Print Issue: May 30, 2002

All Saints Catholic Church Represents Community In Body And Spirit

By Betty Schoenbaechler, Special To the Bulletin

DUNWOODY - Nestled beneath tall Georgia pines and surrounded by beautiful azalea gardens, All Saints Church easily blends into its woodland environment creating a sense of tranquility and a sanctuary for busy parishioners. Set back from Mt. Vernon Road and bordered on three sides by residential neighborhoods, the contemporary-style stone and wood church is home to 3,000 families, many of them members since its founding 25 years ago.

While the demographics of the church have changed somewhat over the years, the parish motto, "I pray that all may be one," has remained constant, helping shape this into a church community dedicated to serving the needs of one another as well as those less fortunate.

All Saints boasts its own recreation center, has a parish nurse, sponsors community-wide basketball leagues and hosts a thriving Chinese Catholic community. It is home to more than 40 different ministries and organizations and its members give generously of their time, talent and treasure.

The celebration of the Mass at All Saints is fairly traditional in nature, yet very much fresh and alive. Music is selected that enhances the overall experience and the circular design of the pews gives everyone attending a feeling of closeness to the altar. There is a strong sense of community. When someone is celebrating a 25th or 50th wedding anniversary, the priest reaffirms the marriage vows during Mass, and the parishioners there seem genuinely pleased to be a part of the ceremony.

"There is a great spirit here," said Msgr. R. Donald Kiernan, pastor since 1985. "I think we are on our ninth Habitat House in as many years. We have a tremendous St. Vincent de Paul Society and our parishioners are actively engaged in feeding the homeless downtown. When the tornadoes hit this area a few years ago, we had over 600 parishioners come volunteer to help clean up their neighbors' yards. The outreach in this parish is very good."

Msgr. Kiernan leads this active, well-established parish while also serving the archdiocese as vicar general of pastoral ministries. Only the second pastor at All Saints, Msgr. Kiernan has a warm and friendly style that welcomes long-time parishioners and guests and draws them fully into the spirit of the church. When he reads the announcements before closing the Mass, Msgr. Kiernan does so in such a way it seems like he is in one's living room. He banters a bit with a parishioner or two before closing which seems to bring the community even closer together.

Other members of the religious staff are Father Daniel J. McCormick, Father David McGuinness, Father Isaac Sobhasundar, and Father Augustine Hoa Tran. The church has one deacon, Rev. Mr. Ray Egan, and Rev. Mr. Michael Esper recently departed because of a job change. All Saints is linked to Mary Our Queen Mission, led by Father David M. Dye, but the mission operates independently.

The All Saints complex is comprised of several buildings, including the church, a bell tower, a parish center with offices, classrooms, social hall, library, nursery, choir room and health center, Kiernan Hall (Scout building), activities center, and a new rectory. Parking is at a premium here, and the church has a shuttle service that brings parishioners from the bank parking lot across the street to the church between 8 a.m. and 1 p.m. every Sunday.

The bell tower is probably the most striking part of the church landscape, and while beautiful chimes can be heard from the tower, the bells themselves are actually just "shells," said Deacon Egan. "There is a speaker system that chimes the Angelus daily at noon and at six in the evenings. They also play a call to worship before the Sunday morning Masses and Christmas music during the holidays."

All Saints Church sits on 11 acres of land that the archdiocese purchased in 1971. Church documents state the parish was officially formed in May 1977 with 267 registered families. Parishioners originally wanted to name the church Our Lady of the Woods, but then Archbishop Thomas A. Donnellan suggested the name "All Saints," and that was selected. For the first two years, church offices were located at Exchange Place behind a local middle school. Ground-breaking ceremonies were presided over by the founding pastor, Father Joseph J. Beltran, in 1978. Archbishop Donnellan dedicated the new church on Dec. 22, 1979.

All Saints parishioners are a combination of long-time Dunwoody residents, empty-nesters and families with children. "We're far from being an old parish," said Msgr. Kiernan. "But many of our parishioners now have grown kids, or children going to college. People are starting to move back to this area so the parish will probably rejuvenate itself in good time."

Nan and Ray Eberly, along with their children (l-r), son Matthew, his daughter Rachel, and son Mike, conduct a Sacred Heart Enthronement in their Dunwoody home May 18. Deacon Ray Egan led the service with the assistance of coordinating team Bob and Beth Morell.

This is a very active parish with ministries and activities that keep church doors open morning through night every day. On the first Monday of each month, a pastoral board, consisting of representatives from each ministry, meets to discuss upcoming events at the church. "I really look forward to going to these meetings," said Msgr. Kiernan, "because it's the only place I can get a full picture of the whole parish."

The creation of a church-based health care ministry was one of Msgr. Kiernan's long-term career goals. "I was in a parish once where we had a man who said he didn't feel too good one morning. His wife tried to convince him to go to the hospital, but he had a golf game lined up, and he didn't want to spend several hours waiting for a doctor. He died on that golf course that day. I thought at that time, if only the church had someone with a health care background that could have intervened, maybe that man wouldn't have died that day. I thought, 'wouldn't it be nice to have a parish nurse?'"

All Saints began a health ministry in October 1997 through a partnership with St. Joseph's Mercy Care Services, which places nurses in faith centers such as churches and synagogues to practice holistic health care. Parishioner and registered nurse Peggy White took on the role as parish nurse/health ministry director at All Saints. Although technically she is an employee of St. Joseph's, White is assigned to direct health care activities at All Saints Church.

Through this ministry, White coordinates holistic health care initiatives such as weight loss programs, health screenings and immunizations, spiritual retreats, workshops and support groups. "This ministry looks at health as a balance of body, mind and spirit," she said. "We're not just a physical body. A person can be in good physical health, but if he or she is carrying around a lot of stress, ultimately that stress and emotional distress will come out in the form of a physical illness."

"Msgr. Kiernan saw the need for this type of ministry as strictly a clinical thing, but it has evolved into much more," White said. "Four months after I started this job and was still evaluating the needs of the parish, the Dunwoody area was hit by tornadoes. Many of our families were affected. I went into the disaster relief mode and about all I did for the first year on the job was respond to needs that arose out of that disaster, specifically trauma stress relief for both adults and children. Our church received recognition from the White House for our efforts in helping people in our community."

Churches have a legitimate role in promoting health. Biblically, one-third of the gospel is about Jesus healing people, White said, and through the parish nurse program, churches are reclaiming their roles in health and healing.

All Saints offers health programs like prostate screening, skin screening, mobile mammography, heart/stroke screening, and CPR training for staff and ushers, as well as hosts talks and workshops about topics such as biomedical ethics, spirituality and health, hospice, diabetes, humor and spiritual growth through retreats. Spirituality and healing programs include an annual healing Mass and All Saints Parish retreat weekend at Ignatius House.

The First Place Christ Centered Health Program is a spiritually based weight loss program that All Saints has offered the past two years. Each session is 13 weeks long and people can repeat as often as they want. The program includes a Bible study that directly relates to health and faith and focuses on putting Christ first in one's life.

"Several people have lost 30 or 40 pounds through this program," said White. "Their blood pressure is down and they are now excited about exercising. One parishioner who lost 40 pounds through the program now volunteers as a facilitator."

White said the church hired a personal trainer to teach a four-week class on how to use equipment in the church's weight room and how to exercise safely and properly. The church also offers Tai Chi and yoga classes in response to parishioners who asked for help in reducing stress.

Instructor Beth Scupham, foreground, leads the Thursday morning yoga.

The church sponsors a caregivers resource group to help those caring for elderly parents, and a cancer support group. White also provides, at no charge, individual health and well-being consultations by appointment.

Additionally, White serves as a resource to parishioners who have questions about health and wellness issues. "Someone may call and say their mom needs to go into a nursing home and they do not know where to begin, for example," she said. "My job is not about telling people what to do, but rather to empower them with the information they need to make good health care choices. I give them lots of choices, lots of options. Then, I support them through their journey."

The health ministry works with the bereavement committee, the music program and others to offer two Masses of Remembrance each year in honor of parishioners or family members of parishioners who have died.

The bereavement ministry at All Saints was formed by a couple who had tragically lost an adult child in an accident and wanted to help other parishioners when their loved ones die. "This couple would go and visit personally with families who experienced a loss and help them make arrangements for funeral services," said Patty Wolf, administrative assistant. "They would bring the names of funeral homes and cemeteries, and would help the family choose the music and readings for the Mass."

Eventually, a committee formed to handle this ministry and the original couple moved away. Now volunteers in this group take turns carrying a pager. When a person calls the church to say someone has died, the church will contact the volunteer on call from the bereavement ministry and that individual contacts the family directly to offer assistance and comfort.

Several other volunteers from this ministry assist at funerals. One prepares a program for the funeral Mass which includes all the readings and music the family selected for that liturgy. Another volunteer attends the Mass, serving as a host by handing out programs and directing people to church facilities.

"We have a tremendous group of ladies from the bereavement committee who go and visit the relatives of the deceased. They do an excellent job of helping families," said Msgr. Kiernan. "In conjunction with the bereavement committee, members of the Knights of Columbus serve as altar servers at all funerals at All Saints. They are a very active group and I think one of the best Knights groups around."

Fraternal twins Peter, left, and Joseph Waller prepare to accompany their mother to a parish organization meeting. Parishioners Lisa and Michael Waller adopted the 16-month-old boys from a Guatemalan orphanage last November.

Religious education here is divided into several areas: school of religion, Christian Initiation, adult education and youth ministry. The individual directors of these programs support one another while working independently.

Dozie Bowen heads up the school of religion, leading a team of more than 100 volunteers in creating a Sunday school that the 500 registered children are excited about attending. Bowen's office is designed to welcome children of all ages with countless angels, dolls and arks lining the walls and bookshelves. Her bright smile is infectious and her enthusiasm for sharing the Gospel with children evident. "I try to set a tone for the children that God is love," she said. "He is approachable. I don't want them to be afraid. I want this to be a welcoming place."

Bowen said she was educated in Catholic schools and wanted to create a parish program that was equivalent to what is taught in a parochial school. "The strength of our program is the teachers who have stayed with me," she said. "We have wonderful volunteers who have a lot of years of service and my feeling is they only get better as they learn from their experiences."

Each class has a lead teacher and assistant. Teachers are given a fair amount of latitude in developing lesson plans and Bowen makes available a number of resources to assist teachers, such as videos, crafts and handouts.

"I don't encourage homework, but some of our teachers do give some. I do encourage them to review the material learned as reinforcement. We give tests and reward perfect attendance. From what I've heard from parents, the kids like to be here," said Bowen. "I hear that over and over. They are not fighting with their parents about having to come."

Students usually remain with the same classmates from year to year, helping create a similar sense of community that children in a small Catholic school might have. The students come from different public and private schools, and keeping the youth together encourages lasting friendships.

"I like to have 12 in a class," Bowen said. "I don't like the classes to be too big. My other philosophy is, I try to include all parish kids - even kids with special needs - as long as they are not too disruptive. I feel this is important because I've had experience with parents who have been hurt because they had special ed kids and felt left out. We try to give them first Communion and if the parents think they understand enough, they will go to confession. I think that has been good for the other kids to see that we include everybody."

Bowen encourages teenagers to help with the program, "especially the ones who went through our program because they know what they didn't like," she said. "I feel those children that are involved with the church in some adult capacity are the ones who will stay with it because they feel like they are needed and that they are contributing. So be it basketball coaching, or teaching CCD, or serving through the youth group, if we keep the teenagers involved, they'll feel they have a place."

Several other programs for the students and their families include an annotated Mass, a Living Rosary and Vacation Bible School. When the school of religion is in session the church serves coffee and doughnuts after the 8:45 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. Masses.

Erin Shern, who leads the RCIA program at All Saints, grew up in the parish. She graduated from Marist School and St. Mary's College at Notre Dame and returned to the parish as a youth program volunteer while teaching at the Donnellan School. Msgr. Kiernan recruited Shern to head up the RCIA program.

In addition to her duties with Christian Initiation, Shern also directs 50 young choristers, from age 4 to 11, in the children's choir, sings at the Life Teen Mass, and teaches eighth grade in the School of Religion.

"The thing I love most about this parish is Monsignor," said Shern. "I have always admired him. He is very pastoral and very understanding of the needs of the people in this community. He is very genuine. Working with him has been a joy. It's wonderful to see how much he loves not only the Catholic Church, but also his parish."

Adult education director David Donahue has developed programs that encourage parishioners to deepen their relationship with God through a religious or spiritual journey of discovery.

"The word education is derived from two Latin words: ex, meaning to go out from, and ducere, which means to lead," Donahue explained. "So basically education is the process that leads the individual from where they now stand to a new place that gives a different perspective. When the word education is teamed with the word Catholic, the process becomes a spiritual and religious one."

Donahue said the invitation to deepen one's faith comes directly from God himself, through Jesus and his church and is guided and nourished by the Holy Spirit. "The call to enter into a relationship with God is like the call to enter into a relationship with another person," he said. "There is a beginning, but to make that relationship work, there must be a deepening. That is what Catholic education is all about."

Most adult education programs at All Saints are of a religious nature, but not all. They do share one common goal: "the coming together and developing relationships with others that are on a journey of faith." The main program for this past year has been "Come Home to Me: A Program for Returning Catholics." Parishioners were encouraged to invite people they knew who were inactive Catholics interested in returning to the faith. Some topics covered in this program were development of the personal conscience and annulments.

The church has several different Bible studies. The Monday morning and Monday evening Bible studies follow the Denver Catholic Biblical Program. "This study explores every book of the Bible, starting with the Old Testament, and takes four years to complete," said Donahue, adding that the course has required homework. "I have been teaching this class for seven years. This study is open to anyone who wants to participate. I have people come all the way from Clarkesville and Toccoa to attend this class."

As a result of completing the Monday Bible study, All Saints receptionist Barbara Rowley was encouraged to earn her master's degree in theology and now leads a similar Bible study for women.

The longest running adult education program at the parish is the Friday morning Bible study. About 35 women regularly attend this study, which includes both faith sharing and discussion of the Sunday's readings. Most participants are long-time parishioners who have made deep and lasting friendships as a result of this program.

Because of their participation in the Renew 2000 program, about 400 parishioners continue to meet in small faith communities and the parish supports them. Some of the other adult education programs are Catholicism for Catholics, history of the church and cooking with Pat. In the latter program, a professional chef and parishioner teaches how to prepare gourmet meals.

Donahue has 42 years of work in religious education and is currently working on his doctorate in theology from Oxford University in England. In addition to his duties at All Saints, Donahue teaches religious courses for the archdiocese.

Youth ministry at All Saints includes programs for both middle school and high school students. The middle school program is new this year and forms a bridge into the high school ministry. It is called "the Way" and focuses on fellowship and service. In this inaugural year, participants created personal advent wreaths, made patriotic rosaries to send to a Catholic church in New York City and sent cards to military personnel who wouldn't be home for the holidays.

Brendan Horigan, left, helps Greg "Mac" McCabe prepare the meal for the 12th annual spaghetti dinner at All Saints Church, Dunwoody, May 18. McCabe, a former professional chef, has coordinated and worked every spaghetti dinner along with Boy Scout Troop 434 scoutmaster Jerry Travers Jr. Horigan, a scout since age 11, is a graduating senior at Marist School, Atlanta, and will attend Nicholls State University, Thibodaux, La., this fall.

The high school program is a total youth ministry, and incorporates advocacy, justice and service, catechesis, community life and evangelization. The catechetical element of the program is called "Truth," and prepares students for the sacrament of confirmation.

There are four six-week sessions and students choose which sessions they want to attend. Classes meet on Wednesday nights during the school year and follow an optional pizza/social. Some examples of topics covered are "Jesus: His Message and Mission," "Exploring Catholicism," "Sacraments: Celebrating the Sacred" and "Peace and Justice: Building God's Reign."

The ministry includes 12 core team members who work with Life Teen exclusively and 10 catechists.

The teens are among the many parishioners who have made the Habitat for Humanity program extremely successful at All Saints. Parishioners recently launched efforts to build their ninth consecutive Habitat House this April, said parishioner Mike Will, who heads up the church effort and volunteers with the Habitat organization year round.

Under the direction of All Saints Habitat project director Mike Will and Habitat house leader Lisa Manka, a team of 35 parishioners work on the ninth consecutive Habitat house in the Polar Rock community of southeast Atlanta May 11. The dedication day, scheduled for June 15, includes a house blessing by one of the priests at All Saints Church.

"The reason this program is so successful here is the people of this parish feel a need to reach out beyond our community," he said. "We have been blessed with richness of time, talent and treasure, and there are others who are working hard, but for a variety of reasons are living on a limited income. They are proud people who want to provide for their families."

In order to build a Habitat House, an organization must raise $45,000, Will explained, adding that volunteers from All Saints also physically help construct the house. "We are renowned in the Atlanta chapter of Habitat House for our abundant supply of labor. Parishioners sign up for a labor pool. It takes about 35 people every Saturday over a seven-week period to complete the construction. We always get the youth group in involved. On the last day we have a huge dedication ceremony."

He credits Msgr. Kiernan's leadership as the reason for the success of this program at All Saints.

"He's been here for many years and he has preached from the beginning that Dunwoody is obviously an affluent community. We have been blessed with an excess of time, talent and treasure and we must understand that part of our responsibility is to give some of it back. He has preached that theme for a number of years and the people here truly do believe that."

"You have to step outside of your own little box," Will said. He explained that the first Habitat House that All Saints built was the first of its kind constructed on a particular inner city street in Atlanta, and was surrounded by crack houses. "If you go back now, those undesirable elements have moved on and there is an entire community of Habitat Houses on that street."

Will recently spoke at every Mass to kick off the 2002 program. "To me, the fund raising is the beginning of my Christmas. I'm terribly passionate about this ministry. I've seen the appreciation of the homeowners and what this program does to their lives. It gives these people the kind of opportunities many of us take for granted."

Another area of community service is the All Saints Job Network. This program provides assistance to anyone who is out of work and wants to find a job.

The service is free except the computerized assessment that pinpoints the person's strengths and interests to help them focus their job search. They are asked to pay the $10 fee to get the evaluation processed, which is what it cost the church.

Another way the church supports the community is through sponsorship of athletic programs and opening its doors to neighborhood organizations that need a place to meet. The Activities Center has various sizes of meeting rooms, a fitness center, gymnasium and racquetball courts.

"We are a very community-oriented parish," said Ed McGinniss, who coordinates activities in the Activities Center and at Kiernan Hall. "Our programs, except the fitness center, are open to the entire community. We have quite a bit of meeting space and what is not needed for the parish is made available to the community."

Groups such as AA, CHADD and home school organizations hold meetings and events at All Saints.

All Saints sponsors a youth basketball league that accommodates between 400 and 500 neighborhood and parish youth, ages 7 through 18. The players make up 50 different age level teams that play each other. The church also has two men's basketball leagues, a women's league and pick up volleyball on Wednesday evenings from June through August.

"We have different half-day sports camps during the summer, depending on the interest," McGinniss said.

All Saints is very supportive of Scouting programs, and even has a building dedicated to Scouts. Boy Scout Troop 434 meets every Monday evening and younger scouts use the building on other nights. Since 1990, Troop 434 has had 24 Eagle Scouts. This is the highest award a Boy Scout can earn.

The most recent recipient of this award, Brendan Horigan, earned his award after he upgraded and reinstalled the outdoor Stations of the Cross that are along the trail between the scout building leading to the new rectory. "The old ones had become weather-beaten and the posts needed to be reinforced," said Scoutmaster Jerry Travers. "Brendan did all the woodwork and ordered brass plaques for each station."

Like many other churches in the archdiocese, All Saints supports an international community within its parish. A thriving Chinese Catholic community meets here for Mass at 3:30 p.m. every Sunday and uses meeting rooms for religious education, Christian initiation and a newly formed youth group.

Mass is celebrated in Chinese every week with either a Chinese or American priest. The community started in 1990 with a handful of families who met together for Bible study. When they learned of a priest visiting Atlanta they would invite him to celebrate the Mass with them.

Kim Zheng, left, and Sabrina Mao of the All Saints Church Chinese Catholic community greet visiting Chinese priest Father Peter Chen, a doctoral student at the Weston Jesuit School of Theology near Boston.

"We started with having one Mass every two months and gradually we increased it to once a month," said Sabrina Mao. "Last year when I was president, we started celebrating Mass every week. We fly priests in from different parts of the country for Mass. Many people have priest friends from back home and know when they are traveling. Some priests seek us out when they hear about us."

Two Sundays a month the Mass is said in English and translated into two Chinese dialects, Mandarin and Cantonese. "We try to have the teenagers do the readings in English because they have the easiest time with the English language," she said. A 15-member choir sings during the Mass, accompanied by guitarists and pianists.

The community pays the visiting priests a stipend and covers the cost of their airfare. The ministry depends solely on donations from its members to cover these costs.

"On the fourth Sunday of every month we have a dinner after Mass," Mao said. "At the other times we have snacks. We have a couple of families who have restaurants so all the food is donated. After dinner, we ask the visiting priest to share some kind of testimony. He will talk about his personal ministry or background."

While religious education classes are underway, other adult members of the community participate in Tai Chi classes.

In honor of the Chinese New Year, the community served Chinese food and demonstrated arts and crafts after the 10:30 a.m. and 12:15 p.m. Sunday Masses. "This was to show our appreciation to the All Saints community, and for them to have the opportunity to get to know us a little better," said Mao.

This is the only Chinese Catholic church in metro Atlanta and the community has grown from a just a handful of families when it first began to regularly having between 70 and 100 people attending Mass every week. They come from all around the Atlanta area. "It takes me about 40 minutes to get to the church, but we have some people who come from as far as McDonough. We have families from Suwanee, Kennesaw, East Cobb, Smyrna, Norcross and Duluth," she said.

"Monsignor has been very kind to us. He took us under his wings when we approached him about using All Saints property to celebrate our Mass. We cannot thank him enough for his support," said Mao.

Msgr. Kiernan's gift to his parish each year is the annual Hoe Down every August. "It's held down in front of the gymnasium on the side by the Scout building," he explained. "They play country and Western music and we serve fried chicken, Boston baked beans and cold beer. The whole area in front of the gym is stacked with people. Last year we estimated that we had about 2,300 people."

"It's a nice opportunity for people who have moved into the parish and don't know anyone to make some new friends," he said. "It is well attended every year. It's a great thing to see all the people doing line dancing. One year it rained. It was funny to stand on the stage and see the golf umbrellas going first in one direction, then the other."

Sally Horan, left, and Amanda Epstein join fellow Festival Choir members as they sing during the 10:30 a.m. Mass on Pentecost Sunda, May 19.

"We have a lot of talent in this parish. Every two years, the All Saints Players have a big variety show that is always a sellout," he said. The music ministry at All Saints is, in the pastor's opinion, the best in the city. "The best of the singers, the Schola Cantorum, sing at 8:45 a.m. on Sundays. They are beautiful to listen to. The whole choir sings at 10:30."

With 100 people on the choir roster, 80 who sing regularly, All Saints has a "fairly large choir," said music director Bryce Robinson. "Most of the members of the Schola Cantorum do double duty and sing with the regular choir as well. They rehearse two nights a week, once with each group, and again an hour before Mass."

"We do a wide variety of music, and much of it is very choral in nature," said Robinson, explaining that choral music is specifically written for choirs. Three types of music are usually used at each Mass. "We will have one congregational hymn, where everyone sings, and one song the choir sings by themselves to help people pray and to expand on proclamation of the word."

The other style of music used is called "Taize Responses," which are short refrains that repeat over and over, so parishioners aren't distracted from their worship by having to look up a song.

All Saints has a Festival Choir, where all the church choirs sing together on major feast days, a children's choir, directed by Shern, and Life Teen Living Water Choir and New Covenant Teen Band, directed by Scott Earley.

The music ministry works closely with other areas of parish life, such as the bereavement committee. "We have a Resurrection Choir made up of people who make themselves available during the day for funerals," said Robinson, who said the singers and musicians play at the Mass of Remembrance twice a year, held usually in May and November. "These are always well attended. The choir works very hard to prepare for the Mass and the music is very moving."

A small group of parishioners meets daily after the 9 a.m. Mass to pray for specific needs of parishioners through the daily prayer intention ministry. Parishioners write their requests in a book located in the cry room. The church has a welcoming committee, Saints Alive newsletter, garden club, wedding ministry, ministry to the homebound and numerous other organizations.

"What draws me to All Saints is the feeling you get from being part of such a large community," said parishioner Sue Groves, who describes All Saints as having "typical warm Southern hospitality."

"I know it's a big parish, but all you have to do is look through the directory and see what you would like to become involved in and they will welcome you with open arms," she said.