By Georgia Bulletin Staff

Sadness and shock characterized the reaction of people in the archdiocese, whether Catholic or not, to the news of the resignation of Archbishop Eugene A. Marino, SSJ.

The archbishop "had what is called the human touch," said Neal Ponder of the Christian Council of Metropolitan Atlanta and "everyone is very concerned."

"I hope he will find healing and wholeness" and a place of future service in the Church, Ponder said.

Bishop Harold Skillrud of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America, Southeastern Synod, spoke of the "very close relationship" he shared with Archbishop Marino, explaining that "our spirits seemed to meld well together."

"He is such a genuinely humble, Christ-like spirit. I can't imagine him being mean-spirited," Bishop Skillrud observed.

Yet, "in this office there have to be times when you come down hard" on situations and people. "His gentle nature" did not allow for that. "He was a real shepherd," he said, modeling warmth, love kindness and gentleness.

Father Edward Dillon, moderator of the curia, said the resignation is "a tremendous loss of the archdiocese."

"He was a very charismatic person who drew people to himself and generated a tremendous excitement about the Church and the diocese and the future." Although his tenure has been all too short, "his impact is going to be lasting," Father Dillon said.

"I think when he came to the diocese he was needed," said Father Don Kenny, who lived with Archbishop Marino. "He brought kindness, he brought warmth, and a gentle spirit. And we go on from there and we look to Bishop Lyke for other qualities.

"I never felt that I was living with a bishop. I was living with a friend who was constantly concerned about my welfare and how my day went. He wasn't tied up in himself. He was a joy to live with."

His schedule was hectic. In 1989 he spent over 100 days traveling outside the archdiocese, taking part in Church work elsewhere in the U.S. and internationally. Gerard O'Connor, his master of ceremonies and assistant, said he rose regularly at about 5 a.m., said Mass, exercised at the local track or YMCA, ate breakfast and generally was at the office well before 9 a.m.

O'Connor marveled over the range of people that they would be with in a day, from city officials to Catholic businessmen at a downtown office building and then on to a parish.

In addition to his official work, O'Connor said, he was so concerned about people, individually listening to their problems and trying to help them. The archbishop was also "a very strong family man and his family means a lot to him."

The archbishop is "an extraordinarily feeling man, just a caring, feeling, sensitive person." Part of the difficulty there, he said, is that all situations, including painful ones, "were personal for him. He felt the pain of everybody involved in that situation."

"He has an incredible sense of humor. Sometimes I didn't know whether he was kidding or not," O'Connor said. "The sense of humor sometimes kept us going."

Priests of the archdiocese were especially touched by his pastoral concern. Father Tom Carroll, MS, pastor at St. Ann's Church in Marietta, remembers Archbishop Marino as "a warm, very loving person. He had a genuine concern for the people of Atlanta and for his priests. He was dedicated to his priests, really would go out of his way for them."

Deacon Bob Mulligan, who serves at St. Helena's parish in Clayton, was struck by the broad scope of the archbishop's Atlanta schedule. "I think he was the greatest," said Deacon Mulligan, "a tremendous inspiration to me. He had so much to do, like bailing out the ocean. You can't tell an archbishop to slow down. Well, you can, but it won't do any good, and he had a big job."

The example set by the archbishop was commonly mentioned by those feeling the loss of his presence. Claud Shirley, the archbishop's researcher and writer, felt Archbishop Marino "had a great influence on my life. He had so many people's problems on his mind. As someone who had access to him, I could see that ... He gave great meaning to my life."

Rhonwyn Rogers, director of the Office for Black Catholic ministry, was energized and encouraged by his example. "He enabled me to reach out to do more. He set an example I don't think he even realized he was setting," she said. Commenting on her sense of personal loss, "as if a family member were no long here," Mrs. Rogers added, "I do understand clearly that Christ doesn't put any more on us than we can bear."

Some people were at a loss to talk about their reactions.

Parishioners throughout the archdiocese were affected when news of the archbishop's resignation was announced at morning Masses July 10. Dorothy Ross of Holy Cross Church in Chamblee was "sad for the diocese. In the short time he was here I did feel a different spirit. He was such a wonderful speaker and homilist. He was genuinely committed to and concerned about his flock, the people and his clergy."

But, Ms. Ross felt that the archbishop's health was a priority. "If it's a matter of keeping his health, then that's what has to be. The Spirit is definitely at work here."

Pam Saucier of St. Bernadette's Church in Cedartown reflected that "Archbishop Marino is a very spiritual man. He can do a lot for us and the world just by praying and being close to the Lord. We can be a part of him and he's a part of us even though he's gone, through prayer. The Lord can be using him in a different way."

(Thea Jarvis contributed to this report.)