By Casey Bassett
Priests are the heart of the diocese. From chaplains to pastors to parochial vicars, the weight and burden of nourishing the faithful of the diocese with the sacraments falls upon their shoulders.
As these men toil selflessly but joyfully through the years, they are eventually met with a time when they can retire from active ministry and minister to the faithful as a senior priest. Doubtless, we’ve all been affected in one way or another by the ministry of a senior priest, be it through substituting at Mass or helping with other sacraments around the parish. Throughout the years, the concern has been caring financially for these valuable senior priests. These concerns eventually led to the creation of the Priest Retirement Fund and, later, the Priest Medical Fund.
Since the formation of the retirement fund in the 1980s, senior priests have been able to provide valuable ministries to our diocese without the burden of financial stress. In recent years, we’ve taken a strategic look at how to best prepare and maintain these funds so they continue to be a blessing for our senior priests. This strategic look has culminated in a special appeal for the Priest Retirement Fund and Priest Medical Fund wherein the faithful of the diocese are asked to prayerfully consider participating in helping to secure and future-proof these funds.
WHY NOW?
Prior to establishing the Priest Retirement Fund in the 1980s, many priests remained in active ministry until their death. If a priest retired, he had to rely upon his own retirement plan or the direct support of parishioners and parishes. Recognizing the need to care for the health and holiness of priests as they aged, a pension fund was established and supported by parishes. Recently, a medical fund was split off from the pension fund to provide for both living expenses and medical care for senior priests.
Two variables have prompted the new funding appeal: a rise in the number of senior priests and the increasing cost of medical care. Under Bishop Donald DeGrood, priests are now allowed to retire at age 70, five years earlier than the previous age of 75. The earlier age is a recognition of the continued value and important ministry senior priests provide to the diocese. Currently, 42 of the 118 diocesan priests benefit from the retirement fund. That number is expected to increase as significant numbers of priests reach age 70 in the near future.
While the fund currently provides adequately for our existing senior priests, projections show an increasing shortfall in the years to come, given the influence of the two variables. Thus, the Catholic Community Foundation for Eastern South Dakota, in conjunction with the diocese, initiated this special appeal to eliminate the shortfall.
WHAT DOES THE APPEAL LOOK LIKE?
The appeal seeks to raise a total of $13 million for the funds in order to continue the diocesan mission of providing for senior priests. Of the $13 million, $9 million will go to the pension fund, with the remaining going to the medical fund.
Starting with a “quiet” phase, the appeal has raised $10 million in donations and pledges. The additional $3 million is being sought through donations of the faithful during the public phase. This $3 million remains essential in order to continue to provide for the well-being of our senior priests.
Your contributions during the public phase represent a participation in a rich tradition of the faithful helping aging priests who selflessly provided for the spiritual well-being of the faithful during their active ministry. Even the Levitical priests of old relied upon communities and the faithful for their needs, as is evident in Deuteronomy 18. Contributing is a way to honor the hard-working priests of our diocese for their years of service.
CONTINUED SERVICE TO THE FAITHFUL
It’s important to remember that senior priests continue to render vital services to the diocese. In fact, in some ways, they are better able to focus on serving the faithful as a spiritual father after retiring to senior priest status.
Father John Lantsberger has been a senior priest since July of 2020. He currently resides in Watertown and recently celebrated his 50th anniversary of ordination to the priesthood. Father Lantsberger shared his experience moving to senior priest status.
“One of the biggest positive differences I have felt since retirement is being freed from the many administrative tasks of parish life and the ability to focus on the sacramental and spiritual things,” Father Lantsberger said. “Parish administration takes a great deal of a priest’s time, and can limit our spiritual availability to our people.”
With relief from administrative burdens, senior priests can sometimes find themselves just as busy as they were in active ministry, except their time is spent fulfilling the spiritual duties of the priesthood rather than the administrative tasks, which often brings a sense of fulfillment.
“In retirement, I feel that I can now focus much more completely on what I was ordained for—to be a minister of word and sacrament—and much less a manager of buildings, committees, schools, etc,” said Father Lantsberger.
Father Joe Vogel, a senior priest of two years who was in active ministry for 39 years, shares Father Lantsberger’s sentiment in a specific way.
“I’ve always loved helping people who live in their home but who can’t go to church anymore,” said Father Vogel. “As a retired guy, I don’t have to get in and get out. I have more time for a visit.”
Father Vogel has seen countless blessings come from the opportunity to have extended visits. He described the comfort that builds when he isn’t there simply to perform a task and in a rush to get to the next thing. These visits are opportunities for healing to occur and blessings to happen through conversation that wouldn’t have happened while he was in active ministry.
SENIOR PRIESTS RETURN THE FAVOR
Even before becoming a senior priest, Father Lantsberger was deeply affected by the senior priests around the diocese.
“Whenever I sought help from a retired priest when I was still an active pastor, I was always very grateful when they said yes,” Father Lantsberger said. “It enabled me to get some rest, have vacation time, and also have the help I might need at the time in the parish, such as confessions at Easter and Christmas time. I want to return that favor to those currently still working full time.”
The importance of rest and times of spiritual retreat for active priests cannot be understated. One of the aims of Set Ablaze is to ease the administrative burden on active-ministry priests. Yet, certain parish administration still requires the pastor to be deeply involved in the process. Additionally, the rural nature of our diocese often requires priests to drive long hours or spend time administrating over the phone. All of this, combined with the sacramental duties, can leave active ministry priests spiritually and physically depleted.
Having been through years of active ministry, senior priests know this state of depletion well. For Father Lantsberger, being a senior priest gives him the opportunity to let active ministry priests recover from this depletion while he takes on their duties.
“I want to return that favor to those currently still working full time,” said Father Lantsberger. “I have most certainly felt their sense of gratitude when I say ‘yes’ to helping them out.”
THE FAITHFUL GIVING BACK
The powerful impact active ministry priests have on the faithful in our diocese is immeasurable and often goes unnoticed. The faithful rarely get the chance to offer even a thank you to a priest whose busy schedule means greetings after Mass are often short. The consequence of this is that the active ministry priests themselves tend to devalue or underestimate the impact they’ve had on the faithful.
Father Vogel has seen first-hand the gratitude the faithful have for priests. He had the opportunity to ask some of the faithful a question: What were some powerful things that happened because the priest was there?
“They just broke down and cried,” said Father Vogel. “In the worst moment, they (a priest) said just the right thing. Things like that, simple things, changed lives. When you hear somebody say, ‘That changed my life,’ it might not have seemed like it was a big deal to me. But it was for that person, in that moment.”
Encounters like these are common throughout the diocese. Matt Schmitz, who, along with his family, is a parishioner at St. Peter Parish, Jefferson, explains how Father Vogel made lasting impacts on their family while he was in active ministry.
“He has immersed himself in our community and our families, always making himself available whenever we needed him,” Matt said. “He has a special way of guiding us through life’s challenges, both through his words and by the example he’s set. As parishioners, we’ve learned from his example and have been inspired to help others in our own lives, whether they’re part of the Church or not.”
For Matt, the many impacts priests make on the faithful are clear even into retirement.
“At the end of the day, we know Father Joe is always there for us—even in retirement—and that’s what it’s all about,” Matt said.
Many of our active ministry priests are stretched thin with busy schedules, travel and other obligations. Yet, this near-universal feeling of them being “always there for us” is a testament to the dedication, courage and tenacity they have in the face of the challenges they experience. Such dedication, particularly for those who have been profoundly affected by it, should inspire us to say: What can I do to give back to men who have given me so much?
“There aren’t a lot of ways you can give a gift to a priest,” Father Vogel said. “Certainly feed us; we’re all wild about that. The question often becomes, what can I do to give back to priests? And this is one of the ways. The priest retirement special appeal is a way we can really thank priests visibly.”
The impact of the funds is not lost on those priests who have moved to senior ministry.
“As a retired priest, I am grateful for all that the parishes contributed to building up this fund, and the many people who are now donating generously to keep it in place for many years to come,” Father Lantsberger said.
A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY
The appeal to the faithful to contribute to these funds creates an exceptional opportunity for everyday Catholics in our diocese to support a ministry that directly gives back to them.
“The priest retirement special appeal is a blessed opportunity for us to care for those priests who have given so much to care for us,” said Bishop DeGrood. “We recognize the ongoing need to care for them in their later years when they need financial support and support for day-to-day living and for medical needs that arise. It is God’s call to us to now care for them.”
Reaching the $3 million public appeal goal will take all of us. The temptation during these times is to think that one’s gift is too small or insignificant, yet Christ praised even the widow’s two small coins when they were offered with love and generosity. The reality is that every gift, big or small, contributes to the continued growth of these funds and the essential ministry it supports.
Prayerfully consider making a gift to the Priest Retirement Special Appeal, knowing that your generosity will strengthen the ministry of the priests who devoted their lives to serving Christ and his Church.
Visit ccfesd.org/giving/priest-retirement or scan the QR code to learn how you can contribute. Mail-in contributions can be sent to:
CCFESD
523 N Duluth Ave,
Sioux Falls, SD 57104
In your check written to CCFESD, please include Priest Retirement Appeal in the memo.
