Georgia Institute of Technology

About the Georgia Tech Catholic Center

The Georgia Tech Catholic Center exists to provide a community for Georgia Tech students, faculty, alumni, and friends to encounter Christ in the Liturgy, the Sacraments, formation and discipleship, and Christian service. It focuses its energies on student engagement, formation, and catechesis. The Center describes itself as 'one of the most active centers in the United States,' offering daily Mass, daily Confessions, four Sunday Masses, and 12 hours of Eucharistic Adoration each day. Around 1,000 students are served by the Center's sacramental and community life, and its mission is summed up in a single line: 'to form intentional disciples of our Lord.' The current chaplain, Fr. Branson Hipp — ordained in 2015 for the Archdiocese of Atlanta — writes that the Center is 'a home away from home' for Tech's Catholic students as they navigate the vulnerable college years and seek to live a Christ-centered life at Tech and beyond.

History of the Catholic Center (1928–Today)

Catholic ministry at Georgia Tech began in 1928 when Fr. John Keough, chaplain at the University of Pennsylvania, helped Fr. Leo Ziebarth of Marist and the layman Lewis F. Gordon establish a Newman Club at what was then the Georgia School of Technology. The Newman Club first appeared in the Blueprint yearbook in 1931, acquired a former fraternity house at 87 North Avenue in 1940, and moved into the Newman House at 158 Fourth Street in 1952 (with an adjoining lot at 154 Fourth Street added in 1963). Fr. Giles Webster, O.F.M., became the first Franciscan assigned to the Atlanta colleges in 1958; Fr. Theophilus McNulty, O.F.M., served as chaplain in the early 1960s and chronicled the Newman movement in the Georgia Bulletin (Jan 28, 1965). In 1968 the Club leased 176 Fifth Street, and Fr. Mario DiLella, O.F.M., was assigned as chaplain in 1970, serving until his retirement in 2008 — the longest tenure in the Center's history. By 1982 the Archdiocese approved a $944,000 plan to build a new center, swapping the Fifth Street property with Georgia Tech for the current 4th Street site. The new Catholic Center was dedicated in 1985 and remains in use today. After Fr. Mario's retirement, the Archdiocese of Atlanta began assigning diocesan priests (rather than religious-order priests) as campus ministers.

• 1928 — Newman Club founded by Fr. John Keough, Fr. Leo Ziebarth, and Lewis F. Gordon
• 1931 — First Newman Club listing in the Georgia Tech Blueprint
• 1940 — Acquired former Phi Delta fraternity house at 87 North Avenue
• 1950 — Mother's Day Mass celebrated on campus by Auxiliary Bishop Francis E. Hyland
• 1952 — Newman House established at 158 Fourth Street
• 1958 — Fr. Giles Webster, O.F.M., first Franciscan assigned to GT
• 1963 — Adjoining lot at 154 Fourth Street purchased
• 1968 — Newman Club leased 176 Fifth Street and moved there
• 1970 — Fr. Mario DiLella, O.F.M., assigned as chaplain
• 1982 — Archdiocese approves $944,000 plan; property swap with Georgia Tech
• 1985 — Dedication Mass for the current Fourth Street Catholic Center
• 2008 — Fr. Mario retires; Archdiocese begins assigning diocesan priests

Staff and Leadership

The Catholic Center is staffed by a chaplain, a visiting priest, an office manager, a development coordinator, a campus minister / grad ministry coordinator, a student resident, and a five-person team of FOCUS missionaries. Student leadership is provided by the Catholic Students Organization (CSO) board, which organizes the Center's day-to-day activities under four pillars: Liturgy, Outreach, Community Life, and Faith Formation.

• Fr. Branson Hipp — Chaplain
• Fr. John Klein — Visiting Priest (Legionary of Christ)
• Lisa Machado — Office Manager
• Amy Cardin — Development Coordinator
• Michael Probst — Student Resident
• Claire Register — Campus Minister / Grad Ministry Coordinator
• Anne Marie Fraser — FOCUS Team Director
• Austin Stanley, Abigail 'Abi' Skokan, James 'JD' Self — FOCUS Missionaries
• CSO Board: Patrick Rowan (President), Emil Sacco (Vice-President), Henry Loehrer (Treasurer), Christina Sweeney (Secretary), Lexie Ray (Public Relations), Anthony DiMuzio (Liturgy Chair), Charlotte Bradford (Faith Formation Chair), Garrett Heffern (Outreach Chair), Gabe Rueda (Community Life Chair)

Sacraments and Schedule

The sacramental life is the primary focus of the Center's ministry to the Georgia Tech community. Daily Mass is offered Monday through Friday (with a Wednesday Communion Service in place of Mass), Confession is offered daily across 10 weekly opportunities, four Sunday Masses are celebrated during the school year, and Eucharistic Adoration is exposed for 12 hours each day in a dedicated Adoration Chapel. The Easter Vigil Mass each year is a high point: those who have participated in the student-led OCIA program are received into full communion with the Church and baptized and confirmed. Mass and Confession schedules are subject to change during finals and the summer; the website's Google calendar is the most up-to-date source.

Ministries and Programs

The Catholic Students Organization (CSO) is a registered Georgia Tech student organization that runs most day-to-day student activities through four pillars: Liturgy, Outreach, Community Life, and Faith Formation. Beyond the CSO, the Center hosts FOCUS missionaries and a robust calendar of formation, retreats, and outreach.

Get Involved

Newcomers are welcomed with open arms: come by the Center, meet people, look over the calendar, and start joining events; join one of the ministry GroupMe chats; introduce yourself to the chaplain or FOCUS missionaries after Mass; or apply for a CSO board pillar position at the end of each semester. There are also specific volunteer roles within Faith Formation: OCIA participant or sponsor, OCIA small-group leader, Renew Team, Renew Music Team, Retreat Coordinator, Podcast Coordinator, and Librarian.

• Drop in and look over the calendar
• Join a GroupMe for a ministry
• Meet the chaplain or a FOCUS missionary after Mass
• Apply for a CSO board pillar (Liturgy, Outreach, Community Life, Faith Formation)
• Volunteer in Faith Formation (OCIA, Renew, retreats, podcast, library)

Giving

The Catholic Center is primarily self-funded. The Archdiocese of Atlanta assists only with major capital repairs such as roofing and plumbing; day-to-day operations, activities, formation programs, and retreats rely entirely on the generosity of benefactors. The Center participates in the #iGiveCatholic campaign and accepts check, Venmo (@GTCatholic), stock transfers, and online giving.

• Online giving via the website
• Check: 172 4th Street NW, Atlanta, GA 30313
• Venmo: @GTCatholic
• Stock transfers — contact Amy Cardin ([email protected])

Location and Visiting

The Catholic Center has occupied its current Fourth Street location in the heart of the Georgia Tech campus since 1985. The address is 172 4th Street NW, Atlanta, GA 30313. The phone number is (404) 892-6759. The Adoration Chapel is on the main floor next to the doors of the main chapel; the sacristy (where Confessions are heard) is the first door on the right when entering the main chapel, with the line forming in the back pew on the left. Everyone is welcome.