OUR STORY

Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church was established in August 1959. Father Michael M. Manning (d. 1984), a native of Ireland, was our first pastor. He was previously assigned to parishes in Savannah (GA), Thomasville (GA), and Gainesville (GA). Father Manning spearheaded the construction of our first parish building. The parish received a construction permit from Dekalb County on April 25, 1960, and began construction within a week. Before the construction was completed on Tilson Road, Mass was held at two other locations. The first Mass was held on Sunday, December 4, 1960 in the chapel of what was then known as the Horis Ward Funeral Home at 2321 Candler Road. Later, services were held at Gordon High School [now McNair Middle School] at Wallingford Drive and Tilson Road. The formal dedication of our church was held on the Feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul on January 25, 1961, and the first bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Atlanta, Most Reverend Francis E. Hyland, presided at the dedication.

As construction continued, Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic School opened for classes in the fall of 1962. The first principal of the school was Mother Edmunda, a Servant of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (IHM). Initially, four IHM sisters lived in the new convent that opened simultaneously as the school. The Ladies Auxiliary [now Council of Catholic Women] organized the school’s library room. By the fall of 1966, six sisters were teaching, and the school expanded to eleven classrooms plus a formal library. During different points in the parish’s first seven years, several pastoral staff members joined Father Manning, including Rev. Eusebius Beltran, Rev. Dennis Durea, Rev. Joseph Beltran, and Rev. Edward O’Connor. The holy sacrifice of the Mass and other services were offered in what was imagined to become the school gymnasium.

In 1967, Father Joseph F. Ware (d. 2005) was appointed pastor. Father Ware had been a parochial vicar at St. Thomas More Catholic Church in Decatur (GA) for five years. Father Michael P. Hogan, a native of Ireland, who served as parochial vicar, joined Father Ware at Sts. Peter and Paul. By 1968, the school’s faculty included six IHM sisters and six lay teachers, plus a kindergarten teacher. Sister Maria Laetitia was the school principal. During Father Ware’s tenure, the pastoral staff included Rev. Michael Woods, Rev. Paul Reynolds, Rev. John Lawrence, Rev. Michael Redden, and Rev. Paul Berny. At the time, the parish supported two mission churches – St. Pius X Chapel near Conyers (GA) and St. Augustine’s Chapel in Covington (GA).

In 1972, Father Henry Gracz (d. 2024) became the pastor of Sts. Peter and Paul. He restructured the church layout so that the altar was situated in a central area of the worship space. Father Gracz encouraged the parish to become more involved in community affairs and hired a full-time neighborhood outreach coordinator, Larry French. Father Gracz also recognized the importance of women in ministry and appointed women to the pastoral staff. Sister Jean Booms and Sister Mary Zoghby headed the parish’s school of religion and youth ministry. During Father Gracz’s nine years as pastor, the pastoral staff included Sister Lynn Nault, Sister Betty Leon, Miss Bette Ekeye, Rev. John P. Kelly (d. 1995), Rev. Pat Bishop, Mrs. Delores Waters, Rev. Steven T. Churchwell (d. 2018), Rev. John R. Henley (d. 2003), Rev. Anthony Green, Mr. Dan Elder, and Rev. Ignatius Ndibalema. At the school, Sister Miriam Kathleen was appointed principal in 1974. Sister Ursula Marie Hughes came on board as principal in 1975. Sister Mary Owen Mulhearn was appointed Principal in 1979.

Father Raymond F. Horan (d. 2017) became pastor of Sts. Peter and Paul in 1981. During his six years of leadership, parochial vicars, Pastors Rev. Patrick Arnold, Rev. Ignatius Ndibalema, and Rev. Bruce Wilkerson joined him. During that time, the parish developed a covenant relationship with Saint Pius X Parish in Kingston, Jamaica. Upon Father Ray’s departure from the parish, Father Wilkerson served as administrator for a short period. In 1992 Raymond Horan was removed from the ministry following credible allegations of abuse from a previous assignment.

In 1987, Father Richard P. Wise began what would become a 15-year term as pastor of Sts. Peter and Paul. Father Wise worked on Candler Road Redevelopment, the South Dekalb Business Incubator, and many other civic projects. Father Wise remodeled the interior of the church to a more traditional design, which increased the seating capacity for the growing congregation. The Haitian Community began to worship at Sts. Peter and Paul in the mid-1990s. Many seminarians from various countries worked at our parish, and some are now priests for the Archdiocese of Atlanta.

By the late 1990s, the Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary could assign very few sisters to our parish school. Sister Mary Jane McDonnell, principal, and two of her colleagues, Sister Mary King and Sister Jeanne Baker, represented the final IHM presence at Sts. Peter and Paul during the 1998-99 school year. In 2000, Mrs. Queen Grady, the first lay principal of our school, successfully helped make the transition from over 35 years of IHM leadership. Within a few years, our parish school was regionalized into what is now St. Peter Claver Regional Catholic School.

In 2002, Father Kevin T. Peek became Sts. Peter and Paul's pastor. Father Peek’s assignment was brief [2002–2004], but his youthful and reverent approach to worship is remembered well. He is responsible for completely remodeling the church altar and installing a beautiful new altar and tabernacle. Father Peek also orchestrated the move of the Parish Office from the house on Collier Drive to the larger building that was formerly the rectory (and, years before that, the convent). The former office was transformed into a rectory.

Father John Murphy arrived as Pastor in 2004. Although his tenure as Pastor at Sts. Peter and Paul was temporary, he continued remodeling and updating the church facilities. Father Murphy is responsible for the addition of the Cry Room in the rear of the church sanctuary. Father Murphy had a profound influence on our parish, leaving us with cherished memories of his caring and loving regard for our community.

In 2005, Father Eric Hill arrived at Sts. Peter and Paul. Prompted by a growing congregation, several projects were assigned and completed, including landscaping, a new sound system, a new organ, and a new security system. Under Father Eric’s leadership, a capital campaign was initiated. The campaign grew out of recognizing that the parish’s congregation needed a much larger narthex. The campaign was named “United in Prayer, Building on Faith" and kicked off in February 2009. Sts. Peter and Paul celebrated its 50th Anniversary year of 2009-2010.

In January 2011, Father Kevin J. Hargaden was assigned pastor of Sts. Peter and Paul, and while his tenure as Pastor was short, he continued the capital campaign.

In 2011, Father Bryan D. Small was assigned pastor of Sts. Peter and Paul. Father Bryan led the parish in the groundbreaking ceremonies in early 2012. On December 12, 2018, under the Georgia Nonprofit Corporation Code, the parish was incorporated as Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic Church, Decatur, Inc. Several projects were completed under his tenure, including a refreshment of the Narthex and Nave in the winter of 2023. The refresh entailed beautiful new pews, custom flooring, theater lighting, fresh paint, and technology upgrades. Father Bryan began live-streaming Masses in 2020 and live-streaming continues to reach parishioners and supporters who cannot attend in person.

In July 2024, Father Kevin T. Peek returned as the assigned pastor of Sts. Peter and Paul. He serves as the Military Chaplain and Airport Chaplain in the Archdiocese of Atlanta. Also, Father Peek offers Masses for the Missionaries of Charity and provides prayer services for youth and professional athletic teams. He has enthusiastic plans for the parish to reinvigorate ministries and organizations, to expand evangelization opportunities, and increase fiscal soundness.