By Paula Day

The term "half-hearted" is not in Father John Kieran's vocabulary.

The priest celebrated 25 years of commitment and service to the Church in Georgia and words like earnest, involved and dedicated are apt to come to mind when describing him. To honor Father Kieran well-wishers from the archdiocese gathered in LaGrange June 21 for a Mass of Thanksgiving followed by food and fellowship on the parish grounds.

The impact of Father Kieran's ministry has touched many, from the Boy Scouts to young couples preparing for marriage and seminarians for ordination, to senior citizens gathering for First Friday Mass and lunch. Evangelization and missionary zeal are concrete realities to him. He spearheaded the formation of the LaGrange Area Ministerial Association and promoted the adoption of a parish in Haiti when he was pastor of Christ Our Hope in Lithonia.

This single-mindedness is apt to mask from the casual observer his caring concern in a one-on-one situation. Someone at the jubilee Mass said he believes Father Kieran's most outstanding quality is his compassion for those "in a hurting situation."

John Kieran was born in Dublin, Ireland, the son of Laurence and Joan Kieran. His father died in 1962. His 77-year-old mother keeps up with her extensive flower garden, is quite active in a charity for the disabled, won two national bridge competitions this year, and was one of 11 finalists for Ireland's Woman of the Year. When Father John or any of his siblings returns for a visit, she has a list of chores written down and waiting.

Father Richard Kieran, pastor of Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in Atlanta, is one of his seven siblings. "It's a real blessing" to have someone to share with as a brother and a priest, Father Richard, who is younger, said. While he admits the two have different gifts and differing viewpoints at times, Father John, in mock seriousness sidesteps any hint of sibling rivalry by saying, "It gives a mother a great sense of security to know the older brother is keeping the younger on the straight and narrow." They have a trailer on Deacon Jerry Connell's property in Monroe where both brothers indulge their passion for gardening.

Father Kieran received his seminary training at All Hallows College Seminary in Dublin. He was ordained June 18, 1967 by Bishop John J. Scanlon, auxiliary bishop of Honolulu. In the days when seminarians didn't have the luxury of preordination visits, his memories of those first August days in Georgia were of the heat and blazing sun after the foggy and frequently rainy, Irish weather. "But the people were very welcoming," he is quick to add.

His first pastorate was St. Joseph's Church in Dalton and its mission in Blue Ridge. The parish consisted of Whitfield, Murray and Fannin counties and 60 miles separated Dalton and Blue Ridge. There were only 180 households in the parish and the anti-Catholic sentiment was quite a change. He realized there was much evangelizing to do and began working within Dalton's Ministerial Association. He has continued this ecumenical involvement in each of his parishes since.

Father Kieran's first experience in a large metropolitan parish was at St. Philip Benizi in Jonesboro. In the nine years he was pastor the parish enjoyed quality growth in ministry. A full-time director of religious education was hired, its Hispanic people became involved in parish activities and it was one of the first parishes in the archdiocese to have a permanent deacon.

Mildred Green, a founding member, recalls his concern for the seniors. The group met in the parish hall before they had their own center and he made a point of meeting each one and attended the funerals of those who died. He came to Emory Hospital in the early morning hours to be with her when her husband was seriously ill and she believes Walt Green's admiration for Father Kieran contributed to his wish to become a Catholic.

In the summer of 1984 Father Kieran began "a real pioneering experience." Archbishop Thomas A. Donnellan appointed him pastor of an unnamed parish with no membership, no place of worship, no office or rectory. It was located in east DeKalb County, bounded by Sts. Peter and Paul, Corpus Christi and St. Pius X parishes.

Armed with a map, a list of names and a Lithonia post office box, he went from door to door gathering information and inviting active and inactive Catholics to become members of Christ Our Hope.

Cass Catroppa attended one of the first organizational meetings and remembers being recruited to take notes. "The next thing I knew he walked into my house with a brand new IBM Selectric typewriter and I have been the parish secretary ever since. He never leaves an opening to say 'no', but he never expects anyone to do more than he does."

She also remembers a man who was concerned for the poor and if asked for $10 would borrow $5 to make up the difference if he didn't have the cash in his pocket. He bought a raincoat in a St. Vincent de Paul thrift store when he first came to Atlanta. Some parishioners collected money specifically to buy an all-weather coat, but he still wears the old raincoat. "Material things are totally unimportant to him," she commented. "The only things he needs are his truck, his tools and his cut-offs."

Father Kieran has been involved with the Engaged Encounter movement for 11 years, most recently as its priest coordinator.

"He's very, very committed to the program," said Fran Stoecker, who, with her husband Vern, plans the prenuptial weekend program. "I have known him to rearrange his schedule so we can have a priest to celebrate Eucharist. He makes every effort to be at community meetings. He is very concerned about the engaged couples."

Another commitment that reaches beyond parish boundaries has been to the youth in the Scouting program. For 21 years until he went to LaGrange, he was a Scout chaplain in the archdiocese.

When one notes his involvement in ministry beyond parish boundaries, he responds, "I've always felt that you are a richer Christian, Catholic community by working with as broad a church as possible -- within the parish, interparish, at the diocesan level, the interdiocesan level. This makes you a richer person, makes the parish a richer parish. You can bring ideas from other places and enrich the community you're working with."

And then there are the seminarians who work with him, from Don Kenny, now Father Kenny, vocations director, to this summer's candidate, Serge Ward. A summer with Father John is a summer getting hands-on experience.

Frank Richardson, who spend two months at Christ Our Hope in 1990, said, "He's one of those rare priests who devotes every spare minute to his parishioners. I was exposed to all the ministerial activities of a priest in Atlanta. He has a great rapport with ministers from other denominations and met with them regularly for breakfast. I had not encountered this in Ireland and it made me conscious of the ecumenical effort here."

"I found Father John very prayerful. We always said morning prayer together. He is a very sincere priest."

"He's a good supervisor (for the seminarians), a good mentor, a good example and an excellent priest. He's been very supportive of vocations," Father Kenny said.

Father Kieran makes no secret of the fact that the call of the archbishop to move on from the parish he "started from scratch" required a response of faith and obedience. He had hoped to celebrate his silver jubilee at Christ Our Hope. But St. Peter's has welcomed his "boundless energy and responsiveness to people's needs" as one parishioner put it.

Chuck Weisenburger has lived in the parish 11 years. "He's a brother minister, he works with us," the parish financial administrator said. "He started the RCIA. He is a great backer of the St. Vincent de Paul. He's inspired Knights of Columbus to become more active. He's injected new life into the parish."

Nasor Mansour, a leading businessman in the community and charter parish member, says, "We haven't had this much activity in a long time. Collections are up... More young people are involved. It's magnificent for the town and for the church. He's putting the church on the map."

LaGrange Mayor Chris Joseph is chairman of the parish council. "He has been well received in the community at large," Joseph says. "He is committed to more than St. Peter's Catholic Church, a commitment that's had a positive impact on all of us. He's taken an active part in United Way, in Habitat for Humanity, in the Chamber of Commerce."

For his part, the new pastor credits the people of St. Peter's with a debt-free parish. The $3 million complex of church, social hall, offices and rectory was completed in 1988 and replaced the original 1935 structure. It was built with matching funds from the Fuller E. Calloway Foundation and Father Kieran commends the effort and energy it took for the 300 households to raise the matching $1 million.

A debt-free parish allows him to devote his energies to the work of ministry and that is welcomed by the parish. "I think he's the greatest," says Rita Kitts, a senior parishioner who graduated from LaGrange College at the age of 76. "He provides spiritual leadership. He's implemented a lot of Vatican II suggestions. There's no doubt of his concern for people, people with problems. In my book that means an awful lot."

With a twinkle in her eye she adds to the description of the earnest, involved, dedicated priest, "He sometimes even exhibits a sense of humor."