About St. Patrick · Norcross, Georgia
St. Patrick's Catholic Church is a multilingual Catholic parish in Norcross, Georgia, serving the Gwinnett County community as part of the Archdiocese of Atlanta. Founded in 1970, the parish grew out of an earlier mission in an old Methodist church and today offers weekend and weekday Masses in English, Spanish, and Korean, reflecting the cultural diversity of the surrounding Gwinnett County area. With nearly 50 active ministries, a robust faith formation program for grades 1–12, and a strong outreach network including St. Vincent de Paul and a food pantry, the parish is a busy regional hub for Catholics in northeast metro Atlanta. Leadership has been entrusted to the Missionaries of St. Francis de Sales (Fransalians) since 1972.
- Established
- 1970
- Patron
- St. Patrick, patron saint of Ireland
- Rector
- Fr. Pedro Poloche, STL, JCL
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Atlanta (Northeast Metro Deanery, Gwinnett County)
Why belong here
St. Patrick's is one of the most linguistically diverse parishes in the Archdiocese of Atlanta, with regular Mass celebrated in English, Spanish, and Korean every week — a genuine reflection of the international Catholic community of Gwinnett County. The parish supports nearly 50 active ministries, including RCIA/RICA in English and Spanish, Life Teen for high schoolers, a growing K–12 faith formation program, the Christ Renews His Parish retreat, the Knights of Columbus, the St. Vincent de Paul Society, and St. Pat's Pantry, which distributes food every Wednesday evening. Add in a peaceful Nocturnal Adoration on First Fridays, a parish gift shop, and parish festivals honoring Our Lady of Guadalupe and St. Patrick, and the result is a parish with multiple, easy ways for any Catholic — long-time or newcomer — to find a home.
Mass times at St. Patrick
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Friday: 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM
- Saturday: 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM
- Any other time by appointment
- Lenten Penance Service (annually in March)
- Advent Penance Service (annually in December)
Adoration times
- Nocturnal Adoration — First Friday, beginning after the 7:00 PM Friday Mass and continuing through the night until 6:00 AM Saturday
History of the Parish
St. Patrick's grew out of a 1968 mission called Holy Cross that Father Eusebius Beltran started in an old Methodist church in Norcross. In 1970, Archbishop Thomas A. Donnellan elevated the mission to a parish and named it after St. Patrick; Father Dan McCormick became its first pastor and served 40 founding families. The Missionaries of St. Francis de Sales (Fransalians) took over leadership of the parish in 1972 and have shepherded it ever since. The current church building, dedicated in 1981, was built with Appalachian oak, Southern pine, and Alabama fieldstone to express its Southern character, and a statue of St. Patrick stands outside.
- 1968: Holy Cross mission founded by Fr. Eusebius Beltran in an old Methodist church in Norcross
- August 25, 1970: Mission elevated to a parish and named St. Patrick by Archbishop Thomas A. Donnellan; Fr. Dan McCormick named first pastor
- 1972: Missionaries of St. Francis de Sales (Fransalians) assume pastoral leadership
- 1981: New church built and dedicated with Southern regional materials
- 50-year mark (2020): 12,282 baptisms, 1,243 weddings, 5,114 first Communions, 2,270 confirmations
Faith Formation (Grades 1–12)
Faith Formation at St. Patrick's serves students from 1st grade through high school and includes sacramental preparation for First Reconciliation, First Eucharist, and Confirmation. Registrations are accepted in person at the parish office Monday–Friday 9:30 AM–4:30 PM, or on Sundays 9:00 AM–4:00 PM in the Social Hall, beginning the first Sunday of August. A birth certificate is required for all students and a baptismal certificate for those already baptized; the fee structure is tiered by family size.
- Registration period: 1st Sunday of August through September
- Annual re-registration required
- Birth certificate and baptismal certificate required at registration
- Tuition: 1 student $120; 2 students $140; 3 students $160; 4 students $180
- RCIA/RICA fee: $125
- First Reconciliation & First Eucharist: open to students in 2nd grade or above who have completed two prior years of faith formation
- Confirmation: high-school students who have completed at least two years of religious education and participate in Life Teen or Catholic high school
- Director of Religious Education: Sofia Martinez
RCIA & RICA — Christian Initiation
The parish runs the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults in both English (RCIA) and Spanish (RICA) to prepare unbaptized adults, Christians from other traditions, and baptized Catholics who have not yet received Confirmation and Eucharist for full sacramental participation in the Church.
- English RCIA contact: Reyna Monroy / Patricia Arriaga (470-428-6411)
- Spanish RICA contact: Pedro Lopez
- Director of Religious Education contact: Sofia Martinez (770-448-2028 Ext. 117, [email protected])
Youth Ministry — Life Teen
Life Teen is the parish's spiritual, social, and educational program for high-school teens, with topics designed around the family as the central focus. Confirmation candidates are expected to continue in Life Teen during their preparation year.
- Open to high school students
- Family-centered curriculum
- Required for Confirmation preparation year
Adult Faith & Retreats
Adult formation includes 'Bienvenidos' (Christ Renews His Parish), a retreat-based ministry running since 2004 that offers separate weekend retreats for men, women, and teens followed by small-group follow-up meetings. The parish also hosts 'Apostles of the Word,' which has been providing free Bible classes at the parish or at home since 2005.
- Bienvenidos Men — contact: Primitivo Caballos
- Bienvenidos Women — contact: Antonia Perez
- Bienvenidos Teens — contact: Edgar Rosas & Elizabeth de los Santos
- Apostles of the Word Bible classes — contact: Pedro Ulloa
- Annulment Case Sponsors (advisory help)
Outreach & Service Ministries
St. Patrick's operates nearly 50 ministries; its outreach arm includes a parish food pantry, the St. Vincent de Paul Society, a Homebound Communion ministry that brings the Eucharist to those unable to attend Mass, the Knights of Columbus fraternal service organization, the Women's Guild, and a gardening group that cares for the parish grounds. The Gift Shop / La Tiendita sells Bibles, rosaries, medals, and religious items to support parish life.
- St. Pat's Pantry (food pantry): Wednesdays 6:30 PM – 7:30 PM in the Annex building
- St. Vincent de Paul Society: parish conference supporting those in economic difficulty
- Knights of Columbus: fraternal service, charity, and patriotism
- Women's Guild: service, fellowship, and spiritual growth for women
- Homebound Communion: visits and links parishioners to parish life
- Gardening Angels: Saturday grounds care; raises funds through post-Mass popsicle sales
- Money Counters: weekly counting team
- Weekly Bulletin: collects and organizes parish announcements
- Gift Shop / La Tiendita: open Mon, Wed, Fri 6–9 PM; Sat 6–9 PM; Sun 9 AM–9 PM
- Community Service / A.A.: AA meetings in the St. Joseph room on Fridays at 12 noon
Clergy & Parish Staff
The parish is led by a Fransalian pastor with two parochial vicars — including a Korean-speaking priest who serves the parish's Korean Catholic community — and supported by a five-person parish office staff handling records, bookkeeping, religious education assistance, and reception.
- Pastor: Fr. Pedro Poloche, STL, JCL (Ext. 202, [email protected])
- Parochial Vicar: Fr. Hernán Quevedo (Ext. 201, [email protected])
- Parochial Vicar: Fr. Cyril Soo-Gil Chae (Ext. 203, [email protected])
- Office Manager: Sofia Martinez (Ext. 103, [email protected])
- Bookkeeping: Vicky Muñoz (Ext. 104, [email protected])
- Religious Education Assistant: Victoria Lopez (Ext. 102, [email protected])
- Receptionist: Ashley Montañez (Ext. 101, [email protected])
- Records: Raquel Alarcon (Ext. 105, [email protected])
Visiting & Practical Information
The parish office is open Monday–Friday 9:30 AM to 4:30 PM at 2140 Beaver Ruin Road in Norcross. A free myParish smartphone app (text APP to 88202) gives daily access to Mass times, confession times, daily readings, parish calendar, and homilies. The parish fax is 678-615-3224.
- Parish Location: 2140 Beaver Ruin Rd, Norcross, GA 30071
- Office Hours: Monday–Friday 9:30 AM – 4:30 PM
- Phone: (770) 448-2028
- Fax: 678-615-3224
- myParish App: text APP to 88202
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Dan McCormick1970 (first pastor; served from mission elevation onward)
Founding pastor; served approximately 40 families when the mission was elevated to a parish by Archbishop Thomas A. Donnellan on August 25, 1970.