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November
21, 2005 
VOL.
43, NO. 20Oakland,
CA
Collection to support retired Religious women and men
The 18th annual
collection to provide funds for retired Religious women and men will take
place in parishes throughout the United States on Dec. 10-11.
Coordinated by the National Religious Retirement Office of the U.S. Conference
of Catholic Bishops in Washington, the collection helps to support 38,000
Catholic Sisters, Brothers and religious order priests who are past the
age of 70.
These men and women worked most of their lives for small stipends and
their religious communities do not have sufficient funds in retirement
accounts to cover their care. They are not covered by Church or diocesan
retirement plans. The annual collection benefits the projected $8.1 billion
retirement liability of the nation’s religious orders.
The cost of skilled nursing care and assisted living for almost 12,000
religious men and women exceeds $1 million each day, said Sister Andree
Fries, NRRO executive director. The average social security benefit for
religious women and men is about one-third of that paid to the average
U.S. beneficiary.
Last year Catholics gave more than $28 million nationwide for the retirement
program, with the Oakland Diocese contributing $193,249.47.
Among those receiving grants in 2004 were Sisters of Mercy in Burlingame,
$21,951.46; Mission San Jose Dominicans, $65,837.50; Holy Names Sisters
in Los Gatos, $86,348.93; Franciscan Friars in Oakland, $95,323.95 ; Sisters
of the Sacred Heart in Oakland, $5,084.75; Society of the Precious Blood
in San Leandro, $3, 786.67; and Salesians in San Francisco, $32,506.43.
