All of us have been entrusted with many gifts. The gifts of our spouse, children, faith, priests, values, and material items have been graciously bestowed upon us. Are we grateful for them and are we accountable for them? What needs and opportunities exist for sharing our gifts now and in the future? What do we want to pass on to others? Creating a legacy at death is as important as creating a legacy during life.

Take the first step now to leave your mark on your family and your church family. Regardless of financial status, all of us have something that we can pass on to those that mean the most to us. Utilize your gifts to the fullest capacity and let your shadow be a testimony of your gratefulness to God.    

Will you Remember the Church?

For most of us, we think of an endowment as an account that has been established in which the principle is not spent, allowing all growth from investments to be spent to provide a source of income to fund the particular entity for which it was established.

Each year, a growing number of people take advantage of making a gift of long-term appreciated securities to their parish or another ministry in the Diocese. Their specific reasons may vary, but they all have in common a desire to return to God in gratitude for the gifts they have been given. They also realize the tax advantage of making a charitable contribution of an appreciated security versus selling the stock first and gifting the cash or simply making a cash gift.

Regular people just like you remember the Church in their estate planning, and you can too.

The Church has received many generous bequests from a number of estates over the years. Many Catholics have determined that they wish to provide for the Church through a gift from their estate. Yet many people just don't consider charitable giving when deciding how to make best use of their hard-earned earthly assets.

I recently had the opportunity to visit with Clara about opportunities available to her to make a gift tot he Church. Clara's husband died several years ago. She has been investing some savings that she accumulated in a Certificate of Deposit, and she has need of some income to meet daily living expenses.

I spent time talking with Clara about the Charitable Gift Annuity Program operated by the Catholic Diocese of Wichita.

A charitable gift annuity is truly a unique way to provide for your future and that of a loved one, where providing for the future of a ministry within the Diocese.