Looking for most Catholic areas of Atlanta (Sandy Springs, Roswell: transplants, new home)

[NOLArelo]

Hey there! We are moving from New Orleans to Atlanta. We love New Orleans but it is just too stressful to live there constantly worrying about hurricanes.

Anyways, one reason we love NOLA is how almost everyone is Catholic. I am French Catholic and hubby is Italian Catholic. Our daughters are enrollled in a Catholic school, and all our neighbors, and everyone we know, is Catholic.

We love it this way, and considered moving to Boston. I hate the cold though.

Thus, can anyone tell me which areas of metro Atlanta are the most Catholic?

We have been told to stay away from Buckhead (mostly presbyterian) and seek areas developed most recently, as they will have the most recent Northeastern/Midwestern transplants, who tend to be Catholic.

Price is really not an issue for us as long it isnt abve 3 million. Also, schools do not matter since we will be going private (catholic). We would also like to be above I-20.

[TakeAhike]

http://www.city-data.com/forum/atlan...b-country.html

[RainyRainyDay]

NOLArelo, you may well find the right new home in metro Atlanta. However, I'm doubtful you'll find an area that's comparably culturally Roman Catholic to NOLA or Boston.

An Episcopal priest I used to know commented that the Baptist influence in the culture here is so strong, that it infiltrates the other Christian denominations' theology, polity, etc. Or as he put it "We're all Baptists around here. We've got Presbyterian Baptists, Methodist Baptists, Episcopalian, Lutheran and even Catholic Baptists, but we're pretty much all Baptists".

[TakeAhike]

I believe Dunwoody/Sandy Springs/and adjacent communities to have more religious diversity. ie --Marist, well respected Catholic school is located on Ashford-Dunwoody Rd.
http://www.marist.com/

St. Anne's Catholic Church in Dunwoody >>>
http://www.st-ann.org/

[gt6974a]

Originally Posted by RainyRainyDay

NOLArelo, you may well find the right new home in metro Atlanta. However, I'm doubtful you'll find an area that's comparably culturally Roman Catholic to NOLA or Boston.

An Episcopal priest I used to know commented that the Baptist influence in the culture here is so strong, that it infiltrates the other Christian denominations' theology, polity, etc. Or as he put it "We're all Baptists around here. We've got Presbyterian Baptists, Methodist Baptists, Episcopalian, Lutheran and even Catholic Baptists, but we're pretty much all Baptists".

Not sure I agree with that, about 50% of my friends are Baptist and 50% are Catholic. There are more Baptist but I've gone to St. Catherines in Kennesaw my entire life. There's nothing 'Baptist' about it. I will say there is a difference b/t Southern Catholics and Northern Catholics and maybe that's what you're pointing out, but it's not 'Baptist' influence.

And this was back when there was no one living in Acworth or Kennesaw. At that time you only had two Catholic churches in Cobb.

[lastminutemom]

Originally Posted by TakeAhike

I believe Dunwoody/Sandy Springs/and adjacent communities to have more religious diversity. ie --Marist, well respected Catholic school is located on Ashford-Dunwoody Rd.
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St. Anne's Catholic Church in Dunwoody >>>
http://www.st-ann.org/

St Anns isn't in Dunwoody--

the Catholic Church in Dunwoody is All Saints Catholic Church - Dunwoody, GA

As to schools -- keep in mind that our Catholic schools generally are harder to get into than other parts of the country -- it isn't about quality as much as a numbers game.

I would find the school first and then the house, where will you be working.

I also agree with others-- there is no culturally Catholic area in Atlanta. Even in subdivisions that send multiple carpools to the Catholic schools, Catholics are not the predominant religious group.

[NOLArelo]

But with all the Northeastern/Midtwestern people moving there, surely one area stands out as being more Catholic than the others.

Also, I find it hard to believe that there is such a thing as "Baptist Catholics". I have met MANY Southern Baptists and they generally dislike Catholicism and are on the opposite end of the Christianity spectrum. If this IS true, please tell me because I do not want my daughters in a "Baptist Catholic" church, school, or community.

[gt6974a]

Originally Posted by NOLArelo

But with all the Northeastern/Midtwestern people moving there, surely one area stands out as being more Catholic than the others.

Also, I find it hard to believe that there is such a thing as "Baptist Catholics". I have met MANY Southern Baptists and they generally dislike Catholicism and are on the opposite end of the Christianity spectrum. If this IS true, please tell me because I do not want my daughters in a "Baptist Catholic" church, school, or community.

Read my post above, there's no such thing as Baptist Catholic

[CMMom]

I also think it's important to know that you don't just "sign up" at the Catholic schools here. Admissions are very competitive. Even if your home parish has a school, most have time and involvement requirements before you are considered a "member" and get preference for admissions (a year or sometimes more). Just be aware that you can't just show up and expect a spot at most of the larger Catholic schools (at least on the Northside, I can't speak to the Southside).

[RainyRainyDay]

First of all, let me apologize for having affronted some Roman Catholics by quoting the "all southern Christians are Baptists" comment. My personal experience of the Episcopal church here in the south is that it does have a flavor that one could easily ascribe to the locally dominant form of Christianity. Much less Catholic, in fact, than would be the norm in Canada, at any rate. So I thought that comment, from an Episcopalian cleric who's lived and worked all over the US, might be apt. I did not mean to give offense.

About Catholic schools, I believe CMMom is right. We have friends who are life-long devout, involved Roman Catholics. On moving from out of state to Roswell, they endured a three year-wait to get their child into their new parish's well-regarded school, Queen Of Angels.