Fundraiser for the retired religious


By Portland Archdiocese

Collection for retired religious

The special collection for retired religious will be taken on the weekend of December 7 – 8, 2013. The collection asks Catholics to assist those members of religious orders in their retirement years, after they have given a lifetime of ministry to the Church. The goal of the collection is to provide financial assistance, education and resources to help religious orders help themselves.

The Retirement for Religious collection was initiated in 1988 by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. In 2012 National Religious Retirement Office (NRRO) distributed $23 million in direct care assistance to retired religious, and $3.4 million to religious orders for retirement planning and implementation assistance. Seven religious orders within the Archdiocese of Portland received a total of more than $486,000 in direct care assistance. Women religious orders receiving support were: Franciscan Missionary Sisters of Our Lady of Sorrows, Sisters of the Holy Names, and the Benedictine Sisters of Mt. Angel. Men religious orders receiving support were: the Missionaries of the Holy Spirit, Trappists, Society of Jesus (Jesuits) and Benedictines.

Direct care assistance funds provide supplemental support to religious orders for the day-to-day care of members. The funding assists religious orders to provide for current and future elder care needs of members, and assists orders to bridge the gap between retirement income and expenses. The planning and implementation assistance is a consultative process assisting religious orders with planning to meet their future retirement needs.

Last year Catholics in the Archdiocese of Portland donated more than $186,500 in support of the Retirement Fund for Religious. The needs are still great as members of religious orders approach retirement and need elder care. Parishioners are encouraged to be generous in their support of the Retirement Fund for Religious December 7 – 8th.


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