BY GEORGIA BULLETIN STAFF

WOODSTOCK--Peter Lawrence McKenna, a man "who made a difference for the Lord everywhere he went," was buried Dec. 18 after a funeral Mass at St. Thomas Aquinas Church in Alpharetta.

Mr. McKenna was killed in a plane crash Dec. 14 near Greenwood, S.C., while returning from send-off ceremonies for Operation Christmas Child in Charlotte, N.C. His trucking company had delivered 10,000 shoe boxes full of supplies and gifts for children in Bosnia, Croatia and Rwanda which were collected by more than 30 Atlanta area churches. He was 39.

Born Nov. 14, 1956, Mr. McKenna, a native of New York, owned and operated Mac's Customized Distribution, a large trucking company started by his father. Married to Melissa McKenna and the father of two children, Chelsea, 6, and Connor, 4, he was a leader in the archdiocesan Cursillo movement and with the Pregnancy Problem Center in Hapeville.

A capacity congregation filled the church for the funeral Mass celebrated by Father Dan Toof, St. Thomas Aquinas parochial vicar. Archbishop John F. Donoghue presided at the Mass and concelebrants included Father Albert Jowdy, pastor, Father Balappa Selvaraj, parochial vicar, Father Jimmy Adams, pastor of Prince of Peace Parish in Buford, and Msgr. Don Kenny, chancellor.

Homilist Father Richard Kieran, a Cursillo spiritual director, said the consolation for Mr. McKenna's family and many friends must be, "the certainty of Pete's salvation, because he gave his life for the kingdom of God."

"He was dedicated in his primary vocation of marriage," Father Kieran said. "We could see he was and is so much in love with you, Melissa. Chelsea and Connor are his joy. He loved his church and, as someone said (at the wake service) last night, he made a difference for the Lord everywhere he went, especially serving the least--the unborn, children, the needy of all kinds."

Now, Father Kieran said, "For Pete, all is new, wonderfully transformed into fullness of life with God."

"It is terribly important," he continued, "that we realize Pete also lives on with us--not just in memories, but in a very real way he remains with us. We believe in the communion of saints -- that all God's children, both those who struggle here and those in glory, form one family in faith and love. The saints in heaven, St. Peter McKenna included, are our companions on earth."

The best tribute and lasting memorial to him, Father Kieran said, is to share in his dream of a life centered in God, of following Jesus faithfully in everything, and of leading others to salvation in Jesus Christ.

"He was a very strong leader" in the archdiocesan Cursillo movement, said Gibbs Sanders, current lay director. Sanders said he and Mr. McKenna became active in Cursillo at the same time after attending the men's weekend held in February 1990.

Peter McKenna was rector of a men's weekend held in the past year, Sanders said. His death "is a great loss" for the Cursillo community in the archdiocese, Sanders said.

Mr. McKenna's best friend, Brad Markby, gave a eulogy at the close of the Mass. They became friends when Mr. McKenna sponsored Markby on a Cursillo weekend and shared many projects, Markby said in an interview, including serving on the Pregnancy Problem Center board and the fund-raising and renovation projects accomplished there.

"Pete did so many things for so many people," Markby said. "He was an absolute man of God. You knew what Pete's priorities were: God, his wife, his kids and then all the other things he did."

"He did so many things in a unique way," he added. "He didn't let obstacles stop him. He believed God was with him and would make things happen, whether it was finding construction supplies for the center renovation or collecting thousands of shoe boxes."

"Pete never just talked about it (faith), he lived it," Markby said. "Typically the ministries Pete got involved in grew. Last year there were 5,000 shoe boxes to be collected. This year there were 10,000 boxes."

Markby said the Pregnancy Problem Center was where Mr. McKenna "saw and touched and felt God was so much at work."

Jean Hess, former director of the center for women in crisis pregnancies, said Dec. 19 that she and current director Fran Payton are reminded of Mr. McKenna as they work at the building which was purchased and renovated in an effort he coordinated.

"We wouldn't have this building if it weren't for him," she said. "He organized the more than 400 people who did this work using his Cursillo connections. He was our CEO for two years, until six months ago. He never did anything without prayer. It was miraculous how the supplies came and how the people came."

"We had a call from Braselton today from someone who wanted to come and see what we did as a model for a center there," Ms. Hess said. "Pete had always hoped this could be a model."

Ms. Hess said she met Mrs. Franklin Graham at the funeral. Mrs. Graham's husband, son of the Rev. Billy Graham, coordinated the Christmas outreach as one of his ministries. Franklin Graham accompanied the shoe boxes overseas and told his wife that the children would be told to "Thank Pete" when the boxes were distributed.

Peggy Sinanian, director of the archdiocesan Pro-Life Office, said Mr. McKenna's leadership pulled together a wide variety of pro-life people to work on purchasing and renovating the Pregnancy Problem Center. Over $55,000 was raised to buy the building.

"His enthusiasm was catching. You couldn't say no to Pete and you didn't want to," Mrs. Sinanian said. "His organizational skills were very important."

Friends talked of Mr. McKenna's life of faith at the wake service Dec. 17. Each story was different, Markby said, so many people wanted to share remembrances that the service had to be politely concluded, "or we'd have been there two days."

Presiding at the Sunday night prayer service were parish Deacons William Keeling and Ed LaHouse. A reception in the parish hall followed the prayer service and the burial in Arlington Memorial Park, Sandy Springs.

"I heard several people say, and I used the phrase myself," Markby said, "'when you walked with Pete McKenna you walked with Jesus', and that's as true as anything you could say about him."

In addition to his wife and children, Mr. McKenna is survived by his parents, Lawrence and Ann McKenna of Marietta, and his sister, Kathryn Hileman of Woodstock.

In lieu of flowers the family requested donations to the Atlanta Cursillo Movement, 680 W. Peachtree St., N.W., Atlanta 30308 and to the Pregnancy Problem Center, 411 King Arnold Street, Hapeville 30354.