Three sister of the Holy Humility of Mary have arrived in Smyrna to inaugurate a new program of social work for St. Thomas the Apostle Church.

“This is a pilot program and the first of its kind in Georgia,” pastor of St. Thomas. “It is also the first such project for this particular group of sisters.”

According to Father Morrow, the three sisters—Damian Schimer, Mary Rita Brennon, and Ann Joachim Heisler—will participate in all phases of parish life.

In addition to visiting parishioners in their homes and visiting the sick, the three sisters will conduct classes for adults, train lay teachers for the parish’s weekend school of religion, and “make a stronger commitment on the part of the parish on the whole community,” the pastor said.

The three sisters came from the order’s home convent in Villa Maria, Pa. The Sisters of the Holy Humility of Mary are more popularly known as “Blue Nuns” because of the predominant color of their religious habit.

Sister Damian, spokesman for the trio, said, “Hearing of our assignment made us eager and humble, too, that out of all the members of our Community of Sisters, we were asked to begin this new work among the people of St. Thomas the Apostle parish.”

Sister Damian, who will be the Smyrna group’s leader, has a bachelor’s and master’s degree in education from St. John’s. She’s been an elementary teacher for 10 years and a school principal for two years. She’s been active in the Catholic Church’s school of religion work, including summer school programs.

Sister Mary Rita has a degree from St. John’s. She was a primary teacher for eight years and an intermediate teacher for one year. She has taught in the school of religion for 10 years, and helped conduct a workshop at Cedar Rapids, Iowa, for guidance and adult work.

Sister Ann Joachim, who also has a degree from St. John’s has been an elementary teacher for six years. She has been teaching religion to public school children for five years and taught lay leaders of the school of religion program for one year.

St. Thomas the Apostle Church is one of the newest parishes in the Atlanta Archdiocese. It is the only Catholic parish in the Smyrna area, and the second in Cobb County. It formerly was part of St. Joseph’s Church in Marietta.

At the present time, members of the church attend Sunday Mass in the Belmont Hills Theatre at 8, 10, and 11:30 a.m. Masses were held on the feast of the Assumption in the new First Methodist Church in Smyrna.

Property has been acquired by St. Thomas and construction of the first building, a parish hall, will begin soon, Father Morrow said.

Father Morrow resides at the rectory at the corner of Stalcup Drive and Olive Springs Road. The three sisters will take up residence at 4270 Paces Ferry Road.