Upcoming collection helps aging priests, sisters, brothers in religious orders

HOUSTON — The faithful have an opportunity to support the more than 20,000 elderly religious sisters, brothers and religious order priests who have devoted their lives to service in the Church, including many living in the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston.

The National Religious Retirement Office (NRRO) announced that the annual Retirement Fund for Religious collection is set for parishes throughout the Archdiocese on the weekend of Dec. 7 to 8. This collection provides crucial financial aid to qualified religious institutes, enabling them to address the growing needs of their retired members.

Parishioners in the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston contributed $565,582.29 to the collection in 2023. In the past, the Dominican Sisters of Mary Immaculate Province and the Missionary Carmelites of St. Teresa received financial support made possible by the fund.

These men and women religious who taught in schools, served in parish ministries and helped provide social services for the Church selflessly devoted their lives to serving others, often for little to no pay. As they age, many religious communities face a significant gap between the cost of care and available resources. The rising cost of healthcare, coupled with the fact that religious past the age of 70 outnumber those younger than 70 by nearly three to one, has exacerbated this challenge. In 2024, 71% of religious communities providing data to the NRRO reported a median age of 70 or higher.

In 2023, the collection raised $29.3 million, yet the annual cost to support senior religious exceeds $1 billion. The average annual cost of care for each religious is roughly $59,700, with skilled nursing care averaging $90,700 per person. The average annual Social Security benefit for a religious is only $8,551.

Those contributions enabled the NRRO to distribute $28 million in direct care assistance to 286 eligible religious orders throughout the U.S. When combined with these communities’ own income and savings, this funding helps cover various eldercare expenses, such as nursing care, medications and daily living. Distributions may be applied toward immediate costs or invested for future eldercare needs. The NRRO also offers Management and Continuing Education Assistance, which amounted to $187,320, to help equip religious communities with the necessary tools and knowledge for their financial and retirement-related education needs.

John Knutsen, NRRO director, expressed gratitude for the “profound generosity” of U.S. Catholics, emphasizing the importance of ensuring the “comfort and dignity” of those who have served tirelessly.

“As we prepare for this year’s collection, we invite all Catholics to join us in honoring the legacy of these dedicated women and men by contributing to their well-deserved care,” he said.

Knutsen said the selfless dedication of these religious men and women has enriched countless lives.

“By contributing to the Retirement Fund for Religious collection, we ensure they receive the care and dignity they deserve while also upholding the values of compassion and solidarity within our faith community,” he said.

The NRRO coordinates the annual national appeal for the Retirement Fund for Religious and distributes financial assistance to eligible religious communities. It is sponsored by the Conference of Major Superiors of Men, the Council of Major Superiors of Women Religious, the Leadership Conference of Women Religious and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. Since its establishment in 1988, the collection has raised over $1 billion, with nearly $870 million distributed for direct care and over $103.5 million allocated to self-help projects.

For more information, visit retiredreligious.org.