Newcomers

Join us for Holy Mass! We warmly welcome all newcomers, whether you are familiar with the Traditional Rite or not. St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church is an apostolate of the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter and the only parish in the Archdiocese of Atlanta dedicated to the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite. With the permission of the Archbishop of Atlanta and in accordance with the wishes of recent Popes—St. John Paul II, Benedict XVI, and Francis—we offer the Traditional Latin Mass daily, following the Missale Romanum of Pope St. John XXIII, as well as the other sacraments according to the liturgical books in use in 1962. On this website, you will find information about the sacramental life of the parish, as well as details about the various parish groups and activities that help nurture the faith of our parishioners.

The Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter (FSSP)

The Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter (FSSP) is a clerical Society of Apostolic Life of Pontifical Right, that is, a community of priests who do not take religious vows, but who work together for a common mission in the Catholic Church, under the authority of the Holy See. We were canonically erected by Pope St. John Paul II in 1988. As stated in our Constitutions: 

The objective of the Fraternity of Saint Peter is the sanctification of priests through the exercise of the priesthood, and in particular, to orient and direct the life of the priest toward that which is essentially his raison d’être, the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, with all that it signifies, all that flows from it, all that is complementary to it. 

At the center of this charism is our faithful celebration of the traditional Mass and Sacraments (Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite). The members of the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter, nourished through the spiritual riches of the Church’s ancient Roman Liturgy, strive to accomplish our mission in a twofold manner; first, through the formation of priests in our two international seminaries, and second, by the care of souls and pastoral activities in the service of the Church. 

The Fraternity has chosen St. Peter as their special patron in order to express their gratitude, filial love, and loyalty to the Supreme Pontiff. With more than 300 priests and 150 seminarians from 30 countries, the Fraternity serves in over 130 dioceses on 5 continents. International headquarters are located in Fribourg, Switzerland and North American headquarters in the Diocese of Scranton, Pennsylvania. To learn more about the Fraternity of St. Peter visit www.fsspatl.com

The Traditional Latin Mass 

"Mass of the Ages" 

"Extraordinary Form"

As you step through the doors of the nave, you will immediately feel the serene atmosphere created by a respectful “Sacred Silence” that envelops you. This tranquil environment is not a sign of unfriendliness; rather, it represents a deep reverence for the House of God and for the sacred presence of Christ in the Tabernacle. Our Masses are celebrated in the timeless language of Latin, adding a rich and historical context to the worship experience, while the epistle, gospel, and sermon on Sundays are provided in English to ensure understanding and connection. For your convenience, Daily Missals are readily available as you enter the church, and they can also be purchased at our welcoming Bookstore, which is full of spiritual resources. Additionally, we offer a cozy cry room located just off the vestibule, designed to ensure that families with young children can participate comfortably in the service. After the 8:00 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. Masses on Sundays, we warmly invite you to join us in the inviting Social Hall for a cup of coffee and a chance to engage in meaningful conversations with fellow parishioners. If you are new to our vibrant community, we encourage you to register by filling out our easy online form or by completing a paper registration and submitting it to the parish office. We look forward to welcoming you into our family!

In the Extraordinary Form, there are two primary types of Masses celebrated: the spoken or “Low” Mass, and the “Sung” Mass (sometimes referred to as High Mass).

  Low Mass is celebrated by a priest assisted by one or more altar boys. The prayers are spoken (in Latin), and much of the Mass of the Faithful (after the offertory) is almost inaudible, in imitation of the ancient Jewish liturgies given by God to Moses, and emphasizing the fact that we are faced with a profound mystery.
During Low Mass, only the altar servers respond to the priest. The priest alone says the Pater Noster prayer (Our Father), and only he assumes the Orans prayer position (hands extended and held shoulder-width apart).
  Sung Mass is normally celebrated once a week, at 10:30 A.M. on Sundays, as well as Holy Days of Obligation and other special feasts throughout the year. Sung Mass includes the Asperges before Mass, in which the priest sprinkles the congregation with Holy Water as part of the opening liturgical ceremony. Sung Mass is so called because many of the prayers of the Mass are sung by the priest, choir, or schola. Sung Mass also usually employs the use of incense. At Sung Mass, the faithful chant the Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus and Agnus Dei with the Schola (choir). The congregation also responds to the Priest in chant during multiple points during the Mass.

   Solemn Mass (also known as a Solemn High Mass), a type of Sung mass, is the full ceremonial form of the Tridentine Mass, celebrated by a priest with a deacon and a subdeacon, requiring most of the parts of the Mass to be sung, and the use of incense. The parts assigned to the deacon and subdeacon are often done by priests in vestments proper to those roles.

Attire

Coming to Mass modestly and appropriately dressed is a concrete way to honor the dignity of God’s house, where Our Lord dwells in the tabernacle. 
Women should dress in modest clothing, preferably in a knee-length dress or skirt. Tight-fitting or revealing clothing, including miniskirts, sleeveless and low-cut tops, is not considered appropriate church attire. The apostolic tradition of covering the head in church is encouraged for women, but not required. Chapel veils or mantillas are available for purchase in our bookstore.
Men, whenever possible and especially at Sunday Mass, should wear a collared shirt and long, non-denim pants, preferably with a jacket and tie. T-shirts, shirts with distracting logos or lettering, shorts, and flip-flops are not appropriate. However, if work or travel necessitates clothing not in conformity to the aforementioned standards (e.g. blue jeans), this need not deter you from attending Mass during the week.

Guidelines for Reception

of Holy Communion
Baptized Catholics in a state of grace, and who are observing the Eucharistic fast are invited to come forward for Holy Communion. By a ‘state of grace’ is meant those who are not conscious of any grave sin which has yet to be absolved by sacramental Confession. Proper observation of the Eucharistic fast is no food or drink (other than water) one hour prior to the reception of Holy Communion, although some may prefer to observe the older discipline of 3 hours or from midnight.

Holy Communion at St Francis de Sales is received exclusively kneeling at the communion rail and on the tongue. There is no need to say "Amen" after receiving, the priest will say it for you. Walk back reverently to your pew and commune with the God Whom you have just received and Who is now present in you Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity.

Guidelines for Sacrament

of Confession

Confession, as with all the other sacraments at SFdS, is administered in Latin; and the priest sits behind a screen while the penitent kneels. 

The steps to Confession are:

After entering the confessional, kneel down facing the screen with the priest on the opposite side.

Make the sign of the cross. (The priest will do the same in Latin: In nomine Patri…et Spiritus Sancti.)

Say the following: “Bless me, Father, for I have sinned; it has been [however long] since my last confession.”

Confess your sins to the priest (Mortal sins must be confessed in kind and number)

Conclude by saying, “ I am sorry for these sins and for all the sins of my past life.”

The priest will give advice (if necessary) and assign a penance to be performed after leaving.

Recite the Act of Contrition. (During this time, the Priest will be reciting quietly in Latin.)

Finally, the Priest will give you absolution (in Latin) and dismiss you.


If at any time you have a question or find yourself stuck, the priest will kindly help you along.

The history of St. Francis de Sales Parish

In late 1994, Catholics from the Archdiocese of Atlanta contacted Father Bisig, one of the founders of the FSSP to see if they could provide an apostolate for us. Fr. Bisig met with then Archbishop John F. Donoghue who was very supportive. Arrangements were made for the FSSP to provide a priest to celebrate the traditional Latin Mass monthly beginning February 1995. Monsignor Stephen Churchwell, pastor of the historic Sacred Heart Church in downtown Atlanta, offered his church for these Masses for a twelve-month trial period to gauge the interest and justify the establishment of a permanent apostolate in the Archdiocese. Archbishop Donoghue required an average of 100 people attending the monthly Mass before inviting the Fraternity into the Archdiocese on a permanent basis. Each Mass during this trial averaged 500 people. Before the year was out, permission was granted and a temporary house was provided to the FSSP in Alpharetta. Fr. Mark Fisher, the first priest of the new apostolate arrived on Christmas Eve 1995.

Briefly, Masses were celebrated at St Joseph Maronite Church. Then in 1998 the community moved its Sunday Masses to the chapel of Kelley and Leak Funeral Home in Decatur. Finally, Grace Baptist Church in Mableton was purchased and the personal parish of St. Francis de Sales was established to serve the needs of Catholics who wished to attend the rites of Holy Mother Church according to the 1962 Missal and in accord with the provisions of the indult, Ecclesia Dei. The decree took effect on January 29, 1999. The church was consecrated October 8, 2000.

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