Father Jack Druding has just been transferred. He has gone from Hapeville to Jonesboro. In reality what this means to the Atlanta assistant pastor is that he has gone from the northern end of Atlanta’s new airport to the southern end. He is still heavily involved with the world’s biggest aerodrome, in fact, as of now he is the Catholic chaplain for the gigantic new 600 million dollar Hartsfield International Terminal.

“Since I was stationed at Hapeville in St. Johns” says Father Jack “Monsignor Jerry Hardy asked me to represent the archdiocese on the Airport Chaplain’s Committee. I was glad to do so and it sure has been interesting. The numbers are staggering.” Father Druding is exactly right.

A cool million people will pass through the world’s largest airport each week when it opens on schedule in September. The nervous airport management are admitting to a minimum 60 million folks each year.

But Father Jack’s involvement began with a call from the mayor’s office to Don Newby at the Christian Council of Metropolitan Atlanta. “It was the feeling at City Hall that the Lord should be a part of something this big, remembers Father Druding “and we truly agreed with his Honor”. A committee of Christians and Jews was formed and it was decided that the new Hartsfield should have a chapel where travel-weary commuters could quietly meditate. The denomination agreed and the plan for a chapel is being completed at a total cost of $30,000. “But it’s not just the chapel” says the enthusiastic Father Druding “it’s the program that will go along with it. We intend to have a trained ministerial counselor in the chapel office and now we are attempting to involve the local airport churches of all denominations to participate in the airport ministry. Our goal is to have one hundred churches participate.”

Father Druding along with his Christian and Jewish friends have watched the granite giant arise out of the red clay of Clayton County. They have been amazed at the enormous distances involved for passengers in the terminal. They have ridden those classy subway cars and floated on the new sidewalk people movers. They viewed the miracle of seeing the two and a half million square fee of space come together so beautifully. And at $240 per square foot, the total cost of the big beauty is $600 million dollars.

“For such a big airport,” says Father Jack “the chapel will be terribly small. For example, if we want to celebrate Mass out there the little space would never do. But if that should arise I have a deal with one of the airlines that will allow us to use one of the large waiting rooms.” Obviously, like those who conceived the airport concept, Father Druding is thinking ahead.

September 21 is the date set aside for the new Atlanta airport first to open. Word has it that a certain Georgian president presently running for re-election will be on hand for the great occasion. Maybe so, but even the president will be unable to steal the spotlight on that day. It will belong to the new William B. Hartsfield Airport and the men who watched it arise down there South of Atlanta in the land of Scarlett’s Tara.

Among those men will be that little ministerial committee which will include Father Jack Druding representing the Catholics of North Georgia.