St. Monica

About St. Monica Catholic Church

The Catholic Church of Saint Monica is a Roman Catholic parish in Duluth, Georgia, in the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Atlanta. The parish's stated mission is to 'seek Christ and give witness to him through our worship, formation in the faith, moral life, and prayer,' and to be 'disciples dedicated to on-going conversion, formation in the word, evangelization and missionary work.' More than 2,300 registered families worship here, making St. Monica one of the larger parishes in the archdiocese. Pastor Father Jack Durkin writes that the parish is 'a community of believers and a spiritual family that is supportive and loving,' inviting newcomers to grow spiritually and put faith into action.

History

St. Monica was established in 1994 as a mission of St. Benedict Church in what is now Johns Creek. Within four years explosive growth led Archbishop John Francis Donoghue to elevate the mission to parish status on February 1, 1998. While the church was being built on Buford Highway, the community celebrated Sunday Mass at a nearby high school. The completed sanctuary was dedicated on February 19, 2000. Membership roughly doubled to 2,400 families by 2002, prompting a successful expansion effort in 2013–14 that added St. Augustine Hall and the Mary, Mother of the Eucharist Adoration Chapel, and a $3 million sanctuary renovation in 2021–22 designed by liturgical architect James McCrery.

• 1994 — Established as a mission of St. Benedict Church, Johns Creek.
• February 1, 1998 — Elevated to a parish by Archbishop John Francis Donoghue.
• 1999–2000 — Current church built on Buford Highway; first Mass in new sanctuary February 19, 2000.
• 2002 — Membership doubled to ~2,400 families.
• May 2013–January 2014 — Construction of St. Augustine Hall and Mary, Mother of the Eucharist Adoration Chapel; volunteers finished interiors.
• 2019 — Three-year capital campaign launched.
• March 2021–early 2022 — $3 million sanctuary renovation by architect James McCrery and Catholic Construction Services.

Pastoral Leadership & Staff

St. Monica has had two pastors in its history. Father Gregory Goolsby was the founding pastor from 1998 until May 2006, when he was reassigned to St. Thomas Aquinas Church in Alpharetta. He was succeeded by Father John Francis (Jack) Durkin Jr., who came from a chaplaincy at St. Pius X High School in Atlanta and has led the parish through both major building campaigns. Father Brian Baker currently serves as Parochial Vicar. The parish also maintains a Director of Christian Initiation (Patrick Klein) and a Director of Finance, plus a full Faith Formation team.

• Rev. John Francis (Jack) Durkin Jr. — Pastor (since 2006)
• Rev. Brian Baker — Parochial Vicar
• Patrick Klein — Director of Christian Initiation / RCIA
• Johnny Ede — Director of Elementary & Middle School Faith Formation
• Kevin Conner — Director of High School Youth Ministry & Confirmation Preparation
• Cyndy Furgiuele — First Holy Communion / Family ministry
• Lisa Lyons — Staff support

Faith Formation & Religious Education

Under the direction of Father Durkin, the parish has adopted the Baltimore Catechism as the common curriculum across all ages. The Faith Formation program is organized to assist parents as 'primary educators,' treating each family as a 'domestic church.' Elementary Faith Formation (K–5) is offered on Sundays (9:20–10:35 AM) and Wednesdays (6:30–8:00 PM), with a Home Study option following the same calendar and lessons. Middle School 'Ablaze,' High School Youth Ministry, and Confirmation Preparation round out the formation pathway, alongside First Reconciliation and First Holy Communion preparation. Registration is $110.

• Elementary Faith Formation (K–5) — Sunday or Wednesday sessions, plus Home Study
• Middle School 'Ablaze'
• High School Youth Ministry & Confirmation Prep
• First Reconciliation & First Holy Communion
• Curriculum: Baltimore Catechism
• Director of Elementary & Middle School Faith Formation: Johnny Ede (ext. 116)
• Director of High School Youth Ministry & Confirmation: Kevin Conner
• First Holy Communion: Cyndy Furgiuele

Becoming Catholic — RCIA / OCIA

St. Monica runs the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (also referred to as OCIA, the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults) as a year-round, communal formation process for adults and children who want to learn about or enter the Catholic Church. Director Patrick Klein describes the inquiry classes as a return to the formation of the earliest Christians in the first and second centuries, covering topics such as the existence of God, human dignity, sin, salvation, prayer, sacramental grace, and life after death. Classes are free and registration forms are posted on the parish website for adults as well as children and teens.

• Director: Patrick Klein (678-584-9947 ext. 112, [email protected])
• Separate tracks for adults and children/teens
• Free of charge
• Covers creed, sacraments, morality, and prayer

Worship, Liturgy & Music

St. Monica's worship life combines the Ordinary Form of the Roman Rite (Novus Ordo) with a regular Extraordinary Form (Traditional Latin Mass) Sunday. A scheduled calendar of Traditional Latin High Masses (Missa Cantata) is published on the parish website, with solemnities such as the Vigil of the Assumption (August 14, 6:30 PM) and All Souls (November 2, 6:30 PM) celebrated in the Extraordinary Form alongside the usual Sunday 8:00 AM Latin Mass. Father Tran of the parish provides resources explaining the Traditional Latin Mass. The 2021–22 renovation updated liturgical furniture, sound and lighting in the main sanctuary.

• Sunday Latin Mass at 8:00 AM
• Scheduled Missa Cantata (Traditional Latin High Mass) on holy days and select Sundays
• Renovated sanctuary with new liturgical furniture, sound, and lighting

Parish Life, Outreach & Community

Beyond the sanctuary and classrooms, St. Monica supports an active parish life. The St. Monica Men's Club hosts an annual golf tournament; family-events programming bridges public, private and home-school families; and the parish regularly welcomes the wider community for wedding receptions, funeral dinners and teen gatherings in St. Augustine Hall. The 2013–14 building project was famously energized by Father Durkin's call for parishioners to pray the Angelus at noon each day, a tradition that helped launch the capital campaign and inspired many of the volunteer hours that finished the hall and adoration chapel.

• St. Monica Men's Club — annual golf tournament (contact Cliff Robbins, [email protected] / 770-862-7472)
• St. Augustine Hall — 13,000 sq ft for adult education, overflow Mass seating, wedding receptions, funeral dinners, teen events
• Mary, Mother of the Eucharist Adoration Chapel — perpetual adoration
• Annual parish events and family gatherings

Visiting & Contact

St. Monica Catholic Church is located at 1700 Buford Highway, Duluth, Georgia 30097. The parish office can be reached at 678-584-9947, with Sacramental Emergencies / Danger of Death directed to a separate 24-hour line at 770-904-9141. Father Durkin's extension is 111 and Father Baker's is 128. Online giving is available through the parish website, and the parish publishes a regular bulletin and online calendar to keep parishioners informed about Mass times, Faith Formation registration, and special events such as the Independence Day and other holy-day schedules.

• Parish office: 678-584-9947
• Sacramental emergency: 770-904-9141
• Pastor ext. 111; Parochial Vicar ext. 128
• Online giving via saintmonicas.com
• Address: 1700 Buford Hwy., Duluth, GA 30097