Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church (Atlanta) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church |
|
|---|---|
Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church (2020)
|
|
 Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church
Location in Atlanta
Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church
Location in Georgia (U.S. state)
Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church
Location in the United States
|
|
| 33°45′17″N 84°22′19″W / 33.75472°N 84.37194°W | |
| Location | Atlanta, Georgia, United States |
| Denomination | Catholic Church |
| History | |
| Founded | November 1912 |
| Founder(s) | Ignatius Lissner |
| Dedication | Our Lady of Lourdes |
| Administration | |
| Archdiocese | Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Atlanta |
| Province | Ecclesiastical Province of Atlanta |
Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church is a special Catholic Church found in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. It's in a neighborhood called Sweet Auburn. This church started as a "mission" in 1912. A mission is like a special project to help people. Today, it is an important part of the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park.
A Look at Its History
How the Church Began
Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church was started in November 1912. A man named Ignatius Lissner helped create it. He was part of a group called the Society of African Missions. A woman named Katharine Drexel gave money to help build it. She also started the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament.
The church was built in Sweet Auburn. This was an African American neighborhood in Atlanta. The church worked well with other Christian churches nearby. This friendly cooperation is called ecumenism.
Church and School
The church was first known as Our Lady of Lourdes Colored Mission. It was built as a three-story building. This building had both a church and a school inside. Ignatius Lissner became the first priest there.
At that time, it was only the second Catholic mission in Georgia for African Americans. It was the very first one in Atlanta.
A Place for Change
The church is on the same block where Martin Luther King Jr. was born. When he was a child, he often played on the church grounds.
Later, during the civil rights movement, many church members spoke out. They protested to gain more civil rights for everyone. The school at the church stayed open for a long time. It closed in 2001 because it did not have enough money. This money usually came from the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Atlanta.
See also
- List of Roman Catholic churches in the Archdiocese of Atlanta
