Lourdes Legacy
Legacy has many different meanings. One definition reads “anything handed down from the past, as from an ancestor or predecessor”.
As parishioners, we have the privilege of enjoying the gifts of those who have gone before us – helping to build a single, united parish family from what once was two. Our responsibility is to pass on our legacy to those who follow.
As we look forward, we are faced with needs of future generations. What we may not realize is that we – many of us – are also blessed with the ability to create planned giving windfalls that are very significant. Event those of humble means can create a Legacy here at Lourdes that can provide benefits for generations to come – youth ministries and programs. Catholic educations, young adult and adult educations and capital improvements to name a few. How many of us would create such a gift plan if we could do so at no cost whatsoever?
When the parish Finance Council, with consultation from parishioners Tom Olejniczak and Dan Bellerud, first explored the Lourdes Legacy concept, we did so with a new perspective – a new outlook. It seemed that our parishioners were all too frequently asked to give of their resources – each time asked to do so for current needs, and requiring current commitments. The Lourdes Legacy should have a different philosophy – it should be focused on long-term need here in our parish. We we created the planned giving initiative, we identified the three fundamentals of the Lourdes Legacy program.
- Grass Roots – The program, borne here in our parish, is established to generate a self-sustaining planned giving program that must be administered rights here by our own Parish Finance Committee.
- Home Grown – The opportunity to create a Legacy program was developed within the ranks of our parish membership, and so it shall remain. Our program will not retain outside fund-raising organizations, but instead shall capitalize on the special talents we have among us here at Lourdes.
- “Found” Money – time and again, we are called upon to give of our resources to support various mission, diocesan or special appeals. The purpose of the Lourdes Legacy program has been designed specially to avoid asking our parishioners to make further sacrifice. Instead, the program utilizes unique planned giving strategies designed specially to cause the benefactors no out-of- pocket costs (and, in some cases, create valuable tax incentives to those who are giving!)
Simply put, the Lourdes Legacy program is a planned initiative, created right here within our parish for the benefit of our own parish, by individuals with the professional expertise and energy to execute such a program.
Future editions of the Our Lady of Lourdes weekly bulletin will contain examples of how planned giving opportunities have made remarkable impact upon parishes and parishioners just like ours. Or, for more information, please contact Kathy Kocken at 920-336-4033.