Holy Spirit Catholic Church is honored to be selected as a host parish for the 2026 – 2027 U.S. tour of the relics of St. Bernadette of Lourdes, November 19 – 22. As the only host parish in the Atlanta area, we are blessed, once again, to offer this extraordinary opportunity for prayer, veneration, and spiritual renewal to our parish family and the wider Catholic community.

We invite you to join us for this special occasion and help welcome the many pilgrims who will visit Holy Spirit. Learn more about the schedule of events and volunteer opportunities at hsccatl.com/lourdes.

Honor or remember your loved one(s) by contributing to the flowers for our Altar this Christmas. You may either use the form on the back page of the bulletin or our Christmas flower webpage. The deadline to make your purchase is Monday, November 30.

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

Join the 30+ Catholic Crew for a Thanksgiving Dinner! Come enjoy a relaxed evening of good food and fellowship with other Atlanta Catholics in their 30s and 40s. Dinner will include turkey, dressing, green beans, sweet potato soufflé, salad, rolls, cranberry sauce, and dessert. We will also have refreshments with dinner.

Friday, November 14 | 6–9 PM
$25 per person - ADVANCED PAYMENT REQUIRED
RSVP by November 9 so we can provide our final headcount for dinner.

Next Sunday, November 15, the Knights of Columbus will host a parish breakfast. Enjoy pancakes, eggs, bacon, sausage, potatoes, and their popular omelette station. Breakfast will be served after the 7:00 AM, 8:30 AM, and 10:00 AM Masses in McDonough Hall. The cost is $8 per adult, $5 per child, or a family of 5+ is $25. All proceeds go to support the charitable works of the Knights of Columbus.

Join your parish family at 6:30 PM on Wednesday, November 18, in McDonough Hall for our annual pre-Thanksgiving meal with your parish family. "Give Thanks" together as volunteers from the Women of the Word ministry serve a delicious dinner prepared by C. Parks Catering & Events. The menu features:  mixed bluegrass salad, cajun fried turkey with gravy, cornbread dressing, mashed potatoes, sweet potato soufflé with toasted meringue top, homemade cranberry sauce, oven roasted root vegetables, green bean casserole, rolls, chocolate pumpkin bars, and apple crisp with cinnamon whipped cream! The best part is NO COOKING for you! The cost is $15 for adults and $10 for children under 12. There is a family maximum fee of $35 for families with children. Bottles of San Pellegrino available for $3 each, and wine is available for a donation. RSVP by 12:00 PM on Tuesday, November 17.

Join us on Saturday, November 21, at 10:00 AM for a Lourdes Virtual Pilgrimage Experience®. This holy encounter with God under the watchful care of Our Lady of Lourdes, re-creates a pilgrimage to Lourdes without ever leaving home. This prayerful experience draws pilgrims nearer to God in the company of Our Lady as they are guided through a prayerful visit to the Grotto, the experience of the water, prayer in a Rosary procession and a Eucharistic blessing.

For planning purposes, please sign up if you plan to participate in the Marian Candlelight Procession on Saturday, November 21, at 7:00 PM.

Thank you to everyone who attended our Parking Deck Community Meeting on Monday, November 2! We were grateful for the wonderful turnout and the opportunity to share our vision for the future of Holy Spirit. We appreciate everyone who joined the conversation, asked questions, and shared their thoughts and concerns. Your participation and feedback are invaluable as we continue planning for the future of our parish community!

 

As we move forward, your voice continues to matter. I invite all parishioners, particularly those who reside in Sandy Springs, to share their experiences parking at Holy Spirit, especially during Sunday Masses, holy days, and other times of high demand (i.e. funerals and special parish-wide events). Your firsthand experiences and perspectives on why additional parking is important to the life and mission of our parish will help communicate the need for this project.

Click here to share your comments.

Thank you for your generous support of our parish home. We wouldn't exist as a parish without it. As we prepare for another vibrant year at Holy Spirit Catholic Church, I invite every parish household to prayerfully consider how you will take part in our annual Stewardship Appeal.

You generosity brings our mission, Living the Gospel as the Body of Christ, to life each day. Your offertory supports our clergy and staff, worship and liturgy, faith formation, pastoral care, more than 50+ active ministries, outreach, and the everyday needs that keep Holy Spirit open and ready to serve, someone returns to Confession, a new parishioner finds community, or we gather for Sunday Mass, you generosity is at work. This is the life of our parish, and each of us has a part of sustaining it.

But stewardship is about more than meeting expenses. It is our grateful response to what God has given us - an act of faith, trust, and generosity.

As you consider your personal commitment to our annual stewardship appeal. please remember that our offertory is separate from other giving opportunities. The Archbishop's Annual Appeal in January supports ministries and services across the Archdiocese, which a parish capital campaign in 2027 will support major long-term projects at Holy Spirit. Gifts to one do not fund others.

Please use the discernment chart on the website to consider your commitment and the next step that makes sense for your household. Our goal is not equal gifts, but prayerful participation from every household. Together, we can continue serving, forming, welcoming and caring for our parish family. Every household. Every gift. Everyone has a part.

I am grateful for the many ways you share your Time, Talent, and Treasure with Holy Spirit and help us continue Living the Gospel as the Body of Christ.

In Christ,

Fr. Luke Ballman
Pastor

The Women’s Club invites you to get ready for the holiday season with an inspiring program filled with ideas for beautiful, effortless entertaining. Join us on Monday, November 9, at 11:30 AM or 6:30 PM as we welcome lifestyle and culinary expert Erica A. Thomas, who will share practical inspiration for creating memorable gatherings with warmth, style, and ease. The cost is $20 and includes lunch or dinner.

Erica A. Thomas is the founder of Eating With Erica, a premier lifestyle brand that celebrates dining, entertaining, recipes, and the art of hosting memorable gatherings with ease. From thoughtful tablescapes to effortless holiday hosting, Erica will share inspiration and practical tips for bringing beauty, warmth, and intention to every gathering.

Guests will leave with simple, elegant ideas they can use immediately for holiday gatherings, dinner parties, and everyday entertaining.

Erica is a nationally recognized lifestyle and culinary expert whose work has been featured in Garden & Gun, Good Morning America, Southern Living, Time, Food & Wine, Eater, and Fox 5 Atlanta. 

Sign Up for Morning Session Here
Sign Up for Evening Session Here

The Women's Club is hosting a social evening for the women of the parish to include American Mahjong and light bites on Thursday, November 19, from 6:00 PM - 8:30 PM in McDonough Hall. Players of all levels are welcome; however, no instruction will be offered.  Please register and pay in advance! Tables are assigned ahead of time and registration closes 24 hours before each event. Cost is $10 per person when paid in advance or $20 at the door, if space is available. Please  indicate your player level so we may group you with like-ability players. If registering for more than one person, please list names of all players, telephone numbers, and their playing levels. All players should bring their 2026 NMJL card.

All women are invited to Holy Spirit’s annual Advent by Candlelight Dinner and Retreat on Wednesday, December 2, at 6:30 PM in McDonough Hall. Immerse in the Advent spirit with beautifully themed table decorations and a catered dinner. The cost for dinner is $30.

While we enjoy our meal by candlelight, all participants will be treated to a program led by Holy Spirit pastor Father Luke Ballman. Fr. Ballman will focus on the third joyful mystery – the Nativity. In particular, he will lead us through the prayer techniques of Lectio Divina and Visio Divina.    

We ask that you sign up by November 30; the RSVP window will close at noon that Monday before the event.

And if you would like to serve as a table hostess, we have a few more tables available. Please indicate that on your RSVP, and we’ll be in touch right away.

From November 19 – 22, Holy Spirit will have the extraordinary honor of welcoming the relics of St. Bernadette of Lourdes as part of their national pilgrimage. As the only host parish in the Atlanta metropolitan area and one of two in Georgia, we anticipate pilgrims from across the Archdiocese and beyond. Volunteers are needed throughout the four-day celebration to help create a welcoming and prayerful experience. Whether you can serve a few hours or multiple shifts, your help makes a difference!

Volunteer opportunities include:

• General Attendants: Serve as a welcoming presence throughout the church and McDonough Hall, helping pilgrims find their way, answering questions, and offering assistance as needed.
• Hospitality: Support fellow volunteers at our hospitality headquarters in McDonough Hall, helping ensure that everything runs smoothly throughout the visit.

Volunteers should arrive 15 minutes before their shift and check in at the Hospitality Suite in McDonough Hall, Side B.

Be part of this historic moment in the life of our parish! Your service will help us share the spirit of Lourdes—faith, hope, and compassion—with the many pilgrims who come to Holy Spirit. For questions, contact Kim Schulman at 678-471-9977. Sign up to volunteer here; learn more at hsccatl.com/lourdes.

This Christmas, you can help bring joy to families in our Latino community through Holy Spirit’s Christmas Angel Program. More than a holiday tradition, this cherished ministry is an opportunity to share Christ’s love through generosity, compassion, and the spirit of giving.

Rather than collecting wrapped presents, Christmas Angel provides financial gifts that allow parents to choose something special for their own children. This simple approach honors the dignity of each family while giving parents the joy of creating Christmas memories their children will treasure.

Our goal this year is $35,000, with a suggested donation of $100 per person. Every gift, regardless of size, helps us reach more families and share the blessings of the season. Donate online here.

For the last four years, after fleeing a domestic situation, she was raising twin boys, working and making ends meet.

Then, on the day she paid September’s rent, the restaurant where she worked closed without notice or severance. She quickly found a new job, but it required five weeks of training. She drove DoorDash and bartended to get by, but still fell short when October rent came due.

Because of your generosity to our Collection for the Poor, we were able to help with rent and utilities and prevent an eviction. Through tears, she shared how frightening it was to feel everything she had worked for slipping away. “It wasn’t just the help,” she told us. “It was having someone listen. I have hope again.”

We all know the story of Christmas… or do we?

The manger, the shepherds, the angels, and the wise men. We have heard the story countless times, but have we ever stopped to ask why it all happened? Why did God become man? Why did Jesus enter the world as a helpless child? And what does His birth have to do with God's plan to rescue humanity?

Join Fr. Sean Lee on Monday, November 30, at 6:30 PM in McDonough Hall for a special one-night Advent presentation, Unraveling the Nativity Story. Together, we will explore the Nativity in a new light and discover that Christmas is far more than a beautiful story. It is the beginning of the greatest rescue mission in human history. Come rediscover the wonder, mystery, and extraordinary significance of Christmas! RSVP if you will attend.

All families are invited to our St. Nicholas party on Saturday, December 5, from 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM in McDonough Hall. Come meet St. Nicholas, engage in festive Advent crafts, and play games. Light refreshments and coffee will be served. RSVP if you will attend.

Looking to build meaningful friendships and grow in your faith this Advent season? Join us on Monday, December 7, for a two-week Advent Study at 6:30 PM, where we’ll explore the meaning of Advent together! RSVP here if you will attend.

Looking to build meaningful friendships and grow in your faith this Advent season? Join us for part two of a two-week study on Monday, December 14, at 6:30 PM in Youth Center, where we’ll explore the meaning of Advent together! RSVP here if you will attend.

Calling All Teens! Join us at Camp Hidden Lake in Dahlonega for a weekend of faith, friendship, and spiritual growth April 9 - 11! The cost is $100 per teen, and spots are limited on a first-come, first-served basis. Sign up here to reserve your spot.

Join the Order of Malta – Atlanta Region for its inagural Christmas Friendship Tea on Sunday, December 6, benefiting Holy Family Hospital in Bethlehem. The hospital provides lifesaving maternity and neonatal care to mothers and babies, regardless of religion or ability to pay. Home to the region’s only Level III NICU, it is truly an oasis of hope in the Holy Land. Celebrate the joy of the Christmas season while supporting this extraordinary mission of compassion and care. To RSVP or learn about sponsorship opportunities, visit hsccatl.com/maltatea.

Members of the Order of Malta are selling their 2026 Christmas ornament featuring the St. Vincent de Paul window in St. Mary’s Chapel. The cost is $35 each or $30 for two or more. All proceeds benefit Holy Family Hospital in Bethlehem, located just steps away from where Jesus was born. Order online here. Pick up ornaments in the parish office during business hours. In-person sales will begin in Advent.

Holy Spirit Prep invites all families to experience their community! Join them for their upcoming Open Houses. Come and see firsthand how HSP's transformative educational approach forms students in mind, body and soul. Learn more and register here for the preschool open house on Wednesday, November 11.