Each year, during the second weekend of December, the Diocese of Cleveland joins parishes and other diocese across the country for the annual Retirement Fund for Religious collection. This year, the in-pew collection will be Dec. 10-11.
In collaboration with the National Religious Retirement Office located in Washington D.C., the diocese encourages the faithful to support those who have given a lifetime by donating. Proceeds from the in-pew collection and online donations assist members of religious communities across the country with their retirement needs.
Father Dan Schlegel, diocesan vicar for clergy and religious, took to the local airwaves recently to educate listeners on the critical need to support elder members of religious orders and share in the care for those who have dedicated their life helping others.
“There was a time when aging members of religious communities were paid $1 a day for their work in schools or affiliated Catholic organizations,” Father Schlegel told Joe Cronauer, program host on radio station 95.5 FM The Fish. Father Schlegel explained during that time, religious communities were not permitted to pay into Social Security.
Donations made to the collection help communities provide for the immediate needs such as nursing care, medications, adequate and updated living facilities or other needs for their members.
The Retirement Fund for Religious began in 1988 by the Catholic bishops of the United States in effort to address the significant lack of retirement funding for Catholic sisters, brothers and priests of religious orders.
According to a Mercer Human Resource report provided to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and the National Religious Retirement Office, it is projected that by 2034 religious institutes will face retirement deficit of $9.8 billion.
Make contributions to the Retirement Fund for Religious at any parish in the diocese or mail donations to the Office for Clergy and Religious, 1404 E. Ninth Street, Cleveland, Ohio 44114, Attention: Father Dan Schlegel. Make checks payable to the Diocese of Cleveland/RFR.