November 16, 2007
NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For More Information, Contact:
Bud Bunce (503) 233-8373
bbunce@archdpdx.org
Collection for Retired Religious
The annual collection for the Retirement Fund for Religious will be taken in the parishes of the Archdiocese of Portland the weekend of December 8 – 9. This collection provides assistance to religious orders of men and women, and helps alleviate the projected $9 billion shortfall in retirement funding. The collection is coordinated by the National Religious Retirement Office (NRRO) of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.
According to the NRRO more than 37,800 religious, mostly women, are past the age of 70. Many worked for most of their ministry receiving small salaries and stipends, which often went to support the ministries of the religious order to which they belonged. It wasn’t until the 1970’s that most religious institutes began to submit payments to Social Security. Today, members of religious orders receive approximately one-third what the average person receives from Social Security due to the low wages they received. Members of religious orders served in Catholic parishes, schools, hospitals and other ministries.
The first collection for the Retirement Fund for Religious was taken in 1988. This past year, $19,925,324 in grants were provided to women religious orders to assist with retirement costs, and $3,074,675 were provided to assist religious orders of men. In the Archdiocese of Portland, seven religious orders received grants. Three groups of men religious received grants: Benedictines of Mount Angel Abbey in St. Benedict, OR ($28,155), the Trappist monks of Our Lady of Guadalupe Abbey in Lafayette ($25,078) and the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) in Portland ($36,360.95). Four institutes of women religious in the Archdiocese of Portland received grants: Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary of Marylhurst ($236,726), Benedictine Sisters of Mt. Angel ($14,027), Sisters of the Adorers of the Holy Cross in Portland ($3,108), and the Sisters of Reparation in Portland ($2,659).
Last year parishioners of the Archdiocese of Portland contributed $214,313 in support of the collection for the Retirement Fund for Religious. Over the past 18 years, parishioners in this Archdiocese have contributed more than $3,677,000. The need is great and Catholics are again encouraged to be generous in their support of retired religious the weekend of December 8 – 9.
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