Priest retirement support from Ignite! Capital Campaign is essential

December 21, 2024

Written by Jennifer Willems, Contributing Writer

Support for the Ignite! Capital Campaign is “essential” to helping retired priests, said Monsignor Ed Hurley, who has been working with the diocesan Priests’ Pension Fund Society for nearly 40 years.

He is deeply appreciative of the supporters of the campaign because the need continues to grow.

Ongoing ministry

Priests continue to serve long after they retire.  “The majority of retired priests offer weekend Mass coverage when parish priests are on vacation,” said Msgr. Hurley.

“When parishes have communal penance services, the helpers they bring in are often retired priests,” he added.

Support is vital

In honor of their long service and recognizing the responsibility to care for these men for the rest of their lives, the Diocese of Des Moines made support for priests’ retirement a focus of the Ignite! Capital Campaign. At the end of the three-year campaign, $37 million had been pledged, with $2 million of it earmarked for retired priests.

The Diocese of Des Moines has 43 retired priests with 38 fully vested in the retirement plan, said Msgr. Hurley. Five receive partial pensions.

Not all priests serving in the Diocese are covered by the Priests’ Pension Fund Society. Contributions are made to the home dioceses or religious communities of international priests temporarily serving in southwest Iowa to help them prepare for their retirement.

The Diocese has a Contingency Fund designed to help priests as needed, said Msgr. Hurley. The Diocese also provides “very good health insurance as well as a supplementary plan.

Priests are expected to provide their own living expenses after retirement, so they are encouraged to participate in the 403b plan offered to diocesan employees.  Their employer, generally a parish or school, matches a portion of their contribution.

In addition, the Diocese fully pays for medical insurance for retired priests. The capital campaign supports this.

Ongoing need

A portion of the Annual Diocesan Appeal goes to the pension fund and priests often include the fund in their wills. But to maintain the fund, additional contributions must be added each year. That’s why capital campaigns are vital.

Ongoing support from parishioners for retired priests is essential.  “We need to have their support in the coming years,” said Msgr. Hurley.