BY ELIZABETH WONG BARNSTEAD, THE WESTERN KENTUCKY CATHOLIC

In May 2021, the Diocese of Owensboro will complete a series of pledged donations to the Archdiocese of Tuxtla Gutiérrez in Chiapas, Mexico. The pledge began in fiscal year 2017-2018 and was for a total of $80,000 ($20,000 per year).

Bishop William F. Medley said he had anticipated making this pledge prior to his 2017 pastoral visit to Mexico, and wanted to contribute to the seminary in Chiapas in thanksgiving for the ministry of priests from that region who are currently serving in the Diocese of Owensboro.

“Other parts of the Church are sending their most valuable resource – their priests,” Bishop Medley told The Western Kentucky Catholic on March 1. “It bears repeating how different our Church would be if they weren’t here.”

Currently, there are 22 foreign-born priests serving 36 of the 78 parishes in the Diocese of Owensboro.

The bishop has also pledged $25,000 to be paid out over five years to the seminary in the St. Paul Province of Heralds of Good News in India. Multiple priests from India currently serve parishes across western Kentucky, including many who belong to the Heralds of Good News religious community.

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Originally printed in the May 2021 issue of The Western Kentucky Catholic.