This weekend, an important collection for the retired Religious will be held at Masses in the Diocese of Worcester.
This collection for retired sisters and brothers and religious order priests is separate from the one for retired diocesan priests but needed just as much.
Last year, five religious orders in the diocese received $311,319 in financial support from the national Retirement Fund for Religious. Parishioners in the diocese donated $105,000 to the fund. The collection assists with the care of sick and elderly religious sisters and brothers.
Sister Carmen Capriole, MPV, provincial for the Religious Venerini Sisters, said the sisters are very appreciative of the contributions.
“Extremely,” Sister Carmen said. “They’re always praying for their benefactors.”
Last year, the Religious Venerini Sisters in Rutland and Worcester; the Sisters of St. Benedict Center, Slaves of the Immaculate Heart of Mary in Still River; St. Joseph Abbey Trappists in Spencer; St. Mary Monastery, Order of St. Benedict in Petersham, and St. Scholastica Priory, Order of St. Benedict in Petersham, received funding.
Michael P. Gillespie, director of the diocesan Office of Stewardship and Development, said donations made locally are sent to the national office, which distributes the funds to hundreds of religious communities.
“It’s tremendously important,” Mr. Gillespie said. “It’s gratefully received from these orders. They depend on this each year. It helps them to assist those who served throughout our diocese and around the country. At our local level it shows our deep appreciation for their service and their faithfulness.”
Sister Carmen said funds received by the Venerini Sisters are placed in a retirement fund. Currently, four of the six Venerini Sisters who live in Rutland are retired.
Retired nuns don’t receive as many benefits from Social Security as others do, Sister Carmen noted.
“They didn’t pay into it until the ’70s and it was very little at that time,” Sister Carmen said, “and because they worked at Catholic institutions like parochial schools for the parishes, we didn’t really build up a big Social Security like other people do. So, it’s basically what we can live on, and as the sisters get older we have to do more and more things.”
A chairlift and a walk-in shower were installed at the convent in Rutland to help the retired sisters.
“That’s basically what we’re spending the money on,” Sister Carmen said. “They’re trying to survive in their old age.”
The funds also pay for daily needs.
“Medical bills keep going up, insurance keeps going up and food keeps going up,” Sister Carmen said.
Sister Margaret Mary Baravella, MICM, is treasurer of the Sisters of St. Benedict Center. She said the donations primarily help pay the salaries of home health aides who care for the older sisters, freeing up the younger sisters to hold retreats and conduct talks and conferences in the community. Because of this help, a younger sister had the time to earn her master’s degree in theology.
“None of this we would have been able to do if we didn’t have the extra help that the national Retired Religious Fund manages to help us with,” Sister Margaret Mary said.
The sisters also pray, publish and sell books on the faith, prepare children for first holy Communion and teach catechism and adult convert classes.
The Sisters of St. Benedict Center are devoted to helping others in the community.
“If we have it, we give it,” Sister Margaret Mary said, “and God therefore always gives to us.”
The funds also helped pay to replace a motorized wheelchair for Sister Rose Philippine Frechette, who is well into her 80s, but still lights the wood stove at 4:30 each morning.
The funds help pay for unexpected expenses as well. The first floor of the side of the St. Anne’s House facing the wind had to be stripped and replaced last summer at a cost of $30,000. The Retired Religious funding the sisters receive is only a fraction of that, but every little bit helps.
Four of the 10 sisters are of retirement age, but they don’t actually retire. They keep working as much as they can. Sister Cecilia Cannon is in her 90s, but she remains active as mother superior.
Sister Margaret Mary said the sisters are very grateful for the donations for the retired religious in the parishes of the diocese and added that “they can pray for vocations too.”
Brother Vincent Catanzano, OSB, treasurer at St. Mary’s Monastery in Petersham, said the funds go to food, heat, medical expenses and gas for trips to doctor appointments.
Brother Vincent pointed out that brothers at the monastery don’t retire either, but they’re eligible to receive retired religious funds once they turn 70. Two of the seven brothers at the monastery meet that requirement. The funding helps pay for such possible future needs as nursing home care.
“We can’t exist without having some money set aside for emergency situations,” Brother Vincent said. “No one else is going to help us.”
Part of their Retired Religious funds are paid into Social Security because the brothers can’t pay into it on their own. They’ve taken a vow of poverty and don’t receive paychecks.
“Our primary business is prayer,” Brother Vincent said.
Brother Vincent said the brothers appreciate the financial assistance from the parishioners, especially considering that they don’t know the brothers.
“We’re doing spiritual work for the diocese,” he said. “We’re here in the diocese and, in helping us, they’re helping the Church beyond their local parishes.”
St. Mary’s Monastery and the St. Scholastica Priory for Sisters are twin communities in Petersham.
– Donations can be made at Masses, on parish websites or the diocesan website, worcesterdiocese.org, or by mailing a check to the Chancery Office at 49 Elm St., Worcester, MA, 01609. Checks should be made out to the Retirement Fund for Religious.
A LETTER FROM BISHOP MCMANUS
Dec. 1, 2022
My dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
Religious communities of women and men were devoted to establishing Catholic schools, hospitals, and charitable agencies. Often this progress came at great sacrifice, and many older sisters, brothers, and religious order priests served for little to no pay.
In 2021 Pope Francis wrote “there is no retirement age from the work of proclaiming the Gospel.” While this annual collection assists those who have retired from their careers, they never retire from their vows and keep the intentions of the people they served in their daily prayers.
Today, most religious communities do not have enough retirement savings and they struggle to provide for a growing number of elder members. Just as our annual Celebrate Priesthood event helps our diocese to care for its retired diocesan priests, this national collection assists many religious communities to provide for aging members. Each diocese is responsible for managing its own finances and priests. Sisters, brothers, and certain priests are members of religious orders – like the Franciscans or Benedictines. These communities, while part of the greater Catholic Church, operate outside of the diocesan structure. Thus, each is responsible for its own finances and for the care of all members.
Over the past year, 271 religious communities received $30 million in funding from this national collection to assist nearly 25,000 elderly sisters, brothers, and religious order priests. Your gift to the Retirement Fund for Religious provides vital funding for medications, nursing care, and more. It also helps religious congregations implement long-range retirement strategies, even as they continue to serve the People of God.
I recognize this is but one of numerous worthy causes in need of assistance; I ask simply that you consider giving to those who have given a lifetime. If you are unable to donate at Mass, please mail your gift to your parish, donate through your parish’s online giving platform, if available, or donate at the diocesan website, worcesterdiocese.org. In thanksgiving for their faithful service, please join me in supporting the Retirement Fund for Religious and in praying for God’s blessing on our nation’s elderly and infirm religious women and men.
With prayerful best wishes, I remain
Sincerely yours in Christ,
Most Reverend
Robert J. McManus
Bishop of Worcester