Site Mission:

To be the church in this neighborhood and to fulfill this congregation's longstanding commitment to welcoming all people, including those who are poor and living with mental illness.

About the Site:

Located in Southeast Atlanta, Holy Comforter is a parish in which poor and marginalized people are integral to parish life. About 65% of Holy Comforter's members live with mental illness or some other physical or intellectual condition that hinders full participation in society, and are sustained only by a Social Security disability check. Racially, the church is almost half African American, half European American. The community gathers four times a week - Tuesdays and Thursdays for a day program, Wednesdays for Eucharist followed by a community supper and on Sunday for the Holy Eucharist. Saturdays are also times for field trips and special activities. The church offers a variety of programs including worship services, pastoral care, meals, clothing, assistance with transportation, gardening, arts and crafts, music and movement, and much more.

Students will establish leadership in the provision of pastoral care, and will also have opportunities to lead and plan worship, visit parishioners in group homes and build relationships with parishioners through participation in Friendship Center activities. The special needs parishioner/clergy ratio has long been strained with the limited number of clergy reacting to program administrative demands to the neglect of individual pastoral care needs. The involvement of Candler students will help alleviate this problem.

A Student's Perspective:

John says:

"The reward in Con Ed for me was not only reading about or seeing, but living (if only for a short time) through the lens of the marginalized, be it mentally ill, terminally ill, poor, and those who simply had deep spiritual needs. This gave me a great appreciation for what it really means to be a Christian through Christ’s ministry and works. Working at Holy Comforter and with the mentally ill, conversations are uncomfortable or even nonsensical on the periphery. However, after taking time to truly understand and provide presence to the congregants a great deal is learned not only about theology but about society. In this sense, the deeply enriching experience of Con Ed has not only made me a better student on the way to my theological profession, but a far better person as well."

Kimberly says:

"Holy Comforter is a unique community that brings individuals together who have a range of mental illnesses. My hours were Wednesday evenings from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. During that time, I had an opportunity to participate in various activities, engage in conversations with a number of the congregants, and help out during the church service. As a result of this experience, I am more aware of the importance of being open to new experiences. I met some individuals who have learned to make the best out of their situations and can still praise God in spite of the challenges they face."