On Monday, Jan. 10, the people of the Archdiocese of Atlanta are invited to a 7 p.m. Mass at the Cathedral of Christ the King, both to recognize Archbishop-emeritus John F. Donoghue’s 11 years of service to the archdiocese and to congratulate him on his retirement. Those attending this special Mass are invited to a reception immediately afterwards at the J. W. Marriott Hotel, 3300 Lenox Rd., Atlanta.

Especially encouraged to attend are priests, deacons, women Religious, representatives of area Catholic schools, parish staffers and representatives of Catholic Center boards, employees and organizations.

Archbishop Donoghue came to the archdiocese in 1993 after serving for nine years as the bishop of Charlotte, N.C. Ordained for the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C., in 1955, he will celebrate the 50th anniversary of his ordination as a priest on June 4, 2005.

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, 2004.

In the 11 years since Archbishop Donoghue arrived in the Archdiocese of Atlanta as its leader, among his many accomplishments has been an emphasis on Catholic education with the building of five new Catholic schools, a focus on vocations with the ordination of over 100 men to the priesthood, an emphasis on the importance of the holy Eucharist as the center of the Catholic faith with the initiation of a Eucharistic Renewal and the Eucharistic Congress in the archdiocese, and a focus on new ministries within the Hispanic Catholic community.