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By Priscilla Greear, Staff Writer
ATLANTA—Priest jubilarian Father John Druding can feel a
sense of accomplishment that he helped to establish the chaplaincy program at
Hartsfield International Airport.
A member, with two others, of the founding committee for the
interfaith chapel and chaplaincy program at Hartsfield, Father Druding saw the
chapel constructed in 1980. Signs showing an icon of a kneeling figure direct
airport travelers and employees to the interfaith chapel.
Involved from 1979 to 1991 in the airport ministry, while
simultaneously serving at various parishes, Father Druding proudly wore the
clerical collar, which he considers a badge and a sign to others of his
availability and interest in helping.
Wearing that collar, Father Druding walked the concourses, where
weary and, at times, tearful employees and travelers would approach him to
talk.
While passengers, including some inebriated, would approach him,
he was surprised to find, more often than not, it was employees who sought him
out.
“It’s a very challenging and busy ministry,” the
65-year-old priest said. “I always liked to be out in the concourses. I
knew everybody (who worked) there. It was really great. It was an availability
ministry. Most of the major airports in the country now have a priest
chaplain.”
“One of the advantages of being a priest is you wear a
collar. It was an opening. People would come up to you with problems . . . Mass
is a great help, (but) the most important thing is availability and being there
and helping somebody that needs a crying shoulder.”
He is particularly proud of his work in the airport chaplaincy as
before at Hartsfield, the world’s busiest airport, there was no formal
ministry to passengers.
Calling himself a “little shy” as a young priest,
circulating the concourses made him, in turn, more outgoing, he says.
Father Druding enjoys reflecting on this and other ministries
during his 25th anniversary year of priesthood. A native of Philadelphia raised
in Catholic schools, he was ordained for Atlanta on May 1, 1976 by Archbishop
Thomas A. Donnellan. He and three other priest jubilarians were honored June 6
at the Cathedral of Christ the King for their service to the archdiocese.
Msgr. George Tomichek, a friend since childhood, who is a member
of the papal household, was the homilist at a Mass honoring him May 6 at St.
Andrew Church, Roswell, where he served as parochial vicar from 1996 until last
month. He has just transferred to St. John Neumann Church, Lilburn. He enjoys
reflecting on “what I’ve done, people I’ve met and worked with,
and things I’ve accomplished.”
One of those people he’s met is Pope John Paul II. Missionary
Msgr. Tomichek, who was then assisting with arrangements for papal visits, had
invited Father Druding to the Philippines in 1981 at a time when the pope was
making a stop there. The priest found himself staying at a cardinal’s
house where the pope was staying over. The morning after the pope arrived,
Father Druding and Msgr. Tomichek decided to celebrate a 4 a.m. Mass when in
walked the pope, who made the Stations of the Cross and took a rosary from his
white cassock and prayed. The three then talked about the church in the
Philippines and in the United States over coffee, which the pope took black.
“He was very impressed by the way the American church so
willingly shared with the rest of the world,” Father Druding said in a
1981 Georgia Bulletin article. “The Holy Father asked me how many families
were in our parish in Jonesboro and I told him under a thousand. He commented
that there is so much more for the priest to do in the Philippines. And they
are so poor over there.”
Father Druding said that the pope, with his tireless example of
servanthood, is his hero and that he has through Msgr. Tomichek been able to
celebrate Mass with the pope about six times in Rome. He also said he found the
pope had a “great sense of humor” in private and that when
celebrating Mass with him he asked him if he was Polish — a real
compliment— because he seemed so bright, attentive and happy.
“I said Mass with him and that lifted me up a lot,” he
said. “John Paul is really a man who has manifested Christ in all that he
does. He lives Christ and you know that when you talk to him.”
He first saw the pope in 1979 when he visited his home parish in
Philadelphia and prayed at the tomb of St. John Neumann there. Father Druding
also has deep admiration for St. John Neumann, a humble, simple and quiet man
who became fourth bishop of Philadelphia despite the opposition of other
bishops who called him too uncouth and unpolished. Father Druding prayed by his
tomb as a child, his family was involved in his cause for canonization and his
great-great-uncle was a pallbearer at his funeral.
Father Druding enjoys reading about and teaching on St. John
Neumann and other saints and thinks it’s important for parishes to know
about and be proud of their patron saint. “It’s important (to
remember) that you too can be a saint and we all try to be,” he said.
“Many saints aren’t canonized.”
He always keeps a theology book and a novel at his bedside, as
“reading to me is great rejuvenation. I like to read oddly enough because
very few people do. They’d rather watch TV.”
He also enjoys horseback riding and is a world traveler, who will
lead 31 pilgrims from St. Andrew’s Church to Greece and who has traveled
to South Africa, Malta and Australia.
With bishops in his family, Father Druding always wanted to be a
priest, but worked first as an executive for a Philadelphia department store to
support his family before receiving ordination at 39. He chose to serve the
Atlanta Archdiocese, despite “getting a lot of flack” from ordained
Yankee kin, because this archdiocese was growing and vibrant. He’s
grateful for the gift of his vocation. “I always wanted to be a priest and
I’m happy as a priest. A vocation is a gift from God and God gives us that
gift . . . to be happy.”
Father Druding has grown in confidence through the years and noted
how through prayer God gives one the grace to overcome shortcomings. He has
enjoyed ministering to others in all areas of priesthood and noted that those
he has served have also ministered to him as they’ve shared their faith
and experiences.
Trained in hospital ministry at Johns Hopkins Hospital in
Baltimore, he particularly enjoys ministry to the sick and believes
“spiritual care is part of the cure for sick people.” In all
ministries “I feel I could do a better job. You can always improve how you
help people. You pray for discernment and strength to be helpful for
people.”
His ministry began at St. Mary Church, Rome, where he served for a
year before heading to St. John the Evangelist Church, Hapeville, from 1977-80
as a parochial vicar. He served as a parochial vicar at St. Philip Benizi
Church, Jonesboro, from 1980-83, from 1983-85 was a parochial vicar at St.
Joseph Church, Athens, and served his first pastorate at St. Mary Church,
Toccoa, from 1985-87. He was pastor of Holy Trinity Church, Peachtree City,
from 1987-91 and from 1991-94 was parochial vicar at Immaculate Heart of Mary
Church, Atlanta. He served as a parochial vicar at All Saints Church, Dunwoody,
from 1994-96 and began serving as an advocate in the Provincial Court of
Appeals in 1995. During this time he also began serving as the first priest at
the All Saints’ Mission of Mary Our Queen, Norcross, before becoming
parochial vicar at St. Andrew in August 1996. In March he “got a
promotion” to become a judge for the Provincial Court and has served two
years as a chaplain for the Holy Land Foundation.
Msgr. Paul Reynolds, who was pastor at St. Andrew when Father
Druding served there and who has known him for 25 years, called him
enthusiastic, a “wonderful conversationalist” and
“five-star” friend. His biggest contribution to the archdiocese, he
said, is having founded the airport chapel, as international travelers
especially appreciate the opportunity to get spiritual support there.
At St. Andrew, “they thought he’s a wonderful man. They
love his preaching. They love his pastoral care.”
As a person who admired St. John Neumann even when “he was
nobody,” as yet unrecognized on the official saint roster, Father Druding
looks forward to serving at the Lilburn parish bearing his name, and has no
plans to slow down his ministry.
“It’s important that you stay active as long as you can
because I think that keeps you young.” |
