Why We Help

The retirement-funding crisis developed, in part, as the demographics of religious communities shifted, and older religious began to outnumber younger religious. Historically, religious worked for small stipends (PDF), with surplus income reinvested in their ministries, such as schools and hospitals. Saving for retirement was not a priority when there were enough younger members to care for older ones.

Sisters Mercia Delgado (standing), 77, and Maris Stella Noriega, 83, members of the Oblate Sisters of Providence, Baltimore, Maryland.

Today, with the membership of religious communities in decline, many communities are profoundly challenged to provide appropriate care for elder members. Of 572 religious communities submitting data to the National Religious Retirement Office in 2010, only 30 are adequately funded for retirement; 148 are less than 20 percent funded. Compounding the funding challenge is the ever-rising cost of health care. In 2010 alone, the total cost to care for women and men religious past age 70 exceeded $1 billion.