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Meet Archbishop Gregory John Hartmayer, OFM Conv. – Franciscan Teacher, Traveler, and Shepherd to over a Million Catholics
For Archbishop Gregory John Hartmayer, OFM Conv., the power of community has played a significant role throughout his life. Raised in a working-class Catholic family, his father was a Buffalo police detective, and his mother stayed at home to care for four children. While the family experienced times of struggle, he is quick to recall great joys in his hometown of Tonawanda, New York.
It was at Cardinal O’Hara High School that he first encountered the Conventual Franciscan Friars. At the time, the school was co-institutional – the boys were taught by the friars on one wing, the girls by sisters on the other. They served a large population of students, but Archbishop Hartmayer notes how supportive they were and how they clearly found joy in what they did.
“I ended up joining the religious community that taught at my high school. They impressed me so much. There were 14 of them. They lived together. They worked together. They ate together. They prayed together. And they were happy.”
– Most Reverend Gregory John Hartmayer, OFM Conv.
At eighteen years old, he entered the Franciscan novitiate. Going from the suburbs of Buffalo to the rural countryside of Maryland, the young Gregory joined a community of young men deepening their relationship with Christ and working together on 400 acres of land. As he described it:
“It was a working farm. We had cattle, pigs, and chickens. We worked, painted, buffed floors, swept staircases. It was all of us that took care of the place. We began to learn about religious life and get to know each other.“
After a year of discernment, he professed simple vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience. The young seminarian then earned a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy while teaching at a Franciscan high school. This would be the first year of many in his teaching career. After earning his Master’s in Theology, he was ordained a priest in the Diocese of Albany, New York. He spent the next 15 years in education, even becoming the principal of his old high school in Tonawanda.
Before long, his provincial informed him he would be going to Jonesboro, Georgia to be the pastor of Saint Philip Benizi. This was the first time in his vocational journey he had served as a pastor, but he soon found his footing thanks to the vibrancy of the parish.
“It’s a multicultural parish, very active. We would have international celebrations where [parishioners] would bring food from their country to share with the rest of the parish. We twinned with a parish in Honduras, and I would go to Honduras every year in the summer with a group of kids and their parents.”
-Most Reverend Gregory John Hartmayer, OFM Conv.
He served as pastor at Saint Philip Benizi for 15 years. His next assignment was at Saint John Vianney in Lithia Springs, but, less than a year later, he received a very important phone call from the then Apostolic Nuncio Archbishop Sambi. Archbishop Hartmayer recounted their conversation:
“‘Pope Benedict has asked you to become the bishop of the Diocese of Savannah’…None of it made sense. I’m a pastor, I’m not bishop material. [Archbishop Sambi] was very affirming and very assuring…So after a short time, I said, ‘Well, Archbishop, I don’t know what else to say, but I don’t have any reason to say no.’ I didn’t know what I was saying yes to, which is part of the mystery of life, and you learn along the way.”
He soon was leading a diocese of 38,000 square miles, about the same size as the country of Ireland. While several churches were clustered around cities like Savannah, Macon, or Valdosta, it would often take days of driving to visit each parish for confirmations. It was a time of great learning for him, and Archbishop Hartmayer was especially grateful for the guidance of his predecessor, Bishop John Kevin Boland, with whom he developed a great rapport and friendship.
Nine years later, it was March 2020. As the Covid-19 pandemic turned the world upside down, the then bishop of Savannah received another phone call. This time, he was asked to step into the role of the archbishop of Atlanta.
While this would mean returning to familiar ground, almost a decade had passed. Parishes had grown, years of ordinations had taken place, and the restrictions of the pandemic made getting to know the growing number of parishioners all the more challenging. Not only would Archbishop Hartmayer be serving a population of over one million Catholics, the Archdiocese of Atlanta is also a metropolitan. This means he would also be tasked with overseeing the Dioceses of Raleigh, Charlotte, Charleston, and Savannah. Despite these initial challenges, he answered the call and now feels even closer to the people in the pews.
The pandemic also served as a reminder of how connected we all are to each other and the many ways in which we are called to support one another. He has been especially grateful for the support of his three auxiliary bishops, Bishop Joel Konzen, S.M., Bishop Bernard E. Shlesinger III, and Bishop John Nhan Tran.
“It’s a joy to work with them, and it also makes it easier when you’re able to talk to somebody who knows what you’re dealing with…You can bounce things off each other so that you don’t think in a vacuum.” – Most Reverend Gregory John Hartmayer, OFM Conv.
He describes each day as different. Some days he is in the office from 9am to 9pm. Other days, he may meet with an ambassador, then gather with pastors, then travel for a confirmation Mass in the evening. Along with all the responsibilities being the archbishop entails, he serves as the chairman of the board for the National Catholic Education Association, a member of the border of trustees for Catholic Relief Services, is on the board for both Saint Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary and Saint John Vianney College Seminary, and works on the board for the Vatican Planetary Observatory.
While his schedule may be busy, he always finds it enjoyable thanks to the many different people he is able to meet. He celebrates the richness of cultures found in Atlanta. From seeing hundreds gather, tears in their eyes, to honor Our Lady of Guadalupe, to discovering devotions and celebrations unique to Vietnam, Romania, or the Philippines, Archbishop Hartmayer hopes to provide more priests to serve the diverse population of the archdiocese and uplift the many cultures that all share in the faith.
“It’s eye opening to meet people from other places and to share your experiences with them and they with you…No matter what country we came from, we’re worshiping the same Mass everywhere in the world. The language and the music may be different. The homily may be in a different language, but it’s the same Gospel. Most important, it’s the Eucharist, the body and the blood of Christ. That’s what brings us to church with other people from other backgrounds and experiences, and it’s a wonderful thing.” -Archbishop Gregory John Hartmayer, OFM Conv.
Going into his sixth year as the archbishop of Atlanta, he is likewise inspired by the sense of community found among parishioners. Whether it’s arranging flowers, working in parish offices, or landscaping church property, he is honored to witness the faithful commitment of his people each and every day.
“I see so many people express their faith so regularly and who are so generous to the church. I say, ‘My goodness, if they could do it, I can do it.’ I learn more from my people than I’m afraid I give to them, and that’s why I’m so thankful for the vocation that I was given. I can’t picture myself being any more fulfilled or happy doing something else.” -Archbishop Gregory John Hartmayer, OFM Conv.
Fun Facts with Archbishop Hartmayer
What do you like to do in your downtime?
On my Holy Day [his one day off per week], I can sleep in, do things around the house I’ve been putting off, see some friends, exercise. I do three and a half miles on the treadmill and listen to music.
I also like traveling. I’ve been so blessed to see the beauty of the Andes mountains in Ecuador or go to the northern lakes of Italy and Switzerland. God’s creation is so intricate. We have so much in the United States to see. Our lives are so busy that we sometimes fail to see what’s in front of us. I certainly recommend to people enjoy God’s creation, be grateful for it, and take care of it so that there’s something left for the generations behind us.
Do you have any hidden talents?
I like to cook. Though I only cook what my mother cooked because I watched her.
What music do you like to listen to?
I like to listen to the music I grew up with. I guess most people do. John Denver, Neil Diamond, Paul Simon. I love music. I love listening to it during the day.
Do you have a favorite book?
This year I read the autobiography of Pope Francis that was published just before his death. It tells his whole story, and I enjoy reading a book that’s a life story, about a real person.
What is your favorite movie?
I like plays more than I like movies. Les Miserables is one of the finest plays and stories that I’ve ever witnessed. I’ve seen it so many times. I enjoy the music and storyline.
What other plays or musicals do you enjoy?
South Pacific, The Sound of Music, The Phantom of the Opera. Mamma Mia! I enjoyed Hamilton. I had to listen to the album a couple of times to get used to the style, but it was cleverly written. I really enjoy 1776 as well. I saw it on Broadway, before I was ordained a priest, when it was $15 a ticket.
What are some of your favorite places to visit?
I like Assisi because it’s a home for me. It’s a place where our friars are present and living from all over the world. I’ve stayed at the Basilica there because, as a Franciscan, I’m welcomed in any Franciscan house, and any Franciscan is welcome in my house. That fraternity is real.
What is your favorite scripture passage?
I suppose the one that I remember well and try to model my life after is Matthew 25. The reality that Christ is in everyone, and if you believe that, if you really believe that we are made in the image and likeness of God, then we will have a totally different attitude toward other people. Greater tolerance, greater reconciliation, forgiveness, fellowship. A sense of ownership of each other, that we need to help each other.
Who is your favorite saint?
Saint Francis, of course, but also, on equal plane, is Saint Anthony. He’s also a Franciscan. I [ask for his intercession] when I look for my keys or my glasses and he never fails. I have to laugh out loud because I’ll look under something I had no reason to, and there was what I was looking for. He finds lost things and, more than things, he finds lost people. People who have lost faith or confidence. There’s lots of things that we lose, and Anthony helps us find them again.