On Ash Wednesday, February 17th, the parishes of our diocese will take up a collection to support the retired priests of our diocese.

We currently have 50 retired priests. An additional 42 priests will reach the retirement age of 75 within the next nine years.

Over the last two fiscal years, the costs of priest retirement, including housing, health insurance and monthly stipends have ranged from $2.2 to 2.6 million, leading to significant annual shortfalls.

Your support of the Ash Wednesday collection will help us meet our obligation to those priests who have faithfully served us and our families through the decades.