Appointment Brings Hopeful Excitement To Atlanta

GRETCHEN KEISER and PRISCILLA GREEAR, Staff Writers

Published: December 16, 2004

ATLANTA—Bishops, priests and sisters expressed admiration for the leadership and pastoral gifts of Archbishop Wilton D. Gregory after Pope John Paul II named him the sixth archbishop of the Atlanta Archdiocese Dec. 9 and expressed hope for what it would mean for the church in days to come.

Bishop J. Kevin Boland of Savannah said it was “a splendid appointment” and “a day of joy and gladness” for the archdiocese.

While serving as president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops from 2001-2004, Archbishop Gregory “was our shining light” during the sexual abuse scandal, Bishop Boland said.

“Archbishop Gregory is a person of sterling qualities and blessed with magnificent leadership skills. He is a man of God deeply committed to the life of the church…He has resolutely guided our church’s response to the sex abuse scandal which was the source of anguish for so many,” Bishop Boland said.

“He helped all of us to be courageous in facing up to the reality of the crisis. He responded with grace and compassion to all those who were victims of this tragedy. In God’s providence he was the right person, in the right place at the right time. This was a blessing beyond measure. ”

Bishop Boland also praised the 11 years of service given to the archdiocese by Archbishop John F. Donoghue, saying that the archbishop has led in a time of “extraordinary growth—but the growth did not outpace his vision. He established new parishes, built new schools, ordained a large number of priests, and nourished Eucharistic devotion as a core spiritual value for the people of his archdiocese.”

Bishop Robert Baker of Charleston, S.C., said he spoke with Archbishop Gregory on the phone “and assured him of the warm Southern hospitality that awaits him as he arrives in the Archdiocese of Atlanta. All of us know of the special gifts and talents that he brings to our Province, which were honed during his recent leadership of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. On behalf of all of the wonderful clergy, religious, and laity of the Diocese of Charleston, I extend our greetings, good wishes, love, and prayerful support of our new archbishop.”

Bishop F. Joseph Gossman of Raleigh, N.C., said he thought the appointment was very positive.

“I am very pleased with the appointment of Wilton Gregory as archbishop of our Province,” the 74-year-old bishop said in a statement. “Even though I will only have the opportunity to work with him for a short period of time because of my pending retirement, his appointment is a very positive and surprising move and one I most welcome.”

Bishop William S. Skylstad of Spokane, Wash., who just assumed the presidency of the USCCB after serving as vice president alongside Bishop Gregory for the past three years, said that the archbishop demonstrated a remarkable array of gifts while in the most challenging time a USCCB president has ever faced.

“I found him to be very pastoral. He has a profound spirituality upon which he is grounded,” Bishop Skylstad said, adding that he also demonstrated unusual wisdom and insight.

“On top of that he has a marvelous sense of church and a great sense of humor. It is a lot wrapped up in one human being, but I think the people of the Archdiocese of Atlanta will quickly find out it is true.”

“He has just done a remarkable job in serving the Catholic Church in the United States,” Bishop Skylstad said, adding God’s grace and the Holy Spirit provided the church with “the right man at the right time.”

“What a marvelous choice for the new archbishop of Atlanta,” he said.

Most priests of the archdiocese had their first opportunity to meet Archbishop Gregory at a reception Dec. 9.

“There was a great spirit there,” said Father Richard Tibbetts, pastor of St. Theresa Church, Douglasville, and the current president of the Priests Council.

“I would say there was a great joy among the priests to have him with us. He was extremely comfortable with all of us . . . He made us feel he was there as our brother . . . It was not like a sense of a new boss, but like a brother priest. He was a priest among priests. It was reassuring that the new person coming in, right from the very beginning, made us feel very comfortable.”

He said priests who were able to attend the press conference that morning felt his words “confirmed . . . his ease and his talent as being very special. He certainly carried himself extremely well and with a great deal of class at the press conference.”

“We were thrilled that he has been assigned as bishop here. He is extremely talented . . . He has certainly shown the great gifts he has (as president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops) . . . He knows the church in this country,” Father Tibbetts said. “We are really blessed.”

Father Edward Branch, chaplain on sabbatical of Lyke House at the Atlanta University Center, believes the archbishop brings “certainly a wealth of pastoral experience” and noted that one quality is a collaborative approach with the laity.

“I think it’s just wonderful,” Father Branch said. He is “engaging in the opinions of the laity. That bodes well for the future of the church here.”

“For a very, very long time he has demonstrated a great deal of ecumenical sensitivity, sensitivity with issues in the black community at large and with the black Catholic community in particular,” Father Branch said. “He’s good at so many things.”

His impact as a liturgist is also significant, Father Branch said. With the death in November of Father Clarence Rivers, the pioneer African-American musician and liturgist, “certainly Bishop Gregory’s continuing contribution to that arena will be important,” Father Branch said. Archbishop Gregory has a doctorate in sacred liturgy.

Sister Joyce Ann Hertzig, OP, parish social ministry coordinator in Catholic Social Services, is excited and hopeful in light of the statements Archbishop Gregory has made on national and international social justice issues as USCCB president.

“He has been a public voice calling all to increased awareness and action on behalf of the bishops’ conference on issues such as genocide in Darfur, the AIDS pandemic, war in Iraq and an end to the death penalty,” she said. “He will bring with him his insight regarding operations and ‘on the ground’ work of the departments and activities of the USCCB, which support collaborative initiatives. Many parishes in Atlanta already have study groups and outreach ministries for social justice. It is my hope that Archbishop Gregory will continue to stretch us as church—the people of God—a place where all are welcome.”

Father Jaime Barona, pastor of St. Matthew Church, Winder, believes the archdiocese will continue to flourish under the leadership of Archbishop Gregory.

“I think he will continue the orthodoxy of Archbishop Donoghue in his vision for the church of North Georgia. The Archdiocese of Atlanta is very blessed to have such a wonderful person coming into our midst . . . I hope considering the population growth in the archdiocese he’ll have a very special consideration for the Hispanic population in the archdiocese,” he said. “We’ll truly miss the leadership of our shepherd John Francis Donoghue, but we’re hopeful and prayerful that Bishop Gregory will continue to be a wonderful shepherd to all of us.”

He admires how Archbishop Gregory both defended the faith and acted justly in addressing the sexual abuse crisis. “I think being president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops he did a superb job—to confront head-on the situation and to bring it into the light and to manage it very excellently.”

Father Fabio Sotelo-Peña, chaplain of Our Lady of the Americas Hispanic Catholic Mission, Doraville, said he was happy Archbishop Gregory has shown his interest in the Hispanic community by learning to speak some Spanish. He found him to be “a very gentle man and very kind.”

“I think the appointment of Archbishop Gregory has been a wonderful gift for the archdiocese. I am sure the Holy Spirit is in all of this. I am so glad,” he said. “I do believe he is a great asset to the Archdiocese of Atlanta.”