As you can see, pension plans vary from place to place. Many dioceses are claiming, as Boston did originally, that priests who marry are no longer in "good standing" and are thus ineligible to receive any benefits. Clearly Chicago, Seattle, Portland, Oregon, Providence, St. Paul & Minneapolis, Rochester, N.Y and Detroit disagree. CORPUS is asking its membership to participate in a nationwide effort for pension eligibility equity. 

Our initial task is to collect information on diocesan clergy pension plans. Contact your Ordinary and request a copy of their current clergy pension policies. Indicate your interest, as good stewards engaged in prudent estate planning for you family, in ascertaining your own eligibility and level of vesting in the plan. Please forward a copy of the diocesan clergy pension plan, your letter of request and the Ordinary's response to: The CORPUS Resigned Priests' Pensions Advocacy Campaign, c/o The Emmaus Institute, Inc. 154 Broad Street, Nashua, NH 03063. 

If the Ordinary informs you that you are an eligible participant, inquire about the level of your vested benefit and proceed accordingly. Please inform the CORPUS Pensions Advocacy Campaign of the outcome of your contact. 

If the Ordinary denies that you are an eligible participant, then we encourage you to mount a local Faith Community advocacy effort: 

• Enlist the cooperation and collaboration of other married/resigned diocesan colleagues and their wives in multiplying claims.
• Organize a Support Community and request letters of support from former parishioners, other members of the Catholic community and other friends.
• Bring this employment justice issue to the attention of local newspaper columnists and other media reporters. This is an excellent opportunity to present ourselves as pilgrims of conscience who felt called by God to priesthood and marriage in the Vatican II Church and not as people who have given up on our Faith.
• Contact the President of your Diocesan Presbyteral Council and make a formal written request for advocacy assistance.
• Ask canonical diocesan dergy to co-sponsor your petition(s). A number of dioceses still have Priest Associations that would be willing to help.
• Contact the President of National Federation of Priests Councils, the Rev. Robert Silva at:
  NFPC
  1337 West Ohio Street
  Chicago, Illinois 60622 and request N FPC assistance.
• Contact the Executive Director, Committee on Priestly Life and Ministry, National Conference of Catholic Bishops, United States Catholic Conference, 3211 4th Street, N.E., Washington, DC 20017-1194, Tel. 202.541.3000. FAX 202.541.3222, Email ckiley@nccbuscc.org.
  In his FaIl 2001 Report to the National Board of the National Federation of Priests, Councils, the Rev. J. Cletus Kiley, Executive Director reported that the issue of pensions for resigned priests is now one of the Committee's concerns. 
• Sample model letters to the Ordinary are available upon request from the CORPUS Pension Advocacy Campaign (PAC) do The Emmaus Institute, Inc. Please keep the PAC informed at least every two months on the status of your advocacy action activity.

We are here to help.
Tax deductible donations for the Resigned Priests Pensions Advocacy Campaign are most welcome and may be sent to The Emmaus Institute, Inc., 154 Broad Street, Suite 1538, Nashua, NH 03063.