By Colleen Rowan

WEST VIRGINIA—The diocese will conduct its second-annual collection for the retirement fund for diocesan priests March 6-7 in parishes and missions—hoping to match the success of last year’s collection, which raised more than $150,000.

This year’s collection comes at a special time, said Very Rev. Anthony Cincinnati, S.T.D., V.E., as the church is in the midst of the Year for Priests. He said this special celebration offers the opportunity to remember the diocese’s priests who have faithfully served the church in West Virginia throughout their lives.

“Last year was our first attempt to solicit funds from the people and it was a marvelous success,” Father Cincinnati said. “This is now the second year for our retirement fund collection, and it is the specially designated Year for Priests by our Holy Father. I am hopeful that it will be an even greater opportunity for the people of the diocese to remember our retired diocesan clergy in their thoughts and prayers with the special collection.”

Funds donated to the collection will go directly to the diocese’s Priests Health and Retirement Association, which provides assistance, health benefits and other means of support and assistance for retired diocesan priests, many of whom have served in parishes, Catholic schools and Catholic institutions all over the state.

Father Cincinnati said that his office received many encouraging letters and phone calls from parishioners who generously gave to the fund last year because of the fond memories of priestly dedication that they recalled when seeing the pictures of former pastors on the poster entitled “Our Men in Black are Turning Grey,” which was placed in parish churches and in The Catholic Spirit. The poster will be distributed again this year and is featured on Page 20 of this issue.

Father Cincinnati went on to say that Bishop Michael J. Bransfield greatly appreciates the support that the faithful have shown for all of the diocese’s priests.

“Bishop Bransfield is grateful for the generosity of Catholics across our state who contributed to the welfare of our retired clergy in last year’s collection and will continue to give again through this year’s appeal,” Father Cincinnati said. “As the vicar for clergy, I would like to express a word of thanks on behalf of all our priests for the ongoing care and generosity demonstrated by this collection. Our bishop and priests in active ministry remember our benefactors each day at the altar of the Lord.

“The Year for Priests,” Father Cincinnati said, “provides many types of opportunities to say ‘thank you’ to the people of our diocese for their prayers, support and loving understanding that they offer us priests.”

For more information about the collection, call the office of the vicar for clergy at (304) 233-0880, ext. 271.