Catholic priest competes on popular game show
WHEELING — The Rev. Bill Matheny, a priest of the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston who previously served in Parkersburg, was recently a contestant on the game show “Who Wants To Be a Millionaire.”
The show was taped in July in Las Vegas and will air today on WSAZ Channel 3 in Parkersburg at 11 a.m. and WIYE Channel 6 in Parkersburg at noon.
Matheny, 61, was pastor at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Parkersburg from June 2001 to June 2004. During this time, he served briefly as principal at Parkersburg Catholic High School in the fall of 2002. Matheny graduated from the former St. Joseph Preparatory Seminary in Vienna in 1973.
Father Matheny said he was prohibited from revealing how much money he won before the game show airs. The amounts to win start at $500 and end at $5,000 for the first tier, range from $7,000 to $50,000 on the second tier and go from $100,000 to $1 million on the final tier.
Matheny said most of his game show winnings will go to St. Francis of Assisi parish grade school in St. Albans, Kanawha County, where he is an alumnus. He plans to watch the show at St. Francis of Assisi School today.
Matheny also will give some money to Wheeling Jesuit University, where he graduated from, and The Pontifical College Josephinum in Columbus. He is now serving as associate pastor at All Saints Catholic Church in Bridgeport.
Contestants must correctly answer all 14 multiple-choice questions to win $1 million. The questions get progressively more difficult in each round as the dollar amount increases.
It helps to have a broad knowledge of various subjects to do well on “Who Wants To Be a Millionaire,” Matheny said. Contestants compete against the “board” and not against each other, so “we wanted everyone to do well.”
Matheny said he was nervous on the show, but added that host Chris Harrison was friendly and the staff was wonderful.
Matheny also appeared on “Jeopardy” in 2013, where he finished second. After about the eighth question, the questions on “Who Wants To Be a Millionaire” were more difficult for Matheny than those on “Jeopardy,” he said.
Matheny filled out an online application to be on “Who Wants To Be a Millionaire.” He had to write an essay, was interviewed by Skype and was given a 30-question test to be considered for the game show.
Matheny said he does not intend to try out for any more TV game shows.
Matheny was ordained a priest in the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston on June 1, 1996.