• Why We Help »
• Funding Gap
• Age Demographics
• Health Care Costs

Why We Help

Since pioneer days in the United States, Catholic religious orders of women and men have been a vivid and influential presence, especially in education and health care. They contributed immeasurably to the rise of a vast immigrant population to America's middle class. The decisive role that sisters, nuns, brothers, and religious order priests played was undertaken in a spirit of service and selflessness. The stipends, tuition, or fees paid to religious orders or their ministries were reinvested in ministry or in education for the members of religious orders. Younger members cared for frail, elder members; and health care was provided to religious communities, in large part, through the generosity and charity of Catholic hospitals and Catholic health care professionals.

Sister Augustine Grajewski, CSSF, 91

Today, with the membership of religious communities in decline and the average age increasing, many communities are profoundly challenged to adequately care for their frail and elderly members. Of 681 religious communities providing data in 2007 to the National Religious Retirement Office, only 54 are adequately funded for retirement; 181 are less than 20 percent funded.

Many of the original convents and monasteries where elderly religious still reside lack handicapped access and air conditioning. The buildings may have narrow stairwells and hallways and bathrooms that are inadequate.