation.”

In their letter, the signatories added that although they “all come from various faith backgrounds, we have a shared purpose in respecting human life, upholding the inherent dignity of every individual person, maintaining the family unit, and protecting those who are unable to safely return to their home country due to conflict, natural disasters, or some other extraordinary condition.”

Among the many Catholic signatories on the letter were Archbishop Thomas G. Wenski of Miami, Archbishop Gregory J. Hartmayer, OFM Conv., of Atlanta, Atlanta’s auxiliary bishops and Bishop Stephen D. Parkes of Savannah. The Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns, Ignatian Solidarity Network, and CLINIC were also among the many Catholic groups signing the letter, as were religious orders such as the Sisters of Mercy and the Sisters of St. Francis of Perpetual Adoration.

In a statement, Elnora Bassey, a policy attorney at CLINIC, argued, “Sending Salvadoran TPS holders back into unsafe conditions at a time where deportees in El Salvador are being detained without adequate representation, kidnapped, or potentially face some other harm, is cruel and can have a long-lasting harmful impact on those forced to return.”

“At a time where immigrants are being targeted and lawful protections are becoming less available to those who need it, the administration has an opportunity to make a choice that demonstrates its ability to protect vulnerable populations and that we are a nation that demonstrates compassion for all people regardless of status,” Bassey said.

Earlier this year, the U.S. Supreme Court allowed the Trump administration to end TPS designation for Haitian and Syrian nationals. Catholic leaders have also urged protection for nationals from those countries who would be subject to dangerous conditions in their countries of origin.

As Connor watched pages and pages of office paper slowly rain down from the burning skyscraper against the clear sunny sky, the realization hit that his cousin Steven Schlag, a bond trader at the brokerage firm Cantor Fitzgerald, worked high up in one of the towers.

The banker suspected the number of lives lost was quickly rising as he frantically tried to call his cousin, a very close relative. Then, the middle of the second tower burst into a fiery ball, struck by a second jet. For Connor, this confirmed a terrorist attack.

“How could this happen again?” he remembers asking himself. “(Steven) had a wife–a foreign-born wife, like my mom was–and three kids. My mom had two. But why, God? What? How did you let this happen?”

He knew well the anguish of a young widow left with young children. It was the story of his mother on the day she lost her husband to a terrorist bombing 26 years earlier, at a historic tavern near his Wall Street office.

Connor, 60, recently described to OSV News the devastation that unfolded before his eyes in New York on Sept. 11, 2001, as the United States prepares to mark the 25th anniversary of the terrorist attacks. The al-Qaida-led attacks in New York and Washington, with a thwarted attempt failing in Pennsylvania, left close to 3,000 people dead.

Connor said he questioned God after seeing “specks jumping” from the blazing towers to their deaths on 9/11.

“How are people left to make a choice: whether to burn or drop 1,000 feet?” Connor asked. “So, that’s something I had struggled with. But I think over time, my faith has gotten much stronger, and certainly in the last decade or so, I think it has even gotten more so.”

Connor, a regular Massgoer, credits his stronger faith after the losses in part to his son, an Augustinian friar studying for the priesthood. He said his son’s faith has helped him to “become more introspective … and understand what it means to be Catholic … to really embrace God and embrace Jesus.”

Now a New Jersey-based anti-terrorism advocate, Connor lost his father days after his ninth birthday. On Jan. 24, 1975, 33-year-old Frank Connor was at lunch at Fraunces Tavern in the heart of Manhattan’s financial district when he and three other men were killed, and nearly 60 were injured in a bombing. The Armed Forces of National Liberation (FALN), a Puerto Rican separatist group, claimed responsibility.

Connor said he has had no inclination to walk away from God, unlike some others he knew who lost loved ones on 9/11. The experience, he said, of losing his father and being raised by a mother and grandmother who were devout, Irish women kept him grounded and better able to handle the loss of his close cousin, whom he described as tough and funny.

“We went to church and all those things, but Grandma Connor always instilled in us never to be raised with hate,” said Connor.

His cousin Jean Schlag Nebbia of Naples, Florida, also clung to her faith shortly after her older brother Steven, who was 41, died in the attack.

“I never blamed God for 9/11. I felt that you’re given the gift of life, and then you’re given the gift of choice. And sometimes there’s bad people and they make bad choices, and other people are hurt through bad choices,” Nebbia, a former special needs teacher’s aide, told OSV News.

Three months after the attacks, she came to a realization.

Nebbia, 63, described watching news footage of the burning towers obsessively, trying to find her brother among those jumping out of the buildings. On the third month of non-stop viewing, her husband gave her some advice a Christian coworker had given him: “to say ‘I’m going to put this in God’s hands.'”

“The moment he said that to me is the moment I started to live … giving up my worries and giving up the unknown,” Nebbia told OSV News. “You know, ‘God, I need a good night’s sleep. I’m going to put this in your hands.’ That, to me, was a turning point. And I don’t know if I could have done that if I didn’t have my Catholic base.”

Nebbia said her 12 years of Catholic education and growing up as a regular Massgoer gave her a solid grounding in faith in God’s providence. She said she goes to God in prayer for almost every aspect of her life because “he has my back” just like her older brother, whom she was very close to, “always did.”

Vera Murphy Trayner also leaned heavily on her faith after losing her husband, Patrick Murphy.

On the morning of the attack, Trayner prayed the rosary fervently as she rushed home from her son’s nursery school while pushing him in his stroller. Murphy, 36 and the vice president for technology at the resource and management consulting firm Marsh McLennan, was on the 97th floor of the first tower that was hit three floors below. His department had moved there just months prior.

Trayner’s go-to devotion “always” came through for her with prayers answered.

“I prayed and prayed and prayed that Patrick would find a way out. He was so smart … and athletic and young … and it was the first prayer that I made that was not answered,” Trayner told OSV News.

She said she “was disappointed” but also held firm to the belief that her husband’s death “happened for a reason” and she “had to accept it.”

“Well, it’s free will. The terrorists, obviously they’re guided by evil and they were able to do such an evil act,” Trayner said. “I don’t want to feel sorry for myself because all through history, there have been traumas, wars. There’s death. There’s fires.”

Now 60, Trayner said her studies at Jesuit-run Boston College opened her up further to the faith during difficulties.

“I was able to ask questions and being a woman in the Catholic faith, being a widow in the Catholic faith, being a mother, I read quite a bit of different books … answering my own questions and talking with people,” she said.

Trayner, a Tampa-based college counselor who remarried in 2006, has relied on the Holy Spirit “to give me the right words,” the Blessed Mother to intercede in raising her children, and the saints, especially Joan of Arc, to guide her through every major challenge.

Still, she said, as she described breaking into a sweat while speaking to OSV News, she remains haunted by the thought of how her first husband must have suffered as the north tower became engulfed in an inferno and collapsed.

Nebbia admitted that as a Catholic, in recent weeks she has begun to struggle with forgiving the terrorists.

“I just feel like I don’t need to forgive them. That’s not my job. So now I’m questioning myself, like, ‘Alright, how do I go about forgiving these people, how?’ That was their goal. They achieved their goal. Now, I question that part of me,” she said.

Connor said he has come to accept his family’s tragic losses.

“Maybe I didn’t understand the reason, and maybe I don’t understand the reason why Steve was killed and the other 3,000 people, but I do feel that God does have a reason for it,” he said.

Celebrating the Feast of the Assumption Aug. 15, the pope said the artistic depictions of a youthful Mary ascending to heaven stand in stark contrast to the reality of aging that all people experience.

“The glorification of Mary, body and soul, teaches us that our true beauty does not lie in hiding the signs of aging, but in revealing the signs of love that never end, and are even impressed on our flesh,” he said.

“With this in mind, we are invited to reexamine many of the aesthetic standards, predominantly hedonistic and consumerist in nature, that the world imposes on us,” he added.

Pope Leo, who is staying at the papal residence in Castel Gandolfo Aug. 12-18, celebrated Mass at the parish of St. Thomas of Villanova. The 17th-century church, named after the Spanish Augustinian friar, was designed by the famed Italian artist Gian Lorenzo Bernini and is the only pontifical parish located outside the Vatican.

The parish’s celebration of the Marian feast day was a tradition started by St. John XXIII and continued by St. John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI. Although Pope Francis broke with custom by staying in Rome during the summer, Pope Leo XIV revived the practice.

In his homily, the pope began by reflecting on the day’s first reading from the Book of Revelation. The reading’s description of “a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet,” he said, signified “that in Mary’s heart, heaven and earth, time and eternity, meet.”

To understand what one has in common “with the beautiful young woman depicted on the altarpieces of our churches,” the pope said Christians must “unite the two signs we have mentioned: the incorrupt body of the Mother of God and her immaculate heart.”

“For it is the purity of the soul that, in Mary–as in us–by the grace of God, illuminates and transfigures the whole person, leading us to the glory of Heaven,” he said.

Reflecting on modern beauty standards, Pope Leo said they “risk trapping us in burdensome expectations, causing us to waste precious energy on what does not really matter and does not last forever.”

“In everyday life, we encounter people whose faces are marked by the years and by suffering, yet who are capable of radiating serenity, kindness and peace around them; just as we may observe others who are perhaps outwardly attractive but hard and cold at heart,” he said. “It is easy to see where true beauty lies and where, on the other hand, there is still a need for conversion, forgiveness and healing.”

In order “to discover and nurture” divine beauty, the pope continued, Christians must learn to see it in “the wrinkles of an elderly person as in the tender face of a child as well, in the maturity of an adult as in the liveliness of a young person as well, in work clothes and tools as well as in festive decorations.”

Each of those realities, he added, contains unique stories of love that offer “small glimpses of heaven.”

“Love is humanity’s most beautiful adornment,” the pope said. “Love transfigures, transforms, ennobles and lifts us up, making us light, free and close to God, even amid life’s ups and downs.”

Turning to the Gospel reading from St. Luke, in which Mary visits her cousin Elizabeth and “proclaims the greatness of the Lord,” Pope Leo said Christians need not look far to understand Mary’s humble exclamation of “the magnificent mysteries she experienced.”

Those mysteries, he explained, are visible wherever true charity exists. The pope noted the examples of weary parents to their children “after a long day,” grandparents caring for grandchildren, morally courageous young people and ordinary workers who “help bring a little bit of heaven to Earth.”

“The beautiful face of Our Lady of the Assumption is unique; it transcends any possible representation, and yet, at the same time, is familiar to us,” Pope Leo said. “Even at this very moment, we can see her face in the people who are close to us, such as the brothers and sisters with whom, in faith, we share the daily offering of our lives.”

Over 35 years as a professor, I have probably taught “The Odyssey” at least 50 times. The work is a cornerstone of Western Civilization; a key part of the so-called Great Code that understands the Hellenic and Hebraic narratives of creation and human nature as the foundation of public and personal endeavor we honor and emulate today. 

When my abbreviated summer session of World Literature began in June, I shortened the class reading of “The Odyssey.” While I thought that most of the students had already been exposed to the work in high school, I also knew that Nolan’s film was imminent. I trusted the class to see the movie, and many of them did. Their reviews were mixed, as is mine—Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey” is a great film, but not always a great adaptation. My students who saw the film did not have the context I expected. Their general response seemed to be, “It was pretty good.” 

The Odyssey has been interpreted many times. Any lover of English poetry knows Keats’ “On First Looking into Chapman’s Homer.” While Tennyson’s poem “Ulysses” is my favorite consideration of the epic, I still think that Robert Fagles’ poetic translation is the best modern translation we have. Emily Wilson—the first woman to translate the poem, and whose work Nolan referenced for his movie—recently wrote that she would be embarrassed to have contributed anything to the film. 

Worse than those who perhaps unfairly criticize the film or those who are already praising it as the greatest movie of the 21st century, are those who announce that they won’t see it at all. This is the audience that most concerns me. This is the audience that wants nothing to do at all with the classical past. They are missing a lot. 

I am continually surprised that most of my general education world literature students know very little about the Hebrew Scriptures of Genesis and Exodus. They know even less about the New Testament, whether the Gospels or the Epistles. When I introduce these texts to them in class, many of them are horrified: “We’re reading The Bible? In school?” 

Yes, we are. And we’re also reading Homer, Virgil and Ovid. And we’re considering Islam, Hinduism and Zen Buddhism. If you propose to teach a semester course in world literature, you must reckon with the great narrative and religious traditions of both West and East. 

Doing so means that you must abridge and adapt. You must capture the essence of the text and tradition, even though you cannot express it fully and literally. And you cannot simplify the text to suit the expectations of the audience. 

Does Nolan’s Odyssey accomplish this? In some ways, yes. Yet there are many compressed moments in the movie that detract from the story’s subtle and nuanced understanding of human nature. When I was not in awe of the film’s visual allure, I occasionally tired of the violence. To be fair, spectacle is a highlight of both the poem and the film; Homer’s vibrancy can be as disgusting as it is amazing. Nolan’s graphic depictions are equally stunning. Yet Nolan misses that some of the best moments in “The Odyssey” aren’t violent. Rather, they are quiet and introspective and reveal a complexity of character. 

Matt Damon portrays Odysseus in a scene from the movie “The Odyssey.” The OSV News classification is A-III—adults. The Motion Picture Association rating is R—restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian. OSV News photo/Melinda Sue Gordon, Universal

Consider one of the best-known sequences of the epic, the encounter with the one-eyed giant Cyclops, Polyphemus. In the poem, Polyphemus is a drunken clod, a brute who devours many of Odysseus’ crew, thus horribly violating the code of hospitality that is so central to the Law of Zeus. Yet Homer also shows us another side of Polyphemus, a tender concern for his sheep that links him to the classical pastoral ideal while also showing him as a fully rounded character. Nolan’s interpretation misses this empathy and depicts only the cruel vulgarity of the Cyclops, who he links not to the pastoral but to the Goya painting of “Saturn Devouring His Son.” 

Further, the Cyclops episode in the poem reveals the great cunning of Odysseus, who uses his clever intellect to fool Polyphemus so that the crew can escape. The “Nobody” or “No-Man” deception is brilliant because it showcases the hero’s talent even as it ironically foreshadows his literal disappearance from his home and family and his entrapment by Calypso.  

Nolan’s rendition is visually captivating, but by dismissing the complexities of both characters, the viewer misses both Homer’s insight and a delightful narrative twist. 

As I watched the film, I became aware that I was having a quiet conversation with it, either affirming its moments of greatness or wanting to cry out in protest. While Nolan retains much of what makes the epic fascinating beyond violence—the visit to the underworld and the prophecy of Tiresias are good examples—there are historical details such as armor and ships that have upset purists. And while Nolan remains true to the fidelity of Penelope, he takes interesting liberties with the portrayals of other female figures such as Circe, Calypso and Athena. Anyone who has read the poem anticipated what Nolan might do with the Sirens, Charybdis and Scylla, and I won’t spoil that for you. I won’t spoil the depiction of the Laestrygonians either, except to say that I loved the framing of that scene. 

Understanding ourselves and our place 

So why should a Christian, and especially a Catholic Christian, care so much about an ancient poem nearly 3,000 years old that predates the Gospel by 800 years? 

Because we can’t truly understand ourselves and our place in the world without it. 

The Homeric epics “The Iliad” and “The Odyssey,” along with Virgil’s “The Aeneid” and Ovid’s “Metamorphoses,” are as foundational as Hebraic Scripture. They illuminate who we are, what it means to be human and what it means to have an innate awareness of a Creator. The profound difference between the Hebraic and Hellenic conceptions of God must be understood if we are to fully know the narrative of Salvation History, Christianity and the development of theology. 

When St. Paul confronts the Greeks with the Gospel, their response is like that of many of my students when presented with classical and ancient texts: some scoff, some understand, and some muse that they would like to hear more about it another time.  

Like many teachers have expressed after seeing Nolan’s film, I am thrilled that the movie has captured the interest of a young audience that now wants to read the epic for themselves. I look forward to teaching it anew this fall semester to an audience who I know will be more engaged by the material than usual. 

I am also excited about the two forthcoming Mel Gibson films “The Resurrection of the Christ.” Part One is due to be released on May 6 —Ascension Day—next year, and Part Two is scheduled for May of 2028. The film will feature vivid portrayals of the Harrowing of Hell, which will spark even more dialogue among both believers and non-believers than “The Odyssey” has. 

When J.R.R. Tolkien was trying to convince C.S. Lewis to convert to Christianity, he came at the matter from the vantage of foundational and classical myth. Lewis protested that myths are “lies,” and Tolkien’s reply was adamant: “No, they are not lies.” Tolkien knew that myth is a doorway to truth, and truth an invitation to faith. Whether you’re headed back to high school or college this fall, or investigating the Homeric epics further on your own, take comfort that in a rapidly changing world, myth is not only relevant, but it endures. 

Evelyn Fuentes is an up-and-coming musician whose talent earned her the privilege to share the stage with the symphony.    

She performed the “Glazunov Concerto” for alto saxophone under Maestro Dirk Meyer’s conducting, accompanied by the orchestra. She received the 2025 Youth Concerto Competition award, which earned her the opportunity to perform   

Evelyn Fuentes, a graduate of Pinecrest Academy, performed with the Augusta Symphony.

“I had the most amazing experience performing with the Augusta Symphony. Being surrounded by so many hardworking and talented professional musicians was beyond inspiring, and I am so grateful to them for the kindness they showed me during that weekend. Performing with Augusta was the best debut I could have asked for, and I hope to perform in a similar capacity very soon,” she wrote in an email.  

It’s one of many accolades she received during high school. Fuentes will continue studies in saxophone performance at Northwestern University.  

Hannon, a parishioner at St. Mary’s Church in Rome, is a guest columnist for The Georgia Bulletin and is author of two memoirs—her most recent a spiritual memoir.  

Lauretta Hannon’s spiritual memoir was released by Mercer University Press Aug. 4.

“A Priest Walks into a Waffle House: Stories from a Gritty, Grace-Filled Life” shares tales from Hannon’s colorful childhood to her discovery of the Catholic faith and beyond.  

Disarming a playground bully with vulnerability, experiences with her flawed yet greatest spiritual teachers and a sister’s love in a fractured family are all essay topics. Her book serves as a reminder that “grace abounds where we often miss it: in the grittiness of life.” 

Hannon discussed her vocation of writing and the new book in this Q&A with The Georgia Bulletin: 

Georgia Bulletin: Some readers feel like they know you through your guest columns in The Georgia Bulletin or from reading “The Cracker Queen: A Memoir of a Jagged, Joyful Life.” For the rest, can you share a nutshell introduction to yourself? 

Hannon: I’m just a girl who came from the wrong side of the tracks in Warner Robins, Georgia. But I’m also a lifelong seeker of truth and beauty. A lover of God. Someone upon whom grace has been lavishly bestowed, especially during the grittiest times. 

Despite this, I grew up with a disdain for Christianity and spent most of my life mocking it at every opportunity. It grieves me to even say that now.  

Then one morning in 2015, I had a mystical encounter with a priest at the Mableton Waffle House. It stopped me dead in my tracks and made me reconsider my whole spiritual identity. My conversion wasn’t fast or pretty. The journey has been fitful, poignant, and at times, laugh-out-loud funny. And believe me: the joke’s been entirely on me! 

Today, I’m on fire for the Lord and want everybody to know about–and access–the inexhaustible riches of the Catholic faith. 

GB: When did you first discover you had a gift for writing and storytelling? How did this gift help you sort through both the suffering and joyful experiences of your life? 

Hannon: I was 10, and my dad and I were visiting family in Hartford, Connecticut. My Great-Aunt Martha asked me to compose a poem and read it to everyone. Doing that absolutely lit me up in a way I’d never experienced. When I wrote about it in the new book, I recalled a quote that really captured it. 

“There is always one moment in childhood when the door opens and lets the future in,” from Graham Greene’s “The Power and the Glory.”  

I got a glimpse of what I was put here to do. 

Writing has been a spiritual practice for me and a form of prayer–and even worship. When sitting down to tell a story and make meaning of it, I’m forced to be still and listen. I’ve found that the Holy Spirit often comes through loud and clear during those moments. 

GB: “A Priest Walks into a Waffle House: Stories from a Gritty, Graced-Filled Life” is a collection of essays on your experiences and encounters. Is there one that stands out as a crowning jewel or one that never leaves you? 

Lauretta Hannon

Hannon: The standout has to be the “It’s real” moment.  

After many months of struggling to believe that what the Church says is true, I received a divine message while at Mass. It was only two words, but it had the power of a direct lightning strike behind it. 

The message was, “It’s real.” As in: Jesus is real. His words are real. The Resurrection is real. The Eucharist is the real body, blood, soul, and divinity of Christ–because He said so. The Catholic Church is real.  

It blew me away! I mean, how can you walk away from that? 

GB: The new book’s title reads like a joke opening, and humor has a starring role in both your books. How important is laughter and seeing the funny side of things in the practice of faith? 

Hannon: Writer Anne Lamott says, “Laughter is carbonated holiness.” I believe that. Nothing connects people better than humor. Walls dissolve when you share a laugh with someone.  

There’s something deeply spiritual and healing in being able to see the comedic in something, particularly when you’re going through dark times. I bet the enemy hates that. 

Even my prayer through the writing of the new book was funny, although I wasn’t trying to make it that way. I prayed, “Jesus, you’re gonna have to put your razzmatazz on this book. I can’t pull it off by myself. Remember: razzmatazz, okay?” 

GB: You close your new book with Rules for Real Radicals. What does it mean to be a real radical? 

Hannon: To be a real radical is to truly love everyone, realizing there are no others. A real radical is a joyful rebel in a despairing world. A real radical devotes time to disciplined spiritual practice in order to become and remain present to the presence of God. A real radical sees suffering as a great teacher. As you can tell, I could go on and on!  

In a nutshell, a real radical is an apostle of hope.

Reach for Excellence recognized this milestone with a celebration on March 26 in the Marist School library and the dedication of a plaque honoring founders and early supporters in June.    

In 1998, as Marist School prepared to mark its centennial, then–Father Joel Konzen, SM, and the Society of Mary reflected on how they might serve students beyond the school’s immediate community. Their vision was to reach talented students from under-resourced backgrounds and open doors to opportunity.  

After three years of exploring enrichment programs, the Marists found a program to help promising students from low-income households gain admission to college-prep high schools.  

The first class in June 2001 began with 25 rising seventh graders. Twenty-five years later, Reach for Excellence has graduated 564 students. All but one completed high school, and 92 percent went to college. Alumni have earned degrees from Harvard, Yale, Princeton and MIT. Among them are doctors, attorneys, educators and an astrophysicist.  

Students with Reach for Excellence met during the summer to prepare for the high school entrance exam. The Reach for Excellence organization began to help students from working-class backgrounds prepare for college-prep high schools. It marks its 25th anniversary this year.

Lead by Executive Director Dr. Linda Lehmil, Reach continues its mission. This year, all students who applied to private or independent schools were admitted, and 61 percent enrolled. Scholars attend Marist School, Cristo Rey Atlanta Jesuit High School, The Paideia School, St. Pius X Catholic High School, Westminster, Wesleyan School, Dekalb Early College Academy and public high schools.  

Class of 2025 graduates attend colleges and universities including Columbia, Brown, Emory and Georgia Tech.   

“None of this would have been possible without Father Bill Rowland,” said Bishop Konzen. “He was the driving force who made it happen and who issued the clarion call that the Society of Mary needed to broaden the scope of what we have done in Atlanta for the next 100 years.”  

Reach has been guided by a committed board and supporters including Wade Stribling, Jim MacGinnitie, Bob Fitzgerald, Steve Raeber, the late Tim Cambias, Rocco Testani and others.  

Marist School alumni on the board include: Amanda Glover Bradley, Missy Chambless; Natalie Smith Childs, Brendan Dete, Brandon M. Fountain, Jennifer Thomas Gordon, Wolly Mendez, Kelly Cambias Miles, Katherine Riley Robb, Lyn Connolly Schaffer, Jordan Snellings and Alison MacGinnitie Thompson ’88.  

To donate, visit www.reachforexcellence.org.

At the exit of the “People of Hope” museum, visitors were invited to complete prompts such as “I will create hope by …” and “I will live as Jesus did.” 

These promises were clipped inside a tractor-trailer converted into a traveling museum that illustrates the hard choices faced by men and women living on the margins of society and how Catholic Charities responds.  

For Gwen Hinton, the museum reinforced her desire to work for social justice.  

“It just deepened our desire to be the kind of change we want to see in the world,” said Hinton. 

She and her husband, Mike, worship at St. Andrew Church in Roswell. Both are active in serving the poor at their parish and giving their time to the night shelter at the Shrine of Immaculate Conception in Atlanta.  

Visiting the exhibit on Aug. 5 helped the two of them gain a deeper understanding of the work they are already doing, she said. The exhibit revealed how charity is necessary, but it’s also important to fix the structures that can keep people in poverty, she said.  

Caroline Gold of Catholic Charities Atlanta smiles outside the “People of Hope” mobile museum parked in between St. Peter Chanel Church and Blessed Trinity High School in Roswell for its Georgia visit. Part of the museum is dedicated to hearing video testimonials from volunteers who accompany people facing dire situations. Photo by Julianna Leopold

This unique museum turned the spotlight on neighbors in need and those who help them. It is called “People of Hope: Faith-Filled Stories of Neighbors Helping Neighbors.” Built into a retrofitted tractor-trailer, the museum was parked between St. Peter Chanel Church and Blessed Trinity High School in Roswell for its two days in Georgia. 

The People of Hope Museum is to visit more than 150 communities across the country. The initiative comes from a grant of nearly $5 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. as part of its National Storytelling Initiative on Christian Faith and Life.  

Vanessa Russell, CEO of Catholic Charities Atlanta, greeted visitors. She said a goal of the traveling exhibit is to move beyond dry statistics and “humanize poverty” by allowing people to hear stories and become immersed in the lives of others. The hope is that experiencing the hardships “hit your heart” in a way numbers cannot, Russell said. 

For two days, more than 120 people walked through the museum for an immersive experience. Viewers got the chance to learn about the lives of five individuals facing hard choices, including families with special needs children, a widow living on limited income and former prisoners resettling after incarceration. 

Does the prisoner take a higher-paid mechanic job, at the risk of violating parole as he is surrounded by friends from the old neighborhood? Or the widow with a high heat bill, weighing whether to pay her rent, her heating bill or medicine? 

Laurel Harrell, left, participates in an interactive exhibit at the “People of Hope” museum. Her husband John Harrell reads alongside her. The museum was built into a retrofitted tractor trailer and visited the archdiocese for two days, parked near Blessed Trinity High School in Roswell. Photo by Julianna Leopold

Alison Hernandez, a Catholic Charities senior staff member working with refugees, said challenges faced by the poor can be hard to resolve because they are caused by a web of overlapping issues touching their lives.  

Catholic Charities Atlanta is focused less on financial assistance as “case workers educate to empower individuals,” she said. The work covers a range of challenges that make life hard based on people’s unique circumstances, from lowering medical debt and working with housing counselors to registering for federal aid programs, she said. 

Part of the museum is dedicated to hearing video testimonials from volunteers who accompany people facing dire situations. A small library allowed visitors to get a list of books and other resources to improve communities and strengthen connections between neighbors and serving the poor.  

In 2025, more than 10,000 women and men in the Atlanta area were served by the nonprofit Catholic Charities. Some 631 volunteers contributed to the effort. Russell said additional volunteers will be vital to assist people as the federal government reduces its financial support for these types of services. 

“This is taking the numbers and giving you the story behind the numbers,” Russell said. “That helps them grow a little bit in their compassion but also on the other hand to really inspire them to action.” 

In the following Q&A, both principals discuss their path to leadership and goals for the year ahead. The following responses have been edited for length and clarity: 

Breanna Johnson-Anderson

A full-circle moment

Breanna Johnson-Anderson, an Atlanta native, attended St. Peter Claver as a preschool student before continuing at St. Thomas More and St. Pius X High School. She earned a bachelor’s degree in elementary education and a master’s degree in educational leadership from the University of Alabama. Johnson-Anderson has served at St. Peter Claver for 10 years, teaching students in third through sixth grades. She said her passion for Catholic education was inspired by her grandmother, who taught elementary school for 35 years. 

How do you feel having the opportunity to serve as interim principal of St. Peter Claver Regional Catholic School?  

It feels incredibly surreal and truly like a full-circle moment in my life. I attended St. Peter Claver for pre-K, and now, years later, I have the privilege of returning to serve the very community that helped shape who I am today. This was my first teaching position after graduating from college, so to now step into a leadership role at the school that gave me my start is an incredible honor. 

St. Peter Claver is known for its diverse student body and school community. What excites you most about leading a school where students and families come from so many different backgrounds and cultures? 

Leading a school with such rich diversity is exciting because it gives our students the opportunity to learn from one another every single day. They don’t just read about different cultures in textbooks, they build friendships, celebrate traditions and gain an appreciation for perspectives that may be different from their own. 

When you’re not at school, what are some of your favorite hobbies? 

I’m a big sports fan, especially when it comes to University of Alabama football. Fall Saturdays are often spent cheering on the Crimson Tide, and during football season you’ll also find me rooting for the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sundays. 

Who has had the greatest impact on your life as an educator, and what did you learn from them? 

Patty Childs, our current superintendent. Childs was actually my first-grade teacher many years ago. To now serve as an educational leader alongside my former teacher, who continues to guide and support me as my superintendent, is truly a full-circle moment. 

As you begin this new role, what are some of your priorities for students, families and faculty during the coming school year? 

I want every student who walks through our doors to know they are loved and have been given unique gifts and talents by God. I hope our families continue to feel that SPC is truly a partnership. I want our faculty and staff to know how much I value the incredible work they do every day. Teachers are the heart of our school, and my goal is to support them with the tools they need to continue providing an exceptional education for our students. 

Cynthia Launay-Fallasse

Serving a school that has become home

Cynthia Launay-Fallasse begins her new role after serving St. Mary’s Academy since 2002. She studied English and theology in college before serving in a L’Arche community in France. She joined SMA as an English and French teacher and has since worked as a varsity coach, theater director, director of enrollment and advancement and assistant principal. Launay-Fallasse said her experiences in Catholic education and school leadership have prepared her to continue the school’s mission and support its community.  

After spending so many years serving this community, what does this new chapter as principal mean to you personally?  

I feel a profound reconfirmation of my calling. I am humbled to serve this community. As I begin my 25th year at SMA, I am most excited to build on our strong foundation of being a community firm in faith, joyful in hope and strong in knowledge. I am optimistic about guiding this school that has truly become my home.  

As a parent of St. Mary Academy graduates, you have experienced the school both as an educator and as a parent. How has that influenced your understanding of what families are looking for in a Catholic school?  

My daughters are who they are today in large part because of the dedicated faculty, staff and peers who surrounded them. Both have chosen vocations in healthcare centered on serving others. One is completing a master’s degree in speech-language pathology at Loyola University, and the other is in her final year at Georgia Tech, currently applying to medical school. Experiencing this growth in my own children while simultaneously working at SMA has given me a distinct understanding that parents want academic rigor, but more than anything, they are yearning for an environment that forms the heart as much as the mind.  

You have seen generations of students walk through St. Mary Academy’s doors. What is something you have learned from your students over the years?  

I’ve learned unconditional joy from my pre-K and kindergarten students. I’ve learned to remain curious from my elementary school students. I’ve learned compassion from my middle school students (and gen-alpha slang). I’ve learned the power of authenticity from my high schoolers. While every age group brings a different gift, each student who walks through St. Mary Academy’s doors has left a lasting mark on me.  

What excites you about the school’s STEM initiatives, and how do you hope to continue building on that foundation?  

I can brag about our state-of-the-art STEM labs, our initiatives and our commitment to excellence in STEM, but what excites me most about St. Mary’s Academy’s program is the opportunity to teach at the natural intersection of faith and science. By confronting the difficult ethical questions surrounding new technologies, we challenge our students not only to master technical skills, but to use them with moral discernment.   

Dr. Allen Hunt

On Sept. 11-13, Hunt will lead “The Power of Forgiveness” at The Retreat at Heritage in Crawfordville. He will provide tools and concrete ways to help those attending forgive themselves, let go of past hurts inflicted by others and to embrace God’s forgiveness and mercy. Hunt is author of “No Regrets” and is a former mega-church pastor who joined the Catholic Church. 

Although he has spoken and written about forgiveness, this is the first time he’s put the subject into a retreat format. Hunt is familiar with the healing that forgiving can bring. 

“I’m a really bad forgiver. I come from a long line of grudge holders,” he said. 

This retreat will offer Mass and the sacrament of reconciliation.  

“You’ll have a lot of time for silence,” said Hunt. “It’s not your everyday retreat experience.” 

As the leader, he will be equipping participants with “a real path” and not just talking. 

“It’s about the nature of God,” and merging with him to learn to be forgiving and to seek redemption. 

Hunt said the peaceful setting of Heritage and the inspiring sacred art it showcases will lend to the experience. 

“It’s a place that’s really conducive to this type of spiritual healing,” he said. 

The four programs, spread over three days, are: “The Most Powerful Word in the English Language,” “Giving and Receiving Forgiveness,” “How to Forgive Yourself” and “The Immense Ocean of God’s Mercy and Love.” Sunday Mass at the Church of the Purification will conclude the weekend retreat.  

For more information on the retreat, visit https://www.heritagega.org/events or email retreat@heritagega.org. 

“Everybody needs to forgive somebody,” Hunt said. 

The pope offered prayers “for the eternal rest of the deceased and raises his prayers to the Lord for the speedy recovery of those affected by this tragedy,” said a telegram to Archbishop Francisco Javier Múnera Correa of Cartagena, president of the Colombian Bishops’ Conference, signed by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican secretary of state.

The earthquake struck in the morning Aug. 10, with hundreds of videos posted online of people fleeing outdoors as the ground below them violently shook.

The Colombian Association of Capital Cities reported that the death toll rose to 132, with more than 570 injured. The association, which is a network of Colombia’s major cities, said the number is expected to change as damage assessments continue in the affected areas.

In his message, which the Vatican published Aug. 11, Cardinal Parolin conveyed the pope’s condolences “to the families who, in this hour of deep sorrow, mourn the loss of their loved ones.”

“In the same way, he assures his spiritual closeness and expresses his gratitude to all those who, with generous dedication, are working in the search, rescue, and assistance efforts for those affected,” the message read.

“Through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, he asks the Lord to pour out upon the beloved Colombian people the gifts of spiritual strength and Christian hope,” said the message.

According to Colombia’s Geological Service, the quake’s epicenter was the northwestern department of Chocó, and the intense magnitude made it “the strongest earthquake felt in Colombia in the last decade.”

The Geological Service also reported that, as of Aug. 10 in the afternoon, the country has recorded 18 aftershocks with magnitudes between 1.4 and 4.8 since the initial earthquake.

In a message published Aug. 10, the Colombian Bishops’ Conference expressed its closeness to the victims of the deadly 7.4 magnitude quake, as well as those who have been displaced.

“We pray for those who have lost their lives, that God may grant them eternal rest; for the persons who are still missing; for the injured, and for the affected families,” the bishops said.

The bishops also prayed for relief and medical personnel, as well as military and government authorities, “and all those who, with generosity and courage, are working in search, rescue, and care efforts for those affected.”

“This painful moment reminds us that no one can face an emergency of this magnitude alone,” the statement read. “Colombia is called, once again, to recognize itself as one family and to respond to the suffering of its brothers and sisters with generosity, responsibility, and solidarity.”

Among the videos of the destruction wrought by the earthquake were that of the Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary in Manizales, as well as several churches that were heavily damaged in the aftermath.

The Archdiocese of Manizales also shared a 10-second video showing a Mass taking place as the earthquake struck in the morning.

In a video message to the city’s faithful, Archbishop José Miguel Gómez of Manizales said that while the archdiocese continues to assess the damage to churches, “the most important thing is you, the faithful, the priests, and all our neighbors who suffered the same.”

“God, our Lord, never abandons us, and it is in these moments when, lifting our eyes to Him, we must all, with humility and simplicity, ask Him for the graces we need to live through these difficulties,” Archbishop Gómez said.

The archbishop also invoked the intercession of Our Lady of the Rosary, asking her to “console and comfort” those affected by the natural disaster. He also urged people to follow guidelines given by the authorities.

“And, following those instructions, always seek to be attentive to those who suffer the most, so that no person is left without care in these difficult times,” he said before imparting his blessing.

The Colombian bishops’ conference said dioceses across the country are setting up collection points to ensure food distribution to shelters, hospitals and communities in the affected areas.

Caritas Colombia, the conference said, activated its National Emergency Service “to raise funds to directly help the jurisdictions and communities that were most affected by this tragedy.”

The humanitarian program known as Temporary Protective Status (TPS) allows people to live, raise a family and work in the country legally, giving an umbrella of protection to roughly 350,000 people.  

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services set late July as the deadline to lift the protected status from people from Haiti and Syria. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled President Trump had the authority to remove the designation after a legal fight.  

With the court decision, Haitians and Syrians who lose TPS and do not qualify for another immigration status face an uncertain future. After more than a decade in the country, they could face deportation proceedings. 

The state has one of the largest Haitian communities in the country. Advocates for immigrants estimate some 7,000 Haitians with TPS live in Georgia. 

At Sts. Peter and Paul Church, Decatur, people are missing from the pews during the Haitian community Mass out of fear of leaving their homes, said worshippers. The community gathers every Sunday for Mass in French and Creole. 

Edmond Fetiere is a 64-year-old transportation inspector. Although a U.S. citizen, he is active in the community and is highly concerned for his fellow Haitians. Fetiere said vulnerable people are at grave risk if they must return to the island because of the instability and violence plaguing the country.  

He pointed out how the U.S. government has told Americans to avoid traveling to Haiti, so he thinks it cruel to force people to return to dangerous situations where they can be victims.  

Maestro Dario Clena, left, conducts the Symphonie de la Foi Haitian choir during the weekly Haitian Community Mass. The choir sings at Mass once a month. Photo by Julianna Leopold

Alberta Therlonge, 48, sings with the choir at Mass, and she’s a special education teacher in Cobb County schools. People protected with TPS accepted it out of fear, not to take advantage of the United States, she said. Haitians work hard to provide for their families and community, she said.   

They are afraid because some of them own homes here and some of them “don’t know what will happen if they do go back to Haiti because of the situation of gangs taking over people’s houses and other properties or businesses,” she said.  

Kevin Borgella, a 33-year-old medical student and first-generation Haitian American, said there is a “palpable sense of urgency” within the community. He said political decisions seem to have specifically targeted Haitians. 

Immigrants who are protected by TPS feel drawn to the freedom America has long offered hardworking immigrants, he said. They are inspired by the foundational values of the country that allowed America to become what it has been for 250 years, he said.  

Dancers from left, Darianna Q. Clena, Wesnie Abbie Volatire and Arshell Palomino, use their gifts to glorify the Lord during the Kyrie, Gloria and Offertory while the choir sings in Haitian Creole at the Haitian community Mass on July 19 at Sts. Peter and Paul in Decatur. Photo by Julianna Leopold

The concerns expressed by the worshippers after a recent Sunday Mass are mirrored by Georgia’s bishops. 

The religious leaders wrote to members of Congress, urging a reprieve for the affected people.  

“So many of these families will imminently be left without any legal status or a way to support themselves, all while returning to their country of origin remains unsafe, impractical and unreasonable because of the ongoing conditions there,” wrote the bishops. 

They urged the passage of Senate Bill 4814 “to offer a measure of stability to our Haitian brothers and sisters in the short-term.” It would prolong TPS status to 2029.  

The letter was signed by Atlanta Archbishop Gregory J. Hartmayer, OFM Conv., Bishop Joel M. Konzen, SM, Bishop John N. Tran, Bishop Bernard E. Shlesinger III and Savannah Bishop Stephen D. Parkes. 

In 2025, 17 countries were covered by TPS designations: Afghanistan, Burma, Cameroon, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Haiti, Honduras, Lebanon, Nepal, Nicaragua, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Ukraine, Venezuela and Yemen.  

As of March 31, 2025, approximately 1.3 million people in the United States from these countries were protected from removal by TPS, according to federal reports.  

Haiti was initially designated for Temporary Protected Status on January 21, 2010, following a major earthquake. The TPS program is a humanitarian initiative that allows people from countries undergoing crisis to remain in the United States and work. The program does not provide a direct pathway to permanent residency or citizenship. 

Authorities have extended the designation multiple times during the 16 years. But in 2025, the Trump administration reported “it is contrary to the national interest of the United States” to continue the program for people from Syria and Haiti. The Supreme Court affirmed the authority of the president to remove the designation.  

The state has one of the largest Haitian communities in the country. The Migration Policy Institute reported 731,000 Haitian immigrants in the United States in 2022, with between 40,000 and 60,000 people of Haitian origin living in Georgia.