"Being in the middle of the Bible belt means Christian churches of all denominations can be found on every corner of the city or on the outskirts of the rural county.
"However, only two Catholic churches operate in Hall County: St. Michael Catholic Church in Gainesville and Prince of Peace Catholic Church in Flowery Branch. And both churches appear to be bucking a national trend.
"In 2007, 23.9 percent of Americans identified as Catholic, according to a nationwide survey conducted by the Pew Research Center. By 2014, that share had fallen to 20.8 percent.
"Those figures do not ring true for the two Catholic churches. According to the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Atlanta, the number of Catholics in the Gainesville area is estimated at 29,000. And it is increasing, said Jenny Miles, who works in planning and research at the Archdiocese of Atlanta."
A recent article in The Times of Gainesville, GA, reported on the community outreach of parishes in Georgia and Connecticut and the fruit of this outreach.
To access the complete report, please visit:
The Times: Catholic churches battle drop in attendance but Gainesville churches increase numbers (27 AUG 16)
Background information:
Archdiocese of Atlanta (GA)
Diocese of Bridgeport (CT)
Prince of Peace Catholic Church, Flowery Branch, GA
Saint Michael Catholic Church, Gainesville, GA
Basilica of Saint John the Evangelist, Stamford, CT
Thank you, Deacon Greg Kandra, for the tip!
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