Financial Support

1. First read carefully all of the information below.
2. Email to Abbot General’s Office at abbot@bellsouth.net. Include in the email your name, contact information (email, physical address, and phone number), and a paragraph explaining your need and what you have done so far to satisfy that need.
3. The Abbot General’s office will forward that information to the Emergency Fund administrator who will then contact you.

Be patient. While this fund is for emergency needs we do not guarantee immediate responses or instant funds. We will, however, respond in a timely manner.

Your information and communications will only be disclosed to the necessary persons who will be helping you.

1. To respond with financial aid regarding the immediate emergency needs of the Cistercian members, or their immediate family, living in their home, living in the United States and Canada.
2. To provide additional financial aid after consideration and evaluation of additional needs.
3. To assist our members with their financial management, budgeting.
4. To give our members’ confidence and financial acumen by repaying the aid funds, trust.

Emergency needs generally refer to needs that the members cannot meet themselves because of situations beyond their control or anticipation. Should this need not be satisfied our members or their families would suffer serious consequences.

Members are vowed Novices and Life Professed persons who are actively participating in the Order with their time, talent, and treasure. The Abbot General will be the determiner of these requirements.

1. Immediate aid of $150.00 can be given followed by budgetary evaluations.
2. Should a larger need prevail and the budget evaluation confirm an actual emergency, then an additional $150.00 may be given. Total maximum assistance is not to exceed $300.00.
3. The members must agree to a budget evaluation prior to #2.
4. The members must agree to repay the trust prior to #2.

1. All payments will be approved/denied through the Office of the Abbot General.
2. The only allowable method of giving and receiving monies is through PayPal or by check at our discretion.
3. The members and the Abbot General’s office are responsible to keep appropriate records.
4. Members will work in conjunction with the Abbot General’s office to determine the conditions of the repayment of all trust (monies) which cannot exceed 12 months. There is no interest but a service fee of $5.00 per month is required.
5. The members cannot receive additional funds until all balances have been paid.

1. To respond to members with compassion and understanding.
2. To gather appropriate information in order to respond to the emergency need.
3. To evaluate the immediacy of the need and determine either first to recommend immediate emergency funds or first to evaluate the budget.
4. To provide the members with a budgetary form.
5. To evaluate and recommend various strategies to the members that they may utilize, on their own, toward reaching financial stability.
6. To notify the members that the Administrator’s assistance is short-term and all discussions and paperwork etc. will be shared with the office of the Abbot General.
7. To work in conjunction with the office of the Abbot General.

Jay currently serves a local congregation as Treasurer and as a member of a team devoted to discerning what God would have us as a church to be and to do.

He holds a bachelors degree in Economics from Rutgers College and a masters in business administration from Georgia State University, Jay has had a 39-year career with a local bank. He is currently an operational risk consultant with the bank’s Private Wealth Management division.

One of Jay’s passions is helping others with personal financial management. To that end, he has led 13 sessions of the Dave Ramsey Financial Peace University course over the past 10 years.

By your participation in the We Got Your Back Program or the Emergency Fund you are agreeing to the following:

The We Got Your Back Program and Emergency Fund is operated through the generosity and good will of volunteers. Each volunteer has been properly vetted and is a person of good will. Their volunteer service is for the sole purpose of giving glory to God and serving His people.

Those persons receiving these services realize that they are free agents and are responsible for their own actions, and are not coerced or otherwise forced into any action by the volunteers or the We Got Your Back Program and Emergency Fund.

The Cistercian Order of the Holy Cross nor the Board of Trustees of the Corporation, nor its officers, nor the Abbot General, his successors, clergy, priors or abbots, Deans, volunteers, etc., have any liability, financial, legal or otherwise toward its: Abbeys, Priories, Houses of Prayer, Oblates, Postulants, Novices, Life Professed Monks, clergy, employees, volunteers, seminarians, candidates for ordination and/or incardination, those participating in the Order’s hospitality, programs or other relationships to the Order.

Should participants or volunteers have any questions or concerns they should contact the office of the Abbot General.