November 20, 2009
A window to her soul, a legacy for the parish
A stained glass window at the Old Cathedral depicts an event in the life of Jesus, as a boy who stayed to talk with elders at the Temple. Click for a larger version.
By LINDA COX (Catholic Foundation of Southwest Indiana, Inc.)
Florence Walter had been a member of St. Francis Xavier Parish in Vincennes throughout her entire life. A devoted Catholic, she attended St. Rose Academy in Vincennes, an all-girls school run by the Sisters of Providence. As a single Catholic woman, Florence was aware that the real fulfillment of faith comes from giving.
Although she contributed many gifts to the parish during her lifetime, it was a gift that she made later in life that has created a legacy for her parish. Ms. Walter worked for an insurance company and had, like many of us, a life insurance policy of her own. She decided to name St. Francis Xavier as the beneficiary of this policy. At the time of her death, the proceeds were given to St. Francis Xavier. Her gift was the initial gift that inspired Father John Schipp and the Parish Council to start a permanent endowment for the parish, the St. Francis Xavier Endowment.
The endowment was created in 1998 for the general needs of the parish as well as maintaining the Old Cathedral and its buildings. Each year a distribution has been made available to the parish and, to date, nearly $3,000 has been distributed to the oldest parish in Indiana.
“People are like stained-glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in, their true beauty is revealed only if there is light from within.”
— Elisabeth Kubler-Ross
The annual distributions received from this endowment have been used toward the Stained Glass Window Fund. Ms. Walter no doubt had admired the beautiful stained glass windows that were added to the church in 1908. Her gift has allowed so many to continue to enjoy the beauty through these windows. Certainly, she may never have dreamed that her gift would benefit the par-ish year after year and in such a beautiful way.
Many times life insurance policies that were purchased to provide for children, to sustain an income or help with retirement are no longer needed. A gift of a life insurance policy can be a way to make a gift to your parish without reducing your savings that you may need for future expenses. By naming your parish as the owner of a policy, you may be entitled to an income tax deduction based on the value of the policy or the premiums paid. Parishioners may make their church the beneficiary of the policy as Ms. Walter did and create a permanent legacy for her parish.
For more information on how you can make a charitable donation with a gift of an insurance policy or an IRA policy, please contact your parish or the Catholic Foundation at 423-5536 or by email at lcox@evdio.org. Endow-ments may be established in your name or your family’s name for a minimum gift of $5,000 and any endowment may be added to at any time and in any amount.