Although 2021 was a difficult year due in large part to the ongoing pandemic, the Diocese of Richmond had many moments of grace to celebrate.
One of the greatest blessings that has endured is the generosity of the faithful. During #iGiveCatholic, the Diocese of Richmond placed fifth among 42 participating dioceses and archdioceses in the United States. The Annual Diocesan Appeal had its first in-pew weekend during Feb. 20-21. The 2021 appeal saw a record number of donors surpass the $3.749 million goal – the highest ever set. Ultimately, over $4.5 million was raised.
End of bicentennial year
The bicentennial year was officially concluded during the weekend of Jan. 16-17. Parishes across the diocese recognized this event in their weekend Masses. At 9 a.m. Mass on Jan. 31, Bishop Knestout blessed three plaques that commemorate the regional Masses that were celebrated in each of the diocese’s vicariates. A statue of St. Vincent de Paul was installed in front of the Pastoral Center and blessed and dedicated by the bishop on Jan. 12.
Serving the faithful
Two Pastoral Center offices were restructured to better serve the needs of the faithful. Effective Jan. 26, the Office for Evangelization was restructured to support youth, young adult and campus ministries, and the newly restructured ministries of marriage and family life. A new stand-alone Office of Social Ministries and Respect Life was established. The Office of Christian Formation was restructured to include Hispanic Christian Formation. The Office of Christian Formation also launched a small groups resources webpage called “Where Two or Three are Gathered,” and on Sept. 18 held its first Heralds of Faith event for catechists at Our Lady of Nazareth, Roanoke.
The Office of Safe Environment hosted a livestreamed Rosary for the Protection of Children and Families at the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart on April 14. The office also announced updates to the Safe Environment Regulations on Oct. 25 to strengthen the protection of children, young adults and the vulnerable.
Bishop Knestout celebrated Masses for Hope and Healing at Our Lady of Nazareth, Roanoke, on Sept. 17 and at the Basilica of St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception, Norfolk, on Nov. 10. The third Mass for Hope and Healing will be celebrated on Feb. 15, 2022, at St. Thomas Aquinas, Charlottesville.
Ethnic diversity
The Diocese of Richmond participated in several endeavors to celebrate people of different ethnic backgrounds.
A special Mass was held at the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart on April 24 to celebrate the 500th anniversary of the Christianization of the Philippines. Bishop Knestout presided at the livestreamed event.
During Black History Month, the diocese cosponsored “Sharing Our Story: An Enduring Faith” with the Tolton Spirituality Center in Chicago and several other dioceses. Deacon Charles Williams, director of the diocesan Office for Black Catholics, gave the opening and welcome on Feb. 5.
Bishop Knestout participated in the USCCB’s Journeying Together initiative, a series of monthly online dialogue sessions in which bishops answered questions from the faithful. As a member of the USCCB’s Subcommittee on African American Affairs, Bishop Knestout participated in the session that focused on the African American family.
The diocesan Office for Black Catholics held “Our Church, Our Story,” a conference centered on the importance of Black representation and inclusivity in the Church during the weekend of Nov 5-7. The conference included sessions about increasing Black representation, youth empowerment, racism in the Catholic Church, and the Catholic experience in Africa. More than 100 people attended in person and virtually.
Ordinations
Dillon Bruce was ordained a transitional deacon on May 22. Mass attendance at the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart was by reservation only due COVID-19.
Thomas B. Lawrence III was ordained a priest for the diocese on June 5 at the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart. He celebrated his first Mass the following day at St. Bridget, Richmond. He was assigned to serve at St. Joseph, Hampton, and St. Mary Star of the Sea, Fort Monroe.
Fifteen men were ordained to the permanent diaconate at the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart on Sept. 25. More than 700 people were in attendance, including 36 priests and 48 deacons.
Parishes
Parishes had an exciting year with anniversaries, the construction of new buildings and repairs on existing structures.
St. Gerard, Roanoke, celebrated its 75th anniversary on Oct. 16. St. Gerard is the only Black Catholic parish in southwest Virginia.
On April 17, Bishop Knestout blessed the new parish center at St. Therese, Farmville, which had been under construction since 2017.
St. John the Evangelist, Waynesboro, was dedicated on July 4. The construction of the church building had been ongoing since 2014. Parishioners said that the Holy Spirit was present in the $12.5 million project.
Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament, West Point, raised $386,000 in a capital campaign called “Our Hope, Our Home, Our Lady” to repair and preserve the parish.
The Basilica of St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception, Norfolk, was rededicated on Sept. 26. Nearly 400 people attended the Mass during which Bishop Knestout rededicated the sanctuary and blessed the altar.
On Nov. 30, St. Andrew, Roanoke, was rededicated by Bishop Knestout. The church had undergone a seven-year restoration project that cost $7.7 million, which was all paid for by donations from parishioners and others in the area.
Catholic schools
Diocese of Richmond Catholic schools had many successes to celebrate in 2021.
On Jan. 17, St. Joseph School, Petersburg, the oldest continually operating school in the diocese, marked its 145th anniversary. Students of St. Joseph School were highlighted by Channel 12 News for their “Acts of Kindness” series on March 24.
On Feb. 24, a team of middle school STREAM students at St. Gregory the Great Catholic School, Virginia Beach, were named the winners of a contest sponsored by VDOT. The contest sought names for the Tunnel Boring Machine that will be used in the HRBT expansion project. The winners, who proposed the name “Mary” for Hampton native Mary Jackson, a mathematician and aerospace engineer at NASA, were featured in the HRBT Expansion Magazine.
In March, students at Star of the Sea School, Virginia Beach, asked family and friends to sponsor acts of kindness in a non-traditional fundraiser during Lent. The 1,506 acts of kindness helped students explore the meaning of stewardship and generated over $24,000 for the school.
St. Vincent de Paul Virtual Academy, which offers a full-time, online learning environment for students in grades 8-12, was launched on March 11. The academy operates under the guidance of Peninsula Catholic High School in Newport News, but it is managed by the Office of Catholic Schools.
Bishop Knestout celebrated Mass at All Saints School, Richmond, on All Saints Day, Nov. 1, and blessed additional classrooms that were constructed through $1.3 million raised by the school’s “The Future is Now” campaign and a $1 million contribution from Marcus Weinstein and his wife, Carole, in 2019.
The St. Bridget Catholic School robotics team, “Clueless,” won the state championship on Dec. 3 and will compete in the FIRST LEGO League World Championship in Houston in April 2022.