Archbishop Thomas A. Donnellan gave total dedication to serving the people of the archdiocese, ever faithful to the motto, "To Serve, Not To Be Served," which graced his coat of arms. This unstinting service was viewed by many priests of the archdiocese as an example of his pastoral care.

Glenmary Father Robert Poandl, pastor of St. Francis of Assisi in Blairsville, developed a "great affection" for the archbishop and "felt supported, cared for, and loved by him" in return since coming to the archdiocese.

The priest said he had been involved with parish renewal before arriving in the north Georgia mountains and brought with him the awareness that his relationships with bishops had become "horrendous over the years." Because of this he made an appointment with the archbishop" to ask him to forgive me" for this state of mind.

While the priest and the archbishop had some problems, Father Poandl said, "We could always talk about the problem. It always came down to the people being more important."

"He just glowed among people," the priest said of the many times the archbishop came to the mountain church and missions served by the Glenmary priest.

The archbishop's willingness to visit the missions for Confirmations, no matter how few children were involved, was well known. "He told me that he liked to come, he looked for excuses to come," Father Poandl said. One year in the early 1980s, he came to the Blairsville parish to confirm one child.

Also noting his personal kindness Father Poandl recalled that when his rectory burned to the ground in a lightning storm he received a call the next day from the archbishop expressing concern. "He said, 'I'll put something in the mail to you,' and he sent me $250 from his personal checking account," Father Poandl said. "You don't forget things like that soon."

Archbishop Donnellan's "ability to hang in there when the going was rough," was admired by Father William Hoffman, pastor of St. Jude parish in Sandy Springs. Alluding to the departure of priests, Father Hoffman said "He provided a lot of stability for the local Catholic church. His confidence in the church's ability to weather storms and come out victorious is something I learned from him."

Father Hoffman recalled the archbishop's generosity at the time he asked for leave to serve in South America. He made his request, the only one received, after the archbishop announced at a clergy meeting in January, 1971, that the Holy Father had appealed to local bishops to share their priests with the church in Central and South America.

With his approval the archbishop attached three conditions, Father Hoffman recalled: that he would keep his seniority in the archdiocese; that if he "was not happy down there, come on back. You're worth more back here as a happy priest than being a disgruntled priest down there for five years; and that "I'll offer you the first pastorate that becomes available after your return."

Father Hoffman worked with the Missionary Society of St. James in Peru for 10 years in the 1970s and then returned to Atlanta in 1982.

Father Richard Kieran, administrator at the Cathedral of Christ the King, said he will always "be grateful for these years, for the chance to work closely with him. I learned a great deal about pastoral sensitivity and caring. I'll miss him."

The archbishop's pastoral qualities were outstanding, Father Thomas Carroll, MS, pastor of St. Ann in Marietta, said. "He was a very pastoral man, always willing to go anywhere, at any time. He always extended himself to the people. He loved to be with people, and how he loved children."

"He was always willing to be there if you wanted to come in and talk with him," Father Carroll added. "He was always willing to advise. He was most gracious."

His "brutal" Confirmation schedule was testimony to how "big he was on pastoral life," according to Father Edward O'Connor, pastor of St. Theresa Church in Douglasville. This placed him "where he was at home -- with the people, especially the children." Father O'Connor found a mutual link in the archbishop's fondness for his Irish heritage, enjoyed his sense of humor and admired him for his modest lifestyle.

"He was really a man's man" in his approach to problems and tough situations, said Monsignor Donald Kiernan, pastor of All Saints in Dunwoody. While the archbishop's approach might be strong, "there was no double talk with him. You could believe everything he said."

A holder of firm opinions himself, "he respected people who held their opinions firmly," said Father Henry Gracz, pastor of Transfiguration parish. "He loved a good verbal repartee," Father Gracz observed, a quality which served him well in the heated public and media reaction to the bishop's pastoral on the economy.

Normally reticent in the public eye, he picked up the challenge of jousting over the pastoral on radio and television, showing himself to be adept at fielding questions on live call-in shows and at responding to interviewers hostile to the contents of the pastoral or dubious about the appropriateness of bishops discussing matters of business and politics.

"I lived at close quarters with the archbishop for five years and in that time I came to know him as a man who was totally committed to his responsibility as a bishop both in his diocese and as a member of the Conference of Bishops," said Father Peter Ludden, chancellor of the archdiocese.

"He rarely cancelled a function, event, or meeting which he regarded as the fulfillment of his pastoral role or which he had simply agreed to attend. This keen sense of personal responsibility made him reluctant to send someone in his place even when his schedule was overloaded. Every aspect of church life and ministry was of deep concern to him," Father Ludden said.

"But his greatest care and concern was for his priests. He was not a man to easily show his feelings but whenever I saw him grieve it was always for one or other of his fellow priests. I cannot think of anyone more deserving to hear the Lord say, 'Well done, good and faithful servant.'"