Millionaire priest dies in squalor, relatives to inherit $

by Tom Gallagher on Mar. 09, 2010

Millionaire priest dies in squalor, relatives inherit $

In a strange, but apparently true, story, a Wheeling-Charleston, W.Va., diocesan priest, died while living in "appalling" conditions without a will, according to this story.

"Twelve brothers and sisters in Poland will soon receive about $150,000 each from the estate of a Kanawha County priest who lived like a pauper, despite having nearly $2 million stashed away in cash and investments.

For nearly three years, Chief Tax Deputy Allen Bleigh and members of the tax department have been investigating the estate of Fr. Anthony Wojtus. Following his death in 2007, the millionaire priest was discovered to have been living in squalor.

Wojtus left no will or known family members. The county was appointed as estate administrator shortly after the priest's death, leaving officials with the job of tracking down next of kin."

The story goes on: "Wojtus was a retired member of the Wheeling-Charleston Diocese. Diocesan priests are not required to take a vow of poverty, said Father Anthony Cincinnati, the Episcopal vicar for clergy. But priests are supposed to live simple lives, he said "His wealth was certainly unusual," Cincinnati said. "Most priests do not have those kinds of resources, at least to my knowledge."

So many questions arise from this story, e.g., How could the diocese not know of the living conditions of this priest? Isn't this priest connected to a deanery? How many priests lack wills and living wills? A best-practice is for priests to be required by dioceses to fill out an asset-liability financial disclosure form and keep it updated annually for a host of reasons, not the least of which is to have a layer of defense against embezzlement charges. Perhaps the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston needs a new Vicar for Clergy and a new person overseeing the deanery responsible for this particular priest.

This article does clear up

Submitted by frère charles du désert OSB OBLAT (Congrégation de Subiaco) (not verified) on Mar. 09, 2010.

This article does clear up the diocese's responsibilities with this:

"He did not have a will on file with the Diocese, as is normally required of priests and other employees of the church.

"Normally, they are asked to have a will made up, and that is maintained in their personnel files to make it easier for their family members when they die," he said."

And answers much of the question about this poor man by explaining"

"(Fr.) Wojtus also was a Holocaust survivor, and spent about eight months at Auschwitz."

It goes into some detail on this matter, which might help explain his choice of life style.

Oddly unmentioned in any of this so far is the interesting notice provided on the schismatic traditio.com August 2007 page:
"The TRADITIO Network has received a report that Fr. Anthony Wojtus, an independent traditional Roman Catholic priest, died on July 16, 2007. He was the pastor of St. Anthony Retreat House in Cedar Grove, West Virginia. "

Perhaps this helps explain why no papers were filed with the local official Roman Catholic diocese? Yet the diocese apparently paid him a pension?

Over at

http://findarticles.com/p/news-articles/charleston-daily-mail/mi_8044/is...

we find this further information:

"But there are Catholics who still want a priest who can and will conduct a traditional Latin service, and Father Anthony served that need, using a small house next to his own in Cedar Grove for that purpose.

And that's what got him in trouble with the church.

The celebration of Mass is supposed to take place in a church or chapel that has been consecrated. Father Anthony's makeshift chapel was not.

The Wheeling-Charleston Diocese suspended Father Anthony in 1993, prohibiting him from conducting mass publicly, preaching or hearing confessions.

But Father Anthony continued to perform ceremonies, for which he probably received some payment from the participants.

He also received a modest pension check from the church until the time of his death on July 16, 2007 in Charleston."

What is most interesting, above all, is the detailed information provided in the originating article linked from this ncronline article regarding his time in Auschwitz. Did he ever meet Saint Maximilian Kolbe? He claimed to have worked alongside Wojtyla in the fifties . . .

Correcting your

Submitted by Stanley D. Wyatt (not verified) on Jan. 11, 2011.

Correcting your information:

1. Fr. Anthony was not an independent traditional priest, as you say. He was on the roster of priests for the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston as a diocesan priest. I know that he attended the annual priests' conclaves and retreats. He also told us that he received cards from the bishop. He was retired from the diocese.

2. Every priest has the right to celebrate the Mass privately.

3. Nobody ever explained what the "suspended" status meant, or why he was suspended.

4. Fr. Anthony was a pastor or assistant pastor at several parishes in the diocese, from 1963 on to about 1990.

5. Fr. Anthony filled in for priests who were ill or on vacation during retirement and conducted at least one wedding.

6. Fr. Anthony didn't charge money for celebrating Mass. People gave him Mass stipends. You cannot sell or buy a Mass.

7. The Tridentine Mass was never abrogated by Vatican II or the Novo Ordo Missae. Priests have had the right to celebrate the traditional Mass since at least 1983.

8. Masses are celebrated at non-concecrated places all the time. You should know this. The St. Anthony Retreat House was not publicly advertized and did not have signage outside indicating time of Masses, etc.

9. The Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston does not have deaneries. It has vicariates. No, I don't recall anyone from the diocese "checking up" on him. The diocese has a living facility for retired priests available.

10. Father Anthony's funeral was celebrated by diocesan priests in the Sacred Heart Co-Cathedral, Charleston, WV, July 20, 2007.

11. Yes, he met St. Maximillian. He also visited Sister Lucia, Mother Teresa, St. Padre Pio, and was a personal friend of the late great Pope John Paul, II. He had stayed in the Pope's private apartment in Rome and celebrated Mass with him.

12. Father Anthony conducted retreats for Polish Catholics in various locations around the U.S., at the request of people who wanted to converse with a priest in Polish. He also conducted some Latin Mass and other retreats on request outside of the diocese.

Long live the memory of Father Anthony and the courageous Polish people!

Sincerely yours in Christ,

Stanley D. Wyatt
2860 Pennsylvania Avenue
Charleston, WV 25302

304-346-8135

member, St. Anthony Catholic Church, Charleston, WV

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