ATLANTA,None — The former Archbishop of the Catholic Archdiocese of Atlanta died Friday.
Archbishop John Francis Donoghue held his position in Atlanta for 11 years. He was named by Pope John Paul II to head the Archdiocese of Atlanta in 1993 and retired as archbishop in 2004.
Pat Chivers, a spokeswoman for the Atlanta archdiocese, confirmed Donoghue's passing Saturday.
Donoghue, Atlanta’s fifth archbishop, was succeeded by Archbishop Wilton D. Gregory.
On his Twitter account Saturday, Gregory tweeted, “Please join me in praying for the soul of Archbishop Donoghue -- a devoted servant to the Church and a Pastor after the heart of Christ! +WDG.”
The Catholic News Herald reported that on Oct. 20, a memo from Gregory stated that Donoghue had grown increasingly weak and that the health concerns have "taxed his system." "I write now to ask you to keep him in your prayers," Gregory wrote.
Donoghue was born Aug. 9, 1928, in Washington D.C. to Irish parents, one of three sons.
Before coming to Atlanta, he was ordained to the priesthood in St. Matthew Cathedral in Washington in 1955 and served as assistant pastor of St. Bernard's Church in Riverdale from 1955 to 1961. He was assistant pastor of the Holy Face parish in Great Mills, Md., from 1961 to 1964. Donoghue also served as Bishop of Charlotte.
The archdiocese says each bishop has a coat-of-arms and a motto. Donoghue chose "To live in Christ Jesus."
WSBTV
