Archbishop's web site Denver Catholic Register Parishes Catholic Pastoral Center
August 7, 2002
Retirees look to mission organizations to give back
By Agostino Bono
When Julia Albrecht retired in 2000, she wanted to continue working while using her new free time to deepen her spiritual life.
Now the former analyst of UN affairs for the State Department does both through the Ignatian Lay Volunteer Corps. For two days a week, she helps people find employment and prepare for job interviews at a parish in a predominately Hispanic neighborhood in Washington. She also has a spiritual director and meets monthly with other volunteers to share experiences and relate them to her spiritual life.
"Being part of an organization and a movement organized by my Church meant a lot," Albrecht said.
The resident of Bethesda, Md., is among the growing number of retired people looking to church organizations for spiritually rewarding volunteer and missionary work. The organizations offer wide-ranging opportunities — from part-time to full-time, from working locally to assignments abroad.
Many are tied to religious orders or Church agencies. The Ignatian Lay Volunteer Corps was founded by two Jesuits in 1995 and is steeped in the spiritual programs of St. Ignatius of Loyola, the Jesuit founder.
The Catholic Network of Volunteer Service lists 34 organizations that have people over age 50 working under their tutelage. The Catholic network is an umbrella organization that puts people of all ages in touch with Church organizations working abroad or domestically.
Almost 6 percent of the 9,600 people using the Catholic network in 2001 were at least 50.
People are living longer, are in better health and taking early retirement, said James Lindsay, executive director of the Catholic network.
"A lot are looking at life and want to give something back," he said. "There are more opportunities now for lay men and women to be sent to the missions. More and more people are becoming familiar with faith-based organizations."
The Ignatian Lay Volunteer Corps is especially for older people, accepting only men and women at least 50. It has about 125 volunteers, ages 50 to 80, working in the United States, mostly in the Northeast. The ILVC places people near home so they are not uprooted. Volunteers work two days a week for nine months and can renew their terms indefinitely.
"A lot simply don't want to leave their grandchildren," said Barbara Castellano, corps director of program development. Older people also want to keep their local support systems and avoid the hassle of what to do with their houses while they're gone, she said.
"Our special charism is work with the materially poor or agencies that impact on issues that affect the poor," she added.
Castellano said many volunteers are drawn by the faith dimension of programs not found in secular volunteer agencies.
Richard Bush, a retired research chemist for W.R. Grace and Co., began tutoring young adults last September in reading and math at the St. Ambrose Family Outreach Center in Baltimore.
"The corps fulfills two spiritual needs: doing something for the poor and improving my prayer life," he said.
"The Eucharist and working for justice are two sides of the same coin," said Bush.
He said he also learned a new prayer technique. It consists of reading a Gospel passage in which Jesus does something, placing oneself mentally at the scene and reflecting on "how I might have reacted."
One organization that uproots people and gives them full-time jobs is the Jesuit Volunteer Corps, which accepts young and old. Last year, the Jesuit Volunteer Corps had 11 people over 50 working in domestic social action projects and living in mixed-generation homes. Volunteers, given free room and board and $80 a month, commit to one-year terms that can be renewed.
One advantage is that people are supporting each other, living together in communities of five to eight members, said John Matcovich, executive director of Jesuit Volunteer Corps Northwest. Community members have a "spirituality night" once a week to share their faith experiences, he added. Older people interested in volunteering can go to Catholic Network of Volunteer Service Web site, www.cnvs.org, for a list of organizations accepting volunteers and descriptions of their services. The Web site also has a section where people can fill out profiles of the type of work they want to do, the amount of time they can or want to spend, and whether they want to work near home or far away. The organization then matches profiles with volunteer organizations. It also has a toll free number - 800-543-5048 - where those interested can get information and fill out a profile orally. - CNS
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