The 1950s

Did you know that Prince of Peace wasn’t always in Flowery Branch? We have a rich history to share with you. Come along for a ride through the decades, the ’50s, ’60s, ’70s, ’80s, ’90s, 2000s, 2010s, and 2020s, with many more to come, we pray. It hasn’t always been a smooth ride, but it has been an exciting one!

Our story begins in the 1950s, or perhaps even earlier, in 1919, when a young man named Leo Lawler from Buffalo, NY, was hired by Bona Allen to work for his large tannery business in Buford.

Leo and his wife, Mary, raised five children as the only Catholic family in the area. To attend Sunday Mass, they initially traveled by train to Atlanta and later to Gainesville. Eventually, Mass was celebrated in the Lawler family home, and visiting Catholics were directed there to attend.

The Lawler family’s devout faith left a deep impression on the Buford community and inspired Mr. Bona Allen to donate 10 acres of land in Buford to the Archdiocese of Atlanta in July 1956, with the condition that a church be built within 20 years. As the years passed, Mr. Lawler worried that the land gift would be forgotten.

The 1960s

In 1967, a visionary architect named Vic Maloof moved to Buford. He was approached by Leo Lawler, who informed him about the land gift. Lawler said, “...my wick is growing short, and I want you to build a church on this property.” However, the number of Catholic families in the area was still growing very slowly.

The 1970s

Things began to happen. Catholic families began to grow in numbers, and in 1973, a Buford mission was established under Good Shepherd in Cumming. Vic and Sue Maloof opened their home for the first Mass, and soon after, Tapp Funeral Home invited the Catholic community to celebrate Mass in their parlor on Sunday mornings.

In 1975, Leo Lawler once again turned to Vic Maloof for help, asking him to quickly design a small building as the deadline for Bona Allen’s land gift loomed. The Archdiocese agreed to lend construction funds, and Leo Lawler oversaw the progress as the small church building began to take shape.

A small group of about 33 Catholic families, from Lawrenceville, Flowery Branch, Sugar Hill, and Buford, gathered to worship as one family. Among the Buford families, in addition to the Lawlers and Maloofs, were the Josephs, Speeds, Keneipps, Van House, Banicks, Morenos, Reeves, Mobleys, Juanita Smith, Virginia Brady, Bobbie Sights, Opal Martinez, and Barbara Hutchins.

On Christmas Eve in 1975, thirteen original families, along with friends and others, gathered to celebrate the first Mass in our new home in Buford.

Christmas Eve in 1975, a special night

As this mission celebrated the birth of our Savior in its own home, it was christened Prince of Peace (with official parish status to follow in the 1980s). The celebration took place in an unfinished building—folding chairs and warm jackets were required for the parishioners.

Unfortunately, Leo Lawler’s health prevented him from attending that first Mass. However, he was present for the dedication of Prince of Peace Catholic Church on July 10, 1977. Leo passed away later that year, and the Archbishop made the journey north to celebrate the first Mass of Resurrection at Prince of Peace.

The 1980s

In 1980, our first in-residence priest, Fr. Michael Hogan, was assigned to Prince of Peace. Formal parish status was granted on April 3, 1983. The parish grew significantly over the 80s. Once again, Vic Maloof drew up plans, this time for an interim “church” that was eventually intended to serve as a social hall. This building was completed in 1987. However, continued growth by 1989 required further expansion, including pushing out the walls.

The Prince of Peace parish family grew together, bonding as funds were raised for the many needs. Who knew of more growth to come and what the future would hold.

The 1990s

Growth and more growth. One needed to arrive early for Mass to get a seat. The Narthex was a very busy place, often overflowing with crowds. Several pastors served throughout those years as the community continued to strengthen. Hospitality was evident, many people were baptized into the Church. Ministry gatherings of every kind took place in tight spaces. A Spanish Mass was added to serve the burgeoning Hispanic community. Faith formation classes moved off-site to a school in Sugar Hill, because there simply was no space left!

By the mid to late ’90s, informal discussions about expansion began. But how? And where? Outside of Prince of Peace, northern Gwinnett County was exploding with growth. The Mall of Georgia opened on Highway 20. The Buford Drive corridor became a major thoroughfare through Buford, heading north to Cumming. The parish database, which held about 800 families in the early ’90s, was rapidly approaching 2,000 families by the new millennium.

The 2000s

A LifeTeen Mass was added. However, the parish space was maxed out. Christmas and Easter overflow Masses were held at Flanigan’s Funeral Home. It became clear that a serious Building Committee needed to be formed to focus on a long-term solution.

A study was conducted to map where parishioners lived. The existing 15 acres in Buford were no longer sufficient for a new home. A master plan was developed, 65 acres were purchased and the first capital campaign was launched. All this led to the official groundbreaking in March 2005 in Flowery Branch.

As the faith family of Prince of Peace prepared to move from Buford to the larger home in Flowery Branch, time, conversation, and attention to our Catholic faith tradition were invested. Artists were commissioned to create the altar, ambo, baptismal font, Prince of Peace Shrine (statue of Mary and Jesus), and Tabernacle.

History was truly made when the first Mass at the new location was celebrated on Christmas Eve 2005 at midnight, exactly 30 years to the day after the Christmas Eve Mass in 1975. The 2000s saw the parish settling into its new home, with new parish boundaries and growing membership from Hall County.