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Thursday, November 30, 2000
The Southern Cross, Page 11
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“Share in the Care
Retirement Fund for Religious
4C
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*313th National Religious Retirement
Collection, the annual appeal for retired sisters,
brothers and order priests slated for December 9-
10. The annual collection, which is taken up in
parishes nationwide, helps offset retirement costs
challenging men and women religious.
Executive Director Sister Andree Fries, a mem
ber of the Sisters of the Precious Blood of O’Fal
lon, Missouri, noted that the religious especially
rely on the appeal as the median age of religious
orders increases. “We are entering a decade when
peak numbers of Catholic women and men reli
gious will pass age 70,” Sister Fries said. Of the
approximately 70,000 women religious in the
country, 51 percent are now past 70; of the approx
imately 15,700 men, 33 percent are past 70.
The cost of caring for the elderly is on the
increase and last year, more than 5,800 men and
women religious required skilled care, which cost
more than $204 million. The average cost of skilled
care for a sister, brother, or order priest was $35,018
per person, a figure that far exceeds the $3,333
average Social Security benefit each received.
Religious received low Social Security payments
because they were not allowed into the system
until 1972 and, consequently, have not accrued
significant benefits. Total cost for all levels of care
last year for more than 51,000 religious past age
70 averaged about $22,000 or a total of more than
$656 million.
Since the appeal was established in 1988, it has
collected $318.4 million, making it the most suc
cessful regular collection in the history of the
Church in the United States. Last year the collec
tion reached a record high of $31.4 million and
included contributions exceeding $ 1 million from
the Archdioceses of Chicago, Cincinnati and
Detroit, and the Diocese of Buffalo. Previously,
only one diocese topped $ 1 million. “The numbers
and the need seem almost incomprehensible,” says
Sister Andree, “but they would be unsurmountable
were it not for the donations of Catholics each
year. People do not forget how much this country
received thanks to the service and ministry of reli
gious. It’s hard to find any adult Catholic who can
not speak of the impact of a religious on his or her
life.” Signs of a retirement crisis became evident
in the early 1970s as health care costs skyrocketed,
demographics shifted in religious orders, and the
number of wage earners declined. Since then, reli
gious institutes have undertaken cost-cutting meas
ures, self-help initiatives, collaborations with other
institutes, and have divested themselves of proper
ty. The appeal was launched in 1988 by the Nati
onal Conference of Catholic Bishops, the Leader
ship Conference of Women Religious, the Council
of Major Superiors of Women Religious and the
Conference of Major Superiors of Men. Donations
have brought the unfunded retirement liability
down to $6.4 billion, according to a 1999 Arthur
Andersen, Inc., report.
For Mass times and
locations nationwide,
call l-800-Masstimes
(1-800-627-7846)
www.masstimes.org
Share in the Care
Religious past the age of 70: 41,300.
Average annual Social Security benefit for Catholic religious: $3,333.
Average annual cost of care per person for all religious: $22,254.
Cost last year for skilled care for frail religious: $204,402,168.
Please give generously to the Retirement Fund for Religious, December 9-
10.
Collectible
(Continued from page I)
shirts, tote bags, lapel pins, candle
labels, caps, pens and pencils.
The 150th anniversary celebration con
tinues this week with a 7:30 p.m. ecu
menical service at the Cathedral today
and a series of pilgrimages, plays and
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historical displays for youth from
throughout the diocese in downtown
Savannah Friday afternoon.
At 11:00 a.m. Saturday a Multicul
tural Mass will be held in the Cathedral.
Participants are invited to come in ethnic
dress. A musical prelude will begin at
10:30 a.m.
After the Mass a multicultural festival
will be held in Lafayette Square until
5:00 p.m. It will include food, entertain
ment and history of the many cultures
that make up the fabric of the Diocese of
Savannah.
At 1:30 p.m. Saturday, Bishop Boland
will dedicate the newly-renovated Social
Apostolate at Price and Liberty Streets
in Savannah. The diocesan-sponsored
outreach center has been closed for
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repairs for several months.
At 11:30 a.m. Sunday the new Bishop
Gartland Award will be given to 70
south Georgians by Bishop Boland at a
special Mass in the Cathedral. The
Bishop will also award six Papal Pro
Ecclesia et Pontifice medals. A recep
tion will follow in Sister Jude Walsh
Hall.
The closing event of the Sesqui-
centennial celebration will be a free
Savannah Symphony concert in the
Cathedral at 7:00 p.m. The Cathedral
will be open for touring at scheduled
times through the weekend.
Jubilee Memorabilia
Coffee mug $3.35
Magnet $ 1.65
Static cling decal $0.65
Tote bag $9.00
T-shirt (S to XXL) $6.65
Olive cap $6.00
Ballpoint pen $1.25
Pencil $0.30
Lapel pin $6.25
Calendar $ 1.50
Cathedral Shelia House $12.00
“One Faith ... One Family” $30.00
If you have any questions, contact the
Catholic Pastoral Center
at 912-238-2320.