Father Stephen Joseph McNally, 69, pastor of The Church of Transfiguration in Fincastle, Saint John’s in New Castle, Saint Joseph’s Clifton Forge, and Sacred Heart in Covington past away last night (1/4).

He originally considered a career in Law Enforcment and earned a degree in Criminal Justice before entering the seminary. He served as a Chaplin at the US Embassy in Bonn, Germany, as well as for the police and sheriff’s offices of Bedford County.

He severed at the following churches:

• As a deacon at Our Lady of Nazareth (1985-1986
• Upon becoming a priest on May 17, 1986, as Associate Pastor of Holy Spirit in Virginia Beach and Saint Bede Williamsburg until 1991
• As pastor from 1991 to 1995 Saint Paschal in South Boston and Saint Elizabeth of Hungary in Brookneal
• From 1995 to 2001, he was stationed at the United States Embassy in Bonn, Germany as the Chaplin to the United States Mission while serving the Saint Thomas More Community.
• In 2001 he returned to Virginia and was assigned as pastor of Holy Name of Mary in Bedford.
• In 2009 he became pastor of the Church of the Transfiguration in Fincastle and Saint John the Baptist in Newcastle
• In 2011 he was given pastoral oversight of Saint Joseph in Clifton Forge and Sacred Heart in Covington, in addition to the previous.

Among the parishes that he served that have honored him, Holy Name of Mary in Bedford named their Social Hall after him.

Father McNally’s body will lie in repose at the Church of the Transfiguration from 2:00 to 8:00 PM on Monday January 16th. A Parish Vigil will be held at 7 PM, there.

Mass of Christian Burial will be held at Our Lady of Nazareth, Roanoke on Tuesday January 17 at Noon with Bishop Knestout officiating and brother priests of the Diocese of Richmond con-celebrating. It will be live streamed

Burial will be held at Godwin Cemetery in Fincastle.

Father Joe passed away on Tuesday December 13, in Atlanta of COVID and pneumonia. Council 562 knew him as pastor of Our Lady of Nazareth from 1997 to 2019, one of the three churches which the council covers. He moved to Saint Bede in Williamsburg in 2019.

Previous assignments include serving as pastor of Holy Cross, Lynchburg (1980-1984); Resurrection, Moneta (1984-1988 and 2005- 2009); Holy Name of Mary, Bedford (1984-1988); Christ the King, Norfolk (1988-1997); and St. Francis of Assisi, Rocky Mount (2005-2009).

Per Saint Bede’s website:

Sunday, December 18 at 7pm
Vigil for the Deceased with Reception of the Body at Saint Bede Catholic Church
Monsignor Lehman will lie in repose for vigil until 9pm

Monday, December 19 from 4pm-6pm
Visitation at Saint Bede Catholic Church

Monday, December 19 at 6pm
Funeral Mass at Saint Bede Catholic Church
The Funeral Mass for Monsignor Lehman will also be livestreamed. Please visit https://bedeva.org/ .

Monday, December 19 following the funeral Mass Reception
Reception to follow in Kaplan Parish Hall

Brother Bob Canfield passed away on December 27, 2020 at his home after a long battle with Leukemia.

A father of eight, grandfather of twenty-five, and great-grandfather of nine, he and his wife. Virginia celebrated Fifty Years together in 2008 before her passing the next year.

Bob was instrumental in many of the programs here at Council 562. In particular he started the Knights of Columbus Sandlot Basketball Tournament that he ran for many years, which was was an outgrowth of the basketball clinic that he started at Roanoke Catholic School. He established the South City Knights Youth Basketball Program, and coached youth baseball and basketball teams for many years.

He directed the Carousel, a major fundraiser for Roanoke Catholic Schools from 1970 to 1984.

In 1994 he retired from a 32-year career with the FBI where he largely served the Southwest Virginia region. At the same time he and his wife founded and ran the small business “Christ is Christmas with his daughter Mary. His life’s passion for the past 30 years, this company created greeting cards emphasizing the true meaning of Christmas to raise funds for charitable needs.

An article on the “Keep Christ in Christmas” program for the Knights of Columbus was published in the Colombian in 2010, still available online

Bob was also involved on the Albert H. Canfield Scholarship Committee for many years and took great pride in the yearly awards.

The family will celebrate a Funeral Mass at 11 a.m. on Monday, January 4, 2021, at Our Lady of Nazareth Catholic Church, live streamed for others at https://youtu.be/igYRanE_6Fo. A memorial service for the many friends of Bob Canfield will be scheduled later in 2021.

In lieu of flowers, Bob and his family request memorial contributions be donated to Knights of Columbus Culture of Life Ultrasound Fund at https://www.kofc.org/secure/en/donate/culture-of-life-fund.html or to the Blue Ridge Women’s Center, 5034 Williamson Road, NW, Roanoke, VA 24012, 540-362-4357.

Please pray for Bob and his family during this time of grief

Requiescat in pace

On April 11, 2019; Harry Cheney passed away. He was Grand Knight of Council 562 from 1996 to 1998. For several years he was manager of the Olympic Park Swim Club, and was a fixture at pool after his retirement.

Harry was predeceased by his wife Michele and two brothers. He is survived by his daughters, Amy Cheney, Tricia Cheney, Nikki Aikens and husband Tim; 8 Grandchildren, and 1 great grandchild, as well as one brother Thomas J. Cheney and wife Peg.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Knights of Columbus Kovar, c/o Jeffrey Befumo, Treasurer, 16933 Four Seasons Drive, Dumfries, Virginia 22025 in his memory.

Funeral Mass will be held Saturday April 27, 2019 at 2:00pm in Our Lady of Nazareth Catholic Church. Internment will be private. Family will receive friends Friday April 26, 2019 from 5:00-8:00pm at Simpson Funeral Home.

Brother James Sullivan, a long time member of the Roanoke Council and the Roanoke Hibernians, passed away on Sunday February Tenth. He was a Past Grand Knight of this council serving from 1990-1991. Recently he was known for running the Wednesday Family Night at Olympic Park Pool, and served on the Pool Committee.

Joseph A. Abbetello, 81, passed away suddenly at his home on Wednesday, January 30^th, 2018.  He was preceded in death by his parents, Joseph, Sr., and Rose Abbetello, his son Michael,  his brothers Dominic and George,  and his sisters Mary Collins and Carmello Dillow.  Joe is survived by Donna, his bride of fifty years, his son Joseph III (Lisa), his grand children Kayla and Joseph IV, his half-sister Minnie Thompson and several nieces and nephews.
            Joe worked for Norfolk Southern Railroad, retiring after forty-one years. He was a member of St. Andrew Church and a long time member of the Knights of Columbus.  Joe held several offices in the Knights including Grand Knight of Roanoke Council 562 and Faithful Navigator of Roanoke Assembly 1167.
            Visitation will be at St. Andrew Church at 11:00 AM on Wednesday, February 6^th with Mass following at noon