Peachtree Corners is front and center in the Holy Year of 2025

As Catholics worldwide make their pilgrimages near and far this year for the Jubilee Holy Year of Hope 2025, Catholic pilgrims from around the region will converge at Mary Our Queen Parish in Peachtree Corners to mark this once-in-every-twenty-five-years event.

Though traditionally, many pilgrimage to Rome, Catholics in Georgia who cannot make the overseas journey to Italy have another option here, closer to home. Archbishop Gregory John Hartmayer designated Mary Our Queen as the principal shrine or parish for the Archdiocese of Atlanta.

About the Jubilee

Catholics have celebrated these Holy Years for centuries, but the idea of a Jubilee is older still and is found in the pages of the Old Testament.

According to Mary Our Queen’s website, “Jubilee years have been held at regular intervals in the Catholic church since 1300, but they trace their roots to the Jewish tradition of marking a Jubilee year every 50 years.”

The Vatican website for the Jubilee shares that these years in Jewish history were “intended to be marked as a time to re-establish a proper relationship with God, with one another and with all of creation, and involved the forgiveness of debts, the return of misappropriated land and a fallow period for the fields.”

For Catholics, the Jubilee is a special year for conversion and to deepen their Christian faith.

The last ordinary Jubilee was in 2000, though Pope Francis also called for an Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy in 2015-2016.

You can learn more about the Holy Year and Mary Our Queen’s year-long celebration plans at maryourqueen.com/jubilee-pilgrimage.

New experiences await at this season’s Walk Through Bethlehem

An annual must-see holiday event, Walk Through Bethlehem, presented by Simpsonwood United Methodist Church, will take place over three evenings, December 13–15. 

With 1,200 luminaries, Simpsonwood Park is transformed into Bethlehem on the night of Jesus’ birth. After being welcomed by live camels and a census taker, visitors are invited to interact with shopkeepers and witness a live nativity.

Visitors can also enjoy a fire with stories from shepherds, pet live animals and watch as wisemen bring gifts to baby Jesus. 

Before your journey ends, enjoy a photo opportunity with a Roman Guard and hot chocolate and cookies. 

The details

Walk Through Bethlehem transforms several acres of Simpsonwood Park into Bethlehem Village on the night of Jesus’ birth. After being welcomed by live camels and a census taker, visitors are invited to interact with shopkeepers, witness a live nativity and watch as wisemen bring gifts to baby Jesus.

The special holiday event is presented by Simpsonwood United Methodist Church with the help of more than 300 community volunteers.

What to expect

• 1,200 luminaries welcoming guests to Bethlehem
• Live camels and Roman guards at Bethlehem’s entrance
• Shopkeepers in costume interacting with guests
• Interactive village with more than 12 individual shops
• Animal petting area with donkeys, sheep and more
• Shepherds sharing stories around a fire
• Live nativity with wisemen bringing gifts
• Attendees donating canned goods to Neighborhood Cooperative Ministries
• Attendees enjoying hot chocolate and cookies

Make plans to attend

Dates and hours

• Friday, December 13, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
• Saturday, December 14, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
• Sunday, December 15, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Location: Simpsonwood Park, 4511 Jones Bridge Cir NW, Peachtree Corners, GA 30092

FREE admission; accepting canned food donations for Neighborhood Cooperative Ministries. 

For more information, visit simpsonwoodumc.org/walk-through-bethlehem.

The role team sports play in building authentic relationships is pretty apparent, especially the relationship between a coach and the individual players. 

Showing strength often means showing vulnerability as well. And sometimes the strongest people can have their vulnerable moments. That’s what the Salvation Army’s ministry is all about – helping those who need a hand. 

To further that message, one of the most noteworthy coaches in University of Georgia football history, Mark Richt, shared his insights as the keynote speaker for the 10th annual “Doing the Best” luncheon on May 9 at the Crowne Plaza Atlanta NE. The event is one of the main fundraisers for the Salvation Army of Gwinnett County.  

Coach Richt’s journey

Richt shared his personal experience of being recruited out of high school and eventually going into coaching, highlighting the challenges and rewards of the journey. 

“My mom taught me what it means to love unconditionally,” said Richt. “And my dad and I connected through baseball … he taught me how to love and respect people … unfortunately he’s no longer with us.”

Having that groundwork at home helped underscore the value of relationships in sports, he said, adding that’s what helped overcome obstacles in coaching and in life.

Richt coached the Bulldogs from 2001 to 2015 and The University of Miami from 2016 to 2018. He retired with a record of 171-64.

His UGA win total is second only to Hall of Fame coach Vince Dooley’s. He was named the 2002 and 2005 SEC Coach of the Year and is currently the 10th-winningest coach in SEC history. Last year, he became the fifth coach from Georgia and the fifth Hurricanes coach to enter the College Football Hall of Fame.

The impact of faith

He shared with the audience how his faith in God helped him overcome fears and doubts – even while battling Parkinson’s disease, emphasizing his hope in the future glory of heaven.

“I got Parkinson’s, and as most people know, it’s a progressive disease that gets worse over time. It affects your movement. I get muscle rigidity,” he said. “When I got the diagnosis, I thought, ‘Well, what do I do?’”

He said he decided he was going to enjoy the blessing he had while he could. And he encouraged the audience to do the same.

“We are grateful to have Coach Richt join us for this milestone year of the Doing The Most Good Luncheon,” said Captain Paul Ryerson, commanding officer of The Salvation Army of Gwinnett County. “The need remains high for many in our community, and the funds raised through this event will allow us to continue to serve as a resource and bring hope to our local neighbors.”

Visit southernusa.salvationarmy.org/gwinnett to learn more.

The Salvation Army of Gwinnett County “Doing the Most Good” by the numbers (2023):

• 51,134 pounds of food donated,
• 640 number of households that received food donations,
• 1,461 nights of shelter provided,
• 54 number of households that received rent/mortgage and utility assistance,
• 738 families received gifts at Christmas through the Angel Tree program and
• 1,979 children received gifts at Christmas through the Angel Tree program.