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Our Parish & Pastor
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Our Parish
Bishop Francis Hyland, the first Bishop of the Diocese of Atlanta, founded Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish in 1958. Reverend Monsignor Cornelius Maloney was named the first pastor, and he quickly set out to build the original church, the rectory, and the school.Dear Friends,
Over the years, our parish grew as Atlanta grew and the original buildings were enlarged and modernized. For almost seventy years, IHM has been a diverse and loving Catholic community unified by its mission to continue the work of Jesus Christ through worship, education, and service.A Letter from our Pastor
There is something special about a Catholic school that is part of a parish community. At Immaculate Heart of Mary, our school and our church share the same home, the same faith, and the same desire to help our children become the people God is calling them to be.
At IHM, we believe that education should nurture both faith and reason. We want our students to grow in wisdom and understanding while also developing a sense of wonder, purpose, and responsibility. Our hope is to form students who think clearly and love what is good, young people who can ask hard questions, recognize truth when they find it, and put their talents to work for others.
Here, our Catholic faith is not simply another subject. It is part of how we understand the world and our place in it. Through prayer, the Eucharist, service, and daily life together with each other, the teachers and the parish, our students discover that faith and reason belong together. Both invite us to seek the truth and to understand more deeply who we are and how we are called to live.
But we also believe that childhood should be enjoyed. Children need time to play, laugh, make friends, create, explore, and simply be children. We want them to work hard and take their responsibilities seriously, but we also want them to experience the joy of being young. There is room at IHM for wonder, imagination, laughter, and even a little silliness. These are not distractions from a child’s formation. They are part of it.
We want our students to grow not only in what they know, but also in joy, friendship, confidence, compassion, a healthy sense of who they are, and community that teaches and prays for them.
I invite you to experience IHM for yourself. Walk through our school, visit our church, meet our teachers, see our students in their classrooms, and spend some time with our school and parish community. Whether you are already part of IHM or are simply beginning to discover who we are, you will always find a warm welcome here.
At the heart of everything we do is a simple hope: that our children will grow into people who seek truth, live with faith, recognize the dignity of every person, find joy in the world around them, and use the gifts God has given them to make a difference.
We are glad that you are here!
With every good wish,
To learn more about Immaculate Heart of Mary Church visit: www.ihmatlanta.org.
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Welcome From Our Principal
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Laura Cichanski, PrincipalWelcome to Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic School! I am so grateful that you have taken the time to learn more about our school and the community that makes IHM such a special place.
At IHM, we believe that a Catholic education is about more than academic achievement. It is about forming the whole child—mind, body, and spirit—and helping each student recognize the gifts God has given them and teaching them how to use those gifts in service to others.
Our IHM pillars—Faith, Knowledge, Service, and Integrity—are at the heart of who we are. They are not simply words we display; they guide how we teach, learn, treat one another, and live our faith each day.
We are committed to excellence in all that we do. Our students are challenged to think critically, work hard, remain curious, and develop a genuine love of learning. At the same time, academic excellence is grounded in strong faith formation. Through prayer, the Sacraments, service, and the daily examples of our faculty and staff, our students learn that their knowledge and talents have a greater purpose—to glorify God and serve others.
Just as importantly, we want our students to become young people of integrity who make good choices even when no one is watching, and people of service who recognize Christ in those around them. We strive to graduate students who are prepared for the next step in their academic journey and ready to make a positive difference in their families, their communities, and our world.
What makes IHM truly special, however, is our community. Our students are known, loved, challenged, and supported by faculty and staff who genuinely care about them. Our families are valued partners, and together with our parish, we share in the important work of helping our children grow into the people God is calling them to be.
I invite you to explore our website, visit our campus, and discover the joy of our IHM community. We would be blessed to welcome you.
Rejoice in the Lord always!
In Christ,
Laura Cichanski
Principal
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