Father Timothy Radcliffe Talks to the Georgia Bulletin

Father Timothy Radcliffe talks to Modern Catholicism students

Father Timothy Radcliffe visited Atlanta's Emory University in late March as a guest of the Candler School of Theology and the Aquinas Center of Theology. I interviewed him before he met with students in the Modern Catholicism class and his public lecture to several hundred people. 

The story and photos will be published in our April 12 edition.

Prior to the interview, I sent a tweet to followers of @georgiabulletin asking if anyone had any questions for the former head of the Dominican order. I received two replies, which I asked Father Radcliffe. I'll post one today and the second later this week.  

As an aside, I recently finished his book, "Why Go To Church?" I found it engaging, thought provoking and insightful. He drew from poets, movies, the Gospels and other material to make his point. He writes that Mass is a three part drama, forming people in faith in the Liturgy of the Word, hope in the Liturgy of the Eucharist and love as we depart church to go into the world. 

--Andrew
Father Radcliffe Question 2 by GeorgiaBulletin

50 Years later, here they are, Earl and Barbara Beck

50 Years of Marriage Begins with Mutual Dislike by GeorgiaBulletin




Please listen to Barbara Beck tell how her marriage of 50 years to her husband, Earl, began with mutual dislike. It's a great story.

You can read my article in the Georgia Bulletin about the annual Mass honoring couples in 2011 who celebrate their 50th and 60th wedding anniversaries. The story appears in the Oct. 13 issue.


On a side note, my own parents - who marked in September the 45th anniversary of their wedding - were set up by their parents. My dad's mother worked at Syracuse University as did my mom. My grandmother suggested my dad take out her co-worker and the rest is history (Although, as my father tells it, at the proposal, my mom tried to talk him out of it. My mom is mum on the subject.)  Anyhoo. I wonder if it was common for parents to play the matchmaker back in the day. How'd your parents meet?


-Andrew

Voices of the Nigerian Catholic Community Choir

I set out for the inaugural Mass of the Pan African Catholic Organization of the Atlanta last weekend.
Wandering around before the service began, I found a choir of women, wearing colorful clothes, practicing for the upcoming Mass. You can hear the choir below.

Here's my lede for the story:

Worshippers recited prayers in five languages as they praised God African-style.

Crowds filled the pews at Stone Mountain’s Corpus Christi Church, with many wearing vibrant African clothes and women in elaborate headdresses.

At the start of Mass, five women danced down the center aisle of Corpus Christi Church to the drum beat of African rhythms, as one carried the book with the day’s Bible readings on her back.

Choirs from the communities of Cameroon, Gambian, Nigeria raised their voices to lead the faithful in song.

The Pan African Catholic Organization of Atlanta in the archdiocese held its inaugural Mass on Saturday, Oct. 1, bringing together nine different immigrant nationalities and ethnic groups.

Some details about the African Catholic community came from a survey done four years ago:

A 2007 survey for the Office of Black Catholic Ministry estimated in the archdiocese there are more than 22,000 black Catholics.

And in the survey, about one in three respondents identified themselves as African. The largest number of people born in Africa came from Nigeria, followed by Eritrea and Ivory Coast. (Cote d’Ivoire).

Finally, the choir.  (To enlarge the photo, please hover the cursor over the photo.).

listen to ‘Church choir practice ’ on Audioboo

-Andrew