Archdiocese of Atlanta holds Catholic Chancery grand opening

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Atlanta made its move to Cobb County official Wednesday at a ribbon-cutting ceremony at its new chancery at 2401 Lake Park Drive Southeast in Smyrna.

A few hundred people turned out to watch The Most Reverend Wilton D. Gregory, Archbishop of Atlanta, cut the ribbon with Smyrna Mayor Max Bacon at his side.

“I think that’s great,” Bacon said. “There are a lot of people that work here and we hope they’ll be here for many years to come. I think they bring somewhat of a hidden quality to the neighborhood. The city may not financially benefit, but the surrounding areas will, the shops and the restaurants. We’re delighted to have them. They’ll bring more to our community than we’ll ever know—good folks.”

The Archdiocese, which now serves almost 1 million north Georgia Catholics, has outgrown many offices since it was formed almost 50 years ago in 1962. Most recently its main office was 680 Peachtree Street in Atlanta with several satellite offices throughout metro Atlanta.

“It has been my great hope and desire to bring everybody together in one central facility and that’s what this represents,” Gregory said.

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Atlanta purchased the property on Lake Park Drive for $3.3 million in 2009 and invested about $5.9 million renovating the complex.

The new 96,000-square-foot-facility will house all offices of the archdiocese under one roof. Most of the archdiocese’s employees moved into the facility in April. Catholic Charities will remain at the Peachtree office until it is sold.

The ribbon-cutting ceremony was followed by a reception, tours of the facility and an exhibition of photographs of the north and middle Georgia Catholic communities by Michael Alexander of The Georgia Bulletin.