By Rita McInerney

Monsignor John F. McDonough, vicar general of the archdiocese and administrator of the Cathedral of Christ the King, has been identified with the parish -- off and on -- since 1947 when he arrived from the archdiocese of Boston with the hope of serving in the missions of the South.

He said he arrived in Atlanta as a "lend-lease" priest who was soon told by Monsignor Joseph Moylan of the need for priests in Atlanta. He was named assistant pastor at Christ the King, and was incardinated into the diocese of Savannah - Atlanta in 1949.

The lively sounds -- the shouts, calls and laughter -- of school children at recess came through the large window of his corner office in the rectory as he talked about his years at the Cathedral parish.

His first assignment lasted from 1947 until 1956 when he was sent to LaGrange and later Rome. He came back to Buckhead in 1964 as administrator. Two years later, Bishop Joseph Bernardin became auxiliary bishop to the ailing Archbishop Paul J. Hallinan. "When he came, I resigned," Monsignor McDonough said, "so he could take over this place."

He was named monsignor while serving as pastor at Holy Spirit from 1966 until 1972. During these years he built the new church and forged a bond between the parish and the Episcopal congregation of St. Dunstan's which shared the sanctuary on Sunday morning for five or six years.

Monsignor McDonough returned to Christ the King as Administrator in 1972 after the death of his close friend, Father John Stapleton. He said he sees his tenure as "continuing in the footsteps of John Stapleton," who is remembered for fostering the growth of the parish, for building a new rectory to replace the aging Durant mansion, and for encouraging Hamilton Smith, director of music, in his fund-raising efforts for the magnificent Ruffati organ which has enhanced the Gothic-style cathedral since its installation in 1972.

"Just about all I have done is keep it on a steady keel," he said modestly of his years as administrator of a parish which today has about 2,200 families. But according to the history of the parish written to mark this 50^th anniversary year, he introduced tithing, has been instrumental in the continued growth of the school, and has encouraged the development of the choir under Smith to where it has become one of the foremost singing groups in the city.

Development has changed Peachtree Road from the main street of an affluent, peaceful suburb into a crowded patchwork of luxury apartments, townhouses and office towers. Almost all the substantial houses which sheltered first families of the parish have been leveled in the name of progress. As the neighborhood changed, so must the parish. While the area still is home to the wealthy, both old families and successful corporate executives, it also counts among its population elderly men and women surviving on Social Security, young families, and singles who find the ambience of the neighborhood to their liking.

Many of the newcomers have found a welcome at Christ the King. His parish has always had continuity, Monsignor McDonough said. "People know each other. Right now we have a good many children and grandchildren of original parishioners -- still worshiping, still involved." For him, one of the pleasures of the anniversary celebrations on May 3 and 4 will be seeing the old-timers returning for the events.

He is delighted with the hundreds of parishioners who have worked for over a year to make the anniversary a memorable occasion. They're "good people, loyal, devoted to the parish in and the archdiocese financially and every other way."