By Michael Motes

“A new Spring on Boulevard” is the way Father Matthew Kemp describes the changes currently underway within the city of Atlanta’s second oldest parish –Our Lady of Lourdes.

In addition to being one of the oldest parishes in the archdiocese, Our lady of Lourdes is also one of the largest, not by population but by geographic boundaries. The parish, established in 1912, is actually a national rather than a territorial parish and its boundaries stretch from Atlanta’s Ashby Street north to the borders of the two Carolinas.

“I see not having any boundaries a possible advantage,” said Fr. Kemp recently. “That way we can exclude no one.”

Far from excluding anyone within the parish, Fr. Kemp stresses the point that everyone is more than welcome at Our Lady of Lourdes. Since he became pastor of the church last June, 60 new families have been added to the membership list.

Fifty percent of the members of Our Lady of Lourdes are converts to Catholicism. At the midnight Mass last Christmas, nine were baptized into the Church. Currently there are nine people in Fr. Kemp’s instruction class and several others who are taking individual instructions.

Things were not always as rosy at Our Lady of Lourdes. During the past few years both church membership and attendance had dwindled tremendously, according to Sr. Judith McGinely, principal of Our Lady of Lourdes School.

A former pastor, the Rev. Michael J. McKeever (now pastor of St. Anthony’s), had established such a warm rapport with his parishioners that when he left many people left many people left with him.

Sr. Judith attributes what she refers to as the “rebirth” at Our Lady of Lourdes to Fr. Kemp.

“Fr. Kemp had been an assistant here about four years ago, shortly after the parish changed over from African Missionaries to diocesan priests. At that time the parish suffered the throes of transition. No one could take Fr. McKeever’s place and ultimately over a period of years, several priests seemed to watch the parish dwindle and diminish as many of the people followed Fr. McKeever to Saint Anthony’s,” Sr. Judith recalls.

“Now the scene has changed and the person behind the change is Fr. Kemp, who, with the help of the sisters, the parishioners, and the community at large, is creating a new image at Lourdes.”

“People are now returning to the Church after years of absence,” says Fr. Kemp. “They hear of the changes taking place, the sense of ‘family’ and they return.”

A new program of regular Sunday night meetings at the Lourdes rectory play an important part in the face-lifting Lourdes has undergone since Fr. Kemp became pastor.

The Parish Council at Lourdes had been practically abandoned and at Fr. Kemp’s suggestion, parishioners interested in the well-being of the parish began meeting at the rectory.

“At times it’s like Grand Central Station here on Sunday nights,” the priest says. “The people are very happy that they can invade the privacy of a priest and get together with him to talk about problems of the parish.”

And some problems still remain. There still exists a breach between the white and black communities of Atlanta. One of Fr. Kemp’s greatest disappointments came last Halloween when only one white couple attended a parish dance. Notices had been sent to churches throughout the city but the warm-hearted invitation the pastor extended went unheeded.

As for the priest himself, Fr. Kemp has never been happier in his life. When asked if he had met with any hostility as priest in an almost all-black parish, he replied: “I never forget that the parishioners are black, but I sometimes forget that I am white. I am now the happiest I have ever been because of the genuine, whole-hearted response I have received to the invitations and suggestions I have extended to my parishioners.”

One of the factors to which Fr. Kemp attributes his sense of belonging at Lourdes is that few of the families who attend his services live in the Boulevard area.

“When I ask them why they come here, they tell me that they feel that they belong, and this is very important,” he said. “Although some of my parishioners actually are closer to other churches, they tell me that they feel very comfortable here and that their roots are here. Many of them grew up in the area, but since have moved away. Still they return and this is very gratifying to me.”

Among the activities within the parish are Young Life, an organization for high school students and unmarried college students, and an active Council of National Catholic Women. Denise Kelly serves as Young Life president and Sarah E. Jenkins heads the women’s group. Fr. Kemp hopes to soon establish a Parish Liturgical Committee.

“There are so many different types of people connected with Lourdes,” he says. “We have an awful lot here to offer to others. There is so much in black culture, not only the heroes, but people-wise.”

Our Lady of Lourdes School, which dates back to 1915, is now beginning to obtain white enrollment and some whites are now becoming very involved with Fr. Kemp’s Sunday night meetings.

Perhaps Sr. Judith sums up the over-all parish profile of Our Lady of Lourdes in these words:

“I guess the one big thing is LOVE. It’s here and if anyone feels left out it is certainly accidental because there is something here for everyone.”