The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington holds an annual Retired Priests Collection to provide funding for care and housing for retired priests of the archdiocese.
This year’s Retired Priests Collection for the Archdiocese of Washington will be taken up at parishes in throughout the archdiocese on the weekend of Nov. 2-3, 2024.
And, while it may be called a collection for retired priests, at least one longtime priest says that is a bit of a misnomer.
“While we priests may retire formally from the archdiocese, we do not retire from ministry,” said Father John McKay, a priest of this archdiocese for more than 50 years. “Many of us – without an official position – are here to help out by celebrating Masses, visiting hospitals, offering the Sacrament of Confession or to just be there to listen and accompany people in their journeys of life and their journeys of faith.”
The collection helps ensure that the nearly 60 retired priests of the archdiocese live their retirement years with dignity.
The collection, Father McKay said, “is a way – for at least us priests – to reflect on the many ways people have helped us in our priestly ministry – whatever kind of ministry we have been involved in.”
“We have relied on the support and encouragement and sometimes nudging of the people,” he said.
This collection is also a time for the faithful to reflect on how priests have been in their lives and helped them. Father McKay said that donations to the collection are another way of acknowledging how the priests have been present “when the people share with us their blessings and their difficulties and their sorrows, their hopes and their dreams.”
“For many priests as they are ordained, they are putting their lives in the hands of the Lord and trusting where the Lord will leave them over the years,” Father McKay said. “(For) those of us blessed to have spent a number of decades as priests, it is a lifting of the spirit to be open to where the Lord leads us.”
The Lord has led Father McKay on a ministry that has taken him across the Archdiocese of Washington and in foreign lands.
After his 1973 ordination, Father McKay served as a parochial vicar or pastor at parishes throughout the archdiocese, including in predominately African-American parishes and in largely Spanish-speaking parishes.
He pursued Spanish language studies in the Dominican Republic, Colombia and Puerto Rico. He has also served as a chaplain to nursing homes, retirement communities and hospitals.
He has received certification from the National Association of Catholic Chaplains. Over the years, he has served as a police chaplain and member of the International Conference of Police Chaplains and a member of the Priest Council and the Continuing Clergy Education Board.
Despite a varied and active ministry, Father McKay said that he and his fellow retired priests enjoy remaining active in serving the Church.
“Most of us retired priests – as long as we can put one foot in front of the other and can navigate the Beltway – are happy to help out in the parishes,” he said.
There are various ways to support the Retired Priests Collection:
• Donating in-pew at Mass this weekend.
• Mailing checks to Archdiocese of Washington Retired Priests Collection, P.O. Box 90660, Washington, DC 20077-7820.
• With a credit card in debit card by calling 301-853-4486 to make a gift with a credit or debit card or with bank information.
• By texting “Priest” to 301-231-1816. You will receive a text message with a link to complete your gift.
• Online at adw.org/rpc
