Q. Has a Gypsy ever been canonized by the Catholic Church? A. Ceferino Giménez Malla (1861-1936), popularly known as “El Pelé” (“the Strong One”), was beatified by Pope St. John Paul II on May 4, 1997. He was born to a Catholic Roma (Gypsy) family in Spain and worked as an animal trader. Cerefino was a Third Order Franciscan and informal catechist of children. During the Spanish Civil, Ceferino saw a priest being arrested and spoke up on the priest’s behalf. The soldiers seiz

May 24, 2021 Feast of Mary, Mother of the Church Dear St. Catherine Parish Family, Last year, because of COVID protocols, we implemented a new family faith formation model called Families Forming Disciples. Families, including parents and children, gathered together with clergy and catechists virtually via Zoom for large group gatherings as well as small group meetings. This program was open to all of our families with children of all ages who were seeking to grow in faith t

Q. Many religions share a belief in God and offer similar moral guidelines. What essential belief(s) would you say sets the Christian faith apart from all other faiths? A. The Christian faith is distinctive and even unique in many ways. But if I had to choose the most essential and distinctive affirmations of our faith, I would have to identify two all-important, closely connected realities which we confess each Sunday in the Nicene Creed: the Most Holy Trinity (whose feast w

Archbishop Hartmayer has ended the general dispensation from attendance at Mass . Consequently, all Catholics in the Archdiocese of Atlanta (see the Archbishop's letter here for certain exceptions) should return to regular attendance at Sunday Masses. The CDC recently updated its guidelines concerning fully-vaccinated individuals. Consequently, Archbishop Hartmayer has revised the policy in the archdiocese regarding social distancing and masks. Going forward, those who hav

Q. Why on the Day of Pentecost would the Holy Spirit come upon those in the Upper Room in the form of a “mighty rushing wind” and “tongues as of fire” (Acts 2:2-3)? A. Throughout Scripture, the Holy Spirit is often associated with wind or fire. In fact, one Old Testament Hebrew word and one New Testament Greek word for “spirit” can both also mean “wind” or “breath.” In creation, the Spirit of God moves over the waters like a wind (Genesis 1:2). In Ezekiel’s vision of the dry

The Dance Academy at St. Catherine of Siena will be offering dance camps throughout the summer for students between ages 2-16. Registration will begin Friday, May 7, 2021 and can be found by clicking here. See below for the camp schedule and class descriptions. Email Karen Grantham at karengrantham@att.net with any questions. Super Heroes Boys and girls alike will love this new superhero camp! This camp will consist of obstacle courses, stealth maneuvers, tug of war, and othe

Q. On April 24, Pope Francis canonized Margaret Castello (1287-1320), an Italian Third-Order Dominican who is patron saint of the disabled. Hers was a case of “equipollent canonization.” What does that mean? A. Through the act of “equipollent canonization,” a pope can choose to forego the judicial processes, formal attribution of miracles, and scientific examinations that are typically involved in the canonization of a saint. Declaring that Margaret’s life exemplifies heroic