What is Divine Mercy Sunday?

In 1931, Jesus appeared to Sr. Faustina in Poland and expressed his desire for a feast celebrating his mercy. The Feast of Mercy was to be on the Sunday after Easter.

 

The Chaplet of Divine Mercy
St. Faustina wrote that Jesus said to her, “At the hour of their death, I defend as My own glory every soul that will say this chaplet; or when others say it for a dying person “ (Divine Mercy in My Soul, no. 811).

The Divine Mercy Chaplet will be prayed in St. Mary’s Chapel on Sunday, April 27:

10:00 AM - English
11:00 AM - English
12:00 PM - Spanish

We will also have confessions from 9:30 AM - 12:30 PM.

Plenary Indulgences are available:
The Church has made Divine Mercy Sunday an occasion for receiving a plenary indulgence, “the remission before God of the temporal punishment due to sin whose guilt has already been forgiven” (CCC, no. 1471). The plenary indulgence is granted to the faithful under the usual conditions: (Confession, Eucharist, prayer for the intentions of the Pope, and complete detachment from sin, even venial sin). The faithful may either take part in the prayers and devotions held in honor of Divine Mercy in any church or chapel or recite the Our Father and Creed in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament exposed or reserved in the tabernacle, adding a devout prayer to the merciful Lord Jesus.

Join fellow parishioners TODAY, Sunday, April 27, for a parish breakfast hosted by Holy Spirit’s Knights of Columbus. Feast on pancakes, eggs, bacon, sausage, potatoes, and the Knights’ famous omelette station. Breakfast will be served after the 7:00 AM, 8:30 AM, and 10:00 AM Masses. The cost is $7.50 per adult, $5 per child, or family of 5 or more is $25.

Mother’s Day is Sunday, May 11. Remember the special women in your life during the Mother’s Day Novena of Masses. Use the spiritual bouquet packets available in the Narthex. Complete the outer envelope and place it in the offertory basket or return it to the parish office. Then send the enclosed card to your special loved one. The packets will be available through Mother’s Day.

Our monthly First Friday Adoration will take place in St. Mary’s Chapel on Friday, May 2, from 9:00 AM until 5:00 PM, and again from 6:30 PM. until 8:30 AM. All are invited to stop by the chapel to spend some quiet time in prayer with the Lord. For those interested in serving as a guardian by committing to one hour each month, please visit hsccatl.com/myhour to sign up.

Please join us in St. Mary’s Chapel after the 8:30 AM Mass, on Saturday, May 3, to pray the rosary and unite in prayer with our Blessed Mother. Please direct all questions to Anne Rieger at annerieger@icloud.com.

Please click here for an online version of the weekly parish bulletin.

All men of the parish are invited to retreat on Monday, April 28. Organized by Regnum Christi lay members from Holy Spirit and led by a Legionaries of Christ priest, these monthly retreats inspire men to deepen their faith. The evening begins at 6:00 PM in the Church with a rosary, Mass, and adoration, followed by dinner, a spiritual conference, and fellowship in McDonough Hall. Donations for dinner are welcome. Confession is available. Contact Kurt Oppermann at truk0691@gmail.com for details.

All parishioners are invited to a healing prayer service on Tuesday, April 29, at 7:00 PM in St. Mary’s Chapel. This service does not include the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick.

Holy Spirit invites all mothers who have suffered the loss of a child at any age, from pregnancy through adulthood, to a Bereaved Mother’s Day morning of reflection and tea on Saturday, May 3, from 9:30 AM - 11:30 AM in Malta Hall. Come together with other mothers who know the pain of child loss to hear from special guest speaker and fellow mom of loss, Elizabeth Leon, as she shares about how the grace and love of God restores our motherhood. The morning will begin with a light breakfast and prayer, followed by Elizabeth’s talk, and an opportunity to discuss the talk with a small group of other moms who have lost a child at a similar age. For more information, contact Anna at anna@redbird.love. A $25 fee to defray costs is suggested, and participants will have the option to make a payment online when registering. RSVP here.

 

About the speaker:
Elizabeth Leon is a resident of Ashburn, VA, in the Diocese of Arlington. Elizabeth holds a Narrative Focused Trauma Care Level II certification from the Allender Center. She has carried the cross of child loss for over 20 years, having suffered two personal losses—one baby in utero and a precious son who was diagnosed during pregnancy with a life-limiting condition. John Paul Raphael lived one beautiful day (28 hours and 10 minutes) before going to his eternal reward on January 5, 2018. Elizabeth has been serving Red Bird Ministries as the Director of Family Support for three years.

Mark your calendars! Members of Latino community warmly invites all parishioners to their “Taste of Mexico” event featuring delicious homemade delicacies, prepared with love, after all morning Masses on Sunday, May 4. Come enjoy authentic flavors and great company!  Choose from:  Tacos de carne asada (grilled/sliced beef),  Gorditas, Pupusas, Mole de Pollo (chicken mole), Tacos Dorado de polls (crispy chicken rolled tacos), Elotes con crema, queso y chile (Mexican "street corn" grilled, slathered with cheese and chile), Tostadas de Tinga de pollo ("Tinga" childen tostadas / toasted tortilla), Coctel de frutas con chile (fruit "cocktail" with a dusting of chile), Flan Napolitano, Arroz con Leche (rice pudding). Tickets will be on sale after all Masses this weekend. Entrees are $15 and appetizers are $10 for 3.

The Men’s Club invites all men of the parish to join them for an evening of fellowship on Monday, May 5, at 6:30 PM at Thos. O’Reilly’s Public House in Sandy Springs. Visit with friends old and new for drinks and a Dutch treat dinner. Enjoy socializing, cocktails, and dinner. This will be the last Men’s Club gathering until September - you won’t want to miss out! RSVP online if you plan to attend.

Back by popular demand, Marcy Braselton of Community Kitchen Co, will be revealing her secrets to building the ultimate cheese board on Monday, May 12, at 11:30 AM and 6:30 PM. Marcy will share her tips and demonstrate how to assemble a seasonal board (using her favorite foodie finds) for easy and elegant entertaining. At the conclusion of the workshop, you will get to sample the products on the finished board. Bring a friend and learn together how to create a beautifully curated charcuterie board, just in time for your summer entertaining! The cost is $20. 

Morning Session

Evening Session

Join your parish family on Wednesday, May 14, for our last Wednesday Night Dinner until September. C. Parks Catering and Events will prepare a festive BBQ menu featuring pulled pork and chicken, avocado street corn salad, coleslaw, macaroni and cheese, baked beans, collard greens, and apple cobbler. Dinner will be hosted by volunteers from our Funeral / Funeral Reception committees. The cost is $15 for adults and $5 for children, with a family maximum of $35 for a family with young children. Bottles of San Pellegrino may be purchased for $3 each; beer / wine will be available with a donation. RSVP online by noon on Tuesday, May 13.

We extend our deepest gratitude to all the liturgical ministers and volunteers whose dedication, time, and heartfelt service brought beauty and reverence to our Holy Week liturgies. From the careful preparation behind the scenes to the grace and presence shown in each role, your commitment helped create a sacred space where our parish family could enter fully into the mystery of Christ’s passion, death, and resurrection.

To those who cleaned sacred vessels, prepared altar linens, sewed statue coverings, stained our outdoor stations of the cross, adorned our Church, Chapel and Hall with flowers, built our altar of repose, offered liturgical support at our Masses, filled our Church with beautiful music and song, and sponsored our catechumens: thank you for offering your gifts so generously—your efforts made this Holy Week truly meaningful and prayerful for all.

We extend our gratitude to Ruben Ortiz for his dedicated leadership in organizing our coffee fellowship over the past few years. We will miss you and your family and wish you all the best!

We are looking for friendly faces to help with our weekly Sunday Morning Coffee service. Resposiblities include brewing coffee, setting up snacks, and sharing a warm welcome with your fellow parishioners after the 8:30 AM and 10:00 AM Masses. We CAN NOT have his ministry of hospitality without volunteers! Please contact Kate Cotterman at kcotterman@hsccatl.com if you would like to help.

As we mourn the passing of Pope Francis, we reflect on his profound witness to compassion and justice. His words, “You pray for the hungry, then you feed them. That is how prayer works,” remind us that prayer and action are inseparable. Pope Francis taught us that true faith lives in service—especially to those on the margins. His deep love for the poor and call to mercy have inspired Vincentians around the world. May we honor his legacy by continuing to serve our neighbors in need with humility, love, and hope—turning prayer into action, and faith into care.

This is also our weekend for the Collection for the Poor.  Thank you for your generous heart and ongoing support of our neighbors in need. You may donate to a volunteer holding a basket after Mass or online.

Mass is So Much More Than Meets the Eye -  Part II (April 27)

10:00 AM | McDonough Hall

Want to more fully appreciate the Mass? It makes present Jesus’ perfect Sacrifice, incorporating us. The whole Church is present, angels adore with us. Mass is an extension of the Incarnation and mirrors the Heavenly Liturgy (as seen in Revelation); it’s not mostly the homily or the atmosphere! Our part in the Mass means knowing the components and developing a hunger. The extraordinary grace from it depends on our readiness.

We’ll look carefully at the Mass's origins, meaning, structure, and the encounter with the Lord Jesus every Mass. This can also assist parents in guiding kids through the Mass. (Tips: ask them on the way to Mass to form prayer intentions; have them follow the readings, telling afterwards one lesson learned; suggest an aspiration prayer at the Consecration and at Communion; pass them a post-Communion prayer card; purchase Magnifikids.)

The Golden Age of Spain: Spanish Masters of Catholic Art (May 4)

10:00 AM|McDonough Hall

Professor Andrew Kurt will shed light on two exceptional painters from Golden Age of Spain, placing their work in the context of the Catholic Reformation. His talk will highlight how faith and culture can intertwine with extraordinary results filled with meaning and beauty. Come and meet the Masters! A contemporary theological and artistic emphasis on the Immaculate Conception harmonizes nicely with the special May devotion to Our Lady.