Mass Intentions Part Four: Final Thoughts

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Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, Thank you for accompanying me over the past few weeks on our “deep dive” into Mass intentions, stipends, and our parish policy revisions.  Many of you have commented how helpful it has been to shine a light on this practice. As we draw this series to a conclusion, I … Continued

Mass Intentions Part Three: Pro Populo and Parish Policy

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Padre’s Points to Ponder – August 28, 2026 Dear friends in Christ, In our last two articles, we have looked at what a Mass intention is and why Catholics traditionally make an offering when requesting that a Mass be offered for a particular intention. This time, I would like to explain why the parish has … Continued

Mass Intentions Part Two: Stipends

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Padre’s Points to Ponder – August 21, 2026 Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, Welcome back to our bulletin series on Mass Intentions!  In our last article, we talked about what a Mass intention actually is. We saw that when we request a Mass for someone, we are asking the Church to offer the Holy … Continued

Mass Intentions: A Series

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One of the beautiful customs of Catholic life is the practice of having a Mass offered for a particular intention. We see these intentions listed in the bulletin, announced before Mass, or requested at the parish office. But many Catholics have never really been told what a “Mass intention” is or why the Church has … Continued

A FULL Summer

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Padre’s Points to Ponder – 8/7/26 Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, Some people say that parish life slows down in the summer.  They apparently haven’t been to All Saints! The past few hot months of summer have been jam-packed with lively activities.  Aside from our regular calendar of Masses, Confessions, ministry meetings, and the … Continued

A Little Slice of Heaven

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Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, This week, Pope Leo XIV will travel to Assisi, the beloved hometown of St. Francis, to celebrate Mass at the Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli, St. Mary of the Angels. His visit provides us with a wonderful opportunity to rediscover one of the Church’s beautiful traditions of mercy. … Continued

Gray Hair, Golden Wisdom

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Padre’s Points to Ponder – 7/24/26 This weekend, the Sunday closest to the Memorial of Sts. Joachim and Anne, the parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary and thus the Grandparents of Our Lord Jesus, the Church celebrates the World Day of Prayer for Grandparents and the Elderly.  Pope Francis established this day in 2021 to … Continued

Seminary Life

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Padre’s Points to Ponder – Guest Edition – 7/17/26 In just a few weeks, Seminarian Thau and I will be ending our summer assignments here at All Saints. Because I am in what is now called the Pastoral Synthesis stage, I will be returning to All Saints in December, while Thau will continue his seminary formation, … Continued

Assisting at All Saints

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Padre’s Points to Ponder with Deacon Chrystian Bis – 7/10/26 This Fourth of July, I got to experience the famous Dunwoody 4th of July Parade. I got to drive Father Michael’s decorated Jeep, trying to balance looking at the crowds and making sure I stayed on course. It was an incredible experience, seeing how many … Continued

Freedom

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Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, This weekend our nation marks the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. We rightly give thanks for the blessings of liberty that have shaped our country’s history, remembering with gratitude those who sacrificed so that future generations might live in freedom. We are also invited … Continued

Life with the Lord

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Life tells us we need to move faster and faster to keep up with our responsibilities. Before I joined the seminary, I used to work for a software company, running an online program for businesses to use. I remember when I worked in IT, issues would pop up over and over, and my coworkers and … Continued

The Faith in the Open

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This past Saturday, I was able to join a few brave souls from our parish for a joint procession of the Blessed Sacrament from St. Brigid Catholic Church to Mary Our Queen Catholic Church. For those unfamiliar with the practice, it was a walk on foot behind the Blessed Sacrament in a monstrance. We hiked … Continued

A Reflection on Corpus Christi

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Padre’s Points to Ponder – by Deacon Chrystian Bis I have only just unpacked my boxes here in Dunwoody and started my first week on assignment as a deacon at All Saints, yet I already find myself deeply immersed in the spiritual life of this parish. I’m very thankful that my first weekend here included … Continued

As We Set Out on Pilgrimage

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Padre’s Points to Ponder – 6/4/26 Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, This week, a group from our parish, together with friends from St. Peter Chanel and their priest Fr. Evan, sets out on a pilgrimage to Italy. We go not as tourists, but as pilgrims: men and women seeking an encounter with the Lord, … Continued

Return to the “Ordinary”

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Padre’s Points to Ponder – 5/29/26 Though we have two great solemnities after Pentecost (Trinity Sunday and Corpus Christi Sunday), the Church has officially returned once again to the season we call “Ordinary Time.”  We are not simply returning to the mundane routines of life; in truth, Ordinary Time may be one of the greatest … Continued

Come, Holy Spirit!

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Padre’s Points to Ponder – 5/22/26 Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, This weekend, the Church throughout the world celebrates the great feast of Pentecost, the day when the Holy Spirit descended upon the Apostles like tongues of fire and transformed frightened disciples into bold witnesses of the Gospel. Pentecost is often called the “birthday of … Continued

Appreciation for Seminarian Jonathan

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Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, This weekend, our parish bids farewell, at least for now, to our pastoral year seminarian, Jonathan Webster. As his assignment among us comes to a close, I want to offer a word of heartfelt gratitude for the tremendous gift he has been to our parish family this past year. … Continued

A Mother’s Heart

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Padre’s Points to Ponder – 5/8/26 Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, This weekend, as the Church celebrates the 6th Sunday of the Easter season, the nation has set this weekend aside as a special celebration of motherhood.  There’s a line from the Gospel that always jumps out to me when I think about moms … Continued

In Praise of the Diaconate

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Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, There is a quiet crisis described in this Sunday’s reading from the Acts of the Apostles. Not a crisis of persecution, nor of doctrine…but a crisis of charity. The widows are being overlooked in the daily distribution.  Something so simple and practical has become a point of tension in … Continued

Called to Lead, Called to Love

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Padre’s Points to Ponder – 4/24/26 Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, The image of Our Lord as the Good Shepherd is one of my favorites. With such incredible and unexpected kindness, Jesus takes the wayward and wearied lamb upon His shoulders, and brings it home. The 4th Sunday of the Easter season is always dedicated … Continued