BY PAULA DAY

The establishment of two new missions in the Atlanta archdiocese followed by only a few years the 1992 founding of St. Marguerite D’Youville Mission in Lilburn and the 1987 establishment of St. Gabriel the Archangel Mission in Fayetteville.

The missions will be offshoots of All Saints Church in Dunwoody and St. Benedict’s Church in Duluth.

To deal with the burgeoning Catholic population in North Georgia the archdiocese is reviving a concept popular several decades ago of identifying a focal point for a Catholic community a chance to develop and grow while having access to the resources of an established mother parish.

If the community proves viable, it can then take on the total ministerial and fiscal responsibilities of a parish, according to Monsignor Edward Dillon, vicar general of the archdiocese.

“I think it’s a forward-looking effort on the part of the archdiocese,” commented Father Terry Young, pastor of St. Benedict’s. “We’re dealing with a situation as it is developing, rather than when it becomes a crisis situation.” Data compiled in a Glenmary Research Center survey of the 1990 census information showed Catholic population growth in the Atlanta archdiocese had increased 62.5 percent in the decade between 1980 and 1990.

With the increase of men studying for the priesthood in the archdiocese, Monsignor Dillon sees hope that the church of Atlanta will have the resources to staff additional missions and parishes. The archdiocese is “hoping to continue the process of exploring the establishment of at least four or five missions in the next three to five years,” added the vicar general.

The U-shaped corridor north of I-285 between I-75 and I-85 is an area with parish populations ranging from 1500 to 3300 households. With such numbers, “it’s impossible to get to know everyone,” commented Monsignor Donald Kiernan, pastor of All Saints Church in Dunwoody.

A pastor is asked to minister in a variety of ways, according to Monsignor Kiernan. This can range from writing a letter of recommendation to intervening when a child gets in trouble with the authorities to consoling family members at the time of a death.

Such ministry requires more than a nodding acquaintance with one’s parishioners, but this intimacy is difficult in a large parish, Monsignor Kiernan said, adding ruefully, “there are only 24 hours in a day.” All Saints has more than 3,000 households.

The mission formed from the Dunwoody parish will be administered by Father John Druding. Unnamed at the present, it is in the Berkeley Lakes area of western Gwinnett County.

St. Monica’s Mission, whose parent parish is St. Benedict’s, will serve the western portion of Gwinnett County in the general vicinity of Duluth and the northeastern portion of Fulton County between St. Benedict’s and the city of Duluth and southeastern Forsyth County. Father Stewart Wilber will serve as administrator under the pastorate of Father Young.

Commenting on the mission’s name, Father Young said St. Monica is a “remarkable resource of faith.”

Without noting the dates of the saint’s life, one could make a case for her being an intercessor for today’s American dysfunctional family, Father Young said. Monica’s husband “didn’t go to church” and her son, Augustine, dabbled in heresy. Parents can identify with her.”

The archdiocese is in the process of site selection for offices for the missions, according to Anno Hardage, director of operations. In the meantime, interested persons desiring further information may contact All Saints at 393-3255 or St. Benedict’s at 442-5903.