Ministries & Programs Supported by the Archbishop's Annual Appeal
The Office of Vocations
Preparing for the future needs of the church, this office directly facilitates the on-going discernment process for those interested in becoming candidates for priestly formation in service to the Archdiocese of Atlanta. Over the past 10 years, our archdiocese has continued to have some of the highest numbers of men studying for the priesthood. This year the archdiocese is sponsoring 49 men who are currently studying for the priesthood.
Campus Ministry
The archdiocese subsidizes the operating costs of four Catholic Centers located on local area college campuses.
Eucharistic Renewal
The archdiocese subsidizes a portion of the program costs for the annual Eucharistic Congress.
Office of Hispanic Ministry
Responding to the needs of a diverse church, this ministry fosters a unity within the parishes of our archdiocese among the English-speaking and Spanish-speaking communities. Spanish Masses are offered in 49 of our parishes and missions. Three religious groups of nuns serve our Hispanic community in this archdiocese. The Hispanic Apostolate also offers two weeks of formation each year, as well as an annual retreat for lay persons.
Ministry with Persons with Disabilities
This office advocates full inclusion into the life of the church by providing individualized services and programs that assist disabled Catholics as they enjoy their baptismal rights as members of the church.
Mission Development
The archdiocese subsidizes financially struggling missions and smaller parishes on an as-needed basis to help them meet the pastoral needs of their parish communities.
Office for Black Catholic Ministry
This ministry supports the clergy with the spiritual needs of the Black Catholic community and that of the larger Catholic community of the archdiocese.
Permanent Diaconate Program
Currently there are 76 men in various stages of preparation in the five-year school at the St. Stephen Center for Diaconate Studies. We currently have 127 active deacons serving in 61 parishes and missions.
Religious Education & Faith Formation Department
To build up the faith community, this department serves the archdiocese in four ways: 1) assistance with age-appropriate religious education to pastors and their staff; 2) assistance to parishes with sacramental formation; 3) delivery of direct programs for segments of the archdiocese as a whole, for example, Young Adult Ministry and Youth Ministry; and 4) provision of catechetical formation and certification services. All of these services are now provided in English and Spanish.
Office of Catholic Schools
Supporting Catholic education, this office assists each of our fifteen elementary and three secondary schools by sponsoring a range of activities, including monthly principals' meetings, archdiocesan-wide in-service opportunities, curriculum writing sessions, technology support, assistance with psychological services for students, specific training of substitute teachers, and interface with other educational organizations.
Office of Child and Youth Protection
This program provides education and resources about child abuse to the parishes and agencies of the archdiocese. Educational programs are offered to parish staff, volunteers and parents free of charge.
HIV/AIDS Ministry
The HIV/AIDS ministry assists parishes in establishing their own HIV/AIDS parish ministries by providing support and resources. Parish-based services for AIDS awareness/prevention are also offered including in-service work-shops, speakers and educational programs.
Pro-Life Office
Coordinating pro-life efforts within the archdiocese, this ministry develops, trains and supports parish pro-life committees and acts as an archdiocesan resource for information on pro-life issues.
Family Life Office
Working toward the prevention of problems in families, this ministry offers various Catholic programs for marriage preparation, marriage enrichment and marriage repair. The objective is to assist priests and deacons in their work with couples and families.
Catholic Charities Atlanta
Counseling Services
This CSS unit provides quality bilingual counseling to assist both families and individuals. Close to 1,000 clients in 13 counties were served by 18 professional counselors last year.
Pregnancy, Parenting & Adoption Services
These services are provided to birthparents, adoptive parents and families with an "open adoption" philosophy centered on the best interest of the child. This program handled 10 co-operative open adoption placements last year and the new bilingual program served 12-15 women.
Emergency Assistance Program
The mission of the Emergency Assistance Program is to provide immediate care to persons displaced by natural disasters, helping them to regroup and empower them to find a new start.
Parish & Social Justice Ministry
This CSS program provides services to all areas of the archdiocese and local communities through a variety of projects, including the One Church One Inmate program and local Catholic Campaign for Human Development grants.
Immigration Services
This CSS program provides legal assistance and representation relating to immigration matters to clients in need. Last year approximately 45 clients were served per week.
Migration & Refugee Services
This CSS program offers resettlement services to newly arrived refugees in the Atlanta area and a broad range of support services are available to develop empowerment of refugee families. Last year 213 newly arrived refugees were resettled, 604 clients were provided Social Adjustment assistance, and the staff provided employment services and secured work for 331 clients.
Community Outreach Centers
These are located in Cobb County, Gainesville, Athens, Chamblee and midtown Atlanta and offer bilingual services to low-income clients including job placement, English as a Second Language (ESL), and immigration counseling and support referrals. Last year more than 10,000 clients were served in the five regional offices.