Do you have any palms from last Palm Sunday? Collection bins will be in the Narthex until Sunday, February 24th. The palms will be burned for use in the Masses on Ash Wednesday. 

Serving over 1,000,000 Catholics, the mission of the Archdiocese of Atlanta is to proclaim the Gospel of the Lord, and grow all of North Georgia in faith, hope, love, and service to others. Together, we are God’s hands and feet, sharing God’s compassion and mercy, and demonstrating that “Go, therefore, and make disciples.”

Your gift to the 2019 Archbishop’s Annual Appeal helps make it possible by supporting the ministerial, outreach, education, formation and discipleship work of the Archdiocese of Atlanta. Please give prayerful consideration to your level of support to help fund the essential ministries and services supported by the Appeal. To learn more about the appeal, and to donate online, visit https://appeal.archatl.com.

The Knights of Columbus will distribute Lenten books after Mass in the Narthex the weekends of February 23rd and 24th and March 2nd and 3rd. Please pick up your book after Mass and spend some quiet time with the Lord. Donations are welcome to offset the cost of the books. Any excess money will be donated to charities the Knights support.

Please note:  due to set up for a special event, there will NOT be a dinner this week on February 20th. Our next Wednesday Night Dinner will feature our pre-St. Patrick’s Day Dinner and Concert on Wednesday, February 27th.

Please join us for the annual Order of Malta Mass, in honor of the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes, on Saturday, February 23rd, at 10:00 a.m. at the Cathedral of Christ the King. The Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick will be offered at the Mass, celebrated by Archbishop Gregory, and a reception will follow in Kenny Hall. All are welcome. Contact Alex Davis at 404-353-6217 for additional information.

All parishioners are invited to join us for our annual parish Ministry Fair next weekend, February 23rd and 24th, after all Masses. Come learn how you can be the hands and feet of Christ by participating in one or more of our parish ministries. Members from our various ministries will be on hand to offer personal testimonies of their experiences. We will have activities for the children, wine and cheese for adults (only!) after the evening Masses, refreshments after the morning Masses, with Mimosas served after the 11:30 a.m. Mass. It's fun for the whole family and only takes a few minutes to learn how you can help us make God's kingdom present in the world.

We are in need of volunteers to assist with the monthly Collection for the Poor for 15 minutes before and after each Mass next weekend, February 23rd and 24th. Children make excellent helpers. To volunteer, please contact Hannah Martin. 

Every one of us is given a special gift. Some people are natural teachers; others are especially disciplined at prayer; still others have the special gift of ministering to the sick, the suffering, and the bereaved.

Whether we are senior adults or children, married or called to the vocation of single or widowed life, all of us have the capacity to serve others. Our ministry to others at the same time deepens and affirms our own vocation, Catholic faith, and Catholic identity.

Some parishioners at Holy Spirit Catholic Church serve visibly; you see them as ushers, altar servers, choir members, and lectors at all Masses. Others serve crucial roles as teachers in our faith formation and sacramental preparation classes. Still others perform spiritual and corporal works of mercy by working in hospitality services and through organizations that care for the poor. And many others enjoy the gift of fellowship with other parishioners through either social programs or through the richness of scripture study and adult education classes.

Whatever your unique talent happens to be, chances are that Holy Spirit Catholic Church has a ministry in which you can use your gift to benefit others while also enriching your own spirituality and Catholic identity.

Next week we present our annual Ministry Fair in McDonough Hall. Before and after all Masses, representatives from nearly 100 ministries will be on hand to offer information about service opportunities at our parish.  Make plans to attend and discover more about how ministry unto others truly allows us to make God’s Kingdom present in the world. 

Dante Alighieri completed his monumental Divine Comedy in 1320. It consists of three parts, the Inferno, the Purgatorio, and the Paradiso. Dante draws heavily on the theological thought of St. Thomas Aquinas in his presentation of life after death. This course will be a beginner’s look at the Divine Comedy through a theological lens. We will especially be concerned with how Dante interprets St. Thomas and incarnates the doctrine of the Last Things in his poetry. Because of the introductory nature of the course, we cannot spend much time on the literary style and allusions of Dante, though these are very interesting, but a student completing this course would be well-situated to do a more in-depth reading on their own or via other courses. We will spend two weeks each on the three sections of the work, and specific passages will be assigned to assist us in efficiently digesting the material and making it accessible to students who might not have much exposure to poetry or to theology. 

Fr. Josh Allen, STL
Mondays, 9:30 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.

February 25 - April 8; no class on March 18
Cost:  $150

To register, contact Kim Schulman. To learn more about Holy Spirit College, visit www.holyspiritcollege.org.

May the luck of the Irish be with you as you join Msgr. Dillon for a special Wednesday Night Dinner on February 27th at 6:30 p.m. in McDonough Hall. Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day a few weeks early with an evening of music performed by Holy Spirit’s favorite Irish singer, Harry O’Donoghue, and a traditional dinner featuring corned beef, cabbage, and all the sides catered by Chef Robin. There is no charge for the dinner or concert, but donations are welcome. Please RSVP online by Monday, February 25th.