Ecumenical, diverse crowd gathers for installation of Archbishop Gregory

Published: 2005-01-19

COLLEGE PARK, Ga. (CNS) -- An ecumenical and diverse crowd of about 8,000 gathered with joy at the Georgia International Convention Center in College Park Jan. 17 to witness the installation of Atlanta's new Catholic leader, Archbishop Wilton D. Gregory. Archbishop Gregory, formerly the bishop of the Diocese of Belleville, Ill., and immediate past president of the U.S. bishops, succeeds newly retired Archbishop John F. Donoghue, who had headed the archdiocese since 1993. Archbishop Gregory noted the importance of the day on which he was being installed, the federal holiday commemorating the birth of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. The slain civil rights leader was born on Jan. 15, 1929, in Atlanta. "Today, which is a moment of historic importance for the Archdiocese of Atlanta and of personal joy for me, is also a day of great significance for all the peoples of our nation," he said. "We gather in prayer and festive joy on Dr. King's memorial day and in a city that holds a special place among all American cities that reverence this great man's legacy." One of nine active U.S. black bishops, Archbishop Gregory is the third African-American to be named archbishop of Atlanta.

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