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History Of The Archdiocese
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and Rev. James P. Boyce, Chan
cellor.
A month after its erection,
the Holy Father gave approval
to placing the new diocese under
the primary patronage of the
Immaculate Heart of Mary.
Pope St. Pius X is the secon
dary diocesan patron. These
heavenly patrons were early
recognized in the naming of a
new parish in metropolitan At
lanta and the first diocesan high
school. In July, 1957 Bishop Hy
land visited Pope Pius XII and
reported to the Holy Father on
the growth of the diocese of At-
anta * Metropolitan Growth
The major evidence of growth
of the Church in North Georgia
is the number of parishes in
greater Atlanta, reflecting the
trend since World War II to
the urban from the rural areas
in the South's change from an
agricultural to a commercial
and industrial economy. With
only seven parishes in the ear
ly 50's, the 5-County metro
politan area is now served by
16 parish churches, plus two
Eastern Rite churches. Two
of three parishes added in May,
1964 serve the metropolitan
area: Holy Spirit, covering
Northwest Fulton County to the
Chattahoochee River and the
southern boundary of St. Jude's
parish, and Holy Cross, to serve
Tucker, Doraville and all of
Gwinnett County. The third is
St. Mark’s at Clarkesville in
Habersham County, formerly a
part of Mother or our Divine
Savior Parish in Toccoa. The
Verona Fathers who formerly
served the original Toccoa pa
rish were replaced bytheden-
mary Home Missioners to care
for this new parish.
Mission Churches
Mission chapels or stations
have been set up to provide
for a full Catholic life for those
who live in rural Georgia at the
rate of two or three a year
since the inception of this Dio
cese. The first rural mission-
established in the north Geor
gia diocese was that of St. Anna
in Monroe, dedicated on May
16, 1957. At the end of the next
month, the Church of St. Joseph
was blessed May 30 at Dal
ton. The next year saw three
dedications: St John Vianney
at Austell on June 6, St.
DICKEY-MANGHAM CO.
FIRST NATIONAL BANK BUILDING
ATLANTA, GA.
JA 1-1541
E.B. Rice & Co.
BOOKEEPING & TAX SERVICE
881 PEACHTREE N.E. ATLANTA, GA.
A Field Mass celebrated by Father John Cotter, Principal of
St. Pius X High School, formed the setting for the picture avoce.
The Archdiocese conducts three high schools in Atlanta (St.
Pius X; St. Joseph’s and Drexel). In addition there are two
private high schools, namely: Marlst and D’Youville.
Pius X chapel outside
the grounds of Our Ladv of the
Holy Ghost Abbey at Conyers
on September 20 by the Rt.
Rev. Abbot Augustine Moore,
O.C.S.C.; and St. John the Bap
tist chapel at Thom as ton on
October 31, 1959. On the last
Sunday in February, 1960, Mass
was offered for the first time
in Blue Ridge, and on April
20 Bishop Hyland dedicated St.
Mary's chapel in Jackson, to
be administered by theRedemp-
torist Fathers from Griffin.
The Redemptorist mission of
St. Peter Chanel at Summer
ville was blessed May 11,1960;
and on October 1 of that same
year the Chancery office an
nounced the establishment of a
new parish dedicated to St. Luke
in Dahlonega, to be cared for
by the Glenmary Home Mission
Society. Two more missions
were messed in iV6l, one at
Clarkesville on March 26 and
St. Helena’s at Clayton on June
29. Since inception of the Arch
diocese new parishes and miss
ions have been established at
Cleveland, Carrolton, Coving
ton, Jonesboro and Winder. At
the time these were announced
in 1965, potential missions were
reported to be under study in
Paulding, Gwinnett, Putnam,
Jackson, Morgan and Lamar
Counties. Two areas which are
missions of Sacred Heart
Parish in Griffin are develop
ing so rapidly that both may
become suburban parishes of
Atlanta before long.
Another important change in
the Archdiocese was announced
in the Summer of 1965 when the
Archdiocesan priests under
Msgr. Joseph E. Moylan who
had cared for Our Lady of the
Assumption parish, were tran-
ferred to Sacred Heart church,
and the Marist Fathers under
Rev. Thomas J. Roshetko re
placed them at O.L.A. as the
parish embracing the relocated
Marist College.
Ordinations
In 1956 the new Diocese of
Atlanta had only 35 secular
priests. The first ordinations
for the new Atlanta diocese took
place in May and June of 1957.
Rev. Dale Freeman and Rev.
Daniel McCormick, both of New
York State, were ordained
specifically for the Atlanta
area. Seeking new priests for
the Atlanta diocese among se
minarians here and abroad has
resulted in several newly or
dained priests coming to Geor
gia each Summer. Ireland is
providing a "bumper crop" of
young men eager to work in
Georgia parish and mission
fields. In the past few years
a deacon program has brought
assistance and summer relief
for our busy priests by having
seminarians work in parishes
here a season one year before
their ordination.
Oriental Rite Pastors
An important and pressing
concern of the Bishop in the
early days of the diocese of
Atlanta was the spiritual care
of the Catholics of the Eastern
Rites, a considerable number
of whom live within the metro
politan area of the see city.
On June 9, 1957 Bishop Hyland,
in a solemn ceremony in both
the Latin and Oriental rites,
dedicated the new Melkite rite
church of St. John Chrysostom.
Rev. William Haddad became
the pastor of the city’s Melkite
Catholics. Less than a year
later Rev. Joseph Abi-Nader
was installed as the pastor of
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The Shrine Of The Immaculate Conception ATLANTA
FATHER GEORGE SALEM O.S.B. an Atlantan returned to his "home church" to celebrate
the 25th anniversary of his Ordination. Pictured with Father George are Bishop Ekirick of
Nashville and Father Arthur Murray O.F.M., Pastor of the Shrine.