Support needs of retired religious Dec. 3-4

Published: November 30, 2016

The annual Retirement Fund for Religious collection will be held Dec. 3-4 in the Diocese of Little Rock. Coordinated by the National Religious Retirement Office (NRRO), the appeal benefits nearly 33,000 senior Catholic sisters, brothers and religious order priests whose communities lack retirement savings.

The Diocese of Little Rock contributed $166,274.81 to the last collection. In 2016, the Benedictines of Subiaco Abbey, Discalced Carmelite nuns in Little Rock and the Olivetan Benedictine sisters in Jonesboro received financial assistance from the Retirement Fund for Religious. The following received direct care assistance in Arkansas in 2015:

• Holy Angels Convent, Jonesboro — which has 23.49 percent of retirement not funded, received $24,014.71
• Carmelite Monastery, Little Rock — which has 68.10 percent of retirement not funded, received $13,786.25
• Subiaco Abbey, Subiaco — which has 81.89 percent of retirement not funded, received $40,661.77

Women and men religious who serve or have served in the diocese but whose communities are based elsewhere may also benefit from the annual appeal.

In 2015 the NRRO distributed $25 million to 401 religious congregations. These funds supplement the day-to-day care of elderly religious and help their congregations implement long-range retirement strategies. Throughout the year, additional funding is allocated for congregations with the greatest needs. For more information about this nationwide special collection, visit the Retirement Fund for Religious.

Learn about the religious who are serving in Arkansas by reading about six sisters who are celebrating 25 to 70 years of service to the Church in Dec. 3 issue of Arkansas Catholic. These religious continue to serve in their religious communities in any way they can, even in retirement.