Retirement Fund for Religious—Update: The annual Retirement Fund for Religious collection will be held December 7-8, in the Diocese of Victoria. In its 26th year, the collection is coordinated by the National Religious Retirement Office in Washington, D.C. and benefits over 34,000 senior Catholic sisters, brothers and religious order priests. Catholic bishops of the United States initiated the collection in 1988, to address the significant lack of retirement funds among U.S. religious communities. Proceeds are distributed to eligible communities to help underwrite retirement and health-care expenses. Despite the generosity to the collection, numerous religious communities struggle to provide adequate care for their retired members. The rising cost of care
compounds funding difficulties. Last year, the average annual cost of care for senior religious was over $38,000 per person, while skilled care averaged more than $57,000. The total cost of care for senior women and men religious was over $1.1 billion in 2012 alone. In 2012, the Diocese of Victoria contributed $44,022.09 to this collection. In 2013, two religious communities in our diocese directly benefited from this collection: The Missionary Catechists of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and Mary and the Sisters of the Incarnate Word and Blessed Sacrament. These religious communities received a combined total of $80,273.24 in financial support made possible by the Retirement Fund for Religious. Additionally, men and women religious who serve or have served
in the diocese, but whose communities are based elsewhere, may also benefit from the annual appeal. Let us once again generously support this important national collection.