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LOCAL DIOCESES PIONEERS IN HELPING AGING RELIGIOUS
For the 20th year, the Diocese of Brooklyn and the Diocese of Rockville Centre will collaborate in asking parishioners in the churches of the four-county region to respond to the retirement needs of Religious Sisters and Brothers by supporting the Religious Retirement Fund.
As in the first appeal in l985, the fund has a $1 million annual goal, each diocese committed to raising half the total through a collection in the parishes. Last year, parishioners in the Brooklyn Diocese contributed $317,000, making it necessary for the Diocese to make up the $183,000 difference.
The collection will take place at the weekend Masses of June 5-6. Sister Maryann Seton Lopiccolo, S.C., the Episcopal Delegate for Religious, has arranged for some three dozen members of religious communities to speak about the needs of retired Religious in their own or in other parishes. In addition, some pastors have made similar arrangements.
“Every parish where a Religious gave a personal appeal last year had a large increase in its collection returns,” said Sister Maryann.
When the Brooklyn and Rockville Centre Dioceses, headed by Bishop Francis J. Mugavero and Bishop John R. McGann respectively, established the annual collection, they were pioneers in responding to a growing shortage of funds to care for the Religious. Several years later, the U.S. archdioceses and dioceses also created an annual appeal, which has assisted thousands of retired Sisters and Brothers.
The two local Sees have been home to many Religious. Sister Maryann said that today, there are 1,500 Religious living and/or working in the Brooklyn Diocese alone.
Thirty-one religious communities benefit from the proceeds of the collection.
In a joint letter, Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio of Brooklyn and Bishop William Murphy of Rockville Centre asked parishioners to “show your appreciation of these servants of our Lord by being as generous as your means will permit.”
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