Last Updated:Friday - 09/24/2010

Remember the efforts of those who served

They heard the call of God to the priesthood and they responded. They worked for decades in a job that had little glamour to begin with and even less as time wore on.

The priests of the Edmonton Archdiocese worked mornings, afternoons, evenings and even occasionally after midnight to meet the pastoral needs of the people of the archdiocese. Few people sacrifice as much in their jobs and require as many talents as a priest does. Yet not only do they do their work as priests usually without complaining, they go to great lengths to ensure that the needs of others are met.

Lay ministers and lay leadership have grown tremendously in the Church since the Second Vatican Council and that's a good thing. But without those men committed to celebrating the Eucharist every Sunday and most weekdays, we would be missing something essential to the Church.

Nearly 30 years ago, the archdiocese set up the Priests' Retirement Fund so that our clergy could retire in dignity. Not in luxury, but dignity. Parishes are assessed two per cent of their Sunday collection and priests pay $500 a year to build up this fund.

Its benefits pale beside those received by retired politicians or others in professional life. And the clergy pension fund likely would be on solid ground if the number of priests remained equal to those that existed 30 years ago.

Instead the number of priests has dropped precipitously and many things in our diocese have had to change as a result. Today, the fund brings in roughly $250,000 a year and pays out more than twice that amount in benefits. The reserve built in the past is now being eaten away.

That's why the archdiocese is asking Catholics to contribute to the Priests' Retirement Fund on the April 21 weekend. It's a way of saying "thank you" to all the pastors who have given so much and asked for so little. A healthy collection can go a long way to eroding the gap between the money that is available and the funds that are needed.

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