Print Issue: October 17, 2002

'There Is A Spirit Here': Hundreds Gather To Celebrate All Saints' Jubilee

By Rebecca Rakoczy, Staff Writer

DUNWOODY - Jimmy Carter was president, the Soviet Union was still a power to be reckoned with, and Thomas Donnellan was the archbishop of Atlanta when All Saints officially became a parish.

Msgr. R. Donald Kiernan, celebrant, recites the Eucharistic Prayer during the 25th anniversary of All Saints Church, Dunwoody. (L-r) are Deacon Whitney Robichaux who assists while Father Joe Corbett, Father Bryan Small and Father Dan McCormick concelebrate. Archbishop John F. Donoghue presided. (Archdiocese of Atlanta/Stanley Leary)

Hundreds of the original families who first joined the parish when it began a quarter century ago turned out Sept. 21 to commemorate their jubilee anniversary with their pastor, Msgr. R. Donald Kiernan, vicar general for pastoral ministries. Archbishop John F. Donoghue presided while All Saints parochial vicars Father Bryan Small and Father Daniel McCormick, and Father Joe Corbett concelebrated.

As the 85-member choir, directed by Bryce Robinson, sang a special choral and orchestral arrangement of the sanctus composed for the jubilee Mass by Robinson, the parish replied in joyful response, "Holy, holy, holy, Lord, God of power and God of might, heav'n and earth are full of your glory, Hosanna in the highest!"

The All Saints choir sings during the celebration of the parish's silver jubilee. Choir director Bryce Robinson composed choral arrangements for the Mass.

The beauty of the choir's voices reverberated across the wooden beams of the church, as a storm passed over Atlanta, adding nature's own chorus of softly drumming rain on the roof.

During the Mass, Archbishop Donoghue recognized the church's founder, the late Father Joe Beltran, who led the congregation for 17 years - both as a mission and a church - before Msgr. Kiernan took over the reins in 1986.

"There is no want of energy, no lack of love, to mar the enthusiasm of this community. The success of any parish is made with how people work together. Because of your broad and deep dedication of offering the best that you have to give, the past 25 years have been glorious," the archbishop said.

Frank Welter pauses before joining the Knights of Columbus procession into the church. Welter is an original All Saints member and has been a part of the Knights honor guard since 1977.

When the church was founded 25 years ago as a mission of St. Jude the Apostle Church in Sandy Springs, Mass was celebrated in an office building, and parishioners remember the often faulty air conditioning system that had altar boys swooning from the heat.

These days, the hardwoods and pines that shade the church on Mt. Vernon Road provide both a cooling refuge and a dramatic backdrop to the parish that has grown and matured with them. With more than 3,000 families, many attending the jubilee celebration were children of those founding families, and now are second generation parishioners of All Saints.

Mark Moeller remembered going to Mass at All Saints when the congregants met at the Exchange Place office location. His family had been members of St. Jude's and made the move to the new parish.

"My whole family is now at All Saints - my family, my sister's family, and, of course, my mom and dad," he said. "There are a lot of second generation people here."

After Mass, parishioners Nancy Hawthorne and Maura Byrne shared quips with Father Corbett, who had served as a parochial vicar at the parish. Both raised their families in the parish. "My son served the first Mass here," said Hawthorne. "The people here are the friendliest . . . there are so many of the originals still here."

Joan Grindon talks with Archbishop John F. Donoghue at the parish celebration after the Mass. Grindon has five children who grew up in the parish and has been a member since 1977. All Saints parishioners have remained a close-knit community. Pictured clockwise, are Ellin Donahue, Roger and Liz Sorel, David Donahue and and Bill Graff enjoying the parish's hoedown held after the jubilee Mass celebration.

Many of those originals - and a lot of new folk - headed down to the Scout building on the church grounds afterward for their annual "hoedown" party given as a gift to the congregation by Msgr. Kiernan. This year was the first time Msgr. Kiernan had ordered a tent - and it proved good cover from the rainy evening. But the intermittent showers did little to dampen the spirits of everyone attending the event, which featured music, dancing and good food.

"There's a spirit here, starting with Father Beltran," said Michael M. Lysak, who has been a member of the parish since it met in the old Exchange building, and has been head usher for the past 25 years. The enthusiasm for the parish was contagious, he said. His own short time commitment of volunteering as an usher kept going, he said, and 25 years later, he's still at it.

Msgr. Kiernan concurred with that spirit.

"After 17 years, I am as enthusiastic today as the day I arrived at All Saints," he said, "because of the spirit of the people. It's a dedicated spirit, and one that seems to regenerate itself year after year."

He cited the church's dedication to Habitat for Humanity - building nine houses in 10 years of involvement - of the parishioners' involvement in the Interfaith Outreach Home on Buford Highway, and an apartment for battered women, as well as the active St. Vincent de Paul Society, which is responsible for many of the ongoing assistance programs.

"This parish is not a selfish parish. And I think the future of our parish hangs on the future of Atlanta and DeKalb County, which presently looks pretty good."

Msgr. R. Donald Kiernan receives greetings from parishioner Beth Webster at the annual hoedown after the jubilee ceremony. Rainy weather didn't stop the parishioners from celebrating their jubilee under a big tent. The church was packed during the jubilee celebration. Hundreds of longtime parishioners - many who have been part of the church since its founding - still attend the Dunwoody parish. MacKenzie Koch lights a candle in the All Saints narthex before the jubilee Mass.