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.
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 please complete click to complete the Christ Our Hope Legacy Society Intent form.
• Recently, Angelo Pizzagalli established a Charitable Remainder Unitrust with the Diocese of Burlington to benefit Rice Memorial High School in South Burlington. The full remainder of the trust will provide financial aid to students seeking a Catholic education who could not otherwise afford to attend Rice. Angelo’s commitment to Catholic education, particularly Rice Memorial High School, inspired him to make this generous gift now. He stated, “Parochial schools consistently deliver excellent results. Even in the face of the pandemic, parochial schools in Vermont rolled up their sleeves and calmly went about their mission of producing the nation’s most precious product: capable, caring, and engaged citizens of all stripes, well-prepared to achieve anything.”
• Brigette White, VCCF board member, decided to honor her parents with a legacy gift: “At first I thought this might not be the right time in my life to make a legacy gift given that I still have a child in high school. However, after giving this more thought, I realized that I could honor my parents and their faith, and their compassion for the most vulnerable, by designating the IRA I inherited from them to establish a fund in the foundation to feed the hungry.”
For a confidential conversation to learn more about your giving options, please contact Ellen Kane, Executive Director, Vermont Catholic Community Foundation, by email at [email protected] or by phone at 802-846-5837.
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: