A French Gothic Home in the Heart of Buckhead
The Cathedral of Christ the King rises on a four-acre campus at 2699 Peachtree Road NE in Atlanta, just south of the Buckhead commercial district, and serves as the mother church of the Archdiocese of Atlanta. More than 5,700 registered families call this parish home, and on any given weekend nearly every pew in the French Gothic sanctuary is filled. The parish draws its identity from a single motto: Christus Vincit, Christus Regnat, Christus Imperat, Christ is Victorious, Christ Reigns, Christ Commands, the same phrase once sung aloud as the French Gothic cornerstone was laid on the Feast of Christ the King in 1937.
Tucked behind a wooded lawn off one of Atlanta's most traveled thoroughfares, the Cathedral sets its rhythm not around traffic but around the liturgy. Daily Mass begins at 6:45 in the morning. Confessions are heard before noon and into the late afternoon. Holy Hours follow Wednesday lunch and Thursday evening Masses. The Perpetual Adoration Chapel keeps its lamps burning through every hour of the day and night. Visitors, parishioners, students from the on-site Christ the King School, and toddlers from the Cathedral Preschool cross paths in the gathering space that connects the sanctuary, Kenny Hall, and the Hyland Center, the parish's three principal buildings.
From Parish in the Depression to Cathedral in 1956
The parish took shape during the Great Depression. The first Eucharistic Celebration was held on August 15, 1936, the Feast of the Assumption, with Father Joseph E. Moylan as the first pastor and about 250 families in the pews. Initially formed as a stand-alone parish, Christ the King was elevated to co-cathedral with Savannah during construction and was named the Cathedral of the new Diocese of Atlanta on July 2, 1956. Bishop Francis E. Hyland, the first Bishop of Atlanta, arrived from Philadelphia that fall and brought Father Michael Regan as his secretary and Father James Boyce as chancellor. The parish has remained the seat of the archbishop ever since.
Before the Church was built, Mass was first celebrated on the porch of a white-columned, Greek revival mansion that had stood on the property since 1916. The house had changed hands in 1921 when it was purchased by the Ku Klux Klan, which met mostly in secret and hoped to turn the structure into its Imperial Palace before the Depression unraveled the group. After the property went into foreclosure, the Church acquired four acres and the mansion from the mortgage holder for $35,000, an unusual sum at the time, but the location won out because it sat on Atlanta's public transportation lines. Mass moved into a temporary chapel inside the old house and then into the school auditorium as construction progressed.
On October 31, 1937, the cornerstone for the new Church was blessed on the Feast of Christ the King, and the dedication followed on January 18, 1939. The Philadelphia firm of Henry D. Dagit designed the building in a French Gothic style of the old world. Indiana limestone, Stone Mountain granite, and Georgia marble were the chief materials, and the cost ran to nearly $400,000 at 1936 prices. In the winter of 1939 a national architectural poll run by Architectural Record named the Cathedral Atlanta's most beautiful building.
Mass: A Saturday Vigil and a Full Sunday Schedule
Weekend worship at the Cathedral centers on a Saturday Vigil Mass at 4:00 PM that uses the Sunday readings without musical Mass settings, and on Sunday the doors open for an unusually full day of liturgies.
- Saturday Vigil 4:00 PM - the Sunday readings, no musical Mass settings.
- Sunday 7:30 AM - a quiet liturgy with a cantor and organist.
- Sunday 9:00 AM - with a cantor and organist; the Children's Choir sings twice a month and a separate Children's Liturgy of the Word for ages four through third grade runs during the school year.
- Sunday 10:30 AM - the principal liturgy, sung by the full Cathedral Choir with organ.
- Sunday 10:30 AM in the Hyland Center - a parallel Mass with a cantor and pianist in a more relaxed setting for those who want a less formal environment.
- Sunday 12:00 PM - with the Cathedral Schola and organist.
- Sunday 1:30 PM in Spanish - the Misa en Español, with a contemporary choir and piano accompaniment; many families with children and adolescents attend.
- Sunday 4:00 PM - the Life Teen Mass with contemporary music by the youth band.
- Sunday 5:30 PM - with the Cathedral Ensemble.
Daily Mass is offered Monday through Friday at 6:45 AM, 8:10 AM, and 12:10 PM, with the 12:10 liturgy followed by a Rosary. On Wednesdays the Blessed Sacrament is exposed after the noon Mass for a Holy Hour that runs until 2:00 PM. Saturday morning Mass is offered at 8:10 AM, and the Misa en Español also takes place on Thursday evenings at 7:00 PM, preceded by a 6:00 PM Spanish Holy Hour and confessions.
Confession, Adoration, and the Perpetual Chapel
The queue for confession forms in the Gathering Space, the hall between the Cathedral and Kenny Hall. Confessions are heard right after the 8:10 AM Saturday Mass, on Saturday afternoons from 3:00 to 3:50 PM, on Tuesday and Thursday mornings from 7:15 to 7:45 AM, and on Thursday evenings from 6:00 to 6:45 PM in Spanish.
The Cathedral's Adoration Chapel is open 24 hours a day. Guardians commit to a specific one-hour slot each week to keep vigil with the Blessed Sacrament; from 9:00 PM to 6:00 AM the chapel is open only to those assigned guardians. Two weekly Holy Hours anchor the broader parish in prayer: the Wednesday Holy Hour at 1:00 PM begins with a Rosary and prayers for priests, and the Thursday Holy Hour at 6:00 PM precedes the Spanish Mass.
A Choir Program for Every Age
Music at the Cathedral is its own liturgy. Michael Accurso, DMA, directs Music and Liturgy, supported by Associate Director of Music Administration Steven Colker, Associate Director of Liturgy Edward Sullivan, and Associate Organists David Brensinger and Samuel Polk. Hamilton Smith serves as Director of Music Emeritus. Each Sunday liturgy draws a different ensemble:
- Cathedral Choir sings at the 10:30 AM Mass with rehearsals Wednesday evenings from September through May.
- Cathedral Ensemble leads the 5:30 PM Mass with keyboard, guitar, electric bass, percussion, and various strings and winds, rehearsing Thursday evenings during the school year.
- Cathedral Schola leads the 12:00 PM Mass.
- Hispanic Choir carries the Spanish liturgy in traditional and contemporary music drawn from Hispanic cultures across the Americas.
- Life Teen band plays the 4:00 PM youth Mass.
Brenda Accurso coordinates the children's choirs. Five levels of training introduce young musicians to sacred music, beginning with Aurora for girls in kindergarten and first grade and Decani for boys starting in kindergarten, then Cantori for girls in second grade and up, with the Cathedral Girl Choir and Cathedral Boy Choir as the most advanced, audition-only ensembles. The choirs perform community service and travel together as a regular part of their training.
The Spanish-Speaking Parish Community
Hispanic Ministry is staffed through the parish office at extension 696, with a separate phone line and bilingual staff led by Father Jared Kleinwaechter and Father Jacob Butz and the coordinators Fanny Ramos and Patricia Murcia. The office is open Monday through Thursday from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM and Friday from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM.
The community gathers for the Misa en Español on Sundays at 1:30 PM, the largest Mass after the English Sunday schedule, and on Thursday evenings at 7:00 PM, with confessions at 6:00 PM. Communion to the Sick visits Spanish-speaking parishioners who are homebound or hospitalized, and family sacrament preparation for Baptism, First Communion, Confirmation, and RICA (the Christian Initiation of Adults adapted for Hispanic families) is offered in Spanish. Pre-Baptismal classes meet on Saturday afternoons in Conference Rooms 1 and 2, and community baptisms for children under seven are held in the Cathedral on Saturday mornings.
Sacraments of Marriage, Baptism, Anointing, and Funeral
Weddings at the Cathedral are scheduled on Saturdays at 12:00 PM, 2:00 PM, and 6:00 PM, with Friday evening rehearsals. The main sanctuary seats up to 600 guests, and the smaller D'Youville Chapel (entered through a separate door on the parish side of the campus) seats 30 with a limited bridal party for more intimate celebrations. Marriage preparation follows the Archdiocese of Atlanta's six-month process and includes an Intro to Marriage class led by one of the parish deacons, an approved Pre-Cana program or sponsor-couple track, and several meetings with the priest or deacon directing the preparation. The Wedding Guild, a lay group of experienced parishioners, directs each rehearsal and ceremony and hosts monthly workshops for brides on the first Monday of every month. The Cathedral charges a sanctuary fee of $2,000 for registered parishioners and $5,000 for non-parishioners, with the smaller chapel at $200 and $300, and an optional multi-camera livestream at $200.
Baptism for children under seven is celebrated in monthly community ceremonies on Saturday mornings. Parents are asked to be registered active members of the Catholic Church and to have attended a Baptism Preparation class at the Cathedral or another parish within the past five years. A separate track exists for children ages seven through seventeen and for adults coming into the Church through the OCIA process.
Confirmation for teens is a two-year program serving students in ninth and tenth grades, with first-year formation through Young Church on Sunday evenings and a second-year Confirmation class. Adult Confirmation, along with preparation for Baptism and First Communion, runs through the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA), which begins in the fall.
The Anointing of the Sick is celebrated quarterly at the Cathedral and at any time by appointment with one of the parish priests. Funerals are coordinated through the Pastoral Care office, with a Funeral Reception Team providing hospitality after the liturgy.
Faith Formation for Children and Families
Family and Children's Ministry serves the parish from Baptism through eighth grade. Bernadette Flowers directs Faith Formation, working alongside Bekkah Riecke for children's faith formation and Camille Robichaux for middle school ministry.
The Parish School of Religion (PSR) meets on Sunday mornings in two sessions at 9:00 AM and 10:20 AM for children from age three (by June 1) through fifth grade, with the school year running September through May. First Reconciliation and First Eucharist are typically celebrated in second grade as the culmination of a two-year catechetical process. First Reconciliation preparation uses the BLESSED video series from Dynamic Catholic; First Eucharist preparation uses a parallel set of dynamic videos that walk families through the Introductory Rite, Liturgy of the Word, Liturgy of the Eucharist, Holy Communion, and the call to mission.
Children's Liturgy of the Word is offered at the 9:00 AM Sunday Mass. Children from age four through third grade leave the assembly after the opening rite for a 20-minute session with songs, age-appropriate readings, and prayer before rejoining their parents for the Liturgy of the Eucharist.
The Cathedral Nursery welcomes children from six months up to three years during the 9:00 AM and 10:30 AM Masses, staffed by screened part-time employees and volunteers. The Young Families Ministry creates connections for parents and children from birth through age twelve, including a network of family-friendly events throughout the year.
Middle School and High School: CTK Young Church
The youth ministry is built around CTK Young Church, a Sunday evening experience that begins with the 4:00 PM Life Teen Mass. The High School Ministry meets from 5:00 to 6:45 PM in Kenny Hall, with dinner, a talk, small groups, and fellowship. The Middle School Ministry runs from 5:15 to 6:45 PM in a separate track with games, talks, and small group breakout sessions. Mary Kiley Wilhelm coordinates both the high school ministry and Confirmation, while Camille Robichaux leads middle school. Youth are also recruited as lectors, extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion, ushers, greeters, and musicians for the 4:00 PM Mass.
Adult Core Team members lead small groups, mentor teens, and serve as living witnesses of a Christian lifestyle. The Core commits to arriving by 4:45 PM for team prayer and remaining until 7:00 PM for cleanup and debrief, with optional commitments on retreats and service days.
Beyond Sunday evenings, the Recreation Ministry runs sports leagues for the parish's young people: K-2 basketball on Friday afternoons, 3rd-8th grade basketball (CMLA Winter Season) on Saturdays, high school basketball on Sundays in January and February, cross country for girls and boys in 5th-8th grade, volleyball for girls in 5th-8th grade, and PK-K soccer on Saturday mornings. The Recreation ministry also offers a full slate of summer camps in June and July, including sports, engineering, chess, and an introductory volleyball preseason.
Young Adults, Men's and Women's Groups
The 20/30 Somethings community gathers young adults for spiritual, social, and service events - a monthly Pack the Cathedral Holy Hour, Discipleship Nights, and small Bible studies. They informally claim the 6:45 AM Tuesday Mass as their own, sitting together in the back right section and grabbing coffee or breakfast afterward.
The Women's Club runs a year-round calendar of dinners and speakers for women of all ages, including a recent performance of Augustine's Confessions by Joey Martineck. The Men's Club hosts a year-round series of dinner-speaker evenings and the annual Charity Golf Tournament, this year its 30th, hosted in partnership with the Knights of Columbus Council 660.
ConnectCTK is a welcoming Catholic adult community for singles, married couples, widowed, divorced, empty nesters, or anyone new to the parish. Activities include dinners, socials, concerts, day trips, and service projects in a Christ-centered setting.
Small Groups consist of about six couples or twelve individuals who meet weekly for social time, study, and prayer. Groups are offered for women, for men, co-ed, and married couples, with new groups forming in January, May, and September.
Parish Life, Outreach, and Pastoral Care
The parish family is built on a wide bench of practical ministries. The Bereavement Support Group provides a safe space for those grieving the loss of a loved one. CTK Buddies pair parishioners with newcomers for the first six months of parish life. Visitation Ministries reach shut-ins and the homebound. The Card Ministry sends birthday, get-well, and bereavement notes. The Prayer Chain lifts up the spiritual, physical, emotional, and financial needs of the parish community. The LifeSpan ministry serves older adults through quarterly Masses and monthly luncheons.
Stephen Ministry offers one-to-one, lay-led pastoral care for individuals facing loneliness, hospitalization, divorce, job loss, depression, illness, aging, miscarriage, or other major life stressors. Stephen Ministers receive extensive initial training and ongoing twice-monthly supervision and continuing education, and confidentiality is treated as a cornerstone of the work.
Outreach to the wider Atlanta community is a daily ministry. St. Vincent de Paul Society at the Cathedral collaborates with other organizations to provide financial, material, educational, and spiritual support to neighbors in need. The Adopt-a-Family program helps provide Christmas for up to 750 families in the parish and greater community. The MUST Summer Lunch Making program prepares more than 2,000 lunches in June and July for hungry children across metro Atlanta. From November through March, volunteers make sandwiches for the Shrine Shelter. Every month the parish provides more than 200 snack bags to hungry individuals who come to the Cathedral's doors. The Respect Life Ministry partners with the Archdiocese Pro-Life Office to advance the intrinsic value of every human life.
The Christ the King School and Preschool
Christ the King School sits on the Cathedral campus and serves students in elementary grades, with Melissa Lowry as principal, Lori Lummus as director of enrollment, and Lily McCurdy as faith formation coordinator. The school shares use of parish facilities with the Cathedral's many ministries and is a regular participant in school-day liturgies in the sanctuary.
The Christ the King Preschool at Second-Ponce is a separate program serving younger children under the direction of Joleen Neel, with Mary Ann Hammond as assistant director and business manager, Blair Graves as the registered nurse, and Kat Kelner as office coordinator. The Preschool has its own dedicated entrance and daily rhythm.
Stewardship, Giving, and Parish Operations
The Cathedral's stewardship theme, Where Faith Gives, Miracles Grow, anchors a 2026 offertory campaign. Online giving through Vanco supports recurring offertory gifts, second collections, and in-memoriam donations. Stock transfers can be arranged through the parish's account at JPMorgan, and IRA-qualified charitable distributions are accepted through a Letter of Intent for donors 73 and older. Gifts of cash or check may be placed in the offertory baskets, brought to the front office, or mailed to the parish. The Archbishop's Annual Appeal supports the ministries of the Archdiocese of Atlanta across north and central Georgia.
Beyond the Sunday collection, the parish staffs a full operations bench to keep a 6,500-family campus running. The wedding and baptism scheduling is centralized through a single coordinator; the communications office produces the weekly bulletin; and a team of five in the Facilities department maintains the historic sanctuary, the school buildings, the Hyland Center, and the recreation spaces. Mass intentions are accepted at the reception desk Monday through Saturday from 8:30 AM to 7:30 PM and Sunday from 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM, with a customary $20 donation.
Livestream, Safety, and Visitor Information
All Sunday Masses and major liturgies are livestreamed from the Cathedral's five-camera system, with regular feeds for the Monday-Friday 12:10 PM Mass and Rosary, the Saturday 4:00 PM Vigil, the Sunday 10:30 AM Cathedral Mass, and the Sunday 1:30 PM Spanish Mass. Weddings and funerals are livestreamed by request. A separate Spanish-language channel streams the Misa en Español to YouTube. Recordings of Sunday Mass, Saturday Vigil, funerals, Confirmation, and First Communion are kept in online archives.
The Cathedral follows the Archdiocese of Atlanta's Safe Environment program, with a 24-hour abuse reporting hotline (1-888-437-0764) and a separate hotline to report abuse by a bishop (1-800-276-1562). Clergy, staff, and any volunteers whose duties involve contact with minors or vulnerable adults undergo a background check and complete VIRTUS Protecting God's Children training, with annual age-appropriate presentations for children in kindergarten through twelfth grade.
Visitors arriving for weekend Mass will find a parking deck at the corner of Peachtree Road and Peachtree Way directly across from the Cathedral entrance, with overflow parking on East Wesley Drive near the Hyland Center and another public deck behind Fellini's Pizza at 2827 Peachtree Road, about three blocks from the Cathedral entrance. The nursery is open during the 9:00 and 10:30 AM Sunday Masses. The Cathedral is led by Rector Monsignor Francis G. McNamee, Parochial Vicars Father Jared Kleinwaechter and Father Jacob Butz, and four Permanent Deacons: Chris Andronaco, Sam Fraundorf, Bruce Goodwin, and John McManus.