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WASHINGTON (April 23, 1998) -- Sister Andreé Fries, Superior General of the Sisters of the Most Precious Blood of O'Fallon, Missouri, has been named Project Director for Retirement Services of the National Religious Retirement Office (NRRO).
She will assume the position, which is newly created, in October, after completing a six-year term as head of her order. She also led the order in a previous term, 1980-1986.
The appointment was announced April 23 by Sister Mary Leahy, a member of the Sisters of Providence and National Director of the NRRO.
"Sister Fries brings more than 25 years' experience in financial planning and management within religious organizations in Missouri and nationally," Sister Leahy said. "This broad experience provides her with the perspective needed to help religious orders faced with critical retirement needs. We are grateful that her community will share her talents with the Church on the national level."
Archbishop Justin Rigali of St. Louis expressed pleasure with the appointment.
"Sister Andreé Fries will bring wonderful experience in religious life and financial planning to her new position," Archbishop Rigali said. "The Church in St. Louis has benefitted from her time and expertise and we know what valuable contributions they are."
The NRRO's project director position was created to maximize the number of religious institutes receiving grants from its annual Religious Retirement Collection. The position provides for consultant services to religious institutes in greatest need and with a critical cash flow. It also will offer special assistance to contemplative orders to enhance communication opportunities with them and provide updates on the availability of retirement grants and services. It also provides for support services for retirement planning to newly formed religious institutes.
The retirement office was established in 1986 as religious orders began to deal with a serious financial crisis brought on by the increase in costs and median age and the decline in financial resources and in the number of new members. An annual national appeal was launched in 1988. Currently the unfunded liability of religious orders in the United States is estimated to be at $7.9 billion.
Sister Fries has more than 22 years of experiences as a leader in her religious order and was national president of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR), 1994-95. She also is a member of the International Union of Superiors General (UISG).
She holds a master's of business administration degree with concentration in organizational development and finance from Southern Illinois University and a bachelor's degree from Quincy University. In 1971, she was co-founder of the National Association of Treasurers of Religious Institutes.
Between her terms as superior general of her order, Sister Fries was Associate Director of the national religious retirement office, then known as the Tri-Conference Retirement Office. In that position she was responsible for much of the early organization of the office and for the first work done nationally on increasing stipends and benefits for men and women religious.
She has worked as an organizational consultant for Church groups, written numerous finance-related articles, and presented workshops on topics pertaining to leadership and financial planning in religious congregations.
Currently, Sister Fries is one of three elected U.S. representatives to the UISG and a member of the Archdiocese of St. Louis Strategic Pastoral Planning Committee, the Archdiocese of St. Louis Finance Council, and a trustee of the Archdiocese of St. Louis Cemetery Board and Finance Committee.
The NRRO is co-sponsored by the National Conference of Catholic Bishops, LCWR, Conference of Major Superiors of Men and the Conference of Major Superiors of Women Religious. It is funded through its annual appeal, which is collected in Catholic parishes and enables the NRRO to distribute about $25 million a year to support retired religious.