Newspaper Page Text
COUNTIES
VOL. 6, NO. 22
ATLANTA, GEORGIA
THURSDAY, MAY 30, 1968
s A. Donnellan
New Ordinary Pledges Support
Of Rights, Poor, Ecumenism
Bishop Thomas Andrew Donnellan of Ogdensburg, N.Y.,
appointed Archbishop of Atlanta Wednesday, has pledged tp work
for civil rights, for the poor, for ecumenical progress and for liturgical
excellence.
.Atlanta’s Archbishop-Elect
His comments came in a
statement to the Georgia Bulletin
after his appointment as the
second Archbishop of Atlanta
was announced by Pope Paul VI.
He succeeds Archbishop Paul J.
Hallinan who died March 27,
1968.
Bishop Donnellan, . a 54
year-old native of New York
City, said:
“ON THE occasion of my
'appointment as Archbishop, of
Atlanta, 1 offer my gratitude to
Pope Paul VI for the confidence
he has placed in me by naming
me to take up the work so
gloriously done by the first
Archbishop of Atlanta,
Archbishop Hallinan.
“As an archdiocese, Atlanta
has been distinguished for its
leadership in matters of civil
rights, concern for the poor,
ecumenical progress and liturgical
excellence.
“1 pledge myself to the
continuation of this work in
cooperation with the priests,
religious and faithful of the
archdiocese, with the religious
leaders of other churches and
with all of the citizens of the
great State of Georgia.
“I ASK OF all the favor of
their prayers that I may be a
good bishop and a true
shepherd.”
The installation date of
Archbishop-elect Donnellan has
not been set. Bishop Joseph L.
Bernard in, general secretary of
the United States Catholic
Conference and the National
Conference of Catholic Bishops,
will continue to serve as
administrator until the
installation.
Bishop Donnellan served as
chairman of the ad hoc
committee which did the report
establishing an arbitration service
to help settle disputes between
dioceses, religious orders or
organizations within the Church.
The service was approved by the
NCCB at its recent meeting in St.
Louis.
HE ALSO HAS served on a
special committee of bishops
which has reported to Rome on
the dispute between the
Immaculate Heart of Mary Nuns
and James Francis Cardinal
McIntyre of Los Angeles.
Bishop Donnellan, born in
New York City, Jan. 24, 1914,
studied for the priesthood at
Cathedral College, New York,
and at St. Joseph’s Seminary,
Yonkers, N.Y. He was ordained
to the priesthood June 3, 1939,
by Francis Cardinal Spellman at
St. Patrick’s Cathedral.
Bishop Hails
Appointment
Bishop Joseph L. Bernardin,
administrator, issued the
following statement on the
appointment of Bishop
Donnellan:
“It was with joy that I learned
of the appointment of Bishop
Thomas A. Donnellan as the
second Archbishop of Atlanta.
“The new archbishop’s talents
and experience make him
eminently qualified for his new
position. In addition to his work
in Ogdensburg, he has played a
very active role in the affairs of
the National Conference of
Catholic Bishops.
“I have known him personally
for a number of years and am
confident that the people of
Atlanta will respond
enthusiastically to his warm
personality and open manner.
“In the name of all of our
priests, religious and laity I
extend to Archbishop Donnellan
a hearty welcome. While it will
not be my privilege to work with
him in the archdiocese, I can
assure him that he will find our
people to be dedicated, alert to
the needs of the times, and
anxious to cooperate with him in
continuing the wonderful
tradition of the Church in
Atlanta.”
Following ordination, he
studied at Catholic University of
America and earned a doctorate
in canon law. He then served in
several parishes in the
Archdiocese of New York,
including the cathedral parish.
Bishop Donnellan was named
assistant chancellor of the
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