BY ERIKA ANDERSON

Staff Writer

ATLANTA--The historic parish of Our Lady of Lourdes, established in 1912 as a black Catholic mission, has become an ethnically diverse community united by strong worship and neighborhood outreach.

The parish was begun when Father Ignatius Lissner of the Society for the African Missions visited segregated Atlanta and saw the need to open a mission for black Catholics.

Proceeding with the support of the bishop, Father Lissner received $12,000 for a building from Blessed Katharine Drexel, foundress of the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament. The land at 25 Boulevard was purchased in March 1912, with the help of J.J. Spalding, a prominent member of Sacred Heart Parish, Atlanta, after one effort to acquire property in another neighborhood was blocked by angry segregationists. Soon after, work started on the combination church, school and Catholic hall.

On Nov. 22, 1912, Bishop Benjamin J. Keiley dedicated the new building, which housed the church on the lower level, four classrooms on the second level and a social hall on the upper level.

Because of a lack of Catholic teachers, both Religious and lay, Our Lady of Lourdes School opened with a non-Catholic teaching staff of four women. By Christmas, the school had over 75 children enrolled.

In September 1913, almost a year after the school opened, Mother Drexel sent four of her sisters, who took over teaching at the mission school, assisted by three lay teachers. The school, currently under lay leadership, was staffed by Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament for 60 years until 1974.

In 1960, Our Lady of Lourdes built a new church, with the help of funds raised by the Cathedral of Christ the King and Sacred Heart Parish, as well as Our Lady of Lourdes parishioners and school children.

Over 85 years since their parish began, OLL parishioners today pride themselves on their diverse backgrounds.

"Our Lady of Lourdes was totally African-American since 1912," said Father Frank Giusta, pastor. "In the last 10 years, it has become more diverse and we are now about 60 percent black and 40 percent white."

Ernestine Hutchins, who has been a parishioner for over 55 years, said that the church is becoming more integrated because of its compelling music ministry at Mass, as well as people's desire to worship in an interracial community.

Father Giusta was the pastor of OLL from 1979-86. He then went to St. Philip Benizi in Jonesboro, but returned to OLL in February 1993.

The church stands across the street from the King Center and reaches out to the homeless of the neighborhood. Every Tuesday and Thursday for the past six years, volunteers from OLL have cooked and served a full meal for an average of 125 homeless people at 11:30 a.m.

In addition to these meals, OLL parishioners helped to build a Habitat for Humanity house last summer and are active with the Samaritan House, a non-profit, non-denominational organization that provides support services to homeless men and women who are seeking full-time employment. OLL parishioners volunteer at Samaritan House on the first Sunday of the month, bringing food and clothing.

Father Giusta said that it is the loving hearts of the parishioners that compel them to help those less fortunate.

"They are very loving, very accepting, open-hearted and open- minded," Father Giusta said. "They have a very welcoming attitude towards everyone."

Hutchins said that she especially enjoys reaching out to elderly parishioners.

"I like reaching out to my elders," Hutchins said. "They think people leave them out and I know that, so I try to be kind and reach out to them."

The buildings of OLL are not elaborate. The simplicity reflects the economic state of the parishioners who built them, Father Giusta said. "We have very simple buildings because they were built by the people when they were very poor."

Hutchins, who started at OLL School in kindergarten, said that the church is expanding. "We are really growing," she said. "We may need a bigger church someday."

Over 400 families attend OLL and B.J. Davis, who graduated from the school in 1947, said that it is growing because of the warmth of the parishioners.

"The feeling of warmth we give visitors and parishioners is what makes us unique," he said. "We have the same old parishioners and the visitors never leave. Once they come, they come back and they bring their friends."

Jeanette Callahan, who has been a parishioner for six years and is the coordinator of the Thursday soup kitchen, drives 30 miles from Dunwoody to attend OLL. She first attended a mission at the parish and that is when, she said, she realized that OLL was where she was supposed to be.

"I just knew this is where I was supposed to be," she said. "When they worship here, they worship with their whole hearts. They're into it. I just love it here."

Davis, who is an usher, is also on the finance committee, the pastoral council and is the newly-elected Grand Knight of the Knights of Peter Claver.

The Knights and its Ladies Auxiliary, headed by Grand Lady Ruby Palmer, are church support organizations, whose main objective, Father Giusta said, is to work with the young people of the parish. The youth group, headed by Naomi Paradise, has about 15 active teens and the CCD program has over 100 children participating.

There is an OCIA program, with eight to 10 participants, and two gospel choirs, which are at the heart of Sunday Masses.

"I love everything about the church, especially our music ministry," said Davis.

Palmer is also the vice president of the pastoral council, the coordinator of the Tuesday homeless meals and has been a member of the choir for over 20 of her 41 years as an OLL parishioner. She said that the choir is special because it touches people with the Holy Spirit.

"I think the Spirit comes through our choir ministry," she said. "It touches (the people) so that they feel the Spirit."

Callahan agrees with Palmer that the choir adds a deeper sense of worship to the Mass.

"The worship is unbelievable," Callahan said. "The choir is infectious...they pray their hymns; they don't just sing them."

Father Giusta said that although all the Masses are very interesting, the 10:30 Sunday Mass is the best representation of the parish.

"The 10:30 Mass is full of life. It really gives the feeling of what our Catholic community is about," Father Giusta said. "There is a good mix, because you have a bit of everyone--African American, white, more affluent, less affluent."

Father Giusta also said he thinks OLL is growing, both in numbers and in faith.

"We have a very steady process of growth. It is very constant in increasing number and amount of donations and activities," he said. "I think it will continue to grow as it has grown, both in numbers and commitments, as well as religious understanding."

Ricardo Bailey was baptized at the church and attended Our Lady of Lourdes School. He is now in the seminary studying for the archdiocesan priesthood and has been assigned to work within the community for a year. He said that OLL holds a special place in his heart.

"The people are very supportive. It is a family-nurturing environment," Bailey said. "The parish was very helpful when I was discerning my vocation."

He said OLL, although it has been through a lot as a parish, is a church that has been touched by God.

"The people here leave with an ambition to carry out the Gospel and mission of Jesus Christ," he said. "When you think of Our Lady of Lourdes, you think of people who have been really blessed."

Palmer said that above all, OLL is a place of love.

"There's a lot of love here," she said. "We're a family."