Time Line

St. Cloud Diocesan Pension Problem Timeline

Diocesan Pension Concerns Group 

July 1, 1982 Plan Begins

St. Cloud Diocese begins its contract with The Christian Brothers Employee Retirement

Plan to administer its pension plan for Catholic School teachers, parish employees, and 

diocesan employees.  This is a defined benefit pension plan. It is a church plan that is not 

insured by the federal Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation.

After the financial crisis in 2008 the Christian Brother’s Employee Retirement Plan was underfunded 24% (July 1, 2009). Over the subsequent 15-year period, the funded status fell another 10% to 66% as of 7/1/2024. The ratio is now at 68% as of July 1, 2025, meaning the St. Cloud Diocesan Pension plan has only 68% of the funds needed to meet its obligation to retirees and current employees.

October 17, 2025 Letter from Diocese

Joe Spaniol, CFO, Diocese of St. Cloud writes a letter to approximately 1,400 pension plan 

participants stating: “We were notified recently the lay employee pension plan 

administered by Chrisitan Brothers Services is significantly underfunded and does not have 

sufficient assets to meet its long-term obligations…” He also writes, “The underfunding is 

not the result of any decisions or actions made by the diocese.”

November 18, 2025. Star Tribune Article on Pension Underfunding by Mike Hughlett

https://www.startribune.com/pension-fund-shortfall-christian-brothers-catholic-schools-diocese-cretin-derham-hill-murray/601522467

The pensions of thousands of current and former workers at Catholic Minnesota institutions, particularly schools, are part of the Christian Brothers Employee Retirement Plan. Many of them are getting the same ominous warnings as the Cretin-Durham Hall employees: Their pension funds are significantly short of money.

The Christian Brothers plan, which covers 180 employers and 40,000 people nationwide, is asking for big boosts in employer contributions to erase an $800 million shortfall. The Christian Brothers plan also covers Academy of Holy Angels in Richfield and Totino-Grace High School in Fridley, as well as St. Mary’s University in Winona and Minneapolis. And the plan includes lay workers at the dioceses of St. Cloud, Crookston and New Ulm, which together run more than 40 Minnesota schools.

November 20, 2025 Diocesan Zoom Webinar (https://youtu.be/Nrrxx0JEr3I)

1. As of July 1, 2025 the St. Cloud pension plan is estimated to have an unfunded liability of $34.9 million dollars.
2. Stated in bold blue lettering at the bottom of a slide: “This is not the result of any decision or negligence of the part of the diocese or any parish or school decision.”
3. The design of the zoom call did not allow participants to see any names of other participants. It also did not allow the chat feature of zoom to be operational.  The questions submitted were only seen by the moderator.

November 21, 2025 Calling for a Meeting of Participants

Jeffrey Kaster and Mary Cheryl Opatz were angry that plan participants were not given any voice on the zoom webinar.  The decision-making power was retained completely by the diocese without representation from plan participants.  It was like the diocese was saying: “Just trust us, we will make the best decisions for you.” Jeffrey and Mary Cheryl decided to call a meeting of pension plan participants from the Saint Cloud Diocese to listen to their concerns and develop an advocacy strategy.

December 4, 2025 Participant Listening Session: Diocesan Pension Concerns Group

Fifty people attended the Diocesan Pension Concerns Meeting held at the Great River Regional Library.  Time was provided in small groups to listen to the concerns of all present.

Participants told stories of their anger, hurt, and anxiety related to having their pension reduced by 42%. The group also developed a list of four requests for the bishop and diocese. The group also decided to create a website (https://stcdiocesepensionconcerns.com/) and start a letter writing campaign to Bishop Neary. The website includes copies of letter sent to the bishop.

December 8, 2025 Letters to the bishop

Jeffrey Kaster, on behalf of the group, wrote a letter to bishop nearing, that included minutes from the December 4th meeting and the following four requests: 

1) To be more transparent and communicate this problem to the public through a letter and/or video to parishes.

2) To provide our group representation on the diocesan pension task force. 

3) To have listening sessions with pension plan participants who are deeply hurt by this situation; 

4) start a capital campaign to fully meet its pension promises.

The group starts a letter writing campaign.  Participants start writing personal letters to the bishop giving their testimony to the trauma this is causing. Some letters are published on website as testimonials.

December 19, 2025:  Phone Call from Bishop Neary to Jeffrey Kaster

1. Bishop Neary said he will bring the idea of Listening sessions to the committee. He basically seemed positive about holding listening sessions. He mentioned that if this does happen, he would like to work with us to plan and/or facilitate the listening sessions.
2. He said that he would write a letter and/or create a video communicating the pension problem to the people in the diocese.
3. He seemed quite positive about listening to input from current and retired employees about possible solutions to this problem:  turning the situation from we/they to both/and.  Essentially seeking at the listening session to get to “we are in this together and together dialogue about the best outcomes possible.”
4. He is reading our letters.  He said he is getting “a lot of letters.”
5. Although he did not explicitly say he would not accept representation from retired and currently employed school personnel on the committee. It seemed clear to me that this was not something that he was considering. He mentioned at least three times that he feels his St. Cloud Diocesan Pension Task Force is doing very good work.  He used the phrase, “we have a crack team” at least three time.
6. He was rather adamant that the diocese knew nothing about the pension problem until July.
7. He basically was saying the diocese does not have the money to cover the amount underfunded and suggested that a capital campaign was simply not feasible.

January 10, 2026 Input from Group about Next Steps

Frustrated by not hearing anything from the bishop for over three weeks, the group solicits ideas from members of what we should do next.  The ideas are put into a survey on January 20th seeking to get group input on prioritizing action steps.

January 18, 2026 Survey sent to Group members 

January 21, 2026 Legal Conversation with Robins-Kaplan LLP

Michael Mullin, received a phone call from Tom Berndt, a partner at the law firm of Robins – Kaplan LLP resulting in a ~20’ conversation: What do we want/need?: Expert and vigorous legal representation with a goal of making all Plan Participant victims 100% whole in terms of the moral and legal obligations of the employer.

He would check with his partners for any conflicts of interest. We talked about his fee…would have to be contingency… our people don’t have cash…The next day Tom Berndt called to say they have no conflict of interest at his firm. We started the uploading of anything/ everything to Robins – Kaplan LLP.  Almost daily, starting on this date and continuing to the present, one or more documents was (were) provided to Tom Berndt.

Important to Note:  Our group does not officially have legal counsel, but we are working with Robins-Kaplan LLP exploring the possibility of legal counsel.

January 22, 2026 Survey Results 108 Responses

Highest Priority Percent

Proposed Next Step

80%

We should pressure the diocese to be more transparent on their plan to fully fund our retirement.

74%

We should get and review all agreements between the diocese and Christian Brothers to asses our rights.

69%

We should meet with the bishop to stress our expectations for representation on the diocesan committee, listening sessions, and letter to parishes. Basically, we should keep the pressure up.

66%

We should establish representatives from our group in each school and parish?

65%

We should develop a plan to get younger teachers/employees involved in our advocacy group.

64%

We should meet again soon.

63%

We should start to explore our legal options.

January 26, 2026 Email to Bishop Neary asking for a meeting and stating group demands

We the current and retired employees impacted by the underfunding of the St. Cloud Diocesan pension program demand that the Saint Cloud Diocese meet it’s legal and moral obligation to fully fund its pension contractual agreement with current and retired employees.

We Believe…

1. The diocese is not listening to the pain and suffering caused by the diocesan pension shortfall. Our group has heard story after story of the anxiety, worry, and distress the lack of communication about the pension shortfall has caused current and retired employees. A month ago, we asked the bishop directly to schedule listening sessions.  Nothing has happened.
2. The diocese is responsible for initially entering into a pension plan with Christian Brothers that was not insured by the Federal Pension Guaranty Corporation (PBGC).
3. The diocese knew or should have known about the underfunding problem in the Christian Brothers’ pension program since the market crash in 2008.
4. The diocese bears responsibility and liability for ignoring the underfunding problem at Christian Brother’s pension program.
5. Any reduction in pension benefits will severely impact many current and retired employees. Church and school employees either took or are taking substandard wages for years with the expectation that they would receive the pension contractually promised them.  These substandard wages result in lower social security benefits. These lower social security benefits added to a proposed reduction in pension benefits presents a double financial burden to current and retired employees.
6. The financial burden of the underfunding should fall exclusively upon the diocese, parishes, and schools and not on the shoulders of the retired and current employees participating in the diocesan pension plan. 
7. Those most impacted by this problem (current and retired employees) must have representation in the decision-making process related to the pension. The diocese has ignored our group’s expectations for all of the following:
   1. Representation on the Diocesan Pension Committee.
   2. Listening Sessions by the bishop with current and retired employees. 
   3. A letter from the bishop sent to all parishes and schools explaining the pension problem. 
   4. The establishment of a capital campaign to fully fund the pension shortfall.
8. The Diocese of Saint Cloud with the parishes in the diocese has the financial capacity to fully fund the pension shortfall and/or start a capital campaign to do so.  The diocese has said because of its recent bankruptcy it does not have the available funds to meet this financial crisis. However, the diocese is not honest about the funds available from parishes in the diocese particularly as parishes close and parish property becomes available to sell. In addition, the diocese claims the corporate separation of the diocese from the parishes prohibits it from other available funds. It claims money from parishes are completely separate from diocesan funds. What the diocese does not reveal is the actual corporate structure of the church. Each parish has a separate corporate board which decides all corporate matters. All parish corporate boards have five members: The bishop, the vicar general, the parish pastor, and two lay trustees make up these corporate boards.   In reality, because of the hierarchical structure of the Catholic Church (three clergy votes to two lay votes) the bishop can obtain funds from parishes whenever necessary.
9. The best decisions are made through listening, representation, clear communication, and collaboration.  Because these have been absent, it is impossible to accept or trust that the diocese can make the best possible decisions for us the current and retired employees from the St. Cloud Diocese.

January 27, 2026 Phone call from Bishop Neary to Jeffrey Kaster (summary)

1. Bishop Neary acknowledged the lack of communication from the diocese.
2. He said a listening session is being planned by the diocese and word will come out soon about when this will be. It will be both in person and on line.
3. He said he created a letter and a video and this will be sent out to parishes soon.
4. I asked him for dates for both the listening session and letter/video and he said the dates have not been set yet, but he did say they would happen soon.
5. He mentioned that on February 4 that he, along with a group of bishops impacted by this, will meet with Christian Brothers to discuss their stewardship of the pension. 
6. At first, the bishop was not open to our group having representatives on the diocese committee, but after I pushed him on this asserting that this was essential to our group, he told me he was open to perhaps one person from our group joining the diocese committee as a representative of our group, but he needed to talk with a few folks there in the diocese and would get back to me. He twice asked me, if I would be on the committee?  I said I would find a representative from the group to be on the committee. He gave me the sense that he would be calling me right back with an answer about having one representative on the committee.  It is now 5 PM and I have not heard back from him.  So, my sense is that this is a possibility, but definitely not a sure thing.
7. Finally, he reiterated that a capital campaign was not a possibility for the diocese. I asked him how much money would be needed to fully fund the pension.  He referred back to the number that Christian Brothers gave of 3 million a year for 20 years. I asked him since the spin off, if they had a new number. He said he didn’t, but assumed it would be consistent with the 58% of funding or 42% of unfunded liability that Christian Brothers had stated earlier.  

January 28, 2026 Video and Letter emailed to plan participants from Bishop Neary

The letter and video A message from Bishop Patrick Neary, CSC basically reiterated what plan participants already knew. Bishop Neary also expressed his concern and care for plan participants. Upon receiving the letter and video Jeffrey Kaster emailed the bishop seeking to clarify that our Diocesan Pension Concern Group wanted the bishop to write a letter and create a video not for plan participants, but to be read and played at all the parish masses throughout the diocese. We were not asking for a letter and video for participants. 

February 3, 2026 Group Hears Nothing Back from Bishop

The bishop did not call Jeffrey Kaster back about the Pension Concerns Group request for a representative on the Diocesan Pension Committee. Nor did he respond to the request to make public the pension problem through a letter and video to be read/played at all the masses.

February 4, 2026 Meeting with Reporter from Saint Cloud LIVE

Jeff Kaster and Mary Cheryl Opatz met with Lauren Breunig from St. Cloud Live. 

They shared: 1) Pension problem; 2) Lack of transparency and public information about the pension problem; 3) Group Website: https://stcdiocesepensionconcerns.com/; 4) copy of a draft press release; 5) Timeline of group activities; and 6) group members to interview.

February 6, 2026 Bishop Neary sends email to Jeff Kaster

The bishop says the group cannot have a representative on the Diocesan Pension Task Force, but a person from our group could meet with a task force member for regular updates. He also wrote that a listening session was being planned.

February 7, 2026 Leadership for Diocesan Pension Concerns Group (DPCG) established.

Co-Chairs:  Jeffrey Kaster-Jjfkaster@gmail.com and Mary Cheryl Opatz-mcopatz@charter.net

Committee Chairs

• Outreach Committee, Juliana Elkert chair. dj709@charter.net
• Technology Committee:  Karl Terhaar, chair. karl.terhaar@allsaintsmn.org
• Legal Issues Committee:  Mike Mullin michaelallenmullin@gmail.com and Lynn Grewing, grewinglynn@gmail.com co-chairs
• Media Relations Committee:  Jeff Kaster, chair. Jjfkaster@gmail.com
• Writing Committee:  Jim McConnell, chair. jmcconn320@gmail.com
• Logistics Committee:  Mary Cheryl Opatz, chair. mcopatz@charter.net

February 8, 2026 Email from Jeff Kaster back to Bishop

The email thanks the bishop for his response, but reiterated that our group’s demands representation on the St. Cloud Diocesan Pension Task Force, Publicity to all parishes about the pension fiasco, and the establishment of a capital campaign to fully fund it moral and contractual obligations of the pension plan.

February 8, 2026 Email to DPCG Group Members

The email includes the email from the bishop (Feb. 6th) and Jeff Kaster’s response (Feb. 8th) as well as the newly establish leadership structure for the DPCG.

February 17, 2026 WJON Publicity of Pension Problem 

https://wjon.com/st-cloud-diocese-pension-concerns/

February 18, 2026 Diocesan Pension Concerns Group Leadership Council Meeting

Each committee chair gave a progress report on the work of their committees. The major decision made was to hold a Pension Rally on March 12th at the St. Cloud Library for all 175 plus members of the Diocesan Pension Concerns group. The goal of the Pension Rally is to fan the flames of awareness and advance our advocacy for the diocese to meet its moral and contractual obligation to fully fund its pension program. 

February 19, 2026 Email from Bishop Neary

Bishop Neary writes Jeff Kaster stating he should contact Baily Ziegler, HR Director, with any further pension questions or concerns. Basically this means that he wants our group to stop communicating directly with him about our pension concerns.