Parishes to Conduct Annual 'Share in the Care' Collection for Elderly Nuns, Brothers, Priests in Religious Orders

Collection slated for December 12-13

Changing demographics of religious institutes leave retirement plans underfunded

Some can't pay for heat, medical care, needed repairs of old buildings

WASHINGTON, Nov. 9 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The annual Retirement Fund for Religious national collection will be taken up in most U.S. parishes December 12-13. The collection theme is 'Share in the Care.'

Now in its 22nd year, the collection is coordinated by the National Religious Retirement Office (NRRO) in Washington and benefits thousands of elderly women and men religious whose communities lack adequate funding for retirement.

"Funding needs are more dramatic than ever," said Sister Janice Bader, a Sister of the Most Precious Blood of O'Fallon, Missouri, and NRRO executive director. "We recently got a call about a religious order that could not pay its heating bill. We've found sisters cutting back on medical and dental care to save money. A lot are living in 'Peter Pan' housing, built as if the sisters would stay forever young. These institutions need to be made handicapped-accessible."

She said many sisters, brothers and religious order priests have been helped by recent donations.

"I am continually heartened by the overwhelming generosity of Catholics to this fund each year," she said. "Even in these difficult financial times, Catholics across the nation find a way to give back to the women and men religious who sacrificed so much for our Church and our world."

The financial crisis is rooted in low salaries and changing demographics. Traditionally, religious worked for small stipends that furnished only the basics of daily living. There were no retirement plans or pensions, and care for elderly members was provided largely by younger members. Over the last few decades, however, elderly religious have begun to outnumber younger religious, and the income of those engaged in compensated ministry can no longer keep pace with the growing cost of elder care. Moreover, the number of wage earners is projected to decrease sharply over the next 10 years, resulting in significantly less income available to support senior religious.

The 2008 collection drew over $28.2 million. Since 1988, Catholics have donated nearly $589 million to the annual appeal. Approximately 95 percent of these donations are distributed almost immediately to support the care of senior religious.

The 2008 appeal, for example, enabled the National Religious Retirement Office to distribute over $23 million to 483 religious institutes. These funds supplemented the day-to-day care of elder religious and helped religious institutes implement long-range retirement strategies. The NRRO also distributed close to $3 million in targeted financial assistance to support self-help projects, such as collaborative health care facilities, initiated by religious institutes.

The retirement crisis developed as demographics of religious institutes changed, so that now there are more elderly than younger members. The problem has been compounded by skyrocketing health care costs. Today, there are more than 35,000 women and men religious over age 70, and more than 5,500 religious require skilled care.

Historically, older religious worked for years for small stipends, with surplus income reinvested in their ministries, such as schools and social service agencies. Retirement was not a priority in the past when there were enough younger members to care for older ones.

Over the next 10 to 15 years, the number of religious age 25 to 74 is expected to decrease sharply. With this decline, the income of religious institutes will drop precipitously.

For more information, visit www.retiredreligious.org.

Backgrounder: Retirement Fund for Religious

In 1988, Catholic bishops in the United States launched the Retirement Fund for Religious (RFR) to address the significant lack of retirement funding for Catholic nuns, brothers, and priests in religious orders. The National Religious Retirement Office (NRRO), formerly the Tri-Conference Retirement Office, was established to coordinate the annual collection and to distribute the proceeds of this collection to religious institutes in need.

Traditionally, women and men religious worked for small stipends that furnished only the basics of daily living. There were no retirement plans or pensions, and care for elderly members was provided largely by younger members. Over the last few decades, however, elderly religious have begun to outnumber younger religious, and the income of those engaged in compensated ministry can no longer keep pace with the growing cost of elder care. Moreover, the number of wage earners is projected to decrease sharply over the next 10 years, resulting in significantly less income available to support senior religious.

The annual appeal for the Retirement Fund for Religious, which is taken up each December in most U.S. Catholic parishes, provides vital support to religious institutes in meeting current and future retirement needs. Since 1989, the National Religious Retirement Office has distributed over $557 million to religious institutes across the nation, including more than $493 million to help underwrite the direct care of elderly religious. Almost $64 million has supported efforts by religious institutes to stabilize retirement savings and to develop comprehensive retirement strategies.

Religious are careful stewards of the funds received through the RFR and strive to maintain a low cost of care. For example, the October 2008 Metlife Market Survey of Nursing Home and Assisted Living Costs reported that the national average rate for a semi-private nursing home room was $69,715. By comparison, the cost of skilled care for a religious in 2008 was just over $55,000.

In addition to sponsoring the annual appeal, the National Religious Retirement Office offers assessment tools, educational programming, services, and resources that enable religious institutes to evaluate and prepare for long-term needs. The NRRO also coordinates an extensive network of volunteer consultants, including experts in elder care and financial planning, to help religious institutes plan for the ongoing care of senior members.

The NRRO is sponsored by the Conference of Major Superiors of Men (CMSM), the Council of Major Superiors of Women Religious (CMSWR), the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR), and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

For more information, visit www.retiredreligious.org.

SOURCE U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops

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