Why We Ask
The total amount donated since 1989—almost $500 million—would cover just one year’s costs for skilled nursing and assisted living for more than 11,000 elderly religious who now need this care.
More than 37,000 women and men religious are now past 70.
One out of every five religious institutes has less than 20 percent of the amount needed to care for elderly members.
Traditionally, religious worked for modest stipends or maintenance that did not include pension benefits.
The average Social Security benefit for religious today is one-third the average for other Americans.
The average Catholic family spends more than $12 each year on cookies, more than $21 on potato chips, more than $29 on take-out coffee, and just a little more than $1 per adult on the Retirement Fund for Religious.