Kneeling before the altar at the Cathedral of Christ the King dedicated to Mary, the newly-installed archbishop of Atlanta consecrated the archdiocese to Mary under the title of her Immaculate Heart:

“We beg you today to take into your Immaculate Heart this archdiocese of Atlanta and each person in it. In the same spirit as our Holy Father John Paul II and in union with the bishops of the world, we recognize your role as Queen of Peace and Mother of the world. Jesus gave us to you to be your children; He gave you to be our Mother. Help us to see in you, our Mother, your greatness in the fact that you opened yourself completely to receive the Word of God. Help us priests, like you, to open our hearts and minds to Christ. Like you, we are called to present Christ to the world.”

Addressing his prayer then to Mary’s spouse, St. Joseph, Archbishop Marino prayed, “Protect the people of God. Help us build the family of the Church of Atlanta.”