By Rita McInerney

Father Michael Woods, newly appointed vicar for clergy, will have the formidable responsibility of helping Archbishop Eugene A. Marino, SSJ, “insure the well-being of all the clergy in the archdiocese.”

This was cited as the main purpose for creating such a post in a letter sent by the consultation with the priests of the archdiocese. Father Woods is pastor of the Church of St. Jude in Sandy Springs.

The post of vicar of clergy was created after the Second Vatican Council and has not been filled before in the Atlanta archdiocese, according to Father Edward Dillon, vicar general.

In his letter, Archbishop Marino made it clear that the new position won’t distance him from the clergy. “Far from building a wall, I see the role as being primarily to facilitate my relationship with the priests and deacons.”

“I was surprised and honored when the appointment came from the archbishop because I realized it was a combination of the recommendations from the priests and the archbishop’s choice,” Father Woods said.

The pastor sees confidentiality as the “heart” of his new assignment.

“Priests and deacons are free to approach the vicar for clergy in confidence to discuss any and all matters pertaining to their life and ministry,” he said.

The vicar will hold such matters in “strictest confidence,” he said, unless released by the individual priest or deacon to discuss them with the archbishop. With the permission of the individual, the vicar can arrange for him to meet the archbishop to resolve the problem.

In his comments, Archbishop Marino said he “was delighted at the process and I’m also delighted he has manifested a willingness to do it. He’s pastor at one of the largest parishes in the archdiocese.”

The archbishop does not expect the post will be full-time right now, but said when Father Woods begins to get involved in a pastoral relationship with the priests it may become evident that it “may require a full-time priest in the future. Father Woods might not be able to do all it will grow into, at which time we will have to decide what we will do.”

He also emphasized that the vicar is “not to stand between me and the priests” but to provide a person for the clergy to meet with both on crucial matters and other topics they may feel are not significant enough to bring to the archbishop.

He would like the vicar for clergy to regularly visit priests who are sick, or priests away on a leave of absence or for study outside the archdiocese. The vicar “will let them know we are thinking about them, praying for the, wanting them to come home.”

“I’d like to visit every priest in the hospital once a week. I’d like to talk to every priest who’s away, for any reason, on a regular basis. I cannot,” Archbishop Marino said.

“Father Woods will take other initiatives and tell me ‘This is one you need to handle.’ He will help me pastor the priests of the archdiocese.”

The archbishop said a vicar for clergy was requested by the Council of Priests over a year ago. He appointed a committee that included Father Richard Kieran, Father Henry Gracz, Father Peter Rau and Father Woods, to draw up a job description which the council had requested. Once formulated, it was presented to the archbishop for review and to the Council of Priests.

“I was involved in helping draw up the job description,” Father Woods said, “but I personally had someone else in mind. I was unaware I would be implementing it.”

Of his own response to the new responsibility Father Woods said that “In the past my personal relationships with the priests came from a focus of being coworkers in the vineyard. Now my focus calls for a greater love and concern for their own peace of mind.”

“My first response to the appointment was to pray for wisdom, compassion and understanding for such a holy work. Now, I’ve already noticed at Mass my prayers for the priests and archbishop and their intentions, which before were general, are now more specific and focused.”

Father Ken Bayer, MSFS, outgoing head of the council, said the archbishop sent a letter to each priest in the archdiocese, asking if he knew a priest with the qualifications for the post. The Council of Priests, as a body, did not suggest choices, he said.

The archbishop said it was the “kind of a process in which everyone had an opportunity to be a part and everyone had an opportunity to share.”

The job description for the vicar of clergy states that he is to be consulted in regard to every clergy assignment and may recommend for or against the assignment, even if he cannot divulge his reasons for doing so.

It will be the responsibility of the vicar of clergy to recommend to the archbishop and personnel board continuing education, spiritual renewal, personal growth and therapy programs for individual priests and deacons. These recommendations will be made after consultation with the priest or deacon himself and the priest who serves as dean of his region.

He will assist priests wishing to retire, resign or move to a less demanding ministry because of advanced age or illness.

He is to be consulted before the establishment of new parishes or missions and before the consolidation of existing ones. He should also be consulted regarding the development of continuing education programs for the presbyterate and diaconate.

The job description concludes by saying the vicar for clergy will meet periodically with the archbishop to discuss the morale, health, pastoral effectiveness and deployment of clergy and other specific needs which may arise.

The appointment is for five years, effective Jan. 25. Father Woods said he was “only beginning to absorb the big job description.”

Before being assigned as pastor at St. Jude’s in June, 1989, he served as pastor at St. John the Evangelist for 11 years. Other pastorates included St. Joseph’s in Athens for six years, and St. Joseph’s in Dalton.

He was ordained at All Hallows College, Dublin, June 19, 1966. After coming to the archdiocese he served as assistant at Holy Spirit and Sacred Heart parishes in Atlanta, and Sts. Peter and Paul in Decatur.

He served for five years on the priest personnel board with Archbishop Thomas A. Donnellan and for three years as a consultor.

Father Bayer expressed pleasure at Father Woods’ appointment.

“With all that he has on him as pastor, is he willing to give of himself by taking on just a little more pressure for his brothers? And he accepted the job. I think he really cares about priests,” Father Bayer said.

He went on to say that he considers the new vicar for clergy a “caring, spiritual, down to earth” person with a “tremendous sense of humor.”

The pastor of St. Patrick’s in Norcross, Father Bayer said the post of vicar for clergy is called for in the new Code of Canon Law.

Father Bayer said the appointment of Father Woods is a “positive movement. It recognizes that we are not just cogs in the wheel but real human beings, called to growth and to hear the Gospels. Like the earthen vessels in Corinthians, we are breakable.”