While they were actively teaching in schools across the United States, our Christian Brothers received small stipends that just met the needs of the day. Any surplus funds were then reinvested into our ministries, supporting their senior Brothers and the formation of young Brothers, creating an invaluable endowment for the future of the mission.  Today, the income available to support these senior Brothers is decreasing. Earnings from the working Brothers of the District cover a significant portion of these expenses, but the number of Brothers able to serve in compensated ministry work is declining. As a result, we are seeing a great need for increased retirement funds for our senior Brothers.

Like many Americans, religious communities face the monumental challenge of funding in-home healthcare. Currently, the average annual cost of care for one of our senior Brothers is nearly $41,080 per person. In the United States, the total cost of care for senior religious men has exceeded $1 billion annually for each of the last 12 years. Since 2014, we have see a 156% increase in the costs associated with our senior Brothers. The largest increases have been in Nursing Facilities and Transportation Costs, but also include Nursing Care, Medical Care Expenses, and Supplies.

In 2019, the Midwest District had 128 Brothers. Of those, 71 (or 58%) were retired and 20 of those retired Brothers were in assisted living. The number of Brothers is declining: 117 Brothers in 2020, 111 Brothers in 2021, 105 Brothers in 2022, and 99 Brothers in 2023; the Midwest District now has 95 Brothers with an average age of 75, including 13 in assisted living or skilled nursing facilities. While these numbers are staggering, they paint a realistic picture of the challenges we face with the declining number of Brothers and increasing healthcare costs.

The Midwest District employs five nursing staff members to provide care for our senior Brothers. These healthcare professionals do wellness checks, take Brothers to doctor appointments, assist with medication, act as advocates, work with relatives of current Brothers on health concerns, and assist Brothers transitioning from home healthcare to assisted living or nursing home facilities.