By Marie Mulvenna

Monsignor R. Donald Kiernan was, without any shadow of a doubt, the most well-known and newsworthy “policeman” in Atlanta last weekend – barring a few familiar local names who made headlines on the news scene and on the police beat. And Monsignor isn’t even a candidate for “Super Chief.”

As he marked the silver jubilee of his ordination to the priesthood, Monsignor Kiernan was lauded by Archbishop Thomas A. Donnellan, Governor Jimmy Carter, Atlanta Mayor Maynard Jackson, fellow priests, parishioners at St. Jude’s in Sandy Springs, where he is pastor, and hundreds of Georgia police officers who regard him affectionately as one of them. Monsignor is chaplain and an officer in a host of police organizations and is active in innumerable civic and archdiocesan groups.

Former editor of the GEORGIA BULLETIN from 1956 to 1962, consulting editor from 1962 to 1968 and acting editor from 1968 to 1969, Monsignor wrote his popular column “Georgia Pines” for a dozen years.

A native of Taunton, Mass., Monsignor attended Providence College in Rhode Island, Mount St. Mary’s Seminary in Emmitsburg, Md. and Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. He was ordained May 4, 1949 by Richard Cardinal Cushing for service in the then Diocese of Savannah-Atlanta.

First assigned to the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Savannah, he then moved to the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Atlanta, followed by service as administrator at St. Peter’s in LaGrange and St. Anna’s in Monroe.

His pastorates included St. Bernadette’s in Cedartown, St. Michael’s in Gainesville, St. Anthony’s in Atlanta and since 1969, St. Jude’s in Sandy Springs.

At St. Jude’s parish Saturday night, Monsignor was honored with a Mass and reception attended by close to 1,000 friends and parishioners. Saturday evening’s celebration was the culmination of three days of honors, dinners and testimonials to the popular priest whose plaques and commendations reportedly overflow his quarters at the rectory. Archbishop Donnellan quipped at Saturday’s gathering that after Monsignor’s reception of 18 more plaques that evening he would gladly give him two walls in the Chancery Office for his use.

The crowd Saturday was so replete with police officers in various uniforms that the archbishop commented he would ask “God to grant North Georgia a moratorium on sin, crime and war tonight,” considering the local turnout of police power.

Governor Jimmy Carter’s proclamation to Monsignor commended him for his many years of work in law enforcement in the state and Mayor Jackson’s proclamation, presented in ceremonies at City Hall, proclaimed Saturday “Monsignor Kiernan Day” in Atlanta. Archbishop Donnellan remarked with a smile Saturday that “after that, I don’t know whether to suspend him or recommend him for Super Chief.”

During the ceremonies, Monsignor received an award from the National Council on Crime and Delinquency, an award made only once a year throughout the nation. He was also honored by the State Crime Commission, the Law Enforcement Assistance Administration, which presented him with a certificate of appreciation from their national office; the West End Rotary Club of the archdiocese. Federal Bureau of Investigation Chief Howard Smith of Clayton County, presented a plaque on behalf of the Georgia Association of Chiefs of Police while Colonel Bill Beardsley representing the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, presented the governor’s proclamation. Chief Emeritus Herbert Jenkins, former president of the International Association of Chiefs of Police, spoke briefly and Chief Howard Shook of Levittown, Pa. presented an award to Monsignor from the IACP.

Major Hugh Hardison, commanding officer of the Georgia State Patrol, awarded Monsignor with a commendation while Assistant Chief A.L. Posey of the Atlanta Police Department presented him with a plaque on behalf of the members of the Atlanta police department. Parishioners Frank Murphy and Marietta Pompilio, representing the men’s and women’s organizations of the parish, presented their pastor with a gift check from members of the parish community. Pat White of St. Jude’s gave Monsignor a portrait and Dr. Fred Crawford, director of the Center for Research in Social Change at Emory University commended Monsignor on the anniversary celebration. Also taking part in the Saturday reception was Lieutenant Governor Lester Maddox, who named Monsignor Kiernan to the state’s first crime commission in 1967.

The fourth degree honor guard of the Knights of Columbus joined the honor guards of the Civil Air Patrol and the Atlanta Police Department at the beginning of the concelebrated liturgy. A police department color guard presented colors.

In the archdiocese, Monsignor is a member of the Archdiocesan Board of Consultants; pro synodal judge of the Metropolitan Tribunal and director of the Apostleship of Prayer. He has also served as a member of the Archdiocesan Board of Education, priest-consultant to the Lay Congress, member of the Archdiocesan Commission for Christian Unity, president of the Priest’s Senate in 1969, chaplain of the Serra Club and member of the Archdiocesan Finance Council.

Monsignor’s police “credits” reads like a roster for the next season of the “FBI” and includes: chaplain of the International Association of Chiefs of Police, Georgia Association of Chiefs of Police, Atlanta Police Department in which is a Major, Georgia Department of Public Safety in which he holds the office of Captain, Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Civil Air Patrol in which he is a Lieutenant Colonel.

He is also on the executive board of the Metropolitan Atlanta area Boy Scouts of America, the Rotary Club of West End Atlanta, a member of the Board of directors of the John H. Harland Boys Club, on the steering committee of the North Fulton Child Development Center, a steering committee member of the governor’s Crime Prevention Program and a past member and chairman of the Juvenile Delinquency Committee of the Georgia Crime Commission.

He was honored in 1966 with the Good Neighbor Award from the Atlanta Chapter of Christians and Jews for his leadership in furthering urban renewal in Atlanta’s West End section. In 1967 he received an award from the Rotary Club of West End for his work. In 1969 he was elevated to the rank of monsignor in recognition of his “labors in the Church.”

Thursday evening the Sisters of St. Jude’s honored their pastor at a special dinner and on Friday evening his fellow priests joined together with Monsignor for a Mass and a dinner during which he was treated to an original sketch by Fathers John Lawrence, Liam Tuffy and Gerry McBrearity appropriately entitled “Mission Impossible.”

When it comes to titles, honors, plaques, commendations and the like Monsignor Don Kiernan probably has more than any man in Atlanta. But, more important than that, he has more friends than any man could ever hope to gain. And all of them he has sincerely earned, as last weekend proved. He long ago merited the title “Super Chief” in many areas, many endeavors and many achievements.