Each year the Auxiliary of the Our Lady of Perpetual Help (OLPH) Cancer Home Auxiliary sponsors a fundraising event to help the Sisters at the home with the hospice’s medical supply fund. Major prizes for this year’s drawing are cash, 12 gift cards for QuickTrip gas, and a getaway for four to the Biltmore Estates. Tickets are $5.00 for a book of six tickets. New this year, you may purchase your tickets on the parish website! The minimum online purchase amount is $15 (this is less than what was reflected in the bulletin). The best part? Holy Spirit will fill out your name and telephone number on each ticket for you! We will also sell tickets in the Narthex mid-August; watch the bulletin for details.

The Dominican Sisters of Hawthorne, a religious order founded by Rose Hawthorne, the daughter of author Nathaniel Hawthorne, established the Auxiliary of OLPH Cancer Home to care for patients with incurable cancer who are unable to pay for adequate nursing care elsewhere. OLPH is particularly special to those of us at Holy Spirit because the Sisters allowed Fr. John Fallon to convalesce at the cancer home for a month following his open heart surgery this spring. Additionally, our former parochial vicar, Fr. Paul Burke, serves as chaplain of OLPH. Visit the OLPH website to learn more. Thank you, in advance, for your generosity.

The Friday Night Bridge group plays bridge twice a month. Join them for an evening of fun and finesse on Friday, August 4th, at 7:00 p.m. in the lower level of the parish office building. For reservations, please contact Cathy Skowronski at 770-509-7698 by Wednesday, August 2nd. Partners are not required, and new members are
always welcome.

All parishioners are invited to a Commissioning Mass and Reception for Cole Austin on Sunday, August 6th, at 11:30 a.m. as we send him off to Seminary! Many of you may know Cole as “Deacon Bill’s Grandson” and have watched him grow up here at Holy Spirit, accompanying “Grandpa” on home visits to the sick since he was six years old! Cole is an accomplished musician and has filled in for Albert as a substitute organist from time to time. A graduate of Holy Spirit Prep’s Class of 2017, Cole will begin studies at seminary this Fall in preparation to become a priest for the Archdiocese of Atlanta. Come support Cole with your prayers and to celebrate his vocation, which is a fruit of the community of Holy Spirit. After Mass, you will have a chance to greet Cole at a reception in McDonough Hall. There will be a book at the reception in which you can write your prayer intentions so that Cole can stay close to his Holy Spirit family with his prayers for you while he is at Seminary. Please RSVP if you plan to attend.

Holy Spirit College is pleased to offer the following two traditional classes and one online class this fall. To register, please contact Kim Schulman at 404-252-4513.

THEO 505: Introduction to Sacred Theology 
Taught by Fr. Jeffrey Kirby, STD
Online Class (NEW!) from 6:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
on Wednesdays beginning August 30

In the Catholic intellectual tradition, sacred theology pursued as an academic discipline involves “faith seeking understanding.” In order to acquire this understanding, one must prayerfully immerse himself or herself in what Augustine calls the scientia fidei, “the science of faith.” As an introduction to this discipline, this course provides an overview of both the contemplative and practical areas of theological inquiry. Students will obtain familiarity with all of the special fields of theology and how they integrate together into a unified whole. Students will also obtain a preliminary understanding of the basic notions and vocabulary employed in theology, the general history of the development of Catholic theology, and the distinctive characteristics of particular schools of thought and individual theologians. (1.5 credit hours; $150 audit fee - use code Audit-IST )

This online class will be offered through Holy Spirit College’s partnership with Pontifex University and is the perfect “beginner” theology class, serving as a foundation for all other theology classes. Visit Pontifex University's website to register for this class.

THEO 560:  Creation and Eschatology
Taught by Fr. Joshua Allen, STL
Wednesday evenings from 5:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
beginning August 16

This course considers the origin of the universe as revealed and as understood existentially in religious philosophy, as well as the origin and destiny of humanity. The course examines the development of Christian thought on these topics, giving emphasis to biblical texts. In relation to creation, the course will investigate interpretations of the Hexaemeron, the relationship of the doctrine of creation to ontology, the distinction of primary/supernatural causation and secondary/natural causation, and contemporary issues and challenges for belief in a Creator. In relation to eschatology, the course will treat such topics as heaven, purgatory, and hell, prayer for deceased human persons, gradations of beatitude, all in light of Patristic authors, Aquinas’s Summa theologiae, and contemporary writings in Roman Catholic sacred theology. (3 credit hours; $300 audit fee)

THEO:  690:  St. Augustine of Hippo

Taught by Fr. Joshua Allen, STL  
Monday mornings from 9:30 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
beginning August 14

St. Augustine of Hippo was one of the most influential figures in the history of the Church and arguably the finest theologian who has ever lived. Many of the ideas St. Augustine developed have formed the foundation of our understanding of theology for centuries. In this class, we will seek to understand the major themes in St. Augustine’s writings, focusing on some of his commentaries on Scripture, his dialogue writings, and most especially, the Confessions - without question his most famous book.  Students will be introduced to one of the greatest and most humble minds in history, and will have the opportunity to see how St. Augustine’s thought developed over time, and how he has been interpreted and misinterpreted through the centuries.
(1.5 credit hours; $150 audit fee). 

To maintain a SAFE ENVIRONMENT for children and vulnerable individuals in our Parish, Holy Spirit will host “Protecting God’s Children” - a training to inform concerned adults of the warning signs, trends and preventive methods of child sexual abuse. This training is required for all volunteers who serve our children and is recommended for all parents. Join one of two upcoming sessions:  Sunday, August 6th from 1:00 p.m. - 4 p.m. or Friday, September 8th from 6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. Registration is required.  Register online at www.VIRTUS.org. For more info contact tpucci@hsccatl.com or call 404-252-4513 ext. 250. 

Attention all parents! If you have not yet registered your child for the 2017-2018 Religious Education school year, please do immediately. Registration will close today, Monday, July 31st, at midnight. Please contact Allison Adair with any questions.

Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament will be held this Friday, August 4th, from 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. and then again from 6:30 p.m. - 8:30 a.m. on Saturday, August 5th. Please consider spending some quiet time in prayer with the Lord.