St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church (Mableton, Georgia)
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St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church, located in Mableton, Georgia, is the home of the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter (FSSP) in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Atlanta. The community was founded in 1995 and established as a personal parish in 1999 by Archbishop John Francis Donaghue. The church (building) was purchased in 1999 and consecrated by Archbishop Donaghue in 2000.
Contents
Liturgy
All of the Sacraments at St. Francis de Sales are celebrated according to the Roman Missal of 1962. Two Masses are celebrated each day, one of which on Sunday is a High Mass.
History
St. Francis de Sales is a Latin Rite parish serving the Archdiocese of Atlanta, which was separated in 1956 from the Diocese of Savannah. Permission for Mass according to the rubrics of 1962 was given by Archbishop John Francis Donoghue. The reinstatement of the Rite began at Sacred Heart Church with the support of its pastor, Fr. Stephen Churchwell. In 1994 the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter began saying the Latin Mass at Sacred Heart.
The St. Francis de Sales Latin Mass Community was founded in 1995 with the arrival of a full-time priest. A rectory was soon established in Alpharetta and the Sunday Mass was moved to St. Joseph's Maronite Church in Atlanta. In 1998, the community was hosted at Sts. Peter and Paul Parish where a Sunday Mass at the Kelly & Leak Funeral Home was added. St. Francis de Sales finally found a permanent home the following year, in Mableton. The former Grace Baptist Church was purchased and the first Mass said in the new home in January. The community was also elevated to the status of a parish in January 1999, and Rev. Mark F. Fischer, FSSP, was named the founding pastor. He was later joined by Rev. Nicholas Zolnerowicz, FSSP, who served as parochial vicar until his retirement in 2003. He died in 2008.
In the spring of 2003, Rev. Robert Fromageot, FSSP became pastor, but in July 2004 he left to pursue a degree in moral theology in Rome. Rev. Denis G. Bouchard, FSSP, assisted by Rev. Laurent Demets, FSSP, replaced him as pastor until February 2008, when he was transferred to another FSSP apostolate, at which time Fr. Mark Fischer, founding pastor, returned to the parish. He remained there until July 2010, when Fr. Howard Venette, FSSP, arrived. Fr. Matthew McCarthy, FSSP is currently the pastor. Fr. Demets served at the parish as parochial vicar from 2003–2007, when he left to serve the FSSP community in Little Rock, Arkansas. He was succeeded by Fr. Roberto Cano, FSSP from 2007–2009, then by Fr. Thomas Fritschen, FSSP (2009–2010), Deacon (now Father) Christopher Pelster, FSSP (2011), Fr. Matthew McCarthy, FSSP (2011-2012), Fr. Joel Kiefer (2012-2015), and finally by Fr. Joseph DeGuzman, FSSP (2015-present).
Clergy
As of September 2015, St. Francis de Sales has the following clergy:
- Pastor: Rev. Fr. Matthew McCarthy, FSSP
- Parochial Vicar: Fr. Joseph DeGuzman, FSSP
- Deacon: Rev. Mr. Douglas Anderson, a permanent deacon of the Archdiocese of Atlanta
