November 14, 2007

Annual appeal for elderly Catholic religious December 8–9

The 20th national annual appeal for the Retirement Fund for Religious (RFR) will be conducted in Catholic parishes in the Diocese of Buffalo the weekend of December 8 and 9. Coordinated by the National Religious Retirement Office (NRRO) of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, the appeal benefits the projected $9 billion retirement liability of the nation’s aging religious women and men.

Bishop Edward U. Kmiec, bishop of Buffalo, noted, “We set aside time one weekend a year to remind ourselves of the significance of the need that this appeal addresses and the importance of our response. For many decades, thousands of nuns, religious priests and brothers labored in the Lord’s vineyard throughout the diocese, primarily as teachers, nurses, childcare workers and social service providers. We are most grateful for their selfless service.”

In the 19 years between 1988 and 2006, the Diocese of Buffalo remitted $17.3 million to the NRRO. The total grant amount received, which was distributed to the congregations in the diocese who requested funds, totaled $16.7 million. That means 96 percent of the money contributed to the appeal in the eight counties of Western New York was returned to local religious communities. “What a wonderful gift given to our men and women religious because of your generosity and love for them,” said Sister Mary Charlene Nowak, CSSF, vicar for religious for the diocese and coordinator of the appeal. “Those who contribute to the appeal are indeed an extension of Jesus Christ bringing joy into the hearts of these men and women religious as they share their monetary gifts with us.”

Grant awards have assisted investment and supported collaboration among religious institutes and helped ensure quality of life and adequate health care for thousands of religious formerly at risk.

During the past two decades, however, the gap between assets available for retirement and the cost of living and health care for elderly women and men religious has widened from $2 billion to $9 billion and is expected to grow. In 2023, the combined Social Security benefits of all retired religious is projected to be $184 million a year, but cost of care totals more than $1.6 billion annually. More than 37,000 Catholic religious are now past age 70. More than 5,000 women and men require skilled nursing care. While costs for care in a skilled nursing facility in the U.S. average more than $65,000 annually, religious institutes have kept their average cost of skilled nursing care to $49,850.

The average Social Security benefit for religious women and men is approximately one-third that paid to the average U.S. beneficiary.

For more information, go to www.shareinthecare.org

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