A short history of the Clergy Retirement Foundation

The Clergy Retirement Foundation was born out of the Sick and Retired Priests Fund.

But even before that there was a fund known just as the Sick Priests’ Fund and that fund is probably the longest established fund or agency of the Archdiocese.

In fact it dates right back to the very first Bishop of Goulburn, Bishop Lanigan and there’s a good reason for that.

One of the principal roles of a bishop or archbishop is the care and well-being of his priests… it’s a canonical requirement and right there at the top of the list.

In March 2005, after much discussion, we went to the AGM of priests and put a recommendation to them that the Clergy Retirement Foundation be formed as a charitable organisation to which people could make donations and receive a tax deductible gift receipt.

That proposal was accepted and the Clergy Retirement Fund began.