By Rita McInerney

Archbishop Thomas A. Donnellan's abilities as a good administrator who ran "a tight ship" stood him in good stead after he became head of one of the fastest growing dioceses in the country.

"He always received me beautifully," said Joseph Estafen, director of finance for the archdiocese since 1976. "He was always open to ideas to promote constructive change."

Estafen, who is responsible for obtaining financing for all new construction in the archdiocese, said some of the ideas the archbishop accepted included the proposal for a regional school, St. John Neumann in Lilburn; a new concept for funding, the deposit and loan fund; and the centralization of accounting and financial functions, and computerization.

The archbishop's ability as "a good administrator who ran a tight ship," Estafen said, was recognized by the National Conference of Catholic Bishops which occasionally called on him as a troubleshooter for financially strapped dioceses.

In his association with the archbishop, Estafen said he gained much. "He taught me humility and wisdom. He was a beautiful man. He had an inner goodness about him that was obvious to all who knew him."

"He taught me that authority is not something to be brandished but exercised with respect, gentleness and compassion for each individual."

"He had an untiring dedication to the work of the church. He would see anyone and everyone; it was just a matter of getting an appointment scheduled. It's unfortunate that a lot of people didn’t get to know him better and see so many of his good qualities."

The finance director said that although the Catholic population was listed at 137,074 at the beginning of 1987, his office believes the figure now to be closer to 150,000. This is based on an estimated 50,000 families averaging three plus people per family unit. And growth in north Georgia shows no signs of leveling off, he said.