[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 63 (Tuesday, May 4, 1999)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4720-S4721]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          TRIBUTE TO THE REVEREND MONSIGNOR R. DONALD KIERNAN

 Mr.COVERDELL. Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to an 
outstanding Georgian and a good friend, the Reverend Monsignor R. 
Donald Kiernan, of Dunwoody, who today celebrates his 50th Anniversary 
of service to the Church.
  Monsignor Kiernan is a man of great warmth and humor, strong 
compassion for others, and deep devotion to God, the Church, and to his 
community. I have been privileged to work with Monsignor Kiernan as a 
member of the Selection Committee that assists me in choosing nominees 
for appointment to the United States military academies. His perception 
and judgment have been invaluable in making those always difficult 
selections. But that is only one example of the community service that 
has distinguished his career.
  In 1962, Monsignor Kiernan was instrumental in founding the Georgia 
Association of Chiefs of Police, and served as that organization's 
director and chaplain for over twenty years. He has also served as a 
chaplain for the Georgia State Patrol, the Georgia Bureau of 
Investigation, the DeKalb County Police Department, the Atlanta office 
of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, the emergency medical 
technicians, and several other organizations. Three governors have 
recognized his dedication to the law enforcement community by 
appointing him to state commissions on crime.
  He also plays leading roles as a member of the executive committee of 
the Atlanta Area Boy Scouts of America and on the Board of Directors of 
the United Service Organization.
  The Monsignor's many civic activities have been an expression of his 
devoted service to the Church itself.

[[Page S4721]]

 After graduating from Mount Saint Mary's Seminary in Emmitsburg, 
Maryland, he was ordained on May 4, 1949 by Richard Cardinal Cushing, 
Archbishop of Boston, at the Holy Cross Cathedral in Boston. He was 
assigned to serve as Assistant Rector at the Cathedral of St. John the 
Baptist in Savannah Georgia. He went on to serve as an assistant pastor 
and then pastor of nearly a dozen churches across the state of Georgia, 
currently serving All Saints Catholic Church in Dunwoody. In 1969 he 
was given the title Prelate of Honor (Reverend Monsignor) by Pope Paul 
VI. He was elevated to the highest rank of Monsignor by Pope John Paul 
I in 1979.
  I could list many other honors and awards conferred upon Monsignor 
Kiernan, but perhaps his greatest achievement is in the many lives he 
has touched. By now he must be on the third generation of performing 
baptisms and marriages. His counsel, his example, and his leadership 
have been a comfort and an inspiration to many thousands of Georgians. 
His community service and his work raising money for the Church have 
benefitted many others.
  Those of us fortunate enough to know Monsignor Kiernan are thankful 
that we do and so I am pleased, Mr. President, to congratulate 
Monsignor Kiernan on reaching this milestone and to thank him for his 
many years of outstanding service to our state, our nation, and to 
God.

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