At The Pontifical Mission Societies U.S., we are blessed by the legacy of Venerable Fulton Sheen, who served as Director for the Society for the Propagation of the Faith from 1950 to 1966. Sheen, our nation’s first televangelist, raised millions of dollars for the Holy Father’s missions, including a personal contribution of $10 million from his own earnings.
In The Greatest Commandment, Sheen offered profound wisdom on the nature of generosity: “True generosity never looks to reciprocity; it gives neither because it expects a gift in return, nor because there is a duty or obligation to give. Charity lies beyond obligation; its essence is the ‘adorable extra.’ Its reward is in the joy of giving.”
This quote beautifully reminds us that every act of Christian charity enriches both the giver and the receiver. Grace flows to both, creating a spiritual bond. We pass on more than just our material possessions; we pass on our values and our faith, thus shaping our legacy.
Did you know that leaving a gift to charity through your Will is a simple way to create your legacy that doesn’t cost you anything during your lifetime?
Here’s how you can do this:
➤ Specify a dollar amount;
➤ Designate a percentage of your estate or the remainder of your estate after you have ensured the well-being of your family.
A gift through your will can be expressed with the following language:
“I give and bequeath the sum of $______ (or ______ percentage of … or residual of my estate) to The Pontifical Mission Societies U.S. for the benefit of the Holy Father’s missions (unrestricted) or for ___________ program (restricted).”
Have you not had the opportunity to create your Will? The Pontifical Mission Societies offers you, free of charge, the opportunity to create in the privacy of your home a legally-binding Will.
August is Make-A-Will Month, a perfect time to consider what your Catholic legacy will be. It might be supporting missionaries who provide food, education, and medical care to the most vulnerable communities in the Pope’s missions. Or perhaps you want to support the formation of religious sisters and brothers or seminarians, some of whom may serve as pastor of your home parish here in the United States some day? And there can be no greater legacy than fostering a missionary vocation among children, forming the next generation of American Catholics so they may participate in the life the Church as missionary disciples.
Each of us has unique reasons for leaving a gift in our Will, but we are united by our wish to make a difference in the world we leave behind. For us as Catholics, creating this legacy can reflect what our faith means for generations to come.
To learn more about leaving a legacy to the missions through your Will, call us today at 212-563-8700.
