Ash Wednesday 2025

Ash Wednesday 2025 

Dear friends in Christ, 

Throughout our lives as Catholics, we look to our parish priests for support in good times and in bad. For instance, they have been instrumental in offering God’s sacramental grace at various milestones in our lives, as well as God’s healing and comfort when loved ones faced illness or death. For those priests who are now retired, it is time for us to care for them.

On this Ash Wednesday, March 5, I invite you to support our Annual Diocesan Collection for the Support of our Diocesan Priests who have retired in good standing. 

Unless illness intervened, our priests have cared for parish communities until they were at least 75. Some remained as pastors into their 80s. Many continue to serve as senior priests, temporary administrators, and offer sacramental coverage for pastors who are ill or on vacation, to name just a few examples. We value their efforts and are grateful for their continued help.

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 priests’ retirement was $2,421,072.46. 
Each December our diocese participates in a national collection for retired nuns, brothers and religious order priests. We thank you for your support of them. None of that collection, however, assists in the care of our retired diocesan priests. 

Four years ago, we began the Ash Wednesday Collection to help care for the retired priests of our own diocese. We appreciate your past generosity and ask that, as part of your Lenten almsgiving, you consider prayerfully a sacrificial gift to support priests who through the decades have supported you and your family. 

Our 46 retired and senior priests have served in the majority of our parishes. They are Monsignors Richard E. Collette, Anthony S. Czarnecki, John E. Doran, Michael G. Foley, Francis D. Kelly, James A. Mongelluzzo and Francis J. Scollen; and Fathers Ernest P. Allega, Roger R. Boucher, C. Michael Broderick, Paul F. Campbell, James F. Carmody, George A. Charland, William N. Cormier, Andre E. Dargis, David E. Doiron, George A. Dunkley, John A. Dwyer, Thomas F. Egan, Lawrence J. Esposito, John J. Foley, Richard A. Fortin, David B. Galonek, Raymond M. Goodwin, Bernard J. Grochowski, John F. Hamm, Edward J. Hanlon, John E. Horgan, James A. Houston, Joseph J. Jurgelonis, TerenceT.  Kilcoyne, Leo-Paul J. LeBlanc, Theodore R. Laperle, Richard P. Lewandowski, Thirburse F. Millott, Chester J. Misiewicz, Son A. Nguyen, Emerito Ortiz, James B. O’Shea, Conrad S. Pecevich, Francis J. Roach, Edward M. Ryan, William F. Sanders, Thaddeus X. Stachura, James M. Steuterman, and Paul J. Tougas.

Along with your financial support for this collection I ask that your keep these priests in your prayers that they may continue to live their vocation to save souls.
 
With every prayerful best wish, I remain

Sincerely yours in Christ,
 
Most Reverend Robert J. McManus
Bishop of Worcester