About Good Shepherd · Cumming, Georgia
Good Shepherd Catholic Church is a large, multicultural Roman Catholic parish located at 3740 Holtzclaw Road in Cumming, Georgia, in Forsyth County. First established as a mission in 1975 and formally constituted as a parish on August 1, 1977, it is part of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Atlanta (North Metro Deanery) and now serves more than 2,600 registered families. The parish is led by Pastor Rev. Fr. Diosmar Natad and offers a full schedule of English and Spanish Masses, weekday devotions, faith formation from preschool through high school, and dozens of lay ministries and outreach programs.
- Established
- 1977
- Patron
- Good Shepherd (Jesus Christ, the Good Shepherd)
- Rector
- Rev. Fr. Diosmar Natad
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Atlanta
Why belong here
Good Shepherd offers one of the most active parish lives in Forsyth County: six Sunday Masses (including a Spanish Mass and a Sunday evening Mass), daily 9:00 a.m. weekday Masses, weekly Confession and Eucharistic Adoration, a preschool, and a full Faith Formation program for elementary, middle, and high school students. Parishioners can join more than thirty lay ministries and organizations — Knights of Columbus, Council of Catholic Women, St. Vincent de Paul, Family Promise, Respect Life, a Spanish-language Music Ministry, prayer shawls/blankets, and many others — making it easy to find a way to serve, pray, and build community.
Mass times at Good Shepherd
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday: 9:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
- Wednesday: 6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Adoration times
- Eucharistic Adoration (guardian program) — coordinated by Bill McDowell; times available by contacting the parish
About Good Shepherd Catholic Church
Good Shepherd Catholic Church is a large, multicultural Catholic parish serving Forsyth County in the northern suburbs of Atlanta. First established as a mission in 1975 and formally constituted as a parish on August 1, 1977, the parish now serves more than 2,630 registered families. It belongs to the North Metro Deanery of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Atlanta and identifies itself as a Eucharistic Community guided by the Holy Spirit, seeking to glorify the Kingdom of God in worship, prayer, fellowship, service, learning, and living His Word. (Sources: Archdiocese of Atlanta parish listing; parish mission statement.)
Our History
Good Shepherd was first established as a Catholic mission in 1975 and was formally established as a parish on August 1, 1977. The original church building on Holtzclaw Road was constructed in 1991, when the parish had roughly 290 families. In October 2013, the parish launched a nine-month sanctuary renovation that nearly doubled seating capacity. The project added new pews to seat about 700 worshippers, an entrance tower leading to a larger narthex, and a new Blessed Sacrament chapel, at a total cost of $2.6 million. The renovated sanctuary hosted its first Masses the weekend of July 5–6, 2014, and Archbishop Wilton D. Gregory presided at a concelebrated Mass blessing the new space on September 14, 2014.
- 1975 — Established as a Catholic mission
- August 1, 1977 — Formally established as a parish
- 1991 — Original church building constructed (approximately 290 families at the time)
- October 2013 — Sanctuary renovation project began
- July 5–6, 2014 — First Masses held in the expanded sanctuary
- September 14, 2014 — Archbishop Wilton D. Gregory blessed the renovated space
Parish Leadership
The parish is led by Pastor Rev. Fr. Diosmar Natad, who also serves as the contact for Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion. He is assisted by Parochial Vicar Rev. Fr. Miguel Espin and three permanent deacons: Deacon Donald Nadeau, Deacon Gerard (Stick) Thibodaux, and Deacon Hedy Sevilla. The clergy are supported by a Pastoral Office staff (Accounting Manager, Administrative Assistant, Accounts Payable, Receptionist, and Data Processing), Faith Formation and preschool teams, a Music Ministry under Music Director Michael Abreu and Organist Gregory Case, and a Facilities team.
- Rev. Fr. Diosmar Natad — Pastor
- Rev. Fr. Miguel Espin — Parochial Vicar
- Deacon Donald Nadeau
- Deacon Gerard (Stick) Thibodaux
- Deacon Hedy Sevilla
- Mariann Norman — Accounting Manager
- Kelly Rosenbalm — Accounts Payable
- Rudy Velasco — Administrative Assistant
- Bessie Donnelly — Receptionist
- Danny Amoyo — Data Processing
Welcome from the Pastor
In his welcome message, Pastor Rev. Fr. Diosmar Natad writes: "Welcome to Good Shepherd Catholic Church where people can pray, worship, and be with the Real Presence of our Lord Jesus Christ in the celebration of the Holy Eucharist. We are a community of believers that rely on the healing grace, love, and mercy of God through receiving the Word and Sacrament especially the Holy Eucharist; a spiritual family that is compassionate, forgiving, loving to one another."
Faith Formation & Religious Education
The Faith Formation office offers age-appropriate catechesis for elementary, middle, and high school students. Elementary is coordinated by Ms. Elizabeth Murphy, middle school by Mr. Charles Cagle, and high school by Mrs. Tamie Cagle. The program's overall coordinator is Nadine Brabeau, and sacrament preparation (Baptism, First Communion, Confirmation, etc.) is led by Sr. Ancilla Abonyo, the parish's Sacrament Coordinator. Children also participate in the Children's Liturgy of the Word during Mass.
- Elementary School — Ms. Elizabeth Murphy
- Middle School — Mr. Charles Cagle
- High School — Mrs. Tamie Cagle
- Faith Formation Coordinator — Nadine Brabeau
- Sacrament Coordinator — Sr. Ancilla Abonyo
- Children's Liturgy of the Word
Preschool
The parish operates a preschool on the campus, staffed by Preschool Director Anna Loyd and Preschool Manager Allison Toledano.
- Anna Loyd — Preschool Director
- Allison Toledano — Preschool Manager
Music & Liturgy
Liturgical music is led by Music Director Michael Abreu and Organist Gregory Case, with a separate Music Ministry (Spanish) directed by Wilfredo Mena. Lay liturgical roles are filled by parish coordinators for Altar Servers (English and Spanish), Lectors (English and Spanish), Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, Sacristans (English and Spanish), and Ushers. The Arts & Environment committee prepares the sanctuary and chapel for the liturgical seasons.
- Michael Abreu — Music Director
- Gregory Case — Organist
- Wilfredo Mena — Spanish Music Ministry
- Altar Servers (English) — Julie & Danny Gonzales
- Altar Servers (Spanish) — Vladimir & Laura Arellano
- Lectors (English) — Janet E. Day
- Lectors (Spanish) — Angelica Guerrero
- Sacristans — Scott Day
- Sacristans (Spanish) — Gerardo Alvarado
- Ushers (English) — Don Mouledoux
Parish Ministries & Organizations
Good Shepherd publishes a directory of more than two dozen lay ministries and organizations spanning liturgical service, faith formation, family life, outreach, and community. Beyond the liturgical ministries listed above, the parish supports parish-sponsored Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts, Knights of Columbus, Council of Catholic Women, Saint Vincent de Paul Society, the Prayer Blanket Ministry, the Respect Life Ministry, Our Lady of Guadalupe Committee, Christ Renews His Parish (Spanish men's and women's tracks), Family Promise, and a Homebound Minister Visitation program.
- Boy Scouts / Cub Scouts — Marc Ferrara
- Christ Renews His Parish (Spanish Men)
- Christ Renews His Parish (Spanish Women)
- Council of Catholic Women — meets 2nd Tuesday, 7 p.m. in the PLC
- Family Promise — Khristina Followell & Cindy Hagen
- Holy Family Counseling
- Homebound Minister Visitation — Carlene Udas
- Knights of Columbus — [email protected]
- Our Lady of Guadalupe Committee
- Prayer Blanket Ministry — Val Post
- Respect Life Ministry — Laura Nix
- Saint Vincent de Paul Society — Kathy Johnson
- Spiritual Direction — Deacon Don Nadeau
Outreach & Charity
Outreach is organized through the Saint Vincent de Paul Society (assistance for parishioners facing financial difficulty), the Family Promise program (Good Shepherd is one of several Forsyth County congregations that hosts up to 4 homeless families four times a year for a week at a time), the Prayer Blanket Ministry (a prayer blanket accompanied by daily prayers for healing, protection or strength), and the Respect Life Ministry, which meets quarterly in collaboration with the Archdiocese of Atlanta and St. Brendan parish.
- Saint Vincent de Paul Society — Kathy Johnson
- Family Promise — host parish for homeless families
- Prayer Blanket Ministry — Val Post
- Respect Life Ministry — Laura Nix (meets quarterly)
Sacraments & Sacramental Emergencies
The parish provides preparation for the Sacraments under the coordination of Sr. Ancilla Abonyo, Sacrament Coordinator. A Sacramental Emergency Line is staffed after hours at 678-294-0212 for urgent situations involving Anointing of the Sick or Last Rites; during business hours callers are directed first to the parish office (770-887-9861).
- Sacrament Coordinator: Sr. Ancilla Abonyo
- Sacramental Emergency Line (after hours): 678-294-0212
- Parish Office: 770-887-9861
Contact & Visit
Good Shepherd Catholic Church is located at 3740 Holtzclaw Road, Cumming, GA 30041, and can be reached at 770-887-9861 during office hours (Monday–Friday, 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.; closed on some Holy Days). The parish website at gsrcc.net hosts parish news, the church calendar, online giving, Mass Live Stream, facilities reservation, and contact forms.
- Address: 3740 Holtzclaw Road, Cumming, GA 30041
- Phone: 770-887-9861
- Sacramental Emergency Line: 678-294-0212
- Office Hours: Mon–Fri, 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
- Website: https://www.gsrcc.net/
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Richardsoncirca 2013–2014
Oversaw the 2013–2014 sanctuary expansion/renovation project