Moran remembered for what he brought to church, community

CHESAPEAKE — Father Charles E. Moran, who died on Oct. 7 at age 82, is being remembered, not just for leadership of his church, but for his commitment to his community.

Huffman who was ordained Aug. 8, 1967 at St. Joseph Catholic Church of Ironton, pastored at St. Ann Catholic Church of Chesapeake for 17 years.

Former Chesapeake Mayor Dick Gilpin described Moran as “a wonderful person.”

“He was very involved with the community center here,” Gilpin said. “He was devoted to his church and his parishioners. And he wasn’t just a Catholic priest, he was wonderful in his community.”

Gilpin described Moran as “the light of the day whenever he showed up.”

“He was the type of person who always made you feel better,” he said.

Moran attended St. Joseph High School and St. John’s Seminar and led the Children’s Mass at St. Lawrence and St. Joseph Schools.

Moran’s sister-in-law, Carol Moran, described the priest as “a man of the people, especially the poor.”

“He loved his parish family, and his own family, of course,” she said.

She spoke of a project he started at St. Ann, called the “Gleaning of the Fields,” in which Moran would work with children, adults and members of the Scouts.

“They would clean up tomatoes and stuff, that the farmers weren’t using, and give them to the poor,” she said.

In his time at St. Ann he became deeply involved with the charitable work of Chesapeake Community Mission Outreach, such as their annual Christmas giveaway of food to the needy.

Dannie Newman, financial secretary for CMO, said Moran was involved with CMO “for as long as he was in Chesapeake.”

“He was helping out since he came here,” he said.

Newman recalled Moran making trips to acquire items for the Christmas distribution, such as going to Louisa, where he knew a Catholic priest who supplied the effort with chicken legs.

“He would drive hours up to Holmes County with a U-Haul to get extra meat for the giveaway,” Newman said.

Carole Moran remembered him bringing back 400 pounds of chicken.

“He would share it with every food pantry in the area, and whatever churches needed it,” she said.

He said Moran motivated his church to take part in the CMO’s efforts and other charitable projects, noting that St. Ann is the only church working with CMO that also does their own distribution events.

“He taught everyone to love thy neighbor, like we’re supposed to do, and they will continue to do that,” Newman said.

He said Moran was also instrumental in the Thanksgiving service CMO conducts with the four churches that support the nonprofit.

He noted Moran started the event, which rotates each year between the churches.

He was a fine man, and we all learned a lot from him,” Newman said.

Moran is survived by his siblings Thomas R. (Bonnie) Moran, Judith Levine and Tony (Carol) Moran. A Mass of Christian Burial and private family burial took place on Friday.