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By Erika Anderson and Priscilla Greear, Staff Writers
ATLANTA—Eleven priests of the archdiocese have been named
monsignors, Archbishop John F. Donoghue announced March 23.
The priests will be invested as monsignors with the rank of
prelate of honor at a Vespers Service on May 10 at 7:30 p.m. at the Cathedral
of Christ the King.
The honored priests include Msgr. Paul Reynolds, vicar general in
curia, and Msgr. David Talley, chancellor and vocations director for the
archdiocese.
Nine other priests, including seven pastors, have been given the
honor. They are Msgr. Pat Bishop, pastor of the Church of the Transfiguration,
Marietta; Msgr. Stephen Churchwell, pastor of Sacred Heart Church, Atlanta;
Msgr. Jim Fennessy, pastor of St. John Neumann Church, Lilburn; Msgr. Paul
Fogarty, pastor of Holy Cross Church, Atlanta; Msgr. Frank Giusta, an assistant
vocations director who is on special assignment in El Paso, Texas, working with
archdiocesan seminarians; Msgr. Leo Herbert, pastor of St. George Church,
Newnan; Msgr. Bill Hoffman, pastor of St. Joseph Church, Dalton; Msgr. Richard
Lopez, religion teacher at St. Pius X High School, Atlanta, and chaplain of Our
Lady of Perpetual Help Home; and Msgr. Hugh Marren, pastor of the Church of St.
Benedict, Duluth. The honor was given by Pope John Paul II at the request of
the archbishop, who said he was delighted that the priests were recognized by
the pope.
“These are outstanding priests and they’ve worked hard
for the church,” the archbishop said. “All our priests are hard
working and a lot of priests are deserving of this honor. Eventually in time,
many others will be honored.”
All of the priests, with the exception of Msgr. Talley, are senior
priests, having served the archdiocese at least 25 years.
Archbishop Donoghue said he is thankful for the dedication shown
by the priests of the archdiocese and by the Catholics they serve.
“I am grateful to all our priests for their hard work and to
our people for supporting our priests,” he said.
This is the first time since 1994 that priests in the archdiocese
have been given the title of monsignor.
In alphabetical order, the priests being honored follow.
A native of Atlanta, Msgr. Bishop, 55, was ordained May 18,
1974, at the Cathedral of Christ the King, Atlanta. He served as a parochial
vicar at several parishes, including Holy Cross Church, Atlanta, St. Thomas
More Church, Decatur, and Sts. Peter and Paul Church, Decatur.
From 1979-83, Msgr. Bishop served as the spiritual director of St.
Pius X High School and then as pastor of St. Bernadette Church, Cedartown, from
1983-89. While in Cedartown, Msgr. Bishop wrote a weekly column for The
Cedartown Standard, served as president of the Cedartown Ministerial
Association and was active in various civic organizations.
Msgr. Bishop became pastor of Transfiguration Church, Marietta, in
1989. He was elected to two terms as president of the Atlanta Council of
Priests and served on the Archdiocesan Finance Review Board. In 1994, he
received the Clergy of the Year Award from the National Council of Christians
and Jews. Msgr. Bishop believes the honor reflects on his parishioners.
“This is a remarkable Eucharist community. The Spirit is very
much alive here and you can feel the warmth and the love of the people gathered
around the eucharistic table,” he said. “I told (the parishioners)
that I really think this happened because you people make me look good.”
Msgr. Bishop said he is grateful that the archbishop recognizes
the spirit that is present in the parish.
“My respect for (the archbishop) is even deeper in that I
know that there are people who question the spirit and environment at
Transfiguration and naming me as a monsignor is also a recognition of the
beautiful and very valid worship and spirituality that goes on in our parish
and that makes me very proud,” he said.
Msgr. Churchwell, a native of Carmi, Ill., was born on Oct.
4, 1949. A convert to Catholicism at the age of 17, Msgr. Churchwell was
ordained at the Cathedral of Christ the King May 1, 1976 and celebrates his
silver jubilee this year.
His first assignments were as a parochial vicar at Sts. Peter and
Paul Church, Decatur, and Sacred Heart Church, Atlanta. He served as a
parochial vicar at St. Anthony’s Church, Atlanta, for one year before
beginning graduate studies in canon law from 1979-82 at Catholic University in
Washington D.C. He served as a parochial vicar at St. Andrew Church, Roswell,
from 1982-84.
Msgr. Churchwell was affiliated with the Metropolitan Tribunal
from 1978-2000. His positions included vice officialis from 1982-88 and
officialis from 1988-91. In 1984, Msgr. Churchwell began serving as a parochial
vicar at Sacred Heart Church until he was named pastor in 1994. He has served
on the priests’ retirement committee since 1998. In December 2000, he was
appointed a judge in the provincial Court of Appeals, a position he still
maintains.
Msgr. Churchwell said he was “very appreciative” to the
archbishop for the recognition and that, in a practical sense, his ministry
will remain unchanged.
“It is a form of affirmation for the job that you have
done,” he said. “It’s an honor, not only for me, but for the
parish I serve.”
Msgr. Fennessy, 58, was born March 13, 1943 in County
Tipperary, Ireland. A priest for 32 years, he was ordained in Carlow, Ireland,
June 8, 1968.
Following his ordination, Msgr. Fennessy served as a parochial
vicar at Holy Cross Church, Atlanta; St. Peter’s Church, LaGrange; Sacred
Heart Church, Atlanta; and Corpus Christi Church, Stone Mountain.
From 1975-77, Msgr. Fennessy served as pastor of St. Bernadette
Church, Cedartown, and from 1977-83, as pastor of St. John Vianney Church, then
in Austell. He served as pastor of St. Thomas Aquinas Church, Alpharetta, from
1983-91 and then began serving as pastor at St. John Neumann Church, Lilburn,
his current assignment. Msgr. Fennessy also serves as dean of the northeast
metro deanery and as a member of the Council of Priests.
He was instrumental in creating small faith communities at both
St. Thomas Aquinas and St. John Neumann parishes and, though he often works
with Marriage Encounter, Engaged Encounter and Christian initiation ministries,
he says, “as a pastor I am in someway involved with all aspects of parish
life.”
“I am grateful that the archbishop thought of me,” he
said. “I always just did my job. I didn’t think I did anything
special to deserve this honor.”
Msgr. Fennessy said the honor belongs to the people he has served.
“It’s something I’m very proud to share not only
with St. John Neumann but with all the parishes that I’ve been in,”
he said. “I have always felt a great welcome from the people of the
archdiocese and have been very affirmed in my priestly ministry. Without that
kind of affirmation and that kind of support, this never would have
happened.”
A priest for over 30 years, Msgr. Fogarty, 59, is a native
of Knocka Drom, County Tipperary, Ireland, and was ordained June 10, 1967 in
Carlow, Ireland.
He served as a parochial vicar at Immaculate Heart of Mary Church,
Atlanta, from 1967-70, at St. Mary Church, Rome, from 1970-72, and at St. Jude
the Apostle Church, Atlanta, from 1972-74. He was founding pastor and built the
church at St. Pius X Church, Conyers, where he served from 1974-83. He served
as pastor of Holy Family Church, Marietta, from 1983-95 and currently serves as
pastor at Holy Cross Church, Atlanta.
“I feel very grateful and honored to be given this
title,” he said.
Msgr. Fogarty said he has found the greatest rewards of ministry
have come through “working with people and helping them in their moments
of need and offering them some kind of support and consolation in their tough
times.”
Msgr. Giusta, 63, was born in Mondovi, Italy, and was
ordained Dec. 21, 1963 in Torino, Italy. He served as a chaplain to the Boy
Scouts from 1962-64 in Torino before moving to Pittsburgh in 1964-68 where he
did general apostolic work. He performed apostolic work from 1968-72 in
Syracuse and Buffalo, N.Y. Earning a master’s degree in anthropology from
the University of Syracuse, he taught anthropology at Rosary Hill College,
Buffalo.
Coming to Atlanta, Msgr. Giusta taught religion and social studies
from 1972-75 at the former St. Joseph’s High School and was auxiliary
chaplain from 1974-75 at Fort Gillem. He served as a parochial vicar at Corpus
Christi Church, Stone Mountain, from 1975-79. He has been a pastor at Our Lady
of Lourdes Church, Atlanta, from 1979-86, at St. Philip Benizi Church,
Jonesboro, from 1986-90, at St. Mark Church, Clarkesville, from 1992-94, and
again at Lourdes from 1994-99.
In 1999 he was sent to El Paso, Texas, where he serves as pastor
of Santa Lucia Church and as an assistant vocations director for the
archdiocese. He manages the El Paso Project, where archdiocesan seminarians
learn Spanish and are immersed in Mexican-American culture. He is also a
liaison to Mexican seminarians who are studying for the archdiocese and spend a
year at St. Lucia learning the English language and American culture.
As he has worked extensively with African-Americans and Hispanics
in ministry, Msgr. Giusta feels they too share in his honor.
“I was very surprised, somewhat amazed, and very grateful to
the archbishop for obviously suggesting my name . . . I’ve been involved
most of my life in working with groups of people like African-Americans or
Mexicans and people of Mexican descent that are kind of different from the
so-called mainstream brand of religiosity in Atlanta and the U.S. The
archbishop is really stressing these other groups are considered a vital part
of the church and the Catholic Church in Atlanta,” he said. “ . . .
What really makes me feel good is it kind of recognizes not only my personal
involvement with these Catholics—I think the archbishop is making a
statement about the value these people have and the richness they bring us in
our community. I really feel very strongly about that.”
A native of Enniskillen, Northern Ireland, Msgr. Herbert
was ordained June 18, 1967 at All Hallows College, Dublin. He was joyful to be
affirmed for his over 30-year ministry.
“I am both blessed and embarrassed and pleased the bishop
thought that I was worthy, I suppose, of this honor. And I recognize that
there’s nothing exciting about my work and I know full well there are so
many priests that deserve this recognition as well as myself. It’s very
satisfying . . . A pat on the back is always appreciated.”
Now 58, his first flocks, which he served as a parochial vicar,
were at St. Joseph’s Church, Athens, and at St. Anthony’s Church and
Holy Cross Church, Atlanta. From 1971-75 he served as an Army chaplain in Fort
Benning and Columbus, Ga., Fort Greeley and Fort Wainwright, Alaska, and in
Salina, Kan.
He was a chaplain and religion teacher at St. Pius X High School,
Atlanta, from 1975-77. He was pastor of St. Bernadette’s Church,
Cedartown, from 1977-81, where he also assisted at the Georgia Diagnostic and
Classification Center, Jackson. He was the first pastor of St. Catherine of
Siena Church, Kennesaw, from 1981-90, overseeing the building of the first
church. He was pastor at Corpus Christi Church, Stone Mountain, from 1990-92.
Now he serves as pastor of St. George Church, Newnan.
The greatest joy of his ministry has been “celebrating Mass
and being there for the sacraments, I think—that and trying my best to
build up a community within the parish that’s a happy community.”
He’s also enjoyed the process of building churches,
overseeing construction projects at three parishes.
“You just appreciate the efforts of the people where
you’re at and I was glad to be part of these efforts,” he said.
A native of Hot Springs, Ark., Msgr. Hoffman was ordained
Dec. 20, 1961 at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. Now 66, he began his
priestly ministry serving at Our Lady of the Assumption Church, Atlanta, from
1962-64 and from 1964-65 at St. Joseph’s Church, Athens. He was principal
of the former Katharine Drexel High School, Atlanta, and chaplain at Emory
University before becoming pastor at St. John Vianney Church, Austell.
Msgr. Hoffman then took a leave from the archdiocese for 10 years
to work through the Missionary Society of St. James in Peru. Fluent in Spanish,
upon return he directed the archdiocesan Hispanic Apostolate from 1982-86. He
was pastor at St. Jude the Apostle Church, Atlanta, from 1986-89 before taking
the reins at St. Michael’s Church, Gainesville, from 1989-99 and then at
St. Joseph Church, Dalton, where he is still pastor. He celebrated Mass in sign
language for five years and directed the diaconate formation program from
1983-85.
In 1993, Msgr. Hoffman took a sabbatical and walked from Georgia
to Maine, along 2,150 miles of the Appalachian Trail.
Msgr. Hoffman expressed gratitude for the unexpected honor, but
said he plans to continue his ministry unaffected.
“I’m grateful that the archbishop took that way of
recognizing that I’ve been some service to him . . . With that kind of
title comes some sort of greater expectation. (Yet) I don’t think
it’s going to change the way I do things.”
His love is parish ministry. At St. Joseph’s he is working to
establish the Neocatechumenal Way, a renewal program for adults, which he
established at St. Michael’s Church.
“I see a lot of promise that comes out of these groups, not
overnight. It does take time, but more or less they do produce good fruit. I
feel a lot of energy in that. I get renewed myself in all that.”
For Msgr. Lopez, the call of his 28-year priesthood has
been to the classroom. After ordination on April 28, 1973, at the Cathedral of
Christ the King, Atlanta, Msgr. Lopez set out serving as parochial vicar at the
Cathedral from 1973-75, at Corpus Christi Church, Stone Mountain, from 1975-77,
and at St. Jude the Apostle Church, Atlanta, from 1977-81. He took to the books
in 1981 in the position he still holds as religion teacher at St. Pius X High
School, Atlanta.
His response to his recognition reflects his reverence and respect
for his religion students.
“I think it’s unusual for a teacher to get it. I see it
as an honor for my school and my students, especially for my students. I think
it recognizes them. It’s an honor for them more than for me,” he
said, between classes.
While teaching, Msgr. Lopez, 57, has been in residence at All
Saints Church, Dunwoody, Immaculate Heart of Mary Church, Atlanta, and St.
Andrew Church, Roswell. He was chaplain of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Home,
Atlanta, from 1984-85 and from 1996-present. He was director of vocations from
1978-83 and master of ceremonies for the late Archbishop Thomas A. Donnellan.
Msgr. Lopez was born in Manhattan and grew up in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Ordained June 20, 1976, in his hometown of Tubbercurry, County
Sligo, Ireland, Msgr. Marren said the honor was a great surprise for his
silver jubilee in June.
“I’ll just roll the whole lot into one, make it one big
celebration. It’s great. I really am very appreciative of it and very
thankful to all the people. It will be lovely,” he said.
Family members, fellow priests and present and past parishioners
have truly made a difference through their support and enabled him to enjoy the
fruits of priesthood.
“I’m delighted. It’s a great honor, it really is,
and it basically is not just something (you receive) by yourself. I’m just
very thankful to my parents, (for) their faith and sacrifices, and to the
family who supported and encouraged me in this. God has been really good to
me,” he said.
“I’ve found people to be very supportive and
understanding of me, which I guarantee isn’t always easy at times.
They’ve made my vocation to the priesthood a very happy one and I’m
very grateful for that. I’ve found my vocation a very joyful one,” he
continued.
“The priesthood has been very happy and joyful. You have a
lot of people to help you and they appreciate you being a priest. The
parishioners don’t realize they help you as much as you help them.”
His first parishes, where he served as a parochial vicar, were
Immaculate Heart of Mary Church, Atlanta, from 1976-79, St. Joseph’s
Church, Athens, from 1979-83 and St. Thomas More Church, Decatur, from 1983-85.
His first pastorate was from 1985-91 at Sacred Heart Church,
Milledgeville. He also served as pastor of St. Theresa Church, Douglasville,
from 1991-94, St. Anthony Church, Atlanta, from 1994-99 and St. Benedict
Church, Duluth, from 1999-present.
Msgr. Marren, 56, has also been a charter member and chaplain
since 1998 of the Atlanta branch of the Ancient Order of Hibernians, a Catholic
fraternity for Irish-Americans. He has also been chaplain to councils of the
Knights of Columbus and is completing his third term as state chaplain.
Born in Dublin, Ireland, Msgr. Reynolds was ordained on
June 16, 1963, in Kerry, Ireland, for the Diocese of Mobile-Birmingham, Ala.
After serving there for seven years, he requested a transfer to the Atlanta
Archdiocese.
In the archdiocese, he served as assistant pastor at Sts. Peter
and Paul Church, Decatur, and St. Thomas the Apostle Church, Smyrna. He was
appointed pastor of St. Thomas the Apostle in June 1974.
In 1977, he became the founding pastor of St. John Neumann Church,
Lilburn, and led the parish for 11 years, during which time St. John Neumann
Regional School was established. He began serving as pastor of St. Andrew
Church in Roswell in 1988 and headed the parish until he was appointed vicar
general in curia in 2000.
He has been a member of the Priest Personnel Board and serves as a
judge for the Court of Appeals. In the 1980s he belonged to the
archbishop’s College of Consultors and served on the archdiocesan Board of
Education.
Msgr. Reynolds, like many of the new monsignors, expressed his
gratitude to those who have enhanced his ministry.
“I was very surprised when I received this and very grateful
to the people where I’ve been stationed for their support and inspiration
of my ministry over the years,” he said.
Msgr. Talley, 50, a native of Columbus, converted to
Catholicism when he was 24. On June 3, 1989, he was ordained by the late
Archbishop Eugene A. Marino, SSJ, at the Cathedral of Christ the King.
Following ordination, he served his first assignment as a parochial vicar at
St. Jude the Apostle Church, Atlanta, until 1993, when he left to study for his
canon law doctorate in Rome, Italy.
After completing his studies in 1998, Msgr. Talley began serving
part time in the Tribunal and in the archdiocesan vocations office. He was
appointed director of vocations in 1998, also directing Nazareth House, a
residence for seminarians in formation for priesthood. He holds both positions.
Nazareth House is now located at the former Village of St. Joseph and he is
assigned to Most Blessed Sacrament Church, Atlanta.
Msgr. Talley was appointed chancellor of the archdiocese in
October 1999 and sits on the Ad Hoc Personnel Board. As the youngest of the
monsignors, Msgr. Talley feels blessed to be among what he calls “strong,
good men.”
At the archbishop’s residence, where the new monsignors were
named, “I just looked around me at the pastors and at Father Lopez, who is
an extraordinary gift to the high school, and at Father Reynolds, who I work
with every day, and I was just very happy to be in their company,” he
said. |
