Christ Our Hope Legacy Society

STEWARDSHIP PRAYER

O gracious God, who has generously blessed our lives with goodness and abundance, create in our hearts a deep feeling of gratitude for all that is in our lives spiritually and physically. Inspire us in thanksgiving, to share that abundance and guide us to continue the work of the church in caring for the essential needs of the poor and disenfranchised, promoting a respect for life at all stages, engendering Catholic education in our parochial schools and parish catechism classes, and building strong, supportive, and caring communities through our Vermont parishes. Let us follow in the footsteps of Jesus, sharing our treasures and putting our faith into action every day. Amen.

CREATING A LEGACY IN THE CATHOLIC TRADITION

While many of us think of a legacy as “a gift by will especially of money or other personal property”, it also has a much deeper meaning. We should think about what is important to us, our Christian values, and the legacy we will leave behind to support the work we are guided to do as Catholics – that is God’s work.

Recently, the Diocese of Burlington created the Christ Our Hope Legacy Society to recognize our parishioners and friends who have included the Catholic Church, its schools and ministries in their estate plans. A legacy gift offers future support of the mission of the Vermont Catholic Community Foundation which serves the apostolic activities of the Church in Vermont, provides opportunity for Catholic education, and make grants to nonprofit organizations throughout the Diocese of Burlington that reflect the compassion of Christ in service to the neediest in our community. 

If you have already established a planned gift to support the work of the church, or if you would like to learn more about your giving options, for a confidential conversation please contact Brittany Czekaj, Development and Planned Giving Officer, Vermont Catholic Community Foundation, by email at bczekaj@vermontcatholic.org or by phone at 802-658-6110, extension 1102.

WAYS TO MAKE A LEGACY GIFT

The Vermont Catholic Community Foundation offers a number of creative gift planning options for those wishing to maximize the efficiency of their charitable support of the ministries of the Catholic Church in Vermont.

Whether helping donors establish a simple bequest, life income gifts, charitable trusts to benefit heirs, or gifts of property, the staff of the Vermont Catholic Community Foundation is available to help parishioners to realize their charitable and financial goals.

Common ways to make a legacy gift: