Special Celebrations To Honor Archbishop Donoghue

GRETCHEN KEISER, Staff Writer

Published: December 16, 2004

ATLANTA—The Advent and Christmas seasons have been transformed for the Catholic community into a time to express heartfelt appreciation to Archbishop-emeritus John F. Donoghue for his spiritual leadership of the archdiocese and to wish him well in retirement.

Archbishop John F. Donoghue, foreground, receives a standing ovation from archdiocesan staff Dec. 14 as he and Msgr. R. Donald Kiernan, vicar-general/pastoral ministries, prepare to approach the podium. (Photos by Michael Alexander)

Priests, deacons and laity of the archdiocese, as well as parishioners of the Cathedral of Christ the King, will each have an opportunity to be with Archbishop Donoghue in a public celebration of gratitude and good wishes in the next month.

On Sunday, Dec. 19, at 2 p.m. deacons and diaconate candidates of the archdiocese and their wives are invited to a social event honoring Archbishop Donoghue at St. Andrew Church in Roswell.

On Wednesday, Dec. 22, at 7 p.m. the priests of the archdiocese are invited to join Archbishop Donoghue in the celebration of a special Mass at the Cathedral of Christ the King in Atlanta for the presbyterate, followed by a dinner and reception for the priests with the archbishop.

On Saturday, Jan. 8, 2005, Archbishop Donoghue will be with the parishioners of the Cathedral of Christ the King, the archbishop’s parish, as he celebrates the 5:30 p.m. vigil Mass. A reception will follow in the Cathedral parish hall.

On Monday, Jan. 10, 2005, the people of the archdiocese are invited to a 7 p.m. Mass at the Cathedral of Christ the King celebrated by Archbishop Donoghue. A reception will be held immediately afterward at the JW Marriott hotel in Buckhead.

Catholic Center employees were the first to have the opportunity to honor Archbishop Donoghue at a luncheon Tuesday, Dec. 14, at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel.

Msgr. Paul Reynolds, chancellor, who served as a vicar general to Archbishop Donoghue for the past four years, offered a few snapshots of the archbishop’s sense of humor, saying, “he’s a man who will stick out his tongue at you to show you he likes you and who will tell people not to talk to reporters at The Georgia Bulletin because he certainly wouldn’t.”

When with his other vicar general, Msgr. R. Donald Kiernan, “he was the quiet one whom nobody recognized,” Msgr. Reynolds joked.

“Archbishop Donoghue, we know you don’t like to be the center of attention,” the chancellor said.

Yet in a tribute to his “gentle leadership,” Msgr. Reynolds noted that in his 11 years as archbishop of Atlanta he has ordained over 100 men to the priesthood, overseen the building of five new Catholic schools, raised more than $70 million in a capital campaign, initiated a Eucharistic Renewal in the archdiocese, and begun new ministries to the Hispanic Catholic community.

“You will be seen as a friend of the faith who lived out his faith every day,” Msgr. Reynolds said.

Every ending is a new beginning, Msgr. Reynolds said, and he extended the hopes of all the staff that the archbishop would find his retirement years a doorway to happiness and fulfillment.

“We offer you our deep and profound gratitude,” he said as the staff gave Archbishop Donoghue a standing ovation.

Msgr. R. Donald Kiernan, vicar-general/pastoral ministries, presents gifts of appreciation to Archbishop John F. Donoghue.

The 76-year-old archbishop, who came to the Archdiocese of Atlanta in 1993 after serving as bishop of Charlotte, N.C., for nine years, will celebrate his 50th anniversary as a priest in June 2005. He was ordained for the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C., on June 4, 1955.

As required by canon law he submitted his resignation as bishop to Pope John Paul II in August 2003 when he reached the age of 75. The resignation was accepted by the pope on Dec. 9.

He told the Catholic Center staff that when he came to Atlanta 11 years ago, “I came determined to do the best I could do” and he is grateful to God that “I leave feeling I did the best I could do.”

“I expect to continue to serve the church as best I can,” Archbishop Donoghue added, saying that he had offered his services to Archbishop Wilton D. Gregory.

“I expect to stay in Atlanta for the rest of my life,” the archbishop said. He will live at All Saints Church in Dunwoody where Mgsr. Kiernan is pastor for the first year, he said, and when the Catholic retirement community St. George Village opens in Roswell, he will live there.

Thanking his two vicars general, he said, “I owe them a deep debt of gratitude.” He added that he was truly indebted to every member of the Catholic Center staff.

“I know you were there whenever I needed you,” he said, “and you have never complained—at least not to me—which I appreciated. It’s been a wonderful 11 years in the archdiocese.”

“I know the new archbishop will be able to depend on you, just as I do,” Archbishop Donoghue said. “May the Lord bless you and keep you all the days of your lives.”

In his statement given at a press conference on Dec. 9, the archbishop said he has been “extremely happy here in this diocese.”

He extended particular thanks to the priests of the archdiocese.

“The last few years have proven to be turbulent times for many priests, but during this crisis I think I have been surrounded by a wonderful group of holy men committed to assisting me in my role as archbishop.”