Dear Brothers and Sisters,

 

Christian Brothers Services have managed the retirement benefits for employees in the Diocese of St. Cloud for many years - and for many other dioceses and Catholic organizations in the country. This fall they informed us that the Employee Retirement Pension Plan was severely underfunded and would require the diocese to pay tens of millions of dollars to continue the plan. Paying that much is infeasible, and so after consultation with lawyers and other financial advisers, the decision was made by the diocese to freeze the plan as of December 31, 2025, and then spin-off funds from Christian Brothers to a new dedicated account in the summer of 2026.

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Because of the severity of the underfunding, there is serious concern about the pension for those parish, school, and diocesan employees who have retired and rely on that income, or those who are near retirement. It is likely that the amount paid each month will decrease. No one yet knows exactly how things will shake out, but there is a lot of concern and uncertainty at the moment. The fact that decisions have to be made on a short timeline in the midst of going through All Things New just makes it much more difficult.

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In light of this news, the Church of St. Mary, Milaca has had some employees who have chosen to retire from full-time work as of December 31, 2025. I am extremely grateful to these employees for their years of dedicated service to the parish and the mission of the Church. They were often the first face parishioners would see; the first voice that would be heard when reaching out to the offices; and they sought to serve others with the heart of Christ. They may have been able to find higher paying jobs in the secular market, but the rewards of the ministry and the benefit of the retirement pension helped them to stay. I am heartbroken that their years of commitment and loyalty to the parish have ended with now losing much of those planned benefits for something completely out of their control (out of control of the parish and diocese as well). I completely support them and understand their need to try to protect their own financial interests, and to be able to support themselves and their families into their retirement. They have agreed to come to work part-time for the parish for a while (pension rules prohibit them working full-time, or risk losing their benefits). This will be a time of considerable change. With reduced staff hours, some things might be delayed or canceled, the office might not be open or available at all the same hours, and we will likely be sharing some responsibilities with the other parishes of the ACC. Please be patient with this transition, and please continue to pray for them and all our staff members.

 

Peace in Christ,

Father Timothy