Fr. John Abe

Pastor of 29 Years Provides for Future Retired Priests

Fr. John Abe has spent his whole life in the Diocese of Richmond. As a child he attended St. Thomas More Catholic School in Arlington (this is when the Diocese of Richmond covered Northern Virginia) as well as Bishop O’Connell High School. Since he was ordained in 1984, Fr. Abe has served as pastor in six parishes: Immaculate Conception (Hampton), St. Mark (Virginia Beach), St. Andrew (Roanoke), St. Francis of Assisi (Staunton), St. Bede (Williamsburg) and St. Matthew (Virginia Beach) where he has served as pastor since 2010.

As a priest in the Diocese for 29 years, Fr. Abe understands the realities facing many priests as they near retirement. “On a priest’s salary, many cannot save the full amount required for retirement. We don’t want to see those who have served faithfully for so long become impoverished or be denied what they need.”

One of the most urgent priorities currently facing the Diocese is providing a pension plan and health insurance for its 42 retired priests and 6 who require long-term care. To bestow future assistance to the Diocese in meeting this challenge, Fr. Abe has made a provision in his will to transfer a portion of his assets to the Priests’ Retirement Fund upon his passing.

“We are a brotherhood and we have the responsibility to support each other.  In this way we honor those who came before us, those who have made what we have today possible. I am hopeful that our clergy and lay people will join with me in creating their own legacy gift. These gifts will shape the overall legacy we leave to future generations of our Catholic Church”, said Fr. Abe.

Making a provision in your will for your parish, a Catholic school or Diocesan ministry (such as retired priests) is easy and can truly have a transformative impact. To learn more about joining Fr. Abe in creating a legacy gift for the benefit of the Catholic Church, please contact Maggie F. Keenan, Ed.D., Director of Planned Giving, (804) 622-5221 or [email protected]