The former Diocese of Atlanta was established by a division of the Diocese of Savannah-Atlanta on July 2, 1956. At that time, there were also two designated co-cathedrals, including St. John the Baptist in Savannah and Christ the King in Atlanta. The Diocese of Savannah-Atlanta was originated through the Diocese of Charleston, South Carolina; and prior to that, the Archdiocese of Baltimore, Maryland. Catholic settlement began in Georgia in the 1700s, with the establishment of a Catholic mission in Georgia by Catholic settlers who had moved to Georgia from Baltimore. The Diocese of Atlanta was elevated to the rank of archdiocese on February 10, 1962.
Selected leadership history
In 1966, the Archdiocese 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 from his position two years later after his affair – termed an "inappropriate relationship" by the Archdiocese – with a lay minister became public knowledge. After a period of reflection and renewal, he continued on in religious service in New York State until his death. In December 2004, Pope John Paul II appointed Wilton Gregory as Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Atlanta, and he was installed in January 2005. 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. In April 2013, Monsignor David Talley was installed as an additional Auxiliary Bishop of Atlanta. On April 4, 2019, the Vatican appointed Archbishop Wilton Gregory to the Archbishop of Washington, DC. As such, there was no Archbishop of Atlanta, and the see was vacant, with Auxiliary Bishop Joel Konzenisa serving as the diocesan administrator since his election to that post by the College of Consultors on May 24, 2019, once Archbishop Gregory had been installed in Washington three days prior on May 21. Pope Francis appointed Gregory John Hartmayer, Bishop of the Diocese of Savannah as the new Archbishop of Atlanta on March 5, 2020. He was installed on May 6, 2020.
Population
Metro Atlanta contains a large, and rapidly growing, Roman Catholic population. The number of Catholics grew from 30,840 members in 1960 to 292,300 members in 1998 and to 900,000 members in 2010, an increase of 207 percent. The population is estimated by the USCCB to top 1 million by 2011, with an overall increase of 2,500 people. 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. About 11 percent of all metropolitan Atlanta residents are Catholic.
Territory
In 2014, the Archdiocese included 100 parishes and missions. In 2007, the Archdiocese comprised 84 parishes, serving northern Georgia.
Bishops
The following is a list of the Roman Catholic bishops and archbishops who have served as the diocesan bishop of Atlanta :
Joseph Bernardin, appointed General Secretary of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops; later appointed Archbishop of Cincinnati and Archbishop of Chicago
The Archdiocese operates eighteen elementary and high schools. Additionally, there are six independent Catholic schools located in the Atlanta metropolitan area. While those six schools are independent, they fall within the jurisdiction of the Archdiocese. The population of student enrollment in all of the Catholic schools in the Archdiocese in 2011–2012 was approximately 12,000. The superintendent of the schools in the Archdiocese is currently Diane Starkovich.
