Give back to retired religious on Dec. 2-3

Published: November 30, 2017

The annual Retirement Fund for Religious collection will be held Dec. 2-3 in the Diocese of Little Rock. Coordinated by the National Religious Retirement Office (NRRO), the appeal benefits 32,000 elderly Catholic sisters, brothers and religious order priests whose religious congregations lack adequate retirement funding.

Last year, the Diocese of Little Rock contributed $154,723 to the collection. In 2017, 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. 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 2016 the NRRO distributed $30.7 million. About 94 cents of every dollar aids senior religious. Many religious communities still struggle to provide for aging members. Only 41 of the 539 communities submitting data to the NRRO in 2016 were adequately funded for retirement.

Traditionally, Catholic sisters, brothers and religious order priests served for small stipends that did not include retirement benefits. Today, hundreds of religious communities lack sufficient retirement savings. 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 seven sisters and one religious brother who are celebrating 25 to 70 years of service to the Church in Dec. 2 issue of Arkansas Catholic. These religious continue to serve in their religious communities in any way they can, even in retirement.