In a letter to the Archdiocese of Atlanta, Archbishop Thomas A. Donnellan has called upon Catholics to make the Fridays of Lent “days of even more solemn penance and self-sacrifice” linked to the suffering over the killing of Atlanta’s children.

Asking each person and parish to join in this response, the archbishop expressed specific steps to be taken, among them, joining in the celebration of the Eucharist on Friday, which will be specifically dedicated to the intentions arising from the tragedy, addressing the families, the children, the killer or killers, and the city. The letter also tells of further responses being planned in the archdiocese, among them a summer program for children.

The full text of the letter follows:

My Brothers and Sisters in Christ Jesus:

I write to you in the Holy Season of Lent to share concerns over the senseless murders of our children here in Atlanta. I have already expressed publicly to the families, on your behalf and my own, our deep and heartfelt sympathy in their time of grief. But now I write to you, as Catholic members of this community, about our response to this terrible tragedy, for it is not enough merely to extend condolences while the killings continue. We must do more.

Accordingly, I call upon you to adopt the following plan in your parishes with the same generosity that characterizes your response always:

• that the Fridays of Lent, already days of special penance in our liturgical tradition, be made days of even more solemn penance and self-sacrifice;
• to express our compassion for the grieving families;
• to commend the slain children to our Lord’s loving care and the killer/killers to His mercy;
• to symbolize our solidarity with and concern for the community at large.
• That this be done:

a) by each of us choosing special acts of penance and self-sacrifice to be offered together on these Fridays;

b) by making a special effort to participate each Friday in the celebration of the Eucharist which will be specially dedicated for these intentions;

c) taking part in the Good Friday services in your parish or at the Cathedral.

These steps are simple ones but they rise from the heart of our belief that all times are God’s times, even those that test the soul of a whole city.

Beyond these steps, plans are being made to offer concrete assistance to the city’s Black children through the development of summer day camp programs at a number of our parishes easily accessible to the Black community. All of us will be able to participate in these programs both through volunteer assistance and contributions to a special second collection to fund them. More details on these will be announced in the very near future.

Let this letter then serve as a challenge to all of us so that we reexamine our Lenten practices in light of its suggestions. Indeed it is imperative that we do so, for we are in a time of great stress and testing here. We must not allow these murders and all that surrounds them to act as an acid on our spirit, breaking down our bondedness one with another. White with Black. We must not, in the face of this terrible evil, allow ourselves to turn away from each other in apathy or turn on each other in anger and frustration. Rather let us turn toward each other and with each other turn to the Lord, holding up in our hands our children and our community.

It is with a sense of deep concern that I write to you at this time. But it is concern edged with hope – the hope of resurrection after crucifixion, the hope of a new life together after so much death.

Sincerely yours in Christ,

Most Reverend Thomas A. Donnellan

Archbishop of Atlanta