NRRO collections to be held in parishes in mid August

SYRACUSE, N.Y., July 1, 2026 — The National Religious Retirement Office (NRRO) is announcing that the annual Retirement Fund for Religious collection will be held in parishes throughout the Diocese of Syracuse on the weekend of Aug. 15-16.

In 2025, Catholics across the diocese contributed $76,619.20 to the collection, mostly through their home parishes. From the collection, the Benedictine Sisters and Sisters of St. Francis received a combined total of $1,654,681.33 in financial support made possible by the Retirement Fund for Religious.

“The generosity of U.S. Catholics continues to make a profound difference in the lives of aging religious,” said John Knutsen, NRRO director. “This year, we invite all Catholics to help provide the care and dignity these women and men of faith so richly deserve.”

Rising health-care costs and the absence of traditional retirement plans have placed significant financial strain on many religious communities. The Retirement Fund for Religious helps address this need, supporting thousands of religious over the age of 70. In 2025, the average annual cost of care was about $61,953 per person, with skilled nursing care approaching nearly $100,000.

Since its establishment in 1988, the collection has raised and distributed over $1 billion in direct care and other forms of assistance.

In 2025, the appeal raised over $36 million, providing financial assistance for the retirement needs of 261 U.S. religious communities. Beyond financial aid, the collection supports educational programs, empowering religious communities to plan for their long-term needs.

About the NRRO

The NRRO coordinates the annual national appeal for the Retirement Fund for Religious and distributes financial assistance to eligible religious communities. It is sponsored by the Conference of Major Superiors of Men, the Council of Major Superiors of Women Religious, the Leadership Conference of Women Religious and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.  For more information, visit retiredreligious.org, or contact Robin Cabral, by phone at (508) 685-8899 or by email at [email protected].

Why we ask

• In 1988, Catholic bishops of the United States launched the Retirement Fund for Religious to address the significant lack of retirement funding for Catholic sisters, brothers, and religious order priests.
• For most of their lives, elder religious worked for little to no pay. There were no 401(k) plans or pensions.
• Religious communities are financially responsible for the support and care of all members. Income, earnings, and expenses are managed separately from the parish and diocesan structures of the Catholic Church.
• Only 4 percent of the religious communities providing data to the National Religious Retirement Office are adquately funded for retirement; 45 percent have 25 or fewer members. Many small communities struggle to care for elder members due to a lack of financial resources and personnel.
• Today, religious past age 70 outnumber religious younger than age 70 by nearly three to one.
• There are 21,296 relgious past age 70 living in the United States. In 2024, the average annual cost for their care was roughly $56,000 per person; skilled nursing care averaged $96,000 per person.
• Since 2009, the annual total cost to support senior women and men religious has exceeded $1.1 billion.
• In 2024, 70 percent of the religious communities providing data to the National Religious Retirement Office had a median age of 70 or higher.
• The average annual Social Security benefit for a religious is $9,090, whereas the average lay US beneficiary receives $23,704.

How donations help

• Each year, hundreds of US religious communities receive financial assistance made possible by the Retirement Fund for Religious. Communities can use this funding for immediate retirement expenses or invest it for future needs. Since the first collection, US Catholics have donated more than $1 billion.
• Since the collection began, $900 million has been distributed to support the day-to-day care of elderly sisters, brothers, and religious order priests. An additional $103.y million has been allocated toward self-help projects initiated by religious communities, including collaborative health-care facilities.
• In addition to direct financial assistance, proceeds from the annual collection underwrite educational programming, services and resources that enable religious communities to evaluate and prepare for long-term retirement needs.
• Support from the Retirement Fund for Religious helps religious communities care for senior members while allowing them to continue important ministries to the People of God.