Bishop asks for support for retired diocesan priests

 
Ash Wednesday 2023   
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,   

On Ash Wednesday, February 22, we will have a collection to support the 50 priests of our diocese who have retired in good standing.    
Unless illness intervened, these priests served our parishes and parishioners until they were at least 75. Some remained as pastors into their 80s. Many continue to serve. Three remain in parishes full time as senior priests. Last year two stepped in for many months to administer parishes. Another retired priest has been saying Mass six days a week for more than a year to fill a parish vacancy. Still others regularly fill in on weekends, cover vacations and serve in prison ministry and on diocesan boards and the Tribunal. We appreciate their efforts and regard all our retired priests with great esteem, respect and affection. They have served us well. Now we can support them.     Our expenses for retired priests include a monthly stipend, medical insurance, and, for some, assisted living and nursing home costs. Last year our total cost for priest retirement was $2,414,764.    
For decades in Advent we have asked for your support for retired nuns, brothers and religious order priests across our country. We thank you for your support of them. However, none of that collection assists our diocesan priests. Two years ago, we began this Ash Wednesday Collection to support the retired priests of our own diocese. We appreciate your past generosity and ask you, as part of your Lenten almsgiving, to consider prayerfully a sacrificial gift to support those, who through the decades have supported you and your family.    
Our 50 retired priests and senior priests have served in 77 of our 91 parishes (or their predecessors). They are Bishop Emeritus Daniel P. Reilly, Msgrs. Richard E. Collette, Anthony S. Czarnecki, John E. Doran, Michael G. Foley, and Francis D. Kelly; Fathers Ernest P. Allega, Roger R. Boucher, James J. Caldarella, Paul F. Campbell, James F. Carmody, George A. Charland, William N. Cormier, Andre E. Dargis, Ralph A. DiOrio, David E. Doiron, Charles J. Dumphy, George A. Dunkley, John A. Dwyer, Thomas F. Egan, Lawrence J. Esposito, John J. Foley, David B. Galonek, Raymond M. Goodwin, Bernard J. Grochowski, J. Andre Guenette, John F. Hamm, John E. Horgan, James A. Houston, Joseph J. Jurgelonis, Theodore R. Laperle, Leo-Paul LeBlanc, Richard P. Lewandowski, Joseph A. Marcotte, Thirburse F. Millott, Chester J. Misiewicz, Charles F. Monroe, Paul T. O’Connell, Emerito Ortiz, James B. O'Shea, Conrad S. Pecevich, Andre N. Remillard, Francis J. Roach, Edward M. Ryan, William F. Sanders, Michael Sheridan, Thaddeus X. Stachura, James M. Steuterman, Paul J. Tougas, and Peter H. White.    On their behalf, I thank you for your prayers and support of them in their retirement years.   
With every prayerful best wish I remain, 
Sincerely yours in Christ,   
Most Reverend Robert J. McManus 
Bishop of Worcester