stcdiocesepensionconcerns.com

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.

November 26, 2026 Email from Joe Spaniol

The email included the URL for the Zoom Call recording https://youtu.be/Nrrxx0JEr3I and a list of questions from the zoom call participants and diocesan responses: https://stcdiocesepensionconcerns.com/q-%26-a-from-spaniol

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 % 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:

a. Representation on the Diocesan Pension Committee.

b. Listening Sessions by the bishop with current and retired employees.

c. A letter from the bishop sent to all parishes and schools explaining the pension problem.

d. 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. Part of the text from the email.

I wanted to let you know that I brought forward your request to the task force that I established to have someone appointed by you to sit on the task force. The task force at present includes the diocesan attorney, Tom Janson, and is supported by USI Consulting Group, a national firm specializing in retirement planning consultation and benefits administration, as well as Groom Law, which focuses on employee benefits and retirement law.

It is the feeling of the task force that at this stage in the process, it would be very difficult to add new members to the task force and then bring them up to speed on these highly complex issues. The current members of the task force have a professional expertise that is so needed at present to carry out their responsibilities on behalf of both retirees and current employees.

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

o Outreach Committee, Juliana Elkert chair. dj709@charter.net

o Technology Committee: Karl Terhaar, chair. terhaarkarl67@gmail.com

o Legal Issues Committee: Mike Mullin michaelallenmullin@gmail.com and Lynn Grewing, grewinglynn@gmail.com co-chairs

o Media Relations Committee: Jeff Kaster, chair. Jjfkaster@gmail.com

o Writing Committee: Jim McConnell, chair. jmcconn320@gmail.com

o 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. Excerpt:

With sincere respect bishop, I want to point out that it does seem to me a tad disingenuous and even (I’m sure unintended) condescending to read in your email:

If you recall, exactly two months ago on December 8, 2025 I mailed you a request from our group asking for representation on your Diocesan Task Force. Our argument from the start has been that retirees and current employees should have a seat at the table. We believe better decisions are made when those most impacted by a problem have a voice in the “room where it happens.” Rather than your Pension Task Force making decisions “on behalf of us,” we believe that collaborative representation is the best strategy to produce the optimum outcomes.

To summarize the DPCG position since December 8th:

1. We called for transparent communication (letter/video) from you to all the Catholic faithful in the diocese about the pension problem. This has not happened. We are a bit dismayed that the diocesan magazine has not had one article about this pension problem since the diocese learned about the problem last summer.

2. We asked for representation on the Diocesan Task Force. You have decided this will not happen.

3. We asked for listening sessions where you as bishop can personally hear the hurt, anger, and anxiety that this pension problem is producing. This has not happened, but you have stated that this is being planned.

4. And most importantly, we have asked that the diocese fulfil its moral and contractual obligation to fully fund its pension obligations through a capital campaign. We strongly believe that the 42% pension fund shortfall should NOT simply be passed on to retirees and current employees enrolled in the plan. We believe that the diocese should make a good faith effort to include fundraising to offset the impact of this shortfall. In two separate phone calls, you told me a capital campaign was completely infeasible.

We want you to know that our group will continue to advocate for these four requests as well as a just solution to this pension problem. I want to inform you that Mary Cheyl Opatz, DPCG co-chair, and I met with a reporter from St. Cloud LIVE last Thursday. You should also know that we will be sending out media releases about the pension problem this week.

The Diocesan Pension Concerns Group is committed to work collaboratively with you and the Diocesan Task Force on this pension problem, but rest assured, we may be dreamers, but we definitely feel called to be voices that challenge.

I want to end by echoing your prayer: “May the Holy Spirit continue to guide all of us as we seek to address with wisdom this serious matter that has so seriously impacted our retired and current employees.” But please let me add the words from today’s reading from Isaiah that burned into my heart during lectio this morning: “and do not turn your back on your own. Then your light shall break forth like the dawn, and your wound shall quickly be healed.”

February 8, 2026 Email Update 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 13, 2026 Community Support for Group Members

75 Free Memberships to Bannockburn Farm Working Share for teachers by the Larry Haws Family Fund.

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.

February 26, 2026 DPCG Update from Joe Spaniol and Fr. Scott Pogatchnik

Juliana Elchert was given an update on the pension situation. No further decisions had been made by the Diocesan Pension Task Force. Of the approximately 1,400 pension plan participants they said 600-700 are retired.

March 2, 2026 Diocesan Pension Concerns Group Leadership Council Meeting

The leadership council reported on progress being made by each committee and developed an agenda for the planned whole group gathering on March 12th at 4 pm at the Saint Cloud Library. Committees start their work particularly recruitment and media outreach.

March 6th: Email to Principals from Superintendent of Schools: “It has come to my attention that many of you have been contacted by the DPCG. I wanted to let you know this group is not connected to the diocese or Bishop Neary. We don’t know all the information they are share or how accurate or complete it is. Individuals who engage with this group need to know that, and those who share personal information with it, do so at their own risk.”

March 8th: Email from Jeff Kaster back to Superintendent Sara Michaelson

Please rest assured that since my letter on December 8, 2025 to Bishop Neary our Diocesan Pension Concerns Group has been in ongoing communication with the bishop and the diocese.

The goal of our group is quite simple. We believe that Diocese has a moral and contractual responsibility to fully fund the pension promises that were made. We are taking steps to achieve this goal. Simply put, our group is organizing to stand with the retired and current Catholic School Teachers and employees, many of whom are deeply hurting by this pension problem.

Enclosed are two documents that I have sent to the bishop. The first is a December 8th letter I sent after our group first formed with 50 participants outlining our group’s initial thoughts. The second is a January 26th refined list of demands and beliefs of our group sent to the bishop. I believe these documents will give you a good sense of who and what we are as a group.

One of the most difficult aspects of leadership is always the issue of where one stands. Our group of 200 is standing with those Catholic School Teachers and parish workers who are facing drastic cuts to their pensions. We are standing with the 80-year-old retired widows who have taught in Catholic Schools for 40 years and are so frightened by the financial implications of their pension being cut by 42%. Our group is standing up for what is right and just. I hope you will stand with us.

March 12, 2026 Meeting of the Diocesan Pension Concerns Group

75 peopled gathered in person at the St. Cloud Library and many joined online to 1) Advance our advocacy to have the diocese fully fund their pension promises; 2) Support each other and listen to each other’s concerns; and 3) Provide an update on the work of the Leadership Council over the last month, particularly an update on our progress with legal representation. Reporters from the Minnesota Star Tribune and St. Cloud LIVE attended the meeting. The meeting was recorded and can be viewed on the website: https://stcdiocesepensionconcerns.com/

March 20, 2026

Today we got significant media coverage about the pension fiasco. This morning there are articles in Saint Cloud LIVE, the Minnesota Star Tribune, and Minnesota Public Radio News. The articles might not be able to be read without subscriptions, but you can read them in their entirety on our website: https://stcdiocesepensionconcerns.com/

March 21, 2026

1. The DPCG begins a campaign to collect 1,000 emails from our supporters. We plan to bring these to the bishop as soon as possible. All DPCG members are asked to help.

2. Please copy and paste the draft message below and send it to supporters.

3. Have supporters email this message (or their own message) to this address: Fullyfundpension@gmail.com

__________________________________________________________

Dear Bishop Patrick Neary,

I support the retired and currently employed Catholic School Teachers and Parish Employees facing drastic cuts to their pensions. Please figure out a way to fully fund the pension promises you made to these workers. As a church we need to take care of our own.
This will be devastating for many friends of mine who provided years of service and now will be unable to enjoy their retirement as promised.

Sincerely,
Your Name

Your City and Parish (if applicable)

April 16, 2026

St. Cloud publishes first story on the pension fiasco on their Central Minnesota Catholic website. Mary Cheryl Opatz, Jeff Kaster, and other group members posts responses to this article. See article and responses at: https://thecentralminnesotacatholic.org/task-force-details-efforts-to-address-pension-plan-underfunding/

April 16, 2026

KARE 11 interviews Elmer Kobberman, Mary Goenner, Mary Cheryl Opatz, and Jeff Kaster for a feature about the St. Cloud Diocesan pension fiasco for KARE 11 news. It is planned to be aired sometime during the week of May 4th. Once we hear the air date and time, we will send out a notification update to DPCG members.

April 27, 2026

The DPCG leadership team enters into a contract with the Robins-Kaplan law for one specific item. They will write a letter requesting a copy of the original and updated contract or plan the St. Cloud Diocese entered into with Christian Brothers. The actual pension plan document is needed before any legal action can be taken. Our group has been asking for this plan for months. Robins-Kaplan agree to do this without compensation. Important to note: We have not officially retained Robins-Kaplan to represent us, except for this one request.

May 1, 2026

The Saint Cloud Diocese pension plan participants received a letter (dated April 2026) from the diocese about the transfer of Administration of the pension program to USI Consulting Group effective May 1st. The letter included an email and phone number to contact USI: RetirementFocus.com and 855 874-0026. The letter stated: “Effective May 1, 2026, all questions regarding your pension must be directed to Retirement Focus.”

May 6, 2026

An update was emailed to all Diocesan Pension Concerns Group members expressing concerns about confusion from the letter from the diocese (dated April 2026) about pension payments for retired workers and the financial implications for current employees. Trust continues to be an issue as the new USI website with the following disclaimer:

The information in this website is provided as a convenience to you. You agree to use this site at your own risk and we cannot guarantee that information is complete and accurate.

Privacy Notice || Legal Disclosure

Neither the diocese or USI have stated any plans for dealing with the $35 million pension fund deficit.

May 12, 2026

KARE 11 broadcasts segment on pension and interview with DPCG members. Link: https://www.kare11.com/article/life/pension-shortfall-leaves-current-and-retired-employees-of-the-st-cloud-diocese-concerned-about-their-future/89-e05a14f7-6d2d-4838-a4fd-b42c9c66014c

May 12, 2026

Update email from St. Cloud Diocese. It states: “There will not be a change in the payment amount for retirees currently receiving payments nor is there any gap of payment anticipated during this transition.”

May 13, 2026

Lynn Grewing, Mary Cheryl Opatz, and Jeff Kaster deliver 200 messages to Bishop Neary expressing support for the DPCG’s advocacy to fully fund our pensions. The bishop did not meet with us. Lauren Bruenig, reporter Saint Cloud LIVE, photographed the delivery of the messages and then interviewed the DPCG leadership team.

May 22, 2026

Bishop Neary is interviewed on WJON radio. It’s on the web at: https://wjon.com/st-cloud-diocese-pension-issue/. There is also an edited printed version.

May 22, 2026

Email to Bailey Ziegler.

The Diocesan Pension Concern Group now has 330 members. Since you stated in your May 13th email to me that you are in “regular communication with plan participants regarding their questions and concerns,” our group asks you to respond to the following questions:

1. What are the specific strategies the diocese is committed to doing to raise the nearly $35 million pension deficit?

2. If the diocese does not have plans to raise funds to offset the deficit, what specific cuts to the promised pension benefits will be enacted?

3. Are there any guarantees from the diocese that the pension payments to retirees would continue after the transition and until the contract is fulfilled (death of the employee and perhaps spouse)?
And one last question. After receiving the email from the diocese about referring all pension questions to USI, I went to the Retirementfocus.com website and asked a question online. I noticed the following disclaimer following their response:

The information in this website is provided as a convenience to you. You agree to use this site at your own risk and we cannot guarantee that information is complete and accurate.

Privacy Notice || Legal Disclosure

4. How do you expect those impacted by this pension fiasco to trust the information from the diocese and USI, when the website has the above legal disclaimer?

(Just to clarify Bailey, this last question is not meant as a gotcha question, the core of our concerns as a group is seeking transparent information we can trust).

I would hope for a quick response to these questions. If I hear nothing back from you by June 2nd, I will be reaching out to our media sources to publicize your non-response.

Thank-you,

Jeff Kaster

320 266-5247

May 23, 2026

Diocesan Pension Concerns Group Update email.

According to the bishop: 1) The diocese didn’t know; 2) The new plan answers all questions; 3) He has not received any complaints since the new plan was announced; 4) as the shepherd he really cares; 5) He continues to repeat inaccurate information that the plan didn’t start until the 1990s, when in fact it started in 1982, and 6) He represents the Plan as running short on money because fewer people are working, rather than exploring mismanagement, incompetence, or even fraud.

HOWEVER: The sin of omission is that the bishop did not mention one word about how the diocese plans to make up the nearly $35 million pension benefit. So as far I can tell, they don’t have any plans to raise funds to fully fund the pension. The questions are: which group of workers will lose the most and when will funds run out?

The Diocesan Pension Concerns Group will continue to advocate for the diocese to meet its moral and legal responsibility to fully fund our pensions. We will continue to work with the Robins Kaplan legal firm and with our media contacts to pressure the diocese to fully fund their pension promises.

I think it is time for us to let the bishop know of any complaints or concerns you have about his new plan for the pension (funding the deficit, trust in the information provided, lack of transparency). I encourage all of us to email him at: Patrick.Neary@gw.stcdio.org. I would appreciate being copied on the email you send him (jjfkaster@gmail.com). In future publicity I will use the number of complaints he received after the WJON interview.

May 29, 2026

Email from Director of Human Resources, Diocese of St. Cloud

I’m writing to acknowledge receipt of your email with its accompanying questions. As the task force has stated previously, we are actively exploring all available options to reduce the underfunding of benefits for participants who were part of the Christian Brothers pension plan prior to the freeze. For example, parishes, schools and the diocese are making — and will continue to make — monthly contributions to the Frozen Pension Plan trust account in support of this effort.

The task force and USI Consulting Group remain committed to providing timely and accurate information regarding the pension issue. Communications are shared regularly via email with participants and benefit site-administrators, and they are also posted online at: https://stcdio.org/christian-brothers.

Regarding your question about the Retirement Focus webpage, like many informational websites, it includes a standard disclaimer noting that content may not always reflect the most current updates. This disclaimer is intended to ensure transparency, not to diminish the reliability of the information provided. Participants who need confirmation of specific details or who have questions beyond what is available on the site are encouraged to contact the service center for personalized assistance.

July 8, 2026 Email from Diocese to Plan Participants (UPDATE)

Dear Plan Participants:

Last we communicated, The Frozen Pension Plan received approximately $43 million, which was the first 95% of the asset transfer from Christian Brothers. Last week, the trust for this account received the final $1.9 million, completing the spin-off. The spin-off assets received represent the amount that this plan was to receive in its underfunded status. US Bank made the first payments post-spin off to retirees in pay status on July 1, which appears to have gone smoothly.

The spin-off was a major step in ensuring that the diocese has oversight over this frozen plan into the future. While this major milestone has come, this does not conclude the work. As has been communicated, this is a long and complicated process with no quick answers or solutions. The work continues to find long-term solutions for the sustainability of this plan. A few of the next steps include:

Active Employees age 59 ½ and older:

Information on in-service lump-sum offers to active employees age 59.5 and older will be going out within the next few months. Please watch for these communications if you are in this population. This will be a one-time voluntary offer for this population, which is allowed by IRS rules to take one lump-sum payment of the benefit and remain a full-time active employee. This was not allowed under the Christian Brothers plan but will be added to the Frozen Pension Plan.

Active Employees

We are beginning the implementation phase for TIAA as the new retirement provider for a defined contribution 403b retirement plan. It takes time and a lot of work to implement a new organization and plan, but our team will work diligently to get this off the ground in a timely but realistic manner. Your employer will provide updates and important information on this benefit as this gets implemented.

Retirees

Retirees in pay status were paid on July 1st by US Bank (previous payments came from Northern Trust). These payments should have made a seamless transition. If you have questions regarding your payment or any issues, please contact Retirement Focus or log in to your account where your information is now loaded and ready to use. For future changes of address or direct deposit, you can go online or call Retirement Focus.

Website: www.RetirementFocus.com

Retirement Focus Service Center at 855.874.0026. Representatives are available Monday through Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. CST

Plan Sustainability

USI along with the task force continues to look at the data of participants and the assets to build a plan for long-term sustainability. One method for this is to assess parishes, schools, and sites within the diocese who had active participants in this plan. Sites across the diocese were sent the amount they will pay for the next fiscal year into the Frozen Pension Plan. There are many other options being assessed for sustainability and will be shared at appropriate times.

July 9, 2026 Diocesan Pension Concerns Group emails survey of its members

The survey questions seek to gain insight from members about next steps the group should take as well as their overall experience of this pension fiasco. Results or the survey will be sent to all members and posted on our website upon completion in a week or two.

Time Line

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