This is National Estate Planning Awareness Week (October 19-25)
As part of our care for your family, we encourage you to have planning in place for the end of your earthly life. As shown below, there is guidance to make your decisions within Catholic teaching.
Losing a loved one from this life can be one of the hardest things we experience, and when there is no planning in place, it makes things more difficult for everyone, and your wishes may go unknown and unfulfilled. Please take some time to think about and plan to be sure your family is ready. And please, let us know how we can support your family with arrangements and when you are grieving.
To get your plan in place:
As part of our care for your family, we encourage you to have planning in place for the end of your earthly life. As shown below, there is guidance to make your decisions within Catholic teaching.
Losing a loved one from this life can be one of the hardest things we experience, and when there is no planning in place, it makes things more difficult for everyone, and your wishes may go unknown and unfulfilled. Please take some time to think about and plan to be sure your family is ready. And please, let us know how we can support your family with arrangements and when you are grieving.
To get your plan in place:
- Prepare your will to plan for the management and distribution of your assets.
- Have a Declaration of Guardian to name a trusted guardian for any dependent children.
- Name someone under a Durable Financial Power of Attorney to make decisions.
- Create a Directive to Physicians, also known as an Advance Healthcare Directive, to make decisions for your future if you are ever unable to. Also create a Medical Power of Attorney and HIPAA Authorization. This is becoming more crucial.
- Have an Appointment of Agent for Disposition who understands that you require a Catholic funeral Mass with their bodies or the entirety of their cremains buried or interred at a cemetery. Your agent is a person who will sign off on your cremation or burial wishes. Be sure to have a document in place letting your loved ones know your wishes for a funeral and memorial.
Why would you add
Saint Paul the Apostle
to your Will?
Many individuals and families have made Saint Paul the Apostle Church and School their spiritual home for much or all of their lives. Giving the gift of this parish to future individuals and families is an amazing way to create your legacy of faith. Please consider including Saint Paul the Apostle in your estate plans.
Our campus has served Richardson for more than 70 years, and as our parish family continues to grow, a legacy gift can help us care for our buildings, sustain our ministries, and serve generations of the faithful to come. Aging facilities and a growing population present ongoing challenges as we work to serve our community well, so your legacy gifts are becoming more important.
A gift from your estate is also a wise way to give. It allows you to support your parish alongside the family, charities, and causes you hold dear, and it may reduce or even eliminate certain tax obligations. You can name Saint Paul the Apostle as a beneficiary in your will, living trust, retirement account, or other planning vehicle. This is a wonderful way to show your loved ones the importance of giving.
If you have already included Saint Paul the Apostle in your estate plans, we would be grateful to know so that we can thank you. If you have something in place or would like to learn more, please contact our Business Manager, Michael Mooney, at 972.235.6105. Thank you for putting your faith into action through such a generous and lasting gift.
Our campus has served Richardson for more than 70 years, and as our parish family continues to grow, a legacy gift can help us care for our buildings, sustain our ministries, and serve generations of the faithful to come. Aging facilities and a growing population present ongoing challenges as we work to serve our community well, so your legacy gifts are becoming more important.
A gift from your estate is also a wise way to give. It allows you to support your parish alongside the family, charities, and causes you hold dear, and it may reduce or even eliminate certain tax obligations. You can name Saint Paul the Apostle as a beneficiary in your will, living trust, retirement account, or other planning vehicle. This is a wonderful way to show your loved ones the importance of giving.
If you have already included Saint Paul the Apostle in your estate plans, we would be grateful to know so that we can thank you. If you have something in place or would like to learn more, please contact our Business Manager, Michael Mooney, at 972.235.6105. Thank you for putting your faith into action through such a generous and lasting gift.
If you want more, review the USCCB Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services Sixth Edition PDF to help you outline future wishes in alignment with your values. See Part Five: “Issues in Care for the Seriously Ill and Dying”:
- Directive 55: calls for appropriate information, opportunities to discuss a patient’s condition and morally legitimate choices, spiritual support, and access to the sacraments.
- Directive 59: says a competent adult patient’s free and informed judgment about using or withdrawing life-sustaining procedures should normally be respected, unless contrary to Catholic moral teaching.
- Directive 61: addresses pain relief, preserving consciousness when possible, and the distinction between easing pain and intending to hasten death.
You can also contact The Catholic Foundation to establish your giving plan that can include Saint Paul the Apostle and more. Here are several links that may be helpful.
- Links to the seminars provided to people of the Catholic Diocese of Dallas in recent years. Circle-of-Life Seminars - The Catholic Foundation
- Link to a video on making a will and other items: Planned Giving - The Catholic Foundation
- Links to the various funds people may utilize: Types of Funds - The Catholic Foundation
Or, some checklists and funeral and estate information forms available on Parishioner Mike Koenecke’s website at https://koeneckelaw.com/clients. (Note, the software keeps shortening the url.... it is 'clients' with an 's' at the end.)