Eucharistic Procession

Perhaps one of the most exciting things about the Archdiocese of Atlanta's annual Eucharistic Congress is the vibrant faith that is displayed by local Catholics. Represented are various cultures and languages who all come together to recognize their oneness in the faith and the unifying belief of Christ's true presence in the Eucharist.

While many remember the sights and sounds of the event, one thing that always impresses me is the silence that falls over the usually noisy halls of the Georgia International Convention Center when the Blessed Sacrament makes its rounds to the different tracks. Below is a short video clip of Atlanta Archbishop Wilton D. Gregory processing the Eucharist back into the Adoration Chapel following Saturday morning's activities.

-Stephen

Eucharistic Congress, 2012

A Sweet Surprise At The Ordination

The June 2 ordination was nearly over when out from the sacristy came newly ordained priests Father Tri Nguyen and Father Mark Starr, each holding a vase with a gold satin bow of mondial white roses. They walked off the altar and presented the flowers to their mothers. It was a touching moment and a real surprise for the moms, and it brought a rousing round of applause from the congregation.

Such a presentation is not a normal part of the ordination program. The Cathedral of Christ the King Flower Guild, under the leadership of Linda Seitz and Jane Murray, approached pastor Father Frank McNamee with the idea of presenting the mothers with a vase of flowers at the ordination. Father McNamee, in turn, shared the idea with Deacon Whitney Robichaux, master of ceremonies for the ordination, and with the ordination candidates. Everybody was supportive and on board with it.

Flower guild members Kathy Ledlie and Norine McCahey put the arrangements together. “The mondial white rose is a premium rose that opens well and it’s used quite often at the cathedral,” said Seitz. She said the flowers were meant to recognize the women who helped nurture their sons from birth and willingly gave them to the church.

Trying to fight by tears once again, Patricia Starr holds her vase of mondial white roses as the congregation applauds the mothers of the newly ordained priests. In a moment of surprise, the mothers were presented with flowers from their sons.

“It was great to have that special moment to thank her for being my mother and raising me in the faith,” said Father Mark. His mother Patricia was emotional throughout the ordination. She was often seen clinching a handful of Kleenex as she wiped away tears of joy. He thought the highlight of the ordination for her was watching her son prostrated before the altar during the Litany of the Saints, but Father Mark said she really loved the flowers too. That evening when the family went out to celebrate at dinner she brought the flowers along with her.

“It was simply a way to show her my appreciation for all that she has done for me since I was a baby,” said Father Tri. “No gift or words can adequately describe my gratitude for all she’s done, but the flowers were a small way to express my feelings.”

Father Tri Nguyen said it's hard to fully express his gratitude toward his mother Mary Thao, but the flowers were a small token of his appreciation for all that she has done for him.

The Flower Guild’s idea turned out to be the right touch. It was well received by the mothers and judging by the thunderous applause, the gesture was welcomed by those in attendance at the 2012 Rite of Ordination to the Priesthood.

“The Amen of nature is always a flower.”

Oliver Wendell Holmes

Michael Alexander, Staff Photographer

 

Note: See Andrew Nelson’s story in the June 7 issue of The Georgia Bulletin for more information about this ordination and see Stephen O’Kane’s story in the same issue about the May 26 transitional diaconate ordination.  

Ordination to the Priesthood in the Atlanta Archdiocese

'Morehouse Man' Wears a Roman Collar

Congratulations to Father Christopher Rhodes, who was recently ordained  a priest in the Archdiocese of Louisville. 

Dallas native Rhodes, 34, is a convert to Catholicism and a graduate of Morehouse College in Atlanta, St. Meinrad and Catholic University of America. He will begin as associate pastor of St. Augustine Church in Lebanon and Holy Name of Mary Church in Calvary.

In 2007,  I wrote about him and two other men discerning a call to the priesthood who worshiped at Lyke House. (You can read the story.)

Rhodes said Lyke House shows the universal features of the Catholic Church. As the only black seminarian at St. Meinrad Seminary, Rhodes at times shares a different point of view of the church from his fellow seminarians with insights gained from Lyke House. “They may have their perspective, but I have another perspective to add to theirs,” he said.

Rhodes, also a graduate of Morehouse College, converted to Catholicism at Lyke House and is now a seminarian. He and Brother John were college roommates before he graduated in 2002.

“I felt right at home because of the culture and because of the rich faith tradition,” said Rhodes about Lyke House.

He grew up in Dallas, worshipping in a charismatic Protestant expression. As a young man, his minister called him out of the congregation and announced Rhodes would lead God’s people one day. At Morehouse he worshipped at King Chapel, the spiritual center at the college, which is rooted in the Baptist church.

He first found Lyke House as a place to study, but was eventually drawn into its spiritual life. After exploring the faith for two years, Rhodes joined the Catholic Church in 2000. At Lyke House, he participated in the choir, on the liturgy committee, as a minister assistant.

He is studying to be a priest for the Louisville Archdiocese. He attends St. Meinrad Seminary in Indiana. Rhodes spent four years in the U.S. Army as an officer after college and also hopes to become a military chaplain.

He is a strong advocate for campus ministry. Rhodes, 29, said students are forming their own values, many for the first time after leaving home. Campus ministry inserts the idea of lifelong formation within the church, he said.

Update: Of the two other Lyke House men, Desmond Drummer continues his studies in seminary for the Archdiocese of Atlanta.  I am waiting to hear  From John Phillips. 

In regards to my vocation journey, I have taken a leave from the Dominican order.

I am finishing my masters in sacred theology while working in the DC area. I have not given up on my call, but I will be working with a spiritual director to help me discern my vocation journey from this point forward.

I am extremely thankful for all those who have supported me in this journey, especially my Atlanta Catholic family.

I would appreciate your prayers as I move forward with my call.

Read more about the ordination here. 

-Andrew

Blessed John XXXIII at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church, Carrollton

I took a recent road trip to Carrollton, home of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church. I drove there to gather details about the community's 50th anniversary. The parish is profiled in the May 24 edition of "The Georgia Bulletin."

I also found this unique statue on its campus of Blessed John XXXIII, who convened the Second Vatican Council. You can learn more about him and the parish in the photo below.  --Andrew

The Month of May Is A Sports Bonanza

March brings the “Madness” of the NCAA basketball tournament, but that’s just one sport. May, on the other hand, is jammed packed with a host of sporting events. The first two legs of horse racing’s Triple Crown, The Kentucky Derby and The Preakness, are run the first Saturday and the third Saturday of May, respectively.

In the National Hockey League (NHL) the Stanley Cup playoffs are down to four teams: the Los Angeles Kings, the Phoenix Coyotes, the New Jersey Devils and the New York Rangers. In the National Basketball Association (NBA) six teams remain vying for a spot in the NBA finals. In the Western Conference it’s the San Antonio Spurs and the Oklahoma City Thunder. In the Eastern Conference it’s the Boston Celtics, the Philadelphia 76ers, the Indiana Pacers and the Miami Heat.

For golf fans, earlier in the month there was the Wells Fargo Championship at Quail Hollow Club, Charlotte, N.C., and The Players Championship in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. This week it’s the Senior PGA Championship at Harbor Shores, Benton Harbor, Mich. And those are just some of the big ones.

This weekend, Pentecost Sunday, the 96^th running of the Indianapolis 500 takes place at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

For baseball enthusiasts there’s a plethora of Major League Baseball games in May, because the league still has a long way to go in its 162-game regular season.

But what I enjoy most about May is covering and watching the state high school playoffs. Unfortunately, I was only able to make one playoff game this year - the May 16 girls semifinal soccer match between Atlanta’s Marist School and Peachtree City’s McIntosh High School. McIntosh defeated Marist 3-1, and McIntosh would go on to defeat Whitewater High School, Fayetteville, to win the Class AAAA championship.

Marist School's Stephanie Krouskos (#9) tries to gain possession of the ball over McIntosh High School's Hannah Hartman. McIntosh scored one goal in the first half and two in the second to defeat Marist in the state soccer semifinals 3-1, May 16.

A number of our Catholic schools made it to the Sweet 16 and Elite 8 in sports like baseball, lacrosse, soccer and tennis. The boys soccer team at Our Lady of Mercy High School, Fayetteville, had never advanced past the first round, but this year they reached the Elite 8 for the first time in the school’s history. Mercy, too, would go on to lose to the eventual state champion in Class A, Aquinas High School of Augusta.

In the June 7 issue of The Georgia Bulletin we will provide our readers with a recap of the Catholic school teams that were either state champions or state runner up.

Congratulations to all the teams, athletic directors, coaches, managers and players who competed during the 2011-2012 school year.

In closing I’ll leave you with a quote from former professional tennis player Boris Becker:

“I love winning, I can take the losing, but most of all I love to play.”

Michael Alexander, Staff Photographer