By Thea Jarvis

As the magical hues of a golden October settle softly over the Georgia mountains, rural parishes begin their festival of fall.

"It's our busiest time," said Glenmary seminarian John Smith, who is assisting Father Bob Poandl at St. Francis Church in Blairsville.

Last weekend, just one week before the area's annual Sorghum Festival, the little church participated in the "Lord's Acre," a bazaar that brings local churches together for fellowship and homegrown fundraising.

"It's a way of helping each other raise money," John Smith said, explaining that each church sets up a booth with its own store of canned and baked goods, plus handcrafted items. Proceeds from the sales help carry on parish programs.

The title, "Lord's Acre," derives from times past when congregations shared a common lot used to grow crops for the benefit of their churches. It was a way for rural people to tithe -- give a portion of their goods to the Lord -- and get to know each other at the same time.

"Getting to know each other," being a presence in the community, is the focus of the Rural Social Services effort in Cumming, where three Dominican sisters direct activities from The Place on Pirkle Ferry Road.

Many of those who come to The Place seek assistance in dealing with short-term financial needs or long-term unemployment. Some help pay their bills by making handcrafts at The Place which, in turn, puts the items up for sale to partially cover their cash outlay.

Pam Knaebel, the center's assistant art director who works full-time under a grant from the Advertising Council, helps teach craft skills to those who come to The Place. According to Ms. Knaebel, the attractive results of this cooperative venture will be on sale at two local affairs -- the Cumming County Creations Bazaar October 23 and 24 and the Chicken House Festival November 6 and 7.

The Place's offerings at both shows will include weavings, quilts, braided rugs, afghans, pillows, aprons, bonnets, baskets, wall hangings and floral arrangements. Just up the road from The Place, in Dahlonega, St. Luke the Evangelist Church will play a practical part in the town's annual Gold Rush Days October 15-17. Each year, the church has turned the empty lot across from the church into a parking facility for Gold Rush visitors. The Newman Club at nearby North Georgia College operates the lot and proceeds from the parking fees go toward supporting Newman activities throughout the year.

Further north, Covenant Center, a non-profit Christian community center serving rural mountain people near Helen, is planning an afternoon of music with donations going to support its outreach programs.

"Hard Candy," a rock and roll band from Atlanta, and "The Smith Crumley Band," a local easy listening group, will perform from 1-5 p.m. at the Helen Pavilion on October 10, marking the end of this year's Oktoberfest and, hopefully, the ongoing life of Covenant Center.

Ruth Lammers, mistress of the 21-room house that is Covenant Center, and the moving force behind its growing activities, explained that low-income housing and limited care are already part of the Covenant Center dream. Two elderly men are cared for round the clock and many others have found reduced cost shelter under the center's roof.

Future plans include a day-care program and adult classes in parenting, job preparation and high school equivalency test training. The center's goal is to meet the needs of this rural mountain community, much of which is economically depressed, despite the high-profile tourist image of nearby Helen.

Ruth Lammers' own parish of St. Mark's just southeast in Clarkesville, will welcome two Glenmary sisters from the order's religious education office in Nashville for a teacher training night October 13.

The sisters, who visit regional mission churches offering their expertise in catechesis, will also spend an evening in St. Helena's Church in Clayton, where their presentation will be preceded by a parish supper.

For mountain parishes around the archdiocese, fall has traditionally been a time to gear up, reach out and grow a little. For friends of these rural communities, it is a time to renew and support old acquaintances while enjoying the exquisite dance of the season.