A Letter from Bishop Barry C. Knestout

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Last year, I was blessed to see how the Diocese truly lived the Jubilee Year of Hope. I saw thousands of faithful clergy, religious, and laypeople come together at Catholic Fest in October, and shortly after, I had the joy of meeting our Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV, for the first time at the Vatican, and I offered Mass for your intentions while I was there on pilgrimage.

When the opportunity to meet Pope Leo arose, I wanted to share many things about our Diocese with him. I could have shared how our grassroots ministries, made up of committed volunteers, were changing the lives of families from the Southwest corner of Virginia to the Eastern Shore. Or how our seminarians are fostering more than just their faith, but also God’s inspiration for the faithful with whom they interact. Or how our young people in our parishes and on college campuses are forming hearts and minds to follow Jesus. Although our conversation was brief, albeit uplifting, he expressed his prayers for our Diocese.

This year, I pray that providing hope for others remains a steady conviction for us all. God is always faithful to us in delivering what we need, and his son, Jesus, declared that it is our calling to Share His Love with Others. Your support for the Annual Diocesan Appeal breathes life into our ministries, schools, and parishes. The Appeal provides vital support to the hungry and homeless, formative education to our lay leaders, care for our seminarians and retired priests, and so much more.

Knowing that Our Lord hears and answers all our prayers, I humbly ask that you prayerfully consider contributing to the Appeal so we can continue bringing hope and love to those who need it most.

Thank you for continuously sharing what you have received, and may God bless you this year.