The Cathedral parish which has been his home off and on since 1947 gave a parish farewell in June to Monsignor John F. McDonough, the vicar general who is stepping down as administrator of Christ the King.

Father Richard Kieran is the new administrator while Monsignor McDonough will become a parochial vicar at Holy Spirit, the north Atlanta parish he started and where served as pastor from 1966 to 1972. He is also administering the archdiocese during the illness of Archbishop Thomas Donnellan.

The decision to leave was his own, Monsignor McDonough said, and he had discussed it with the archbishop several months ago, although they made the decision not to announce it until after the Cathedral's 50^th anniversary celebration in early Mary.

"People have been surprised and wondered why I had done it," he said in an interview. But the 72-year-old priest said there was "no doubt in my mind that this was the right thing to do. There comes a time when you know it is the thing to do."

While he is leaving a parish where he has known "so many generations of people" and where he has been administrator for the last 16 years, he will be returning to Holy Spirit for the third time and "all the people that I've known are still there."

A June 7 reception at the Cathedral honored Monsignor McDonough and Father Joseph Peacock, who will be leaving to pastor a new parish.