You Can Help

Pray. Speak. Give. Ask your employer about matching gifts. Donate stock. Read on for more details about how you can assist and support frail, elderly women and men religious who have given their lives to prayer and ministry.

Pray
Elderly sisters, brothers, and religious order priests dedicated their lives to service. Their habits of prayer and daily ministry are often their most challenging burden, and the acceptance of help from those to whom they once ministered their most difficult task. Please pray for God's blessing on those who have humbly served the church and God's people.

you can help

Speak
During the national appeal, which is held in most Catholic parishes on the second Sunday of Advent, time may be set aside during or after Mass for short testimonials about the appeal. In each diocese, a local coordinator helps to schedule speakers and organize a committee. This committee designs an effective local appeal through media placements and advertisements, as well as scheduled speakers. Volunteer at your local Catholic parish to talk about how a sister, brother, or religious order priest influenced your beliefs, values, decisions, or career choice.

Give
Religious communities have invested primarily in ministry to others and in education that enabled their members to minister to others. Through your donation, you share in the actual care of these selfless, dedicated women and men. Give at your local Catholic parish. If you donate by check, please write RFR on the memo line. Or mail your donation to:

Retirement Fund for Religious
National Religious Retirement Office
3211 Fourth Street NE
Washington DC 20017-1194

Ask your employer about matching gifts
Your employer may already have a Matching Gift Program for the RFR appeal.Be sure to ask for a matching gift form to send in with your donation. If your company isn't already in our Matching Gift Program, ask how this program can be established in your workplace..

Donate Stock
Stock can be transferred directly to the RFR Trust Account through Bankers Trust, a member of a national clearinghouse that allows for direct transfer of stock between brokers. Please advise Bankers Trust that you wish to make a transfer so authorization can be in place for its acceptance. Contact Sam Edwards at State Street Bank by phone, 336.747.7640 or by fax, 617.786.2079.

DTC Account name: State Street Bank and Trust
DTC Participant Number: 997
DTC Agent Number: 26022

Make a Bequest
To make the National Religious Retirement Office or Retirement Fund for Religious a beneficiary in your will, in estate planning, or to make a restricted gift, please use the following language:

To the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops Incorporated, for the exclusive purpose of assisting Roman Catholic religious orders in the United States to provide for the retirement needs of their elderly members.

(The term "religious orders" includes religious communities, congregations, institutes, orders, etc., of women and men.)

United Way
If you work for a company that participates in the United Way, ask your coordinator about designating the Retirement Fund for Religious to receive your donation.

Gifts from Religious communities
Religious communities that decline RFR grants help ensure the accuracy of the NRRO database about resources and need. A list of communities that decline grants can be found in the Annual Report (PDF).