How to put your parish in your will

After providing for your families and loved ones, parishion- ers may want to include the Parish in your wills, thus helping to assure the long-term future of the Parish and the work that must continue in generations to come. Bequests are free of estate tax and can substan- tially reduce the amount of your assets claimed by the government. You can give needed support to either of our Parishes by simply including the following words in your will: "I give, devise and bequeath to Church of the Annunciation Parish Charitable Trust in Ludlow, Vermont... or... Holy Name of Mary Parish Charitable Trust in Proctorsville, Vermont (insert amount being given here) to be used to support the ministry of the Parish".

A bequest can be a specific amount, a specific piece of property, a percentage of an estate, or all or part of the residue of an estate. You can also name the Parish as a contingency beneficiary in the event someone named in your will is no longer living. It is recommended that a lawyer help in drafting or amending a will.