Frankly, the remark was the greatest compliment of my life. People have spoken words of praise for my columns and my books, but no one has ever connected me with children. This fellow’s remark made me think about what really matters in our lives. It’s tempting to believe people will stand beside our graves and talk about how great we were at our jobs or what an astonishing game of golf we played. These are fine accomplishments, but what folks tend to remember are the more ineffable moments. 

One of the most poignant prayers ever uttered came from the “good thief” crucified next to Jesus: “Lord, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Jesus assured him, “This day you will be with me in paradise,” and this man went down in history as someone granted mercy at the last moment. The thief’s prayer echoes what exists in our hearts, a desire that the Lord will never forget us in our suffering.  

The man helping me down the stairs was referring to the two girls, who, along with their Mom, sit next to me during liturgy. Sometimes I encourage them to sing and read the prayers, and they give me the joy of glimpsing the world through a child’s eyes. When the big wooden cross was placed before the altar on Good Friday, the youngest one stood motionless, staring at it. During a 10-year memorial service for my husband, these girls snuggled against me, as the choir intoned “May his memory be eternal.”  

“You can’t take it with you,” is absolutely true when it comes to fat bank accounts and glittering gold, which will ultimately dwindle to words in a will. The real question is not about what we take, but the memories we leave. St. John of the Cross wrote, “At the evening of our lives we will be judged on our love. Learn to love as God desires to be loved and abandon your own ways of acting.” We are called to a love that is selfless and merciful. We are called to create shining moments for others.  

My late husband shaped lasting memories for our godson by drawing pictures with him every Sunday after Mass. I will always remember my Uncle Johnny, who showed me how to scoop strawberries from the jam jar. I recall how my father asked for extra forks when he ordered dessert in a restaurant, because his wife and daughters were always dieting, but they wanted a taste, nonetheless.  

Sometimes we might take a moment to reflect on how we will be remembered. As for me, I would be honored if folks thought of me as a woman who helped with the children at church. A woman who did not have her own children but loved the little ones of others. I cannot think of a more beautiful epitaph.  

The narrow streets of Assisi overflow with visitors, priests, nuns and seekers of every stripe. The town is packed with churches, chapels, convents, and monasteries—many hidden in plain sight. 

Known as the Seraphic City, Assisi is filled with angels, too. In frescoes, sculptures, mosaics, bathrooms, porticos, piazzas, on mugs and menus—so ubiquitous that you stop noticing them.  

Lauretta Hannon

Could that be why we don’t see angels in real life—because they’re so much a part of the everyday scenery they become invisible? Or maybe it’s because they act through people and situations rather than appearing to us in a supernatural way. It’s a mystery, isn’t it? 

As I joined in on a church service, the fellow in front of me caught my eye—because, well, he was built like a heavy-duty freezer. Short, stout, and with a neck any pro wrestler would covet. Black bushy hair covered him like a gorilla suit. 

Something about him was not fully human. I scrutinized his outfit for clues as to who or what he was. In addition to a simple short-sleeved button-down shirt, he wore a brand-spanking-new pair of Rustler jeans. Size 46×32, Regular Straight Leg. I know this because the tags and stickers were still on the back of the jeans and trailing down his right leg. 

As I studied him, something made me ponder: could he be one of those angels hidden in plain sight? What if the Rustler tags are their secret symbols, or a code they use to identify each other? 

Maybe he’s here to expedite delivery of our cries and supplications. To fly them true north to a God who is Love itself. I did hear a rustling. But it could have been the jeans rubbing together.  

Either way, maybe, just maybe—in the rarefied air of Assisi—I worshipped alongside a flesh-and-blood angel.

This is an opportunity to celebrate the excitement of the World Cup with sticker designs from Catholic artists in Georgia.  

The winning sticker design will be used by the archdiocese to welcome visitors to Atlanta for the World Cup in June. The design will be featured in The Georgia Bulletin along with the artist.  

All contest rules are available on the online submission form at tinyurl.com/5a65kuvm. The contest is for young adults, ages 18 and older. All design submissions are due on Friday, April 24.  

“We were held hostage for three days and three nights. During those days and nights, we neither slept nor ate,” Sister Carine Tangiri Mangu told the pope.

“What kept our hope alive was the rosary which we prayed continuously for those days,” she added.

“Most Holy Father, this is the situation under which many consecrated women do their work and live their lives within this war zone. Some have undergone more dramatic and more traumatizing experiences, but we continue to rely on the help of God and the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary,” she said.

Pope Leo led a historic peace meeting on April 16 in Cameroon’s northwest city of Bamenda, a region marred by years of separatist violence.

The long-running separatist conflict in its English-speaking regions has killed thousands since 2017. The violence pits Anglophone separatists against the Francophone-dominated government, leaving entire communities displaced and children out of school in what humanitarian groups describe as one of the world’s most neglected conflicts.

In his speech in St. Joseph’s Cathedral, Pope Leo loudly and passionately said, “I am here to proclaim peace,” to an enthusiastic reaction in the crowd.

The pope also had strong words of denunciation for those who perpetuate war. “The masters of war pretend not to know that it takes only a moment to destroy, yet often a lifetime is not enough to rebuild,” the pope said. “They turn a blind eye to the fact that billions of dollars are spent on killing and devastation, yet the resources needed for healing, education and restoration are nowhere to be found.”

Pope Leo strongly denounced those who “rob your land of its resources generally invest much of the profit in weapons, thus perpetuating an endless cycle of destabilization and death.”

“The world is being ravaged by a handful of tyrants, yet it is held together by a multitude of supportive brothers and sisters,” he underlined.

Pope Leo XIV releases a dove after attending a Meeting for Peace at St. Joseph’s Cathedral in Bamenda, Cameroon, April 16. OSV News photo/Simone Risoluti, Vatican Media

During the peace meeting, the pope heard testimonies from local traditional and religious leaders and a family displaced by the violence.

A local chief imam told the pope about how in November armed men invaded a mosque in Sabga, near Bamenda, during the time of prayer and killed three people, injuring nine others.

Mohammed Abubakar of the Buea Central Mosque continued that on Jan. 14, 2025, “Armed men targeted cattle rearers from the Mbororo ethnic community and killed at least 15 people, including 8 children.” The chief imam added that “The Islamic community has suffered in many English speaking towns and villages, and there were Muslim victims in what has come to be known as the Ngabur Massacre, in which 23 civilians were killed in 2020.

“Holy Father, welcome, and please help us to have peace again,” the imam added.

Denis Salo met the pope, along with his wife and three children, telling Pope Leo how “Five of my neighbours were killed and one of my close friends was also killed. While we were being targeted by the separatist fighters, government soldiers were also burning down houses.”

“In 2017, I escaped with my family out of Mbiame, abandoning all that I ever owned, including house, farms, and animals, and arrived in Bamenda. My kids had to abandon school. After seeing no better in Bamenda, I proceeded to Douala to look for livelihood and not finding anything better, I returned to Bamenda,” he said. “I now live in a little rented house with my entire family, and working as a gateman in the hospital of Maria Soledad, and at the same time working as gardener in the Parish of the Immaculate Conception, Ngomgham,” Salo said.

The pope affirmed to the afflicted community that “God has never abandoned us! In him, in his peace, we can always begin anew!”

A country in need of healing

In an emotional address welcoming the Holy Father in the cathedral, Archbishop Andrew Nkea of Bamenda told the pope: “Today your feet are standing on the soil of Bamenda that has drunk the blood of many of our children.”

“The archbishop mentioned the prophecy that exclaims: ‘How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of the messenger who announces peace!’ (Is 52:7). He welcomed me with these words, and now I would like to respond: how beautiful are your feet as well, dusty from this bloodstained yet fertile land that has been mistreated, yet is rich in vegetation and fruit,” the pope said.

The Rev. Fonki Samuel Forba, moderator emeritus of the Presbyterian Church in Cameroon, described to the pope how religious leaders of different denominations have “bonded together and founded a Peace Movement through which we have tried to broker peace and dialogue with the government of Cameroon and the Separatist Fighters.”

He said that under the leadership of Archbishop Nkea, they “have visited and spoken with many of the leaders of the separatist movements at home and abroad, and we have tried to engage the local separatist fighters on the ground in dialogue, convincing them that peace is better than war, and that war can never really solve any conflict,” he said.

“Practically all of us gathered here are traumatized and need both psychological and spiritual healing,” the reverend said.

“This Anglophone crisis is one of the forgotten crises on the planet earth, but it was brought to the notice of the Vatican, and the Vatican was even willing to facilitate dialogue between the warring factions,” Rev. Forba said.

Bishop Michael Miabesue Bibi of Buea told OSV News that the Anglophone crisis made it impossible for people to live normally in the conflicted region.

On top of loss of life and education opportunities for children, he said people “experienced abject poverty” as farmers were unable to sell products due to violence.

“There are people whose houses have been destroyed and they have been rendered homeless,” instantly becoming internally displaced, the bishop listed.

Even though pastoral work has been challenging, the bishop said, “we continue to hope in God, as we continue to pray and the situation will be better.”

Pope Leo XIV prays in a chapel as he attends a Meeting for Peace at St. Joseph’s Cathedral in Bamenda, Cameroon, April 16. OSV News photo/Simone Risoluti, Vatican Media

Pope Leo expressed support for how “religious leaders have come together to establish a Movement for Peace, through which they seek to mediate between the opposing sides.”

He had however a strong condemnation for those who wage war in the name of God.

“But woe to those who manipulate religion and the very name of God for their own military, economic and political gain, dragging that which is sacred into darkness and filth,” Pope Leo said.

“Yes, dear brothers and sisters, you who hunger and thirst for justice, who are poor, merciful, meek, and pure of heart, who have wept—you are the light of the world! (cf. Mt 5:3-14),” he said.

After the ceremony, Pope Leo XIV released doves outside of the cathedral, symbolizing peace. A crowd gathered outside of the cathedral, people sang and cheered enthusiastically.

“Our hearts are full of joy and it sounds unbelievable that the successor of St. Peter is among us in this remote part of Africa,” Archbishop Andrew Nkea of Bamenda told the pope.

Before flying back to Yaoundé, Cameroon’s capital, Pope Leo offered Mass at Bamenda’s airport, which was only recently renovated in anticipation of the pope’s visit, something Archbishop Nkea told OSV News is a “miracle” in itself.

As the enclosed popemobile arrived at the airport, cheering children ran across the tarmac to try to catch a glimpse of the pope in the crowd of about 20,000 people.

“Consolation for broken hearts and hope for change in society are possible if we entrust ourselves to God and God’s word,” Pope Leo said in his homily in English.

“This is the moment to change, to transform the story of this country. The time has come, today and not tomorrow, now and not in the future,” Pope Leo urged, calling on Cameroonians to “restore the mosaic of unity by bringing together the diversity and riches of the country and the continent.”

“I accompany you with my constant prayer and I bless in particular the Church gathered here: the many priests, missionaries, religious and lay people who all work to be a source of consolation and hope,” he said. “I encourage you to continue along this path and I entrust you to the intercession of Mary Most Holy, Queen of the Apostles and Mother of the Church.”

The 12 priests marking anniversaries of their ordination dates this year are: 

Father Edward Sheehan, SM

Father Edward Sheehan, SM  

65 Years 

Father Edward Sheehan was born into a Boston Irish family of five children—three boys and two girls. He attended Catholic schools and then entered the Marist Seminary College of Philosophy in 1952. He was ordained to the priesthood on Feb. 4, 1961, at the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C. 

Father Sheehan wanted to be a missionary to the South Pacific Islands. Instead, his Provincial in the Society of Mary sent him to Notre Dame High School in Harper Woods, Michigan, where he taught religion and speech. He also worked with the debate team, coached hockey and moderated the golf team. 

After teaching at Bishop Grimes High School in Syracuse, New York, he was assigned to parish work in Maine, Massachusetts and New York. Some of the priest’s dearest memories come from his time at Standing Rock Reservation in South Dakota. 

Father Sheehan led a dozen mission trips for adults to Haiti, bringing food and medicine. There, the mission participants ministered to the children and repaired and painted churches. He also served as a chaplain for VA hospitals in Vermont, Arkansas and Rhode Island. 

Photography has been a hobby of the priest, and he was known for telling jokes so that people would leave church with a smile on their face. 

The most important thing about being a Marist, he said, is “to be hidden and unknown. That’s the Marist spirit. Just do the work and give the credit to God or to Mary. Just do the work.” 

In 2019, Father Sheehan retired from parish work and moved to Our Lady of the Assumption Church, where the community came to know him during the small chapel Masses celebrated during the COVID pandemic.  

Msgr. Francis Phuong Van Pham

Msgr. Francis Phuong Van Pham 

60 Years 

Msgr. Francis Phuong Van Pham, pastor emeritus of Our Lady of Vietnam Church in Riverdale, is celebrating 60 years of priesthood. A native of Vietnam, he is the son of Micae Pham My Duyet and Maria Madalena Vu Thi Lua. He attended St. Joseph’s Seminary in Saigon and was ordained on April 29, 1966.  

After ordination, Msgr. Pham served as a parochial vicar at a parish in his homeland. He then came to the U.S. an exchange student in a Master of Education program. During that time, he was assigned to Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Waterbury, Connecticut.  

Through the insightful friendship of Father Richard Morrow, Msgr. Pham was invited to come to Atlanta in 1976 and minister as the leader of a Vietnamese Apostolate for the archdiocese based at St. John the Evangelist Church in Hapeville. This blossomed into Our Lady of Vietnam Mission Church, then in Forest Park, where he became administrator. In 1997 Msgr. Pham became the first pastor when the mission was elevated to a parish in Riverdale. He was honored with the title of monsignor by the pope in 1994. 

His leadership earned him national recognition in 2001 when he was elected the president of the Federation of Vietnamese Catholics in the United States. He retired as a pastor in 2016. 

Msgr. Pham’s hobbies include hiking, camping and outdoor activities.  

He said the most rewarding part of his ministry has been involvement in the ministry for the Vietnamese youth in both countries called the Eucharistic Youth Movement. The ministry promotes the Real Presence of Jesus, teaching youth to become good friends of Christ daily in spiritual and secular life. 

“I strongly believe this very solid devotion to the Holy Eucharist brings a lot of good fruits for vocations toward priesthood or sisterhood for the Church,” said Msgr. Pham. 

Msgr. Hugh M. Marren

Msgr. Hugh M. Marren 

50 Years 

A native of Tubbercurry, County Sligo, Ireland, Msgr. Hugh Marren is the son of the late John Marren and Bridget O’Hara Marren. He attended seminary at St. John’s College in Sligo and the Society of African Missions Seminary-Dromantine in County Down, Northen Ireland. Msgr. Marren was ordained to the priesthood on June 20, 1976, in his homeland.  

Like many of Atlanta’s Irish-born priests, he was recruited for service in the archdiocese by Msgr. P.J. O’Connor. His first assignments were as parochial vicar at Immaculate Heart of Mary Church, Atlanta; St. Joseph Church, Athens, and St. Thomas More Church, Decatur. His first pastorate was Sacred Heart Church, Milledgeville, from 1985-1991, after which he served as pastor of St. Theresa Church, Douglasville, from 1991-1994. He was pastor of St. Anthony Church, Atlanta, from 1994-1999; pastor of St. Benedict Church, Duluth from 1999-2004, and of St. Andrew Church, Roswell, from 2004-2010.  

Msgr. Marren’s last pastorate was at All Saints Church in Dunwoody where he led the community between 2010-2023. He served as administrator for St. Pius X Church, Conyers, in 2023. He is now a priest-in-residence at St. Brigid Church in Johns Creek. 

Msgr. Marren served several terms on the Council of Priests for the archdiocese. He is a charter member of the Atlanta branch of the Ancient Order of Hibernians, a Catholic fraternity of Irish Americans, having served also as its chaplain. He completed several terms as state chaplain of the Knights of Columbus. 

He received the title of monsignor in 2001 on his silver jubilee.  

“I’ve never considered the priesthood as a burden. It’s a privilege and a mystery,” he said upon his 25th anniversary of ordination. 

Hobbies and interests of the monsignor’s include photography, martial arts and playing golf. 

Msgr. Marren says the most rewarding part of priestly ministry is seeing people doing well with their families, their children and marriages, as well as celebrating the sacraments. 

Father Joseph Pottemmel, MSFS

Father Joseph Pottemmel, MSFS 

50 Years 

Father Joseph Pottemmel, a native of India, marks 50 years in the priesthood this year. He is the son of the late Devasia and Thresia Pottemmel.  

He is a member of the Missionaries of St. Francis de Sales—The Fransalians. The order has nearly 50 priests in pastoral ministry in 13 states in the U.S.  

Father Pottemmel attended seminary at the Pontifical Athenaeum in Pune, India. He was ordained a priest on May 15, 1976. 

He is currently the chaplain for the Visitation Sisters Monastery in Snellville. Father Pottemmel had previously served in that role from 2012-2020, returning there in 2025.  

He has also served as pastor of St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church in Houston, Texas, from 2020-2025, and associate pastor of Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic Church in Tucson, Arizona from 2006-2011.  

Before arriving in the United States, Father Pottemmel served in parish and education ministries in India for 30 years. He has served in several leadership roles with the Fransalian order. 

His hobbies are reading, watching Western movies and learning about computer technology.  

Father Pottemmel says the most rewarding part of being a priest is the celebration of the Holy Eucharist and supporting parishioners in their moments of joy and success, as well as in difficult times such as the illness or loss of a loved one.

Msgr. Hugh Marren, left, and Father Luke Ballman, were among the jubilarian priests honored at the March 31 Chrism Mass at the Cathedral of Christ the King in Atlanta. Photo by Julianna Leopold

Father Luke R. Ballman

Father Luke R. Ballman 

25 Years 

Father Luke Ballman, the son of Richard and Rose Ballman, was raised in Dayton, Ohio. He attended seminary at North American College and was ordained to the priesthood on July 14, 2001.  

Father Ballman began his priestly service in the archdiocese as a parochial vicar at Holy Spirit Church from 2001-2005. He was then assigned as pastor of St. Augustine Church, Covington, from 2005-2007.  

From 2007-2011, Father Ballman served as the director of vocations for the archdiocese. He became the director of apostolic formation/formation advisor for the Pontifical North American College in Rome, working there from 2011-2016. Father Ballman returned to the U.S. in 2016 to serve as the associate director and then executive director of the USCCB’s Secretariat for Clergy, Consecrated Life and Vocations until 2022.  

He has also served on the Priest Council, the Priest Personnel Board, the Committee for Ongoing Education of Clergy and as Vicar of Clergy for the archdiocese. Father Ballman has the pastor of Holy Spirit Church since 2023.  

His hobbies include hiking, cycling, reading, cooking and traveling.  

When discerning his vocation, someone told Father Ballman that the heart of a priest’s ministry is simple but profound—to bring Jesus Christ to people and to bring people to Jesus Christ. 

“That insight has stayed with me, and it continues to shape my priesthood,” he said. “The most rewarding part of my ministry has been accompanying people at the most significant moments of their lives—at times of great joy and hope, as well as moments of sorry, uncertainty and loss.” 

Father Pavol Brenkus

Father Pavol Brenkus 

25 Years 

Father Pavol Brenkus was born in Rabcice, Slovakia, to Xaver Brenkus and Johanna Vojtasa. Growing up in the former communist country, Father Brenkus attended Catholic Church and the underground church, which offered more youth activities, discouraged by the government.  

He was educated at the Spis Seminary in Kapituca, Slovakia, and discerned a vocation to the priesthood through the example and help of the Salesian priests who worked in his homeland. He attended J.A. Komensky Seminary in Bratislava studying theology, and Notre Dame Seminary in New Orleans, where he earned a Master of Divinity. 

Father Brenkus was ordained to the priesthood on June 2, 2001, by Archbishop John F. Donoghue. He began his ministry in Decatur at St. Thomas More Church serving as a parochial vicar there.  

His other assignments include serving as a parochial vicar at St. Brendan the Navigator Church, Cumming; St. Monica Church, Duluth; and at St. James Church in McDonough. Father Brenkus has served at Holy Trinity Church in Peachtree City for 14 years.  

His hobbies include hiking, kayaking and fishing.  

The most rewarding part of ministry as a priest, says Father Brenkus, is the “continuous learning and intellectual and spiritual development.” 

Father Charles Byrd

Father Charles Arthur Byrd 

25 Years 

Father Charles Arthur Byrd was born in Columbus and raised in Newnan. He is the son of the late Charles and Ruby Byrd. 

He completed seminary at the North American College in Rome. Father Byrd was ordained to the priesthood on July 14, 2001, by Archbishop John F. Donoghue. He spent a decade working in advertising before becoming a priest.  

He began his service to the people of the archdiocese as a parochial vicar at St. Andrew Church in Roswell, where he was assigned for two years.  

In 2003, he joined the faculty at Saint Vincent Seminary in Latrobe, Pennsylvania as a professor. He returned to Atlanta in 2007 to serve as a parochial vicar at the Cathedral of Christ the King, where had formerly been a member of the Cathedral Choir.  

In 2009, Father Byrd was named pastor of Our Lady of the Mountains Church in Jasper, where he served for more than 12 years. Since 2021, he has led the community of Mary Our Queen Church in Peachtree Corners as its pastor.  

At both Mary Our Queen and Our Lady of the Mountains, Father Byrd has shared his love of sacred art and music to inspire and educate parishioners.  

History is an interest of Father Byrd’s. He finds that liturgy and teaching are both fulfilling parts of his priestly ministry. 

Father Christopher Hathaway, FSSP

Father Christopher John Hathaway, FSSP 

25 Years 

Father Christopher John Hathaway, of the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter, was raised in Missoula, Montana. He is the son of Jim and Carolyn Hathaway.  

He completed seminary at Our Lady of Guadalupe Seminary in Denton, Nebraska. He was ordained to the priesthood on June 30, 2001. 

He was the rector of St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church in Lincoln, Nebraska, from 2006-2007. He was then pastor of Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Rapid City, South Dakota, for 12 years. In 2019, Father Hathaway became pastor of Christ the King Catholic Church in Sarasota, Florida, where he led the parish community until 2025. 

Father Hathaway is the current pastor of St. Francis de Sales Church in Mableton. He enjoys hiking in his spare time.  

Father Hathaway finds the most rewarding aspect of his priestly ministry to be “taking away sin.” 

Father Michael Tonguk Ku, SJ 

25 Years 

Father Michael Tonguk Ku is a priest of the Society of Jesus, the Jesuits. Born in Busan, Korea, he is the son of Ok Kyung Son and Yeon Myeong Ku.  

He attended seminary at the Loyola School of Theology in Manila, Philippines, and was ordained a priest on June 28, 2001. 

He served as spiritual director at the China Mission from 2004-2013, before being assigned as pastor of Guting Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church in Taipei, Taiwan. He led the parish community there for four years.  

Father Ku was director of the Jesuit Benefactors Office in Korea from 2018-2021. 

He has served as the pastor of Korean Martyrs Church in Doraville since September 2021.  

Father Ku’s primary hobby is fishing.  

He said that helping parishioners at Koren Martyrs grow closer to Jesus through Bible studies has been a rewarding experience.  

“It was also very meaningful to help activate and strengthen our small faith communities through this process,” said Father Ku. 

Father Randall Mattox

Father Randall Thomas Mattox 

25 Years 

Father Randall Thomas Mattox is a Marietta native and is the son of James and Nancy Mattox. Father Mattox grew up in the Episcopal Church and became Catholic after college. He attended Notre Dame Seminary in New Orleans. 

He was ordained to the priesthood on June 2, 2001, by Archbishop John F. Donoghue. His first assignment was as a parochial vicar at Holy Cross Church in Atlanta. He also served as a parochial vicar at St. Joseph Church in Athens, St. Benedict Church in Johns Creek and Holy Family Church in Marietta. 

Father Mattox was most recently pastor at St. Anna Church in Monroe for three years. He also led the parish communities of St. George Church in Newnan, St. James Church in Madison as well as Good Samaritan Church in Ellijay and St. Pius X Church in Conyers. Father Mattox is currently on sabbatical.  

His hobbies include cooking and reading. Father Mattox has used his gifts as a communicator to offer Scripture reflections and online book club chats in partnership with a national media group. 

Father Mattox says the most rewarding part of ministry is celebrating the sacraments, especially Mass. 

Father Roberto Orellano

Father Roberto Orellana 

25 Years 

Father Roberto Orellana, a native of San Salvador, El Salvador, is the son of Humberto and Anabela De Orellana.  

He attended seminary at Saint Vincent in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, where he earned a Master of Divinity. He was ordained to the priesthood on July 14, 2001.  

Following his ordination, Father Orellana served as a parochial vicar at Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in Atlanta and its mission of Our Lady of the Americas in Doraville. In 2002, he began serving as a parochial vicar at Holy Cross Church in Atlanta, before his assignment as a parochial vicar at Transfiguration Church in Marietta.  

Father Orellana then served as a parochial vicar at St. Pius X Church in Conyers from 2003-2005 and at St. Patrick Church in Norcross from 2005-2007. He was pastor of St. Augustine Church in Covington for 18 years before retiring in July 2025. He now resides in Antigua, Guatemala.  

Father Orellana enjoys hiking and reading philosophy.  

He said the most fulfilling aspect of being a priest was to serve God’s people particularly the immigrant and Hispanic community.  

“The celebration of the sacraments, especially the holy Eucharist, was and continues to be after my retirement the most important source of my spiritual nourishment,” he said. 

Father Joseph Shaute

Father Joseph James Shaute 

25 Years 

Father Joseph J. Shaute, the son of the late Joseph John and Anne Lynch Shaute, was raised in Miami Lakes, Florida. 

Father Shaute earned a bachelor’s degree in broadcast journalism from Georgia State University, worked in communications and later discerned a vocation to the priesthood. He attended Notre Dame Seminary in New Orleans and was ordained a priest on June 2, 2001. He began his ministry in the archdiocese at St. Joseph Church and School in Marietta as a parochial vicar. Father Shaute also served as a parochial vicar at Holy Trinity Church in Peachtree City and St. Theresa of the Child Jesus Church in Douglasville. 

Father Shaute was the pastor for a decade at St. Clement Church in Calhoun, before returning to St. Theresa this time as the community’s pastor for six years.  

He is the current administrator of St. Mary Catholic Church in Rockledge, Florida, assigned there in 2023.  

Father Shaute’s hobbies include reading, writing and walking on the beach. He also enjoys sports, learning the meaning of names and getting to know other people’s stories.  

In his current assignment, he has found having a grammar school on-site fulfilling as it provides teaching opportunities and conversations that help young people to know “Jesus their friend,” and ways to show that priests are “regular guys with unique callings to serve in a special way, who can help them with forgiveness, wisdom and encountering Christ.” 

At Pregnancy Aid Clinic (PAC), a nonprofit serving the region since 1984, bilingual advocates are working to bridge that gap.

PAC provides free pregnancy testing, ultrasounds, parenting education, material assistance and referrals to all patients who seek help. In 2025, PAC assisted more than 3,000 clients.

Its three clinics in Forest Park, Atlanta and Roswell have increasingly focused on reaching Hispanic clients through Spanish-language services and culturally responsive care.

Each clinic has bilingual, Spanish-speaking advocates, who help clients get situated and start their journey with PAC.

“We are there to have the difficult conversations, to give them information and to make sure they are not alone,” said Stefany Malavé, a bilingual advocate.

Bridging the gaps through culture

Malavé has served at PAC’s Forest Park clinic for 12 years. She first encountered the organization while searching for direction after college.

“I started volunteering because I was still figuring out what I wanted to do,” Malavé said. “When I began to learn about what PAC did, it aligned so much with what I felt called to do.”

With a background in counseling, Malavé now meets regularly with women navigating difficult decisions about pregnancy and parenthood.

“This work has given me the opportunity to speak with women and families who are in need,” she said. “We provide them with all the resources they need, and we can also talk about their struggles and everything they are going through.”

That support, she said, goes beyond practical needs.

“It also gives me the opportunity to share who God is,” Malavé added. “We don’t close that door if someone wants to talk about their beliefs. We can take time with them in that space.”

Nathalie Marino, who recently joined the Roswell clinic, was drawn to PAC after earlier work serving vulnerable youth.

Born on Long Island to Ecuadorian parents, Marino previously worked at a Safe Harbor advocacy center in New York, supporting minors at risk of trafficking.

“I was counseling young girls and their families, and I knew I wanted to do that kind of work again,” Marino said. “When the opportunity came to work at PAC, I loved it.”

Mónica Payne has been an advocate at the Atlanta clinic for four years. Having experience in mental health case management, Payne joined PAC part-time following a period of discernment and prayer.

When she first started at PAC, the work was “focused mainly on women who were considering abortion,” she said.

“Now we have expanded our services and are more focused on the whole family,” Payne said.

Meeting urgent needs

PAC often serves as a first point of contact for women who may not know where else to go.

“This clinic is the first place people can come to take a pregnancy test,” Malavé said. “We can also provide information about ultrasounds and offer the first ultrasound.”

From there, the advocates help clients navigate the next steps. This can be connecting them to prenatal care, doctors and public assistance programs, while also offering ongoing education and material support.

“We provide resources throughout the pregnancy, help them find a doctor and give them information about Medicaid and anything they need to begin prenatal care,” Malavé said.

Clients can also enroll in education programs and classes, earning points to obtain essentials such as diapers, wipes and baby supplies at in-clinic boutiques.

Through live online classes and in-person opportunities, Spanish-speaking clients can participate in courses such as Nurturing Parenting and Brightcourse, which are open to both first-time and experienced parents.

These classes focus on child development, positive parenting techniques and building strong family relationships.

Other offerings include the “10-10-10 Decision Making” course, which helps parents develop goal-setting and decision-making skills, and mini courses that cover practical topics like financial planning, women’s health and car seat safety.

Recognizing the importance of supporting the entire family, PAC also offers a Fatherhood Mentoring program, which provides guidance and community for fathers-to-be as they prepare for parenthood.

Together, these programs aim to equip families with material resources and assistance for long-term stability. Support continues after birth, with classes and resources available until a child turns 2 years old.

“We walk with them not only during pregnancy, but after their baby is born,” Malavé said.

Reaching the Hispanic community

Advocates say outreach to Hispanic families is especially urgent. By offering bilingual support, Spanish-speaking clients can understand and be part of the clinic’s programs, classes and appointments.

“We want to inform the Latino community that these services are free,” Payne said. “There are many people who do not qualify for health insurance in the United States, and many who arrive here not knowing where to start.”

Without access to care, some women may go without prenatal services altogether.

“In our community, many people choose not to receive prenatal care because they don’t have insurance,” she said. “We are here to guide them and help them understand how important that care is.”

Language-specific services also foster a sense of belonging.

“We offer parenting classes in Spanish so they can connect with a community of Spanish speakers,” Payne said.

Through programs like REACH (Resource Education and Community Help), advocates work one-on-one with clients to remove barriers and connect them to resources across metro Atlanta, from food and housing assistance to childcare and vocational support.

At its core, advocates say, the work of PAC is about walking alongside families during one of the most vulnerable times in their lives.

“We guide them and let them know that we are here for them,” Payne said.

We live in a world at war with itself. Missiles strike civilian neighborhoods in the Middle East. The people of Ukraine continue to endure suffering that strains the imagination. Conflict bleeds across parts of Africa and Asia. Children grow up knowing only rubble where houses once stood. As Pope Leo XIV said on Easter Sunday in his Urbi et Orbi address, we are in danger of growing numb to it all: “We are growing accustomed to violence, resigning ourselves to it and becoming indifferent—indifferent to the deaths of thousands of people, indifferent to the repercussions of hatred and division that conflict sows, indifferent to the economic and social consequences they produce, which we all feel.” 

Our Holy Father is right. And that indifference is itself a kind of spiritual wound. It is not neutrality. It is surrender. 

Pope Leo has spoken with striking consistency and urgency throughout this Easter season about the call to peace. Since his very first greeting as Bishop of Rome, he has proclaimed what he calls a peace “unarmed and disarming, humble and persevering”—a peace that “comes from God who loves us all unconditionally.”  

Pope Leo XIV prays the rosary for peace during an evening prayer vigil in St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican April 11. CNS photo/Vatican Media

In his Message for the World Day of Peace, he wrote with characteristic directness: “Peace exists; it wants to dwell within us. The task is not to create it, but to welcome it, and to allow it to disarm us.” 

This past Saturday, April 11, the Holy Father gave that conviction visible form. He led a Vigil for Peace in St. Peter’s Basilica—a vigil he had announced from the same balcony where he proclaimed the Resurrection. Thousands gathered in the basilica and in the square. The faithful around the world joined from afar. Together they prayed the Glorious Mysteries of the rosary, with meditations drawn from the Church fathers, as delegates from different continents lit candles from the Lamp of Peace that burns perpetually at the tomb of St. Francis in Assisi. The light of the Resurrection, passed from the Little Poor Man of Assisi across eight centuries, illuminates our darkness still. 

Love lifts up 

At the vigil, the Holy Father spoke with a pastor’s fire and a father’s grief. He cried out: “Enough of war!” He appealed to the rulers of nations: “Stop! It is time for peace! Sit at tables of dialogue and mediation, not at tables where rearmament is planned and death is deliberated.” 

And he reminded us that prayer is not an escape from responsibility. It is, he said, “the most selfless, universal and transformative response to death: we are a people who are already risen!”  

War divides, he told us. Hope unites. Arrogance tramples upon others; love lifts up. A little faith, he said—“a mere crumb of faith”­—is enough to face this dramatic hour in history. 

Those words have a Franciscan resonance that touches me deeply as a spiritual son of St. Francis. In his letter marking the Jubilee Year of St. Francis, the Holy Father wrote of Francis with tenderness and clarity: “In this age, marked by so many seemingly interminable wars, by internal and social divisions that create mistrust and fear, he continues to speak. Not because he offers technical solutions, but because his life points to the authentic source of peace.” 

St. Francis did not theorize about peace. He lived it. He walked unarmed into the camp of the Sultan-al-Kamil of Egypt in a remarkable peaceful and humble encounter. He reconciled the Bishop of Assisi and the Mayor of the city—inserting their reconciliation into his Canticle of the Creatures as a prophecy of what humanity could become. He greeted every person he met with the words: “The Lord give you peace.” That was not a pleasantry. It was an evangelical proclamation. 

The gift of peace daily 

So what can we do? What does it mean to live the Risen Lord’s gift of peace in our own daily lives, here in the Archdiocese of Atlanta, in our parishes and schools, workplaces and homes? 

First, we can pray. Pope Leo has asked us to pray without ceasing for peace. This is not merely a pious suggestion. Prayer changes us. It opens us to God’s possibilities when our own seem exhausted. Pray the rosary. Pray for those who suffer in war. Pray for those in power who must choose between weapons and dialogue. 

Second, we can refuse indifference. When news of distant suffering reaches us—and it does, every day, through our phones and computer screens—we can resist the temptation to scroll past it. These are human beings. Each one is made in the image of God. Each one is our brother or sister. To feel their pain is not weakness. It is the beginning of solidarity. 

Third, we can be instruments of peace in our immediate world. The great Franciscan prayer—“Lord, make me an instrument of your peace” is addressed to each of us. In every place where there is hatred, we can sow love. Where there is injury, pardon. We do not have to solve the war in the Middle East to live the peace of the Risen Christ. We have to show up, every day, in our own corner of the world, and choose differently than the culture of conflict around us. 

Fourth, we can support those who work for peace—Catholic Relief Services, Catholic Charities, our missionaries who serve in conflict zones and the diplomatic efforts of the Holy See. These are not peripheral activities. They are the Church’s works of mercy made concrete. 

Finally, we can allow Easter to be what it is: not a single Sunday of celebration, but a season and a way of life. The Risen Christ is not a consolation for an unjust world. He is the beginning of a new one. “We are a people who are already risen,” Pope Leo XIV told us at the vigil. Let us live like it. 

In the words with which our Holy Father concluded his prayer at the Vigil for Peace, I make his words my own: “Lord Jesus, you conquered death without weapons or violence: you shattered its power with the strength of peace. Grant us your peace, as you did to the women filled with doubt on Easter morning, as you did to the disciples who were hiding in fear. Send forth your Spirit, the breath that gives life and reconciles, that turns adversaries and enemies into brothers and sisters. 

Christ is risen! He is truly risen! And may the Risen Lord grant peace to our world.

“My Dear Friends in Christ, Peace and All Good!

Last evening, President Donald Trump posted a series of critical remarks on our Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV on his social media platform, Truth Social. Among other things, the President wrote: ‘Pope Leo is weak on crime, and terrible on foreign policy… focus on being a great Pope, not a politician. It’s hurting him very badly, and, most importantly, it’s hurting the Catholic Church.’ These remarks were later reiterated to reporters.

Pope Leo, currently traveling to Africa on an Apostolic Journey, responded with characteristic calm aboard his flight to Algeria: ‘I do not see my role as that of a politician … Too many people are suffering today, too many innocent lives have been lost, and I believe someone must stand up and say there is a better way.’  He added: ‘I say to all world leaders: let us end wars and promote peace and reconciliation.’

From his first appearance on the loggia of St. Peter’s, the Holy Father’s message has been one of peace. His Easter Urbi et Orbi, his Saturday Vigil for Peace, and his words throughout these early months of his pontificate all cry out the same urgent appeal: lay down weapons, choose dialogue, protect innocent life.

Archbishop Paul Coakley, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, responded well to the President’s remarks: ‘Pope Leo is not his rival, nor is the Pope a politician. He is the Vicar of Christ who speaks from the truth of the Gospel and for the care of souls.’ I share that sentiment.

Let us pray for our civic and religious leaders, for civility in public life, and above all for peace.

Our Lady, Queen of Peace, pray for us! St. Francis of Assisi, Messenger of Peace, pray for us!”

“My Dear Brother in Christ, Sevastianos:

Peace and All Good!

It is with a heart full of Easter joy that I extend to Your Eminence, to His Eminence Metropolitan Alexios, to the clergy, and to the entire lay faithful of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Atlanta, the most heartfelt greetings of the Catholic Archdiocese of Atlanta on the joyous occasion of Holy Pascha.

Christ is Risen! — Christos Anesti! These words, which echo across the centuries from an empty tomb in Jerusalem, resound today with equal power in our hearts, uniting us in the confession that is the very heart of Christian faith. On this greatest of all feasts, we stand together as brothers and sisters in the one Lord Jesus Christ, who “died for our sins and was raised for our justification” (Romans 4:25).

This Paschal season carries with it the residual joy of an extraordinary fall. We still feel the grace of two historic moments: Pope Leo XIV’s pilgrimage to İznik for the 1,700th Anniversary of the First Ecumenical Council, and his visit to the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Constantinople for the Feast of the holy Apostle Andrew, the First-Called.

On November28, 2025, Pope Leo XIV and His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew knelt together at the archaeological excavations of the ancient Basilica of Saint Neophytus—the very ground where the Fathers of 325 AD defined the faith we still profess. There, surrounded by the leaders of Christian churches from across the world, Pope Leo declared with pastoral urgency:

We are all invited to overcome the scandal of the divisions that unfortunately still exist among Christians and to nurture the desire for unity for which the Lord Jesus prayed and gave his life. The more we are reconciled, the more we Christians can bear credible witness to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, which is a proclamation of hope for all.

Two days later, on the Feast of Saint Andrew, the First-Called, the Holy Father stood in the Venerable Patriarchal Church of Saint George and spoke of 60  years of walking together “on a path of reconciliation, peace, and growing communion.” He reaffirmed that the pursuit of full communion with the Orthodox Church “is one of the priorities of my ministry as Bishop of Rome.”

Together, the Holy Father and His All-Holiness Patriarch Bartholomew signed a Joint Declaration at the Phanar in which they pledged to continue walking “with firm determination on the path of dialogue, in love and truth, towards the hoped-for restoration of full communion between our sister Churches.”

In his homily at the Divine Liturgy on the Feast of Saint Andrew, His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew spoke words that every follower of Christ must take to heart. Welcoming Pope Leo to the sacred center of Orthodoxy, the Patriarch declared:

Christian unity is not a luxury. It is the ultimate prayer of our Lord Jesus Christ: “that all may be one” and also the essential condition for the mission of the Church. Christian unity is an imperative, particularly in our tumultuous times, when the world is fractured by wars, violence and all kinds of discrimination, while it is devastated by the desire for domination, the quest for profit, and the unrestrained exploitation of natural resources.

In his visit to Constantinople, His All-Holiness also reminded those gathered that the exchange of delegations between our Churches for each other’s patronal feasts “cannot be reduced to events of mere protocol, but on the contrary, express in a very concrete and personal way our deep commitment to the quest for Christian unity and our sincere aspiration to the restoration of full ecclesial communion.”

This Pascha, as your faithful chant “Christos Anesti” and ours proclaim “Alleluia,” we are praying the same truth, worshipping the same Risen Lord, and longing for the same day when we may share fully in that communion which is His gift to the Church.

Your Eminence, the journey toward that full, visible unity for which our Lord prayed at the Last Supper will require patience, prayer, and perseverance. But this Pascha fills us with the hope that the God who raised Jesus from the dead can also raise His Church from the tomb of our divisions. We at the Archdiocese of Atlanta look upon the faithful of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Atlanta with profound affection and fraternal esteem.

Please convey my warmest Paschal greetings to His Eminence Metropolitan Alexios, whose decades of faithful service to the people of this region have been a witness to us all, and to each priest, deacon, and lay faithful entrusted to your pastoral care.

May the joy of the Resurrection fill your hearts, your homes, and your holy churches throughout this blessed Paschal season. May the intercession of the holy Apostles Andrew and Peter, brothers in faith as we aspire to be, continue to guide our steps along the path to unity.

In closing, my dear brother, let us remember each other in prayer as we strive to lead our flocks with the heart of the Good Shepherd.

Sincerely in the Risen Christ, Most Rev. Gregory J. Hartmayer, OFM Conv., Archbishop of Atlanta”

“Only by returning to negotiations can the war be brought to an end,” he said in remarks in Italian following his April 8 general audience in St. Peter’s Square.

His comments came just hours after a two-week ceasefire was reached between Iran and the United States, narrowly averting further escalation. The agreement followed a stark warning from U.S. President Donald Trump late April 7, when he threatened to destroy Iran’s critical infrastructure, saying “a whole civilization will die tonight” if Tehran did not reopen the Strait of Hormuz to oil and gas tankers. The ceasefire was announced roughly two hours before the White House’s deadline.

The pope’s appeal for dialogue echoed remarks he made the previous evening at Castel Gandolfo, where he urged leaders to return to the negotiating table even before the ceasefire was announced.

“Today, as we all know, there has also been this threat against the entire people of Iran, and this is truly unacceptable,” he told journalists April 7. “There are certainly issues of international law here, but even more, it is a moral question concerning the good of the people as a whole.”

Expanding on the broader implications of the conflict, he warned of a global economic crisis marked by “great instability,” which he said risks fueling further hatred, and he called on ordinary citizens to contact their political leaders to advocate for peace.

The pope also invited the faithful to join him in a prayer vigil for peace on April 11 in his general audience address. As flowers lined the steps of St. Peter’s Basilica during the Easter season, he used his main talk to reflect on holiness, emphasizing that it is a calling shared by all believers.

“Every baptized person is called to be holy; to live in God’s grace, to practice virtue and to become like Christ,” he said in his address to English speakers.

Continuing his series on the documents of the Second Vatican Council, he described charity as the foundation of holiness, “the fullness of love towards God and towards one’s neighbor,” and said its highest expression is martyrdom, calling it the “supreme witness of faith and charity.” He added that the sacraments, especially the Eucharist, sustain believers in this call.

He continued his analysis of the Dogmatic Constitution “Lumen Gentium,” specifically, the important role of consecrated life. “Indeed, signs of the Kingdom of God, already present in the mystery of the Church, are those evangelical counsels that shape every experience of consecrated life: poverty, chastity and obedience.

Poverty demonstrates “complete trust” in God–free of self-interest, obedience follows Christ’s “self-giving” offered to God, and chastity is the “gift of a heart that is whole and pure in love, at the service of God and Church.” The pope called these virtues a form of “radical discipleship.”

“These three virtues are not rules that shackle freedom, but liberating gifts of the Holy Spirit, through which some of the faithful are wholly consecrated to God,” he said.

Closing his main address, the pope said that Christ’s sacrifice makes holiness possible even in suffering.

“By contemplating this event, we know that there is no human experience that God does not redeem,” he said. “Even suffering, lived in union with the passion of the Lord, becomes a path of holiness.”

Sacred Heart Virtual Academy The program will serve students in grades 9 through 12 as a full-time, four-year program for families seeking an alternative to traditional classroom settings.  

Leaders in the Office of Catholic Schools said the academy was created in response to growing demand from homeschooling families and others looking for more flexible options. 

“We knew that we were not filling the needs of a group of kids that were in our parishes,” said Kim Shields, associate superintendent of Catholic Schools. “This allows a child that doesn’t want to go to a brick-and-mortar school to have that opportunity.”  

Students enrolled in the program will take a full course load online, including required theology classes each year. To graduate, students must complete 24 credits across core subjects like English, math, science, social studies, electives and other requirements.  

Sacred Heart Virtual Academy is fully accredited and will operate under the archdiocese, with diplomas and transcripts issued through the Office of Catholic Schools.  

Courses will combine live instruction and independent work. Most classes will meet twice a week for live, 30-minute Zoom sessions with certified teachers, while the remainder of the week will focus on assignments, recorded lessons and projects.  

The archdiocese is partnering with Catholic Education Services, a provider of virtual Catholic instruction, to supply curriculum and teachers. Theology instructors will be Catholic.  

Shields said the academy aims to serve a specific population rather than compete with existing Catholic high schools.  

“It’s not here to take the place of any of our high schools,” she said. “It’s for kids that need something different.”  

Tuition for the 2026-27 school year is set at $7,200, with limited options for single-course enrollment. While the school will not offer traditional extracurricular clubs or sports, students are encouraged to stay involved in their local parish community.  

Because the program is online, enrollment is open to students both inside and outside of the Archdiocese of Atlanta, including those living in other states or countries.  

Shields said the long-term goal of Sacred Heart Virtual Academy is to widen access to Catholic education and adapt to the evolving needs of students.  

“My hope is that it serves what we’re about—to provide programs for students to help them develop in all areas of their life,” she said. “The premise is that everything is centered around the mission of the Catholic Church.”  

Held inside the University of Georgia’s Stegeman Coliseum, volunteers are expected to pack nearly 255,000 meals during the weekend.

The Catholic Center at UGA and the UGA Athletic Association have supported the event since its launch in 2023, encouraging students and residents in surrounding communities to participate to help provide meals to children globally.

FMSC is a Christian nonprofit organization that strives to end starvation through these MobilePack events, named after the tractor trailers that carry the ingredients to host cities.  Volunteers pack thousands of meals that are then shipped to charity partners around the world.

At last year’s MobilePack event, 812 volunteers packed 186,624 meals. This year, 1,375 volunteers are needed to hit the goal of more than 200,000 meals. According to FMSC, two hours of meal packing time will feed a child for seven months.

Due to a date change this year, most student helpers will have returned home for the summer. A later event date means the need for volunteers is greater. The three volunteer sessions will be Friday, May 15, 7-9 p.m.; Saturday, May 16 from 4:30-6:30 p.m.; and Sunday, May 17 from 2-4 p.m.

Event Host Tom Spencer, who worships at the Catholic Center, said he feels strongly that as Christians, “we are called to serve those most in need.”

According to the organization, 30 million children across the globe suffer from malnutrition, and 8,500 die each day.

To apply as a volunteer or donate to this year’s MobilePack event in Athens, visit give.fmsc.org/athens. Donations help purchase the meal ingredients. This year’s fundraising goal is $114,000.

“I did what people do these days. I went to the internet and Googled resignation letters for sitting bishops. I didn’t get much help from it,” he said. 

In November, he reached the mandatory retirement age for bishops, which is 75. He said he followed the suggestion of Archbishop Gregory J. Hartmayer, OFM Conv., who told him that he should write from the heart.  

In the letter, he wrote he would like to continue to serve the Archdiocese of Atlanta for a time, while in good health and with a desire to help shepherd the $185 million “Rooted in Christ, Growing in Faith” capital campaign, and with other sacramental duties.   

“I indicated that I’m willing to stick around as needed.” 

In a wide-ranging interview on the Bearing Light podcast, Bishop Joel M. Konzen talked about his ministry as a priest and member of the Society of Mary and his ordination as a bishop, among other topics.  

Bishop Konzen has been a mainstay in the archdiocese for more than three decades. Until 2018, he was best known on the campus of Marist School. He served as teacher, principal and in many administrative roles at the independent college prep school going back to 1980, interrupted by a few years spent in Texas and Washington, D.C. 

In February 2018, he was preparing for Mass at the annual archdiocesan education banquet. His mobile phone rang with a 202 area code number, which he initially thought may be the provincial of the Society of Mary, who is based in the nation’s capital. Instead, it was the pope’s representative (nuncio), Cardinal Christophe Pierre, who recently retired himself after reaching the age of 80. 

The bishop recalled he expressed worry about leaving Marist School, which had just lost its president, but the papal nuncio stated a school named for the Blessed Mother would be cared for by her, if he accepted the appointment.  

After accepting, he continued with the banquet but had to keep the news to a close circle. “It was an interesting evening. I had a hard time keeping my mind on the awards that were being given out. My mind was elsewhere, thinking what in the world am I going to do,” recalled Bishop Konzen. 

Archbishop Wilton D. Gregory ordained him a bishop at the Cathedral of Christ the King in Atlanta on April 3, 2018.   

Bishop Joel M. Konzen, SM, speaks with members of the Missionaries of Charity on his ordination day as an auxiliary bishop for Atlanta in 2018. Although he has submitted his resignation letter to the Vatican, he has indicated a willingness to continue to serve as needed. Photo by Michael Alexander

In a year’s time after being ordained a bishop, he received an appointment as the diocesan administrator, leading the archdiocese during the transition between the departure of Archbishop Gregory and the arrival of Archbishop Hartmayer. He now awaits the Vatican’s official acceptance of his resignation letter. 

In the interview, Bishop Konzen touched on leadership, prayer and vocation. 

On prayer as a bishop:  

• His prayer life during this time focused on asking the Holy Spirit for the wisdom to handle whatever came his way. He said he began praying more intensely for the priests of the archdiocese, recognizing their “pivotal role” engaging with the needs of their communities. 

On leading as the diocesan administrator during the pandemic: 

• The end of his term overlapped with the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Holy Week in 2020 was “eerie,” he said, celebrating the most significant days of the church calendar in an empty cathedral.   

On responding to a vocation as a priest or sister, he said: 

• “Everybody I know who’s satisfied in their religious life or in their priesthood or sisterhood would say, ‘No this is a joyful life.’ We have good times, we support each other, we are happy doing what we’re doing and that’s so important for anyone who’s contemplating a vocation to be able to see that.” 

On his episcopal motto: 

• When he was named a bishop, he took as his motto a line written by St. Paul in his letter to the church in Rome, “have mercy with a cheerful heart.” He said, “It just seemed to speak to me, especially in line with Pope Francis at the time and probably what I have tried to be about in my ministry. We do need to be merciful.” Extending mercy with joy reflects the spirit of the Gospel, he said. 

This is what Mary Magdalene experienced on that morning long ago, when she went to Jesus’ tomb. She had endured the heart-wrenching experience of watching her beloved friend dying a horrendous death. After that, she probably slept very little, as she was tortured by the memories of his suffering.  

Early Sunday morning, she rises before dawn and hurries to the garden, where she sees the stone was removed from his tomb. She runs to tell Peter and John the frightening news: “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb.” 

Peter and John race to the garden, check the tomb and realize the Lord’s body is indeed missing. However, they don’t understand what Jesus had told them about rising from the dead, so they assume someone stole the body. And perhaps out of fear, they don’t stick around to investigate.  

 It is Mary, the faithful and courageous friend, who remains at the tomb, weeping. Looking inside, she sees two angels, who ask why she is crying. “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I don’t know where they have laid him.” She does not realize Jesus is nearby, quietly witnessing her sorrow. She thinks he is the gardener and suspects he is the culprit, so she asks him where the body is.  

Jesus once said the sheep recognize the shepherd’s voice, and they will only follow that sound. Now the Good Shepherd speaks her name, “Mary,” and she immediately knows who he is. She says one word to him, which is filled with wonder and love: “Rabboni!” 

I picture myself in the cemetery, hearing my husband say my name. I envision myself running toward him and hugging him tightly. But an embrace that day long ago was not part of Jesus’ plan, so he tells Mary: “Do not hold me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father.”  

Sometimes we cling too tightly to people who have died. We forget their death was God’s will for them. If our beloved died in a state of grace, we know he is with God, but we are human, so we cry for what we have lost.  

Jesus gives Mary a vital mission: “Go to my brethren and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” She obeys him, of course, and tells the disciples the amazing news in words that are simple but earth shaking: “I have seen the Lord.”  

 That morning in the garden with Mary Magdalene at the empty tomb reveals the heart of Easter, which is the fulfillment of Christ’s promise: “He who believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live.” Let’s pray that, like Mary Magdalene, we will meet Jesus one day.  Let’s pray he will call our names, and we will see him face to face. In my case, I hope Jesus gently leads me to someone standing nearby in the emerald grass, someone who has been waiting a long time to see me. 

“My Dear Friends of the Jewish Community of Atlanta,

As Passover draws near, I write to extend my warmest greetings and prayerful good wishes to each of you and to all the families and congregations of our beloved Jewish community here in Atlanta. May this holy season of liberation bring you and your loved ones deep joy, renewed faith, and abiding peace.

The Passover Seder is among the most sacred celebrations in human history—a living memorial of God’s mighty deeds, of freedom wrested from slavery, and of a people covenant-bound to the Holy One of Israel. As Catholics, we reverence these events not only as history but as the very foundation upon which our own faith is built. The Exodus is our story too. The God who led your ancestors through the sea is the same God we worship and adore.

In his Address on the 60th Anniversary of Nostra Aetate, Pope Leo XIV wrote “Dialogue is not a tactic or a tool, but a way of life.” These words from our Holy Father resonate with particular power during this sacred season. Since the earliest days of his pontificate, Pope Leo has made clear that the friendship between Catholics and Jews is not merely a matter of courtesy, but a sacred calling rooted in our shared spiritual heritage. He has pledged, with characteristic directness, “to continue and strengthen the Church’s dialogue and cooperation with the Jewish people in the spirit of Nostra Aetate.” I embrace that pledge as my own.

As we gather at our respective tables this spring—you at the Seder, we at the Eucharist—we are united in prayer for peace, especially for the people of the Middle East who continue to suffer under the shadow of war and uncertainty. The ongoing conflict in that holy and beloved land weighs heavily upon all our hearts. I join you in raising our voices to God, the Father of all, imploring an end to violence, the release of all those held captive, protection for innocent civilians, and the dawn of a just and lasting peace. May the same God who once parted the sea make a way when none seems possible.

I am deeply grateful for the friendship, support, and prayers that the Jewish community of Atlanta has shown to our Archdiocese and to me personally. Your generosity of spirit, your witness to the dignity of every human person, and your steadfast commitment to justice and compassion are a constant inspiration. In a city as diverse and dynamic as ours, the relationship between our communities is a sign of what the human family can be.

May your Passover Seder tables be filled with laughter and memory, with the voices of children asking the ancient questions, and with the sure and certain hope that the God who redeemed your ancestors will never abandon His people. Chag Pesach Sameach—a blessed and joyful Passover to you all.

With sentiments of deep respect and friendship.

Sincerely yours, Most Rev. Gregory J. Hartmayer, OFM Conv., Archbishop of Atlanta”

FIRST, a global organization for the youth robotics community, presents the award to students who demonstrate strong leadership skills and a commitment to science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

Students are nominated by their teams and teachers and are then evaluated on their contributions to both robotics and community outreach.

“Keaton is one of the top robotics students I have taught in my career,” said Dr. Brent Hollers, the school’s IT director. “He doesn’t just build robots, he builds communities.”

Garcia will represent the school at the FIRST World Championships in Houston, Texas, in April, where top teams and student leaders from around the world will gather.

“I’m really honored that I got it, and I’m super excited,” Garcia said.

St. Mary’s Academy junior Keaton Garcia works on the robot that he has been developing with his team all year. Garcia is captain of the Fayetteville high school’s robotics club. The program includes about 40 students across middle and high school grades known as the “Cybercats.” Photo by Julianna Leopold

Garcia is the team captain of the Fayetteville high school’s robotics club. The program includes about 40 students across middle and high school teams known as the “Cybercats.” Students design, build and operate machines created through a mix of 3D printing, coding and engineering.

Garcia, who balances robotics with soccer, football, track and E-sports, said his passion is clear.

“Robotics is my thing,” Garcia said. “It’s everything to me.”

His leadership style has made an impression on other teammates, including freshman coder Francois Dang.

“He’s really devoted to the team and wants all of us to be successful,” Dang said.

The two often spend lunch periods together in the school’s STEM lab, working on class assignments or preparing for competitions.

Mentoring and collaboration are central to the STEM program, shared Hollers, and Garcia is a prime example of this in the way he “leads with empathy and intelligence,” said Hollers.

Garcia’s selection as a finalist is not only reflected in his education, but also in his work beyond the classroom.

Connecting others with science

Last summer, Garcia, who is of Mexican descent, founded “Futuro Tech,” a free STEM program for Spanish-speaking children.

“With the political climate last summer, I felt like this was a good opportunity to help make a difference,” he said. “The camp is free for students, so I spent a lot of my birthday money buying supplies and things for it.”

Garcia partnered with Our Lady of the Americas Mission in Lilburn to connect with families about the program. Through Futuro Tech, Garcia visited students’ homes and led group sessions about STEM topics. Most students were elementary-aged children, so Garcia incorporated interactive games and hands-on activities to help them learn.

“I’m very proud of my Mexican heritage and my educational accomplishments,” Garcia said. “I want other students to feel that way, too.”

Garcia hopes to continue the camp this summer and is planning on launching a website soon.

The recognition marks a first for St. Mary’s Academy, as Garcia is the first student under Hollers’ leadership to be named a finalist for the award.

As he looks toward a future in aviation and engineering, Garcia said he hopes to continue helping his fellow classmates thrive and expanding access to STEM education.

“Today all of creation is resplendent with new light, a song of praise rises from the earth, and our hearts rejoice: Christ is risen from the dead, and with him, we too rise to new life,” the pope said.

Pope Leo declared that Easter “embraces the mystery of our lives and the destiny of history, reaching us even in the depths of death, where we feel threatened and sometimes overwhelmed. It opens us up to a hope that never fails, to a light that never fades, to a fullness of joy that nothing can take away.”

Tens of thousands gathered under the bright Roman sun on April 5 in a flower-adorned St. Peter’s Square for the first Easter Mass of Pope Leo XIV’s pontificate. The square was transformed for the occasion by thousands of blooms in vivid colors on the stairs leading up to the Renaissance basilica.

The Mass opened with the choir’s joyful proclamation: “O sons and daughters of the King, whom heavenly hosts in glory sing, today the grave has lost its sting. Alleluia!”

In his homily, Pope Leo declared that the resurrection of Christ has conquered the power of death, which he said “constantly threatens us” both from within, our feelings, doubts, disappointments, fears, and from outside, where war, injustice, selfishness and violence are prevalent.

From within, he said, that power manifests in sin, loneliness, doubt and exhaustion. “The weight of our sins prevents us from ‘spreading our wings’ and taking flight, or when the disappointments or loneliness we experience drain our hope,” he said.

“When we have to come to terms with our weakness, with the sufferings and the daily grind of life, we can feel as if we have ended up in a tunnel with no end in sight.”

But the pope also turned his gaze outward, describing a world marked by suffering and injustice.

“We see it present in injustices, in partisan selfishness, in the oppression of the poor, in the lack of attention given to the most vulnerable,” he said. “We see it in violence, in the wounds of the world, in the cry of pain that rises from every corner because of the abuses that crush the weakest among us, because of the idolatry of profit that plunders the earth’s resources, because of the violence of war that kills and destroys.”

Yet Easter, Pope Leo insisted, refuses to allow despair to be the final word. The feast “invites us to lift our gaze and open our hearts,” he said, and announces that “the power of death is not the final destiny of our lives. We are all directed, once and for all, on the path to fulfillment, because in Christ we also have risen.”

During the Mass, the Gospel of John was proclaimed in both Latin and Greek, and the prayers of the faithful were offered in Arabic, Chinese, Spanish, Vietnamese, and Portuguese. Pope Leo offered the consecration in Latin.

The pope called on Christians to carry that message into the wider world, like St. Mary Magdalene, who ran to announce the risen Christ to the disciples.

“Brothers and sisters, Easter gives us this hope, as we remember that in the risen Christ a new creation is possible every day,” Pope Leo said.

“We need this song of hope today. It is ourselves, risen with Christ, who must bring him into the streets of the world. Let us then run like Mary Magdalene, announcing him to everyone, living out the joy of the resurrection, so that wherever the specter of death still lingers, the light of life may shine,” he said.

Delivering the homily during the solemn Liturgy of the Lord’s Passion ahead of the evening Via Crucis, Capuchin Father Roberto Pasolini, the papal preacher, urged the faithful not to give into violence, but rather find the “discreet and stubborn song that invites (us) to love.”

“We are all constantly tempted to use a little bit of aggressiveness, a little bit of violence, thinking that without these means things will never be resolved,” he said April 3 in St. Peter’s Basilica. “The servant of the Lord cannot give in to this instinct.”

The rite began with Pope Leo XIV’s silent procession down the central nave. Dressed in red vestments, symbolizing the blood of Christ’s Passion, he somberly lay prostrate before the altar, a sign of adoration and penance. The readings recounted Christ’s passion and death on the cross.

At the moment of the veneration of the cross, the pope removed his chasuble and shoes and knelt before the crucifix in a gesture of humility. Clergy followed one by one, venerating the cross on bended knee and a kiss.

Father Pasolini’s homily echoed Pope Leo’s repeated calls for an end to war, warning that “in a time like ours, still so lacerated by hatred and violence, where even the name of God is invoked to justify wars and decisions of death….”

He said this evil continues “to circulate because it always finds someone willing to return it and multiply it.”

The homily emphasized that resisting this evil of violence is neither easy nor instinctive. Faced with injustice, the natural human reaction is to retaliate or “even the scores.” Yet Jesus refused that instinct entirely.

“He accepts everything without returning violence,” Father Pasolini said.

Jesus “broke this chain,” not through superior force, but by embracing suffering and responding with forgiveness, silence and compassion, the papal preacher said.

Father Pasolini pointed to what he called a “silent line of people,” ordinary men and women who, often unnoticed, choose to resist hatred in their daily lives.

“They get up every day and try to make their life something that is not only for them, but also for others,” he said. “They carry burdens that they have not chosen, they receive wounds without becoming bitter, they don’t stop looking for the good, even when it seems useless.”

During the late afternoon Mass at the Cathedral of Christ the King, Archbishop Hartmayer honored jubilarian priests and led all priests in renewing the promises made at their ordinations.

“Jesus is both priest and victim. This is the mystery at the center of our priestly identity,” the archbishop told the priests. “Jesus lays himself on the altar of the cross with complete freedom, and so it must be for us.”

He reflected on how urgent the work and mission of priests is today.

“This Easter, 3,442 people will enter the Catholic Church in this archdiocese–an extraordinary sign that the Holy Spirit is at work. Christ still calls, and hearts are still open in responding to him,” said Archbishop Hartmayer.

In addition to the Holy Spirit, this revival of the Church locally is due to the holiness and “intentional discipleship” of priests, deacons and religious as well as the lay faithful, he said.

Twelve priests were honored this year for jubilee years of service ranging from 65 to 25 years in the priesthood.

Bishop Bernard E. Shlesinger III

There is a secretive nominating and vetting process that precedes being appointed a bishop. In my case, I was completely unaware that I was even being considered as a candidate. When the call came to me from the apostolic nuncio who told me the Holy Father had appointed me as an auxiliary bishop in the Archdiocese of Atlanta, I was expected to answer in the affirmative with no time to think of the consequences of my response. I realized later that I did not know what becoming a bishop really entailed.   

I asked a more senior bishop for some advice about how to exercise my future role. His answer was simple and to the point, “Be yourself!” I was to learn how to put on the mind of Christ and pray for the gift of his heart. 

Over the past nine years as a bishop, I have come to experience the respect given to my position while feeling unworthy of the exalted treatment that is shown to me. For example, when I often arrive at a parish, there is usually a sign which marks my reserved parking space and an orange cone that indicates no one should take my place. However, all this VIP treatment brings with it the dangers of growing in self-importance and an inflated ego 

Recently we celebrated Palm Sunday and meditated on Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem. Taking the place of Moses, the meekest of men, Jesus teaches us that meekness is not weakness and that meekness requires us to receive praise with great humility, for meekness is a courageous and disciplined choice to prioritize love and humility over raw power. 

In a reflection on the beatitude, ‘Blessed are the meek,’ Pope Benedict reflected on the way Jesus entered Jerusalem on Palm Sunday before his Passion began: “Here we see a king that will rule not by political and military might. His inmost being is humility and meekness before God and men. In this, he is the exact opposite of the great kings of the world. And a vivid illustration is the fact that he rides on an ass—the mount of the poor, the counter image of the chariot that he rejects. He is the king of peace—and by God’s power, not his own. Jesus renounces violence and accepts suffering which will bring peace to all lands.” 

We all are meant to follow Jesus into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday but also to remain with him on the way to Calvary. An ostentatious show like a military buildup may inspire fear and awe in many but will fail to convert nations. e may be fascinated by royalty and the lifestyles of the rich and famous, but true greatness does not lie in this.  

As one navigates the challenge between an attitude of entitlement and asking for an exemption from accepting a role of responsibility, we must look to the meekness of Christ. The Messiah does not rule by intimidation but by love. He doesn’t rule by threatening others or lording it over them, but by sacrificial service.   

Let us learn from the Master, who invites us to come and follow him who is meek and humble of heart.