Many priests continue serving long after they reach retirement age, and it’s important to care for them when they finally do choose to end their active ministry, said Patrick Fox, who is helping to raise money for renovations at a place many priests call home — the Leo C. Byrne Residence in St. Paul.
Fox talked about the effort with Patrick Conley during an episode of “Practicing Catholic” that debuts 9 p.m. May 13 on Relevant Radio 1330 AM.
Patrick Fox
Not many people know what happens to their priests after they retire, Conley and Fox said, and they may not realize that the Byrne Residence is an appealing option for many clerics in their 70s, 80s and 90s.
“I’ve gotten to know a good number of the residents,” said Fox, the principal of St. Bartholomew Catholic School in Wayzata. “Perhaps, we don’t know about it (Byrne Residence) because it somewhat reflects the inhabitants — humble, quiet, reflective. … (But) when you do get to know them, they can be boisterous and very much alive, and eager to tell you all about their history and what the Byrne Residence means to them.”
Fox emphasized that, although priests living at the residence no longer have an official assignment in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, they are “very active” in terms of finding ways to serve and help, including celebrating Masses and hearing confessions at parishes. This gives pastors the chance to get away and go on vacation, without worrying about how to keep parish ministries going in their absence, Fox said.
“The reality is, without their services, many parishes would just have to cut back,” Fox said about the help of retired priests. “They just wouldn’t be able to offer, at the very least, as many either daily or weekend Masses.”
For Fox and his wife, Michelle, the value of retired priests is personal, which is why they are chairing a capital campaign for the Byrne Residence called Gratitude. At least five of the priests currently living at the residence have served their parish, or them directly, over the years.
“So, we know them,” Fox said. “And once we were invited in a couple of times, one little conversation led to the next, and all of a sudden we’re in the middle of a large renovation campaign. We just feel it’s a great way (to help retired priests). … We need to help them renovate this place so they can live in accommodations that show how important they are and how important they have been in their ministries.”
Currently, the residence has 29 individual apartments, with 11 openings for priests looking for a place to retire. They pay an affordable rent, with all meals provided, and have access to a laundry room, workout room and library. “And, most importantly, there’s a chapel on site,” Fox noted.
“What the campaign supports is a complete, comprehensive renovation of the entire site,” said Fox, who noted that the total cost is $6.5 million. “Literally, top to bottom — the roof, windows, the exterior, HVAC systems, carpeting, flooring, electrical, lighting, enhanced connectivity, pretty much everything.”
The campaign is partnering with the Catholic Community Foundation of Minnesota in St. Paul, which offers information on its website about the campaign and how to donate at ccf-mn.org/byrneresidence. Parishes in the archdiocese will be announcing the campaign now through Pentecost weekend June 4-5, Fox said.
To hear the full interview, listen to this episode of “Practicing Catholic,” which repeats at 1 p.m. May 14 and 2 p.m. May 15.
Produced by Relevant Radio and the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, the latest show also includes an interview with Barb Ernster of the World Apostolate of Fatima about the Fatima apparitions in 1917, and an interview with Sylvia Belford about five rural parishes in the archdiocese that are uniting for a summer concert.
Listen to their interviews after they have aired:
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