When Msgr. Karl Chimiak retired in 2023 after more than four decades of priestly ministry, he didn't have much time to contemplate what retirement might look like.
Having completed his work as a contract priest for the U.S. Air Force, he received permission to retire from Cardinal Wilton Gregory, then the archbishop of Washington. Soon afterward, he was asked to help at St. Peter Claver Parish in Southern Maryland.
“I went from the pilot’s seat to another pilot’s seat, right to a direct ministry and helping out with two parishes,” he recalled. “I’m not the type to ponder. I got to get involved,” he said.
Today, the 74-year-old priest remains active throughout Southern Maryland, filling in when pastors take vacations or sabbaticals, celebrating Mass and offering spiritual guidance to younger priests. He also serves as the Maryland State Chaplain for the Knights of Columbus.
“They call me Father You’ll Do,” he said with a laugh.
Msgr. Chimiak is among 73 retired priests of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington, many of whom continue serving in parishes and other ministries. The archdiocese's annual Retired Priests Collection that will be taken up at parishes on the weekend of Nov. 7-8, 2026 helps provide for their medical care, housing and other needs as they grow older, offering support to priests who have spent decades caring for others.
As a priest of the Archdiocese of Washington, Msgr. Chimiak served as a parochial vicar at St. Margaret of Scotland Parish in Seat Pleasant, Maryland (1980-1983); St. Matthias Apostle Parish in Lanham, Maryland (1983-1987); and St. Michael the Archangel Parish in Silver Spring, Maryland (1987-1992). He served as a pastor at St. Michael Parish in Ridge, Maryland (1992-2000); Holy Ghost Parish in Issue, Maryland (2000-2004); Sacred Heart Parish in La Plata, Maryland (2004-2007); St. George Parish in Valley Lee, Maryland (2007-2014); and St. Joseph Parish in Beltsville, Maryland (2014-2019).
For Msgr. Chimiak, retirement has brought an unexpected freedom. With fewer administrative responsibilities, he can devote more time to pastoral and sacramental ministry.
“I’m free to do a lot more pastorally,” he said.
He also finds himself mentoring younger priests, sharing lessons learned over decades of parish assignments and service as a military and police chaplain.
“When I was a young priest, I always had a mentor, an older priest mentor that used to help me out,” he said. “So here I am.”
According to Father Robert G. Maro, the archdiocese’s coordinator for the pastoral care of priests, retired clergy serve as hospital and police chaplains, spiritual directors, high school chaplains and chaplains on pilgrimages. Others assist with marriage tribunal work, celebrate Masses at nursing homes, preside at burial services, hear Confessions and visit the sick.
“It is beautiful to see so many of our retired priests remain active and fulfilled in their ministries during their retirement,” Father Maro said.
Auxiliary Bishop Gary R. Studniewski – who serves as the vicar for clergy and secretary for ministerial leadership for the archdiocese – shared a recent example of that willingness to serve. When a pastor's unexpected absence left a parish needing weekend coverage for an entire month, three retired priests stepped forward to provide most of the assistance.
“Those who are healthy and able are more than willing to exercise their priesthood,” Bishop Studniewski said. “They continue to be eager to serve and they do so generously.”
As retired priests continue to minister, the Retired Priests Fund helps address practical needs that individual parishes may be unable to meet.
The fund also supports the upkeep of the St. John XXIII Residence, the archdiocese's residential facility for retired priests.
Bishop Studniewski recently attended one of the monthly gatherings there, where retired priests come together for Mass and lunch. Of the 21 priests who attended, approximately nine lived at the residence, while the others traveled from their respective homes.
“It’s so good to see these priests getting together and maintaining fraternity and support for one another,” the bishop said.
That fraternity is something Msgr. Chimiak considers essential to a priest’s well-being, particularly as he grows older.
He says spending time with fellow priests, sharing meals and prayer helps maintain those relationships.
“I’m too busy to be lonely,” he said. “We eat together. We pray together.”
Still, he acknowledged that loneliness can become a serious concern for priests without a supportive community.
“You cannot be a Lone Ranger in this business,” he said. “That’s a recipe for disaster.”
For priests whose health no longer permits active ministry, Father Maro emphasized that their vocation continues through prayer and suffering.
“For others, their sickness is the apostolate through which they continue their priestly ministry,” he said. “They are sharing in Christ’s redemptive work by offering their suffering for the good of the Church and the salvation of souls.”
Msgr. Chimiak said the retirement fund provides a measure of security that individual parishes might struggle to offer on their own.
“We’re blessed in this diocese to have that fund for these things that the priests really need,” he said.
When he finds time away from ministry, Msgr. Chimiak enjoys walking, hiking, fishing and following NASCAR. An avid music lover who plays guitar and saxophone, he has also entertained nursing home residents with Elvis Presley impersonations.
“Elvis has left the building,” he joked, recalling Christmas performances with friends that brought smiles to elderly residents.
“You got to be joyful,” he said. “People want to see a joyful priest.”
Looking back on 46 years of priesthood, Msgr. Chimiak remains grateful for the people who helped form him, from his parents to the priests who mentored him during his seminary years at Mount St. Mary's in Emmitsburg, Maryland. He now hopes to offer that same guidance to younger priests.
Catholics wishing to honor the lifelong service of retired priests can donate to the Retired Priests Collection at their parishes on the weekend of Nov. 7-8, through online donations, or by texting “Priest” to 301-231-1816. The website adw.org/rpc includes other ways to support the collection.
For Msgr. Chimiak, that support allows him and his brother priests to continue answering the call to serve.
“That fund enables me to continue being a priest, helping my brother priests out,” he said. “That’s a very important fact.”
