St. Vincent de Paul Roman Catholic Church sits along West Memorial Drive in Dallas, Georgia, at the heart of Paulding County, where it serves more than 852 registered and active families from Dallas, Hiram, and the surrounding towns west of Atlanta. The parish belongs to the Archdiocese of Atlanta and describes itself as a prayerful and welcoming community growing in spirituality, striving to embody and proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and committed to embracing the needs of all people. Sunday Mass is celebrated in English at 9:00 a.m. and 12:00 noon, and in Spanish at 3:00 p.m., with a vigil Mass on Saturday evening at 4:00 p.m. and a full schedule of weekday Masses, confession, formation programs, and outreach through the on-site St. Vincent de Paul Society.
From Martin's Funeral Home to 852 Families: The Parish Story
The community began in the summer of 1981, when Monsignor Jerry Hardy, Chancellor of the Archdiocese of Atlanta, asked how many Catholic families in the Dallas and Hiram area were interested in having Mass celebrated in Paulding County. The Paulding Neighbor newspaper reported the call on August 6, 1981, and ten families were needed for the Mission to take shape. On Saturday, November 7, 1981, the first Mass was offered at Martin's Funeral Home, now known as Jeff Eberhart Funeral Home, with Father Vincent Mulvin of St. Bernadette's Church in Cedartown presiding. About thirty people attended that evening, and the next week the number had doubled.
The Mission grew under Father Mulvin's care until his sudden death on March 20, 1983, at the age of 39. In his honor the Mission adopted the name St. Vincent de Paul. Father Patrick Bishop followed him, and during his serious illness the care of the Mission was transferred to St. Catherine of Siena Church in Kennesaw. Father Luzerne Schunupp then tended the community until 1987, when the Conventual Franciscan Friars arrived. Father Eugene Kwapisz, OFM Conv., was the first Franciscan assigned, but he died suddenly on January 27, 1988, only seven months into his service. Father David Stachurski, OFM Conv., then assumed pastoral responsibilities, assisted by Father Albert Scherer.
The community's early years were a kind of desert wandering, as Father David described them. Worship was held at St. Stephen's Orthodox Church in Hiram for two and a half years, and from April 5, 1992 until September 5, 1993 the Mission met in an old gymnasium in Dallas. A parishioner then learned that the Assembly of God Church in Dallas was interested in selling its building. The Mission purchased it, and on September 12, 1993 Father David celebrated the first Mass in the new home. Within a year the community had doubled to 165 families, and in 1994 and 1995 several renovations were made to give the building a clearer Catholic identity.
In the fall of 2001 the care of the Mission returned to St. Catherine of Siena under its pastor, Father James Harrison. In July 2002 a rectory was purchased and Father Adrian Pleus was assigned as administrator, and by that fall membership had grown twenty-five percent from the previous year to more than 500 families. Father Adrian then approached Archbishop John Francis Donoghue with a request to elevate the Mission to parish status, and on January 4, 2003, the Mission officially became a parish, with Father Adrian named as pastor. Construction of additional classrooms, a social hall, and a new kitchen began in 2009, and the Our Lady of Guadalupe Religious Education Center was completed in 2010. Today the parish counts more than 852 registered and active families.
The Weekly Rhythm of Mass and Confession
The parish gathers for Holy Mass five days a week. Sunday Masses are celebrated at 9:00 a.m., 12:00 noon, and 3:00 p.m., with the 9:00 a.m. Mass livestreamed on the parish's streaming page. A vigil Mass is offered on Saturday at 4:00 p.m. Weekday Masses are celebrated at 12 noon on Monday and Tuesday and at 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday. For Holy Days of Obligation and holidays the parish asks visitors to consult the parish calendar or call the parish office at 770-443-0566 to confirm the schedule.
The Sacrament of Reconciliation is heard on Wednesday from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. and on Saturday from 1:30 to 3:00 p.m. During Advent and Lent, additional confessors are available immediately following the 12 noon Mass. Anyone who cannot make those times may call the parish office to arrange confession at another time. The parish teaches that the Church recommends regular confession of even venial sins, and that a monthly confession is a healthy spiritual practice.
Spanish-Language Worship and Hispanic Ministry
Spanish-speaking Catholics are served by the 3:00 p.m. Sunday Mass, called Santa Misa en Español, which is described on the schedule as the Vigil Mass for Sunday. The parish also hosts a Spanish Charismatic Prayer Group that meets in the nave of the church every Friday at 7:30 p.m. Several forms and sacramental guidelines are available in Spanish, including the parish registration form, the baptism registration form, and the Confirmation guidelines.
Inclement Weather
The parish follows the lead of the Paulding County School System in severe weather. When Paulding County Schools are closed, the parish office is also closed, weekday Mass is not celebrated at St. Vincent de Paul, and all parish activities are canceled. Weekend Masses, including Saturday vigil Masses and Religious Education classes, typically take place as usual. If the weather forces a change, the parish posts a notice on the home page and updates the inclement weather option on the church phone system.
The Seven Sacraments
Baptism
Baptism is described on the parish website as the basis of the whole Christian life, the gateway to life in the Spirit, and the door that gives access to the other sacraments. Parents of children seven years of age or younger who wish to have a child baptized should be registered members of the parish and should contact the Secretary for Religious Education at least three months before the desired date. Children eight and older are asked to attend one year of Religious Education classes before celebrating the sacrament. Adults preparing for Baptism enroll in the parish's OCIA process, described below.
First Eucharist and First Reconciliation
Children typically receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation for the first time in second grade, while they are in preparation for First Holy Communion. The parish requires two consecutive years of formation in a Catholic school, qualifying home school, or the Parish School of Religion before reception of First Holy Communion. A copy of the Baptismal certificate must be on file before First Communion is celebrated. Children who are in high school and have not yet received First Communion may contact the Religious Education office for an individualized sacramental plan.
Confirmation
According to the norms of the Archdiocese of Atlanta, youth must be in the tenth grade or older to be considered for the Sacrament of Confirmation. Candidates are asked to complete a minimum of two full consecutive years of foundational religious education, ordinarily in ninth and tenth grade, and to participate in a parish-led Confirmation formation program that may include retreats, on-site classes, service hours, or other models chosen by the pastor. They must be registered members of the parish, provide Baptismal and First Communion certificates, maintain a 90% attendance rate in their religious education program, be active in Sunday and Holy Day Mass, and be in a state of grace. Adults who have not yet received the Sacraments of Christian Initiation are invited to speak with the pastor about the Order of Christian Initiation for Adults.
Marriage
The parish teaches that marriage is sacred and a gift from God, blessed as a symbol of God's love on earth. Couples are asked to allow six months of preparation before the wedding and to contact the Secretary for Religious Education for more information. Pre-Cana workshops are offered through the Archdiocese of Atlanta.
Anointing of the Sick
The Anointing of the Sick is available to any parishioner who begins to be in danger of death from sickness or old age. The celebration normally includes the priest's laying on of hands in silence, prayer over the sick, and anointing with oil blessed by the bishop. In a Sacramental Emergency, when there is concern that a Catholic may soon pass from this life to the next, parishioners are asked to call the parish office at 770-443-0566 and, if the office is closed, to choose option 2 on the phone system to reach a Roman Catholic priest for Anointing, including Last Rites.
Holy Orders and Consecrated Life
Discerning a vocation is described on the parish website as a normal part of the Christian life, and the parish recommends speaking with the pastor and contacting the Archdiocese of Atlanta's Office of Vocations at calledbychrist.com for resources on priesthood, the permanent diaconate, consecrated life, or marriage. Visitors who feel called to priesthood or the permanent diaconate are invited to speak with Father Adrian Pleus.
K-12 Religious Education and Youth Ministry
The Religious Education Program at St. Vincent de Paul is open to all children in grades 1 through 12, with early instruction offered in Pre-K and Kindergarten when possible. The parish's mission is to assist families in understanding both what Catholics believe and how to live those beliefs out. Students are encouraged to begin formal religion classes no later than first grade, and the program meets once a week on Sundays, with the calendar published each spring. Registration opens in May, classes usually begin in August, and an Early Bird discount is available for accounts paid in full by August 1.
Children preparing for First Reconciliation, First Holy Communion, or Confirmation follow two consecutive years of formation before reception of each sacrament, and the parish maintains a 90% attendance expectation for full credit for the year. Students enrolled in a Catholic school are not required to attend Religious Education but are welcome, and those wishing to celebrate the sacraments with their RE classmates may be asked to take part in retreats or other non-classroom activities.
Adults and older students are also invited to volunteer as catechists, assistants, or substitutes. Catechist certification is encouraged and the parish offers the online Echoes of Faith program along with the annual Archdiocesan conference. All volunteers who work with children, youth, or vulnerable individuals must satisfy the Archdiocese's Safe Environment compliance requirements, including a background screening and a three-hour VIRTUS Protecting God's Children training session.
ThreeSixTeens and Elementary Activities
Teens in grades 7 through 12 are invited to the ThreeSixTeens Youth Activity Night, which meets on the second and fourth Wednesdays of each month. The evening begins with Holy Mass at 6:15 p.m., followed by fellowship and prayer, and when there is no Wednesday evening Mass, as in Advent and Lent, the group meets from 7 to 8:30 p.m. in the Our Lady of Guadalupe Religious Education Center. Snacks are provided, and the group occasionally gathers off campus for hiking, bowling, or other outings.
Elementary Activities Afternoons are held once a month on Sundays after the 12 noon Mass, from 1 to 3 p.m. Children in grades 1 through 6 gather for games, crafts, and snacks. Pre-registration is required.
Adult Faith Formation and OCIA
Adult Faith Enrichment classes are often offered immediately after the 9:00 a.m. Sunday Mass. Topics rotate through Church History, Eucharistic Miracles, Hagiography, Morality, Our Jewish Roots, and other catechist-led subjects. Each session is designed to stand alone, and the classes are free and require no registration. Other classes are offered periodically throughout the year, often as book studies such as 33 Days to Morning Glory or Consoling the Heart of Jesus, which may require purchase of materials.
Parishioners are also encouraged to register for a free FORMED account at formed.org/signup, using the parish name St. Vincent de Paul, the parish code JYZVWC, or the parish zip code 30132, for access to Catholic movies, audio, and books online.
Becoming Catholic: Order of Christian Initiation of Adults
OCIA is the parish's process for anyone considering becoming Catholic, whether they have little background in Christianity, come from another Protestant tradition, or are already baptized Catholics seeking to complete their Sacraments of Initiation. The process moves through the Period of Evangelization and Precatechumenate, the Rite of Acceptance into the Order of Catechumens, the Catechumenate, the Rite of Election, and finally full reception at the Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday. Catechumens are typically baptized, confirmed, and receive First Holy Communion at that Mass. Inquirers may contact the parish office or complete an OCIA Inquiry Form.
Parish Ministries
The parish office keeps an extensive list of ministries that touch almost every part of parish life. Liturgical ministries include Altar Servers, Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, Lectors, the Music Ministry, the Set-up Ministry, Ushers, and Ministry Scheduling. Education ministries are led by the Director of Religious Education, the Youth Minister, and the OCIA team. Other areas of parish life include the Our Lady of Mount Carmel Library, the Ave Maria Gifts and Sacramentals gift shop, the Altar Art and Flowers Guild, the Charismatic Prayer Group, the Finance Council, the Home Enthronements ministry, the Home School Support group, the Hospitality and Welcoming Committee, the Knights of Columbus, the Lawn Maintenance team, the Marian Movement of Priests Prayer Cenacle, the Ministry to the Homebound, Natural Family Planning, the Prayer Line, the Pro-Life and Respect Life Committee, the Women's Altar Rosary Guild, and the Youth Group.
Music Ministries
The Music Ministry invites anyone interested in joining the choir to contact the Director of Music. The 9:00 a.m. Sunday contemporary group rehearses on Wednesday evenings at 7:30 p.m., and the parish relies on a mix of traditional and contemporary music across its weekend liturgies.
Knights of Columbus
The Fr. Vincent M. Mulvin Council #12287 of the Knights of Columbus operates from the parish, meeting on the second Monday of each month at 6:30 p.m. to pray the rosary followed by a member meeting. Founded on the principles of Charity, Unity, Fraternity, and Patriotism, the Knights sponsor charitable projects in the parish and wider community and take part in fundraisers such as Coats for Kids, support of after-pregnancy programs, and an ongoing food drive for the St. Vincent de Paul Society food bank.
Women's Altar Rosary Guild
The Women's Altar Rosary Guild is open to all ladies of the parish, with a primary mission of fostering the spiritual welfare of its members, assisting with the needs of the parish, and encouraging goodwill and friendship. The Guild meets on the third Monday of the month at 6:30 p.m. during the school year.
Marian Movement of Priests Prayer Cenacle
The Marian Movement of Priests Prayer Cenacle gathers in the church nave every Tuesday immediately after the 12 noon Mass, or at 1:00 p.m. if Mass has been cancelled. The Cenacle prays with the Blessed Mother in preparation for the Triumph of her Immaculate Heart and on the first Saturday of each month gathers in the church at 1:00 p.m. for the First Saturday Devotion.
The Sanctuary: Icons, Relics, and the Prayer Garden
The Nine Icons of the Saints
The sanctuary of St. Vincent de Paul contains nine icons painted and donated by Paul Wagener (1918 to 2020), a deceased member of the parish. Wagener, born in Chicago, studied philosophy at Loyola University and art at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and later served as Art Director for World Book Encyclopedia, where his drawings appear under every President of the United States. He spent his final years doing liturgical art, and the parish expresses its gratitude for his generosity.
From left to right, the icons depict St. Francis of Assisi, St. Vincent de Paul, St. Martin de Porres, St. John the Baptist, the Risen Christ, St. Clare of Assisi, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, St. Gregory the Great, and St. Frances Xavier Cabrini. The saints were chosen to represent various aspects of the Christian experience: St. Francis, founder of the Order of Friars who once staffed the parish Mission, was chosen for his faithfulness to the Gospel. St. Vincent de Paul, the parish's patron, founded the Vincentians and the Sisters of Charity and worked to ransom more than 1,200 galley slaves from North Africa. St. Martin de Porres, the Dominican lay brother of Lima, is honored for his humility and his work with the poor and sick. St. John the Baptist represents all prophets, the forerunner whose leaping in the womb at Mary's Visitation is recorded in the Gospel of Luke. St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, the first native-born American saint, founded the Sisters of Charity in the United States and is the patron of Catholic schools. St. Gregory the Great, Pope from 590 to 604, is credited with Gregorian Chant and with sending St. Augustine of Canterbury to evangelize England. St. Clare of Assisi, foundress of the Poor Ladies of San Damiano, is shown holding a monstrance with the Blessed Sacrament after her prayer routed an invading army. St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, the first American citizen to be canonized, became the patroness of immigrants after founding sixty-seven missions across the United States and thirteen other countries.
The Relics of Three Saints
The parish venerates three first-class relics. St. Frances Xavier Cabrini is honored through a third-class relic, the desk that stood in her room at Sacred Heart Villa around 1914, donated to St. Vincent de Paul on December 8, 2011 by parishioner Clare Gentile, who had purchased the desk from the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart in 1967. The parish also venerates Blessed Francis Seelos and St. Gerard Majella.
St. Mary's Prayer Garden
St. Mary's Prayer Garden, dedicated in 2010, lies to the left of the Our Lady of Guadalupe Religious Education Center. An ambling paved path is lined with the fourteen Stations of the Cross, and the garden features a statue of Jesus enduring his Agony in the Garden and a statue of the Holy Family. Parishioners may purchase memorial bricks in honor of loved ones that are laid in-ground at the start of the path, and a memorial to the unborn was donated by the Knights of Columbus. In early December the garden is transformed into the Journey to Bethlehem, where visitors can walk torch-lit paths to the stable as the parish hosts a live nativity.
St. Vincent de Paul Society: Family Support Center, Food Pantry, and Thrift Store
The St. Vincent de Paul Society and Thrift Store are located at 651 West Memorial Drive in Dallas, next door to the parish's main campus. The Society's Family Support Center, reachable at 770-443-1533, provides outreach to neighbors in need, helping with food, utility bills, prescriptions, and home visits. Applications for assistance are accepted by appointment only, and appointments can be made by calling the Support Center on Monday between 9:00 a.m. and 12 noon. If no one answers, the caller may leave a name and number on the voicemail and a caseworker will return the call as soon as possible.
The food pantry provides food to hundreds of people each year. The Society keeps a list of needed non-perishable items, including cereal, soups, canned food, paper goods, peanut butter and jelly, SpaghettiOs, rice, ramen noodles, instant potatoes, saltines, chili, tuna, and salmon. Freezers and refrigerators installed in the pantry allow the Society to accept cheese, eggs, milk, and meats such as hot dogs, ground beef, and sausage, which must be donated in person so they can be immediately refrigerated or frozen. Non-perishable donations can be brought to the Society office on Mondays between 9:00 and 10:00 a.m., or placed in the bins beneath the information table in the narthex of the church.
The Thrift Store offers clothing, shoes, furniture, housewares, and mattresses at low cost, and it is open Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The store can be reached at 678-388-0855. Gently used donations are accepted at the dock behind the store during store hours; the parish asks donors not to leave items outside of business hours because of theft concerns. The Society is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, accepts matching gifts from area employers, and can pick up donated cars and trucks anywhere in metro Atlanta through the Georgia Conference, which has a licensed used-car dealer on staff.
Pro-Life and Respect Life
The parish's Pro-Life and Respect Life Committee works for the protection of the unborn, mothers contemplating abortion, abused and neglected children, and an end to euthanasia, promoting awareness of pro-life issues throughout the parish and wider community.
Safe Environment
St. Vincent de Paul follows the Safe Environment program of the Archdiocese of Atlanta for all clergy, employees, and volunteers who work with children, youth, or vulnerable individuals. The Archdiocese's 24-hour Abuse Reporting Hotline is 1-888-437-0764, and reports of child abuse and neglect may also be made to the Georgia Division of Family and Children Services at 1-855-GA-CHILD, available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Compliance requires a background screening through the Archdiocese and attendance at a live three-hour VIRTUS Protecting God's Children training session. Children in parish Religious Education classes participate in the Empowering God's Children safe-environment curriculum.
Office and Staff
The parish office is open Monday through Thursday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and is closed on Friday. Father Adrian's scheduled day off is Thursday; parishioners are asked to refrain from calling his cell phone or using the emergency contact option on the phone system unless a Sacramental Emergency requires the presence of a Roman Catholic priest for Anointing of the Sick. The parish staff includes Debbie Chisholm as Business Manager, Lucy Nicholson as Receptionist and Administrative Assistant, Nancy Chisholm and Mary Ware as Co-Directors of Religious Education, and Kelly Von De Bur as Secretary for the Religious Education Department. The Clergy listing includes Father Adrian Pleus as Pastor, Father Omar Loggiodice as Priest in Residence, Deacons Jose Perez and James (Jimmy) Williams, and Senior Deacon Jim McDermott (Retired). The parish also remembers the late Deacon Steve Bek, who was ordained to the Permanent Diaconate on February 8, 2003, and who served until his death in 2017.
Stewardship and Giving
The parish teaches the classic stewardship vision of the United States Catholic Bishops, calling Christian stewards to recognize God as the origin of life and the giver of all gifts, and to share their time, talent, and treasure in justice and love. Donations to St. Vincent de Paul can be made through bank bill pay, by mail, in the collection boxes in the narthex and Simpson Hall, or through online giving at myowngiving.com. Memorial and honor gifts, special collections, and contributions to the Religious Education Building Fund, which is raising funds for a new Our Lady of Guadalupe Hall, are also part of the parish's giving life.
Common Prayers and Devotions
The parish publishes a set of common Catholic prayers on its site, including the Sign of the Cross, the Gloria, the Our Father, the Hail Mary, the Act of Contrition, the Prayer After Communion, the Apostles' Creed, the Hail Holy Queen, the Fatima Prayer, the St. Michael Prayer, a Healing Prayer to St. Gerard, the prayer Ordering a Life Wisely, and the meditation Answered Prayer. Spanish translations accompany several of the prayers, including the Apostles' Creed, the Hail Mary, the Act of Contrition, the Our Father, the Hail Holy Queen, the Fatima Prayer, the Prayer After Communion, the Gloria, and the Sign of the Cross.
A Door on West Memorial Drive
St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church remains a parish shaped by the steady work of its founders, beginning with the small group of families who answered Monsignor Hardy's call in 1981 and the friars and pastors who guided them through rented funeral homes, borrowed Orthodox churches, and an old gymnasium before they purchased their present home. The building on West Memorial Drive now houses daily and Sunday Mass in two languages, the full sacramental program, K-12 religious education, adult formation, the OCIA process, the Sanctuary with Paul Wagener's nine icons, the relics of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, Blessed Francis Seelos, and St. Gerard Majella, and St. Mary's Prayer Garden with its Stations of the Cross. Next door, the St. Vincent de Paul Society food pantry, family support center, and thrift store carry the corporal works of mercy into the homes and tables of Paulding County. Sunday services continue to anchor the week, the sanctuary icons watch over the altar, and the food pantry's freezers and shelves are restocked each Monday by neighbors helping neighbors.