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January 14, 2021By Bill Doyle | CFP Correspondent
Father George J. Ridick was an All-America basketball player at Assumption College in the 1960s, but his calling extended much higher than the basket – all the way to God.
Father Ridick served God and his parishioners as a priest for 45 years before retiring in June of 2018 because of heart trouble.
“Every day was different,” Father Ridick said, “and you had contact with people throughout their lives and in so many important moments of their lives from birth until death and in sickness in between, marriages, setbacks, victories and accomplishments. You were part of people’s families through the years. You celebrated them with sacraments, you celebrated them with activities in the parish and in the community, and you just encouraged each other to do better as we continue through life’s journey. It wasn’t always easy. Sometimes, as a matter of fact, the harder it was, the more you knew you were needed.”
Father Ridick is one of more than 50 retired priests from the diocese who spent their lives giving to others. Now it’s time for others to give back to them.
Partners in Charity, Legacy of Hope and Celebrate Priesthood all raise funds to take care of retired priests, but more help is needed.
So to support retired priests, the diocese plans to begin an annual Ash Wednesday collection and will ask each parish to contribute an additional one percent of its annual income for retired priests.
Father Ridick, who will turn 76 on Jan. 29, is one of the 14 retired priests who reside in the retirement community Southgate at Shrewsbury. He lives in the assisted living section and, since he fell twice in July 2018, he uses a wheelchair. He is often fatigued because of his heart condition. The highlights of his day are attending Mass at 11 a.m. and Vespers at 4 p.m. each day at Southgate.
Father Ridick is reluctant to ask for help.
“I just don’t want to manipulate the people,” he said, “and say, ‘These poor guys, let’s give to them.’ The diocese has used that in every appeal since time began.”
But help is needed nevertheless.
“We didn’t make much money for the most part in the priesthood,” he said. “So we can use all the help we can get, but the diocese is doing what it can to take care of us, and anybody who can help us, that’s fine.”
Father Ridick said nearly all of his pension pays a portion of his housing and food at Southgate, with the diocese taking care of the rest. He keeps only $100 a month and $70 of that pays for his medical insurance. His Social Security check is deposited into his bank account.
“I didn’t go into the priesthood to make big money,” he said. “So I was always frugal and that’s the way it is now.”
Father Ridick served at St. Charles Borromeo in Worcester, St. Roch in Oxford, St. Catherine of Sweden and Sacred Heart of Jesus, both in Worcester. The basketball court in Sacred Heart’s gym is named after him.
FATHER JOHN HORGAN
Father John E. Horgan, 74, lives in the independent living section of Southgate. He retired as pastor at St. Denis Church in Ashburnham in 2015
because of heart problems and other health issues. During his 43 years as an active priest, he also served at St. Brigid in Millbury, St. Mark in Sutton, St. John the Baptist in East Brookfield, Our Lady of the Angels in Worcester, St. Anne in Shrewsbury, Our Lady of Fatima, WPI campus ministry, St. Andrew, in Worcester, and Sacred Heart in Gardner. He oversaw expansion of the facilities at St. Mark’s, but that wasn’t his proudest accomplishment.
“I could give you material things,” he said, “but I don’t think those are the most important. Just knowing that I was able to help someone in their journey of faith and share the faith with them and bring them closer to God. That’s what I think the most important thing is.”
While at St. John the Baptist in East Brookfield, Father Horgan suffered a massive heart attack at age 35 and nearly died, but he recovered and worked into his 70s. A year and a half ago at Southgate, he suffered from cardiac arrest, but he bounced back once again.
A defibrillator and pacemaker keep Father Horgan alive, and his brushes with death gave him new perspective.
“I realize what a gift life is,” he said, “and how fragile it is and that we have to do the best we can in cooperating with God and do what the doctors tell us.”
He believes his near-death experiences helped him become a better priest by appreciating the gifts God gave him.
“It’s been a grace for us to serve the people,” he said, “and we’re very grateful for what people do for us and that they keep us in their prayers and through the support that they’re giving us through this (Ash Wednesday) collection, Partners in Charity and the priest retirement fund, Celebrate Priesthood.”
Father Horgan said when the pandemic ends he hopes to return to celebrating Masses at parishes and at Notre Dame Long Term Care when needed.
Two new revenue sources to help retired priests
By The Catholic Free Press
The diocese is adding two new revenue sources to help alleviate the annual deficit in the priests’ retirement account.
Parishes will be assessed an additional 1 percentage point on their cathedraticum payment, which will be used exclusively for priests’ retirement expenses. Also, a diocesan-wide parish collection for retired priests will be held on Ash Wednesday, Feb. 17, and continue each year.
An Ad Hoc Priest Retirement Committee report recommended changes in retirement benefits and additional funding to reduce deficits for priests’ retirement. In a Jan. 7 letter to the priests of the diocese, Bishop McManus announced that there would be “a 1% increase in the cathedraticum which would be specifically used to help fund these deficits.” All parishes pay a percentage of their income – the cathedraticum – to support the bishop and to underwrite diocesan-wide expenditures.
The bishop said that in June the Presbyteral Council was presented with a summary of the report which was then discussed at deanery meetings throughout the diocese.
“The consensus was that the committee’s recommendations were reasonable and fair,” the bishop wrote.
He said that the committee’s projections anticipate a deficit of more than $285,000 for fiscal year 2021 with deficits generally decreasing until surpluses begin “in or around 2032.”
During the fiscal year that ended Aug. 30, the diocese spent $2,284,402 supporting 53 retired priests in good standing, according to Paul G. Schasel, director of the Office of Fiscal Affairs. Diocesan support for retired priests covers retirement stipends; medical and long-term insurance premiums; and assisted living facility, nursing home and independent living cost assistance, Mr. Schasel said.
The diocese is concerned about covering priest retirement deficits because of a variety of circumstances, the bishop reported in his letter: the diocese currently owes $17 million to the DEF (diocesan bank); Partners in Charity came in approximately $700,000 below goal this year; the COVID-19 pandemic has adversely affected collections with a concomitant reduction in the cathedraticum; and the diocese has less than $5 million of unrestricted savings to cover any shortfalls.
Members of the Presbyteral Council, according to the bishop, stated that increasing the cathedraticum would lessen the burden on poorer parishes because it is a percentage of income rather than a flat fee. The members also observed that as deficits narrow and surpluses are generated, a downward adjustment of assessments would be possible. It was noted that each 1% of the cathedraticum represents approximately $250,000 of income.
The bishop’s letter states: “After having heard the recommendation of the Presbyteral Council and the Diocesan Finance Committee, and in accord with Canon 1263 of the Code of Canon law, I hereby approve the following:
• Retroactive to September 1, 2020, the Cathedraticum will be increased from 7.5% to 8.5%, the additional 1% exclusively dedicated to Priest Retirement;
• Beginning Ash Wednesday, February 17, 2021, and every Ash Wednesday thereafter, a Diocesan Collection exclusively for Priest Retirement will be taken up.”
“We must do all that we can to ensure that our retired priests, who have served the Church and the Diocese of Worcester so faithfully, are taken care of in their later years,” Bishop McManus said.
– A link to the Priests’ Retirement Report Summary can be found on the home page of the diocesan website, worcesterdiocese.org. The direct link is https://bit.ly/3bCNoeO.
