(This is the text of Archbishop Donoghue's homily delivered at the Canonical Installation and Evening Prayer Aug. 18.)

I greet all of you this evening -- Clergy, Religious, Laity -- in a spirit of gratitude and mutual trust. It is a great honor for me to take canonical possession of the Archdiocese of Atlanta and I certainly appreciate the warmth and graciousness of your reception of my appointment by His Holiness, Pope John Paul II. You, indeed, make me feel most welcome!

I wish to direct my words this evening especially to my brother priests of the Archdiocese but indirectly to all of you.

Some years ago in the early 1970s the National Conference of Catholic Bishops published a booklet entitle Spiritual Renewal of the American Priesthood. It was a reflection on a report of the spirituality of American priests. It was based on the actual experiential life of priests here in the United States at that time and it was to be the basis for the spiritual renewal of the American priesthood. It suggested the "how to's" for that renewal.

The report did not presume to treat the subject exhaustively nor for all times. It warned that the reflection needs to be ongoing since life moves on and changing conditions in our culture and in our church will be a constant that will forever impact our life and ministry.

It dealt directly and compassionately with the things that, which at that time, were sources of pain for many priests. Life goes on, and we find today that many of these same issues are still with us and continue to plague our personhood, our priesthood and our ministry. But even more painfully, others have been added to this list. Never before in our experience has the credibility of the priesthood itself been so shaken by actions of some of our priests. Because we live under the shadow of their indiscretions, we are forced to take the witness stand of life and demonstrate by our words and our actions that we indeed are men of integrity, men of God.

St. Paul warned us, "People," he said, "must think of us as Christ's servants, stewards entrusted with the mysteries of God. What is expected of stewards is that each one of us is found worthy of his trust." (I Cor. 4:1,2)

In addition to this shadow there is a gray cloud on the horizon that is fast drawing near. Where will the replenishment of our ministers come from? Who will move in to fill our thinning ranks? Will we be forced to shoulder heavier burdens in our declining years than we shouldered when we were ordained?

In 1991 the National Federation of Priests' Councils issued a very fine report entitled Priestless Parishes. Priests' Perspective and a number of legitimate concerns of priests were brought forward with all the pain, all the frustration inherent in each concern. Some voiced very personal hurts as well as confusion in the blurring of the priestly role as the non-ordained become more involved in ministry.

I'm sure you have read both studies. You know the pains. You know the problems. Rather than focus on these, though, I'd like you to join me in searching for, not solutions, but rather for direction and this is something we must do together, for I need your support as much as you need mine.

I'd suggest two areas that I feel we need to examine; each is intimately connected with the other:

First, how can we image and envision ourselves and our roles in new ways that keep us open and welcoming and at the same time non-threatened, as the generous lay people assume their rightful roles of service in the church? I think we need to ask ourselves:

What have been the expectations that we have placed on ourselves as priests? Where have these expectations come from? Are they indeed realistic? Have they resulted in our losing focus? in ego-building or ego-polishing? in competition with our brother priests? in perfectionisms? in health problems, such as chronic fatigue and exhaustion?

The expectations that have come from ourselves as well as from others have created images in our own minds of who we are as priests. Have some of these images become idols not worthy of the altar at which we minister?

I wonder whether we need new images, truer to the person of Jesus Christ, and fewer expectations of ourselves.

These newer images must include our understanding and acceptance of ministries other than our own. Our ministry can be all things to all people but only if other people are included in the ministering. There is too much to be done for Christ and the Church, so many people hurting, so many people turning away from the Church at the same time that so many people are coming into the Church; so many families needing the Church, so many hurting marriages, so many who are materially poor, so many who are spiritually poor, so many needing spiritual enrichment, so many children in need of good education and religious and moral training; and the list goes on and on.

The newer images must include our understanding of sacramental ministry, especially the Eucharist, as we face the reality of the shortage of priests.

The second area that needs to be explored: How can we maintain healthy relationships in all areas of our life so that we will be enabled to come to the fullness of maturity in Christ Jesus? Our relationships with others do indeed affect our prayer life and the relationships also serve as a monitor for our relationship with God himself.

Because of scandals rocking the Church and all of society today, we may fear relationships. But, in order to grow we need to be able to relate to other people; we need the honest interchange of honest communication. We do not need fawning or flattery from others, we need the truth spoken in love. We need close friends, we need the honest love of the people to whom we minister; and above all, my brothers, we need each other. "To know the brethren," as St. John tells us, "is already to know and love Christ." (I Jn. 4:7). How can we affirm each other in our ministry and in our relationships and still maintain a health support system that helps us to grow spiritually, emotionally, and psychologically?

Ultimately I am speaking about growth in holiness. God calls us to holiness through his people and the people that we serve have a right to expect us to be holy and the whole human beings. They have a right to expect that we practice what we preach.

As your bishop, I want to support you, my brother priests, in every way I can. I, in turn, elicit your support. My hope is that together we may explore ways to encourage each other, to build hope, and to trust God working in each of us, to see beyond and to realize that our present cross is the very means that God uses to transform us into the likeness of His Son, Jesus.

I believe that on this occasion the words of St. Paul in Second Corinthians express very well our common sentiments toward the People of God in the Archdiocese of Atlanta: "All of us, gazing on the Lord's glory with unveiled faces, are being transformed from glory to glory into his very image by the Lord who is the Spirit and because we possess this ministry through God's mercy, we don't give in to discouragement. It is not ourselves that we preach but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. This treasure, he says we possess in earthen vessels to make it perfectly clear that its surpassing power comes from God and not from us. We are afflicted perhaps, in every way possible, but we are not crushed; we are full of doubts, but we never despair. Continually we carry about in our bodies the dying of Jesus, so that in our bodies the life of Jesus may also be revealed. While we live we are constantly being delivered to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus may be revealed in our mortal flesh." (2 Cor. 3:18-4:1, 5, 7-8, 10-11)

This is the mystery that our lives must reflect: constant transformation into Christ.

I would like to address my final words this evening to the laity who are present. As priests we are called to give service to you, our people. You need and you have the right to our support and encouragement in this materialistic and hedonistic world of today and we are happy to give that, but I would like to add that we very much need your support, as well. I would encourage you, my brothers and sisters, to give that support to your bishop and your priests by your prayers and your love.