Catholics learned about this need in the late '80s and took the dramatic position of standing with the orders who unstintingly serve our church. Generous donations have made a strong statement that U.S. Catholics never will forget all that these elderly religious do for them now and did for many years before. No other church collection has been supported as consistently and generously as this one. Significant progress in addressing the retirement crisis has come, thanks to the collection and other planning efforts. Between 1993 and 1998 the percentage of women's orders whose retirement plans were 61-100 percent funded rose from 35 to 45 percent, meaning that 15.5 percent of women religious have retirements that are 61 to 100 percent funded.
Contributions come primarily through a collection in parishes on the second weekend in Advent.
The collection operates with low overhead. Arthur Andersen Inc. Sister Mary Leahy, National Director of the National Religious Retirement Office, credited the work of vicars for religious and diocesan coordinators who organize local efforts and arrange for religious to speak at Masses, a key to the appeal's success. They are vital to linking our efforts to the local bishops, pastors and parishioners. People in the pew see who they're helping. Dennis M. Schnurr, NCCB General Secretary, said the response shows gratitude.