BY GRETCHEN KEISER

Staff Writer

ATLANTA--The service of Msgr. Edward J. Dillon as vicar general and moderator of the curia will end Sept. 1 as Archbishop John F. Donoghue has accepted his request to step down from the top administrative role of the archdiocese.

Msgr. Dillon, who began serving as vicar general nine years ago, will remain as pastor of Holy Spirit Parish in Atlanta. He has been holding both positions simultaneously.

Msgr. Peter Dora, pastor of St. Joseph's Parish in Athens, has been named to succeed Msgr. Dillon as vicar general of the archdiocese effective Sept. 1.

In a letter to priests of the archdiocese, the archbishop said that "fulfilling both positions" as pastor and vicar general "was always difficult," but that the demands on Msgr. Dillon had become excessive in recent months because of the $50 capital campaign, "Building The Church Of Tomorrow," and a major study of school funding underway in the archdiocese. Both projects were being directed from the archdiocesan perspective by the vicar general.

Msgr. Dillon informed secretariat and department heads at the Catholic Center July 30, saying that he looked forward to turning his attention full-time to pastoring at Holy Spirit.

Appointed vicar general Oct. 20, 1988 by Archbishop Eugene A. Marino, SSJ, Msgr. Dillon's service extended following the resignation of Archbishop Marino into a term as administrator of the archdiocese. He was asked to continue his service as vicar general by Archbishop James P. Lyke, OFM, and also became the moderator of the curia, or coordinator of the administrative offices of the Catholic Center, in October 1992 when Archbishop Lyke became critically ill with cancer.

Following Archbishop Lyke's death he again served as administrator of the archdiocese until the appointment of Archbishop Donoghue, who asked him to continue his service as vicar general and moderator of the curia.

"There is no way I could adequately thank him for the help he has given me," Archbishop Donoghue said of Msgr. Dillon.

"Everything he has done he does so well. He never ever said no to anything I have asked him to do. Not only was he willing to do it, he did it so well. He was running a parish so well and running the chancery so well...Any initiative we have done in the archdiocese he has been involved in. I always go to him because I know it will be done and done well. I have never met anybody who has so much ability in so many areas as he does."

Archbishop Donoghue also said he was appreciative of Msgr. Dora's willingness to step into the role of vicar general and looked forward to working with him.

"I am grateful that he is willing to accept this ministry, which he knows is a difficult one," the archbishop said. "Everything will continue and we look forward to the cooperation of all the priests and Religious."

A priest of the archdiocese for 25 years, Msgr. Dora will assume the role of vicar general as a full-time assignment, stepping down as pastor of the Athens parish he currently serves.

Ordained in June 1972 at the Cathedral of Christ the King by Archbishop Thomas A. Donnellan, he has served for many years in the Catholic Center, as a priest on the staff of the Metropolitan Tribunal for nine years, including four years as Officialis, as an editor of The Georgia Bulletin and later communications director, and as an administrative assistant to Archbishop Marino. He has been the archdiocesan media spokesman since 1986, a role he has kept while serving as pastor in Athens.