| Archdiocese of Atlanta Archdioecesis Atlantensis |
|
|---|---|
| Location | |
| Country | United States |
| Territory | 69 counties in northern Georgia |
| Ecclesiastical province | Archdiocese of Atlanta |
| Metropolitan | Atlanta, Georgia |
| Population - Catholics |
900,000[1] |
| Information | |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Rite | Roman Rite |
| Established | February 10, 1962 |
| Cathedral | Cathedral of Christ the King |
| Patron saint | Immaculate Heart of Mary Pius X |
| Current leadership | |
| Pope | Benedict XVI |
| Archbishop | Archbishop of Atlanta Most Rev. Wilton D. Gregory Archbishop of Atlanta |
| Map | |
| Website | |
| archatl.com | |
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Atlanta is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the southeastern United States. It is composed of the northern counties of the state of Georgia and is led by a prelate archbishop, who is also pastor of the mother church, the Cathedral of Christ the King, located in the city of Atlanta. The current archbishop is the Most Rev. Wilton D. Gregory. The Catholic population of metropolitan Atlanta and North Georgia stood at 900,000 in 2010.
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The former Diocese of Atlanta was established by a division of the Diocese of Savannah-Atlanta on July 2, 1956. It was elevated to the rank of archdiocese on February 10, 1962. In 1966 it was home to the youngest bishop in the nation, Joseph Bernardin. Ordained an auxiliary bishop at the age of 38, Bernardin later became Archbishop of Cincinnati and ultimately the Archbishop of Chicago and cardinal.
In 1988, Eugene Antonio Marino was named Archbishop of Atlanta, becoming the first African American archbishop in the United States. He resigned two years later after his affair with a lay minister became public knowledge.
In July 2009, Pope Benedict XVI, recognizing Archbishop Gregory's need for assistance in governing the burgeoning archdiocese, named Monsignor Luis Rafael Zarama as the second Auxiliary Bishop of Atlanta.
The Catholic population of metropolitan Atlanta and North Georgia stood at 900,000 in 2010, boosted in recent years by foreign immigrants and migration from other regions of the U.S.[2] The USCCB estimates over 2500 people will join the archdiocese in 2011.
Metro Atlanta contains a large, and rapidly growing, Roman Catholic population. The number of Catholics grew from 292,300 members in 1998 to 900,000 members in 2010, an increase of 207 percent. The population is expected to top 1 million by 2011.[3][4] The increase is fueled by Catholics moving to Atlanta from other parts of the U.S. and the world, and from newcomers to the church.[4] About 16 percent of all metropolitan Atlanta residents are Catholic.[5]
As of 2007 the Archdiocese of Atlanta comprises 84 parishes[6] serving the following northern Georgia counties:
The archdiocese operates eighteen elementary and high schools. Additionally, there are six independent Catholic schools located in the Atlanta metropolitan area.
Catholic high schools located in the archdiocese include:
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