Legacy

Preparing for a good death

You can begin to prepare for a good death when you are fit and healthy. From making a Will to planning your funeral, this involves thinking about your legacy and how you would like to be remembered. Here we offer support with leaving a legacy to your parish or to a charity, as well as resources to help plan your Funeral Mass and for organ donation.

So much to be grateful for

As Catholics we have much to be grateful for, not least for the faith that has sustained us throughout our lives and for the community that is our local parish.

It is in the local parish that our faith has developed and been nurtured, where we have received teaching, inspiration and support.

Many of us have been encouraged in our faith by those around us and especially by our priests.

The local parish is a microcosm of the worldwide Church, where Catholics come together to serve God and others. For many of us, it is what helps to sustain our faith in both good and challenging times.

We have much to thank our local parishes for.

The Hands of Christ

Our parish churches are the interface between the Church and the world and act as the hands and voice of Christ, not only for us as parishioners, but for the communities they serve. They are the focal point for prayer, teaching, evangelisation and a wide range of social action with those who are marginalised. But all this takes significant resources.

Why remember your parish in your Will?

• Leaving a legacy to our parish is the logical continuation of a life-time of giving.
• It is good stewardship and a simple way to ensure the Catholic faith will live on in future generations.
• It is an affordable way to give. If all of us left a gift of just 1% of our estate, this would make a big difference.
• You don’t need to be rich to help in this way. Many Catholics have already done so, not just those who are better off.
• All gifts in Wills are tax efficient, as no inheritance tax is paid on a gift to the Church.

The Church encourages us to be mindful of God’s many blessings and of His provision for us. In so doing, our natural response is to want to give back, recognising that all good things come from God.

Leaving a gift in our will is the culmination of a life-time of faith, a sign of gratitude for all we have enjoyed. Once we have provided for the needs of our family, this is a simple step we can all take.

By remembering our parish in our Will, we can support the vital work of priests and people in the building up of God’s Church, in looking after our churches and in reaching out to those in need in our local communities. All of this is made possible as we give back to God in response to His care of us.