Unlike priests who belong to a religious order and whose retirement needs are completely taken care of by their religious community, a retired diocesan priest for the most part must support himself in retirement. The diocese provides every retired priest with health insurance coverage, a $500 per month housing allowance and a monthly pension, based on his years of service as a priest in the diocese.
However, all of a priest’s other expenses, such as car payments, car maintenance and insurance, other housing costs, food, utilities, clothing and other needs must be taken care of out of his own pocket. This is a big adjustment for a retired diocesan priest, who while he was active and working in a parish had a majority of these expenses taken care of by the parish to which he was assigned.
Almost every Catholic can think of a priest who has made a major impact upon his or her life. Perhaps it was the priest who heard their first confession or gave them first Holy Communion. Perhaps it was the priest who married them or baptized one of their children. Perhaps it was the priest who helped them through a very difficult or painful time in their life or who assisted at the funeral rites of a loved one.
For everyone, there is a priest whom they consider to be very special. Just as these priests have played a special role in people’s lives, people can also play a special role in the lives of priests by supporting them in their retirement years.
The 25 priests from the Diocese of Corpus Christi that are receiving pension benefits are Father Brendan Ashe, Father Paschal Bergin, Father Michael Burke, Msgr. Mark Chamberlin, Msgr. Gregory Deane, Father Charles Doherty, Father Federico Fidalgo, Father Eduardo H. Garcia, Bishop Rene Gracida, Father James Hamilton, Father Henry Heese, Father Manual Hernandez, Msgr. John Kileen, Father Michael Lenihan, Msgr. Marcos Martinez, Msgr. Thomas McGettrick, Msgr. Seamus McGowan, Father Bruno J. Mikolajczyk, Msgr. Celestine Murray, Father Thomas O’Donovan, Father Sebastian Pasulpalety, Msgr. Morgan Rowsome, Msgr. Richard Shirley, Msgr. William T. Thompson and Father Jerry G. Zurovetz
Some of our retired priests may have set aside some retirement money over the years, but others were not able to do so. Some retired priests are still able to earn stipends by serving or helping out in parishes, but others for reason of age and health are not able to do so. Consequently, for most retired diocesan priests, the monthly check, which they receive from the Priests’ Pension Fund along with their housing subsidy, is their primary means of self-support, with the exception of those who may have a little social security income.
The present monthly cost of providing a pension to 25 retired priests is $38,500. Besides this monthly pension, the availability of the St. John Vianney Residence for priests to be dedicated at the end of this month will also be a great blessing to retired priests who might choose to live there.
On the Fourth Sunday of Easter, the Church celebrates Good Shepherd Sunday and prays for vocations to the priesthood throughout the world. It is an opportune time to also remember those priests who responded to God’s call in their youth and who, now in their retirement years, need help so they can live in dignity, free from any anxiety about their means of support.
As they have taken care the faithful with the love of Jesus, the Good Shepherd, day-by-day laying down their lives in both simple and extraordinary ways, it is time for the faithful to take care of them by giving generously to this special collection for retired priests on the weekend of May 17 and 18.