About Rome, Georgia:
Rome, Georgia is in the deep south, so the name seems a bit unusual, but it was actually named after Rome, Italy because, like its counterpart in Italy, it is surrounded by seven hills. The city is home to Berry College, known as the largest contiguous college campus in the world, sitting at 27,000 acres.
About Saint Mary’s Church in Rome, Georgia:
Built in 1930, Saint Mary’s Church was designed in Gothic style by a Benedictine monk and architect from Belmont Abbey in North Carolina. It was designed with simplicity in minde: the only ornamentation on the exterior is the large crucifix above the door, the coat of arms of the bishop, and the inscription Venite Adoremus, “O come let us adore.”
Likewise, the interior of the church is also simple in design.
For many years, a large sixteenth-century oil painting of the Madonna and child hung above the altar. It was given to the church by Princess J. Eugenia Ruspoli of Rome, Italy, a sister of Miss Martha Berry, founder of Berry College. This painting and two smaller oils from the Princess are now displayed in the Parish Center.
Traveling to Saint Mary’s Church in Rome, Georgia:
Rome is about 80 miles northwest of Atlanta, the nearest major city (and airport).
Address: 911 North Broad Street, Rome, GA 30161
Tel: +1 (706) 290-9000 Fax: +1 (706) 295-1717