Prince of Peace Legacy Giving Program

The Legacy Giving Program is established to provide educational opportunities and assistance to individuals who desire to develop an estate plan,  and to facilitate opportunities to generously contribute planned gifts for future use; and to benefit the financial security of the parish in perpetuity.


Get Your Affairs in Order Planning Seminars – scheduled periodically – all are invited!


Make a lasting impression!  This year is an ideal opportunity to take stock of what is most important to you and to consider the kind of legacy you wish to leave on this earth.  If you have not done so, now is an ideal time to consider developing an estate plan to protect your assets and those you love.  Whether or not you have decided to participate in Legacy Giving, you should consider attending a “Get Your Affairs in Order” Planning Seminar, conducted here at Prince of Peace Catholic Church by a financial expert from the Diocese of Richmond.  Do you have a will? If so, is it up to date? Learn how to protect the assets that make up your estate, and ways to protect your loved ones, including use of Wills, Trusts, Advance Medical Directives, Estate Planning, Tax Treatment etc.

Parishioners will have the opportunity to learn more about these important topics:

  • Estate Planning
  • Catholic principles for Advanced Medical Directives
  • Catholic Principles for Funeral Planning
  • Legal Considerations for Wills, Trusts, and Beneficiary Designations
  • How to use the FreeWill program to easily create a legal Will

Prince of Peace Catholic Church Offers FreeWill: Do you need a Will, or to update your Will?  Wills have legal requirements and can be expensive to create.  To assist with those requirements, Prince of Peace Catholic Church works through FreeWill, a public benefit corporation.  FreeWill’s self-help solutions for common estate planning allow you to create a legal Will and other important estate-planning documents, completely free of charge, no credit card required.  Learn more here.


Prince of Peace Catholic Church Legacy Endowment

Our goal is to establish a $1,000,000 endowment for the financial security of the parish, and Legacy Giving is important to that effort. When donations result in $10,000 on hand, the funds will be entrusted to the Catholic Community Foundation to manage the endowment for growth of principal. This fund will be used solely to support the mission and operations of Prince of Peace Catholic Church.

Donors may make contributions to the Prince of Peace Catholic Church Endowment Fund throughout the year, in any amount.  Each donation should indicate in memo form “For Prince of Peace Catholic Church Endowment Fund” (if not so identified, the gift will be placed in the parish operating fund). Donors may consider contributing in another’s honor: as a memorial, to commemorate an anniversary, birthday, or retirement, to acknowledge gratitude, or perhaps as simply a gift to honor a “person who has everything”.  Each such contribution will be gratefully acknowledged by notice to the individual or group so honored, and by a thank-you letter to the donor including a copy of the acknowledgment notice to the honoree. The amount of the contribution will not be identified to the honoree unless desired by the donor.

Legacy Endowment Fund Benefits

  • Creates an ongoing source of income.
  • Offers donors peace of mind knowing that their assets will be available to meet unforeseen expenses.
  • Relieves pressure on weekly and annual offertory funding.
  • Allows program expansions and capital improvements.
  • Offers flexibility for parish leadership to meet new challenges.
  • Builds a strong stable future for our parish as legacy gifts come to fruition.

 Types of Legacy Gifts


Gift from a Will or Living Trust

A gift from a will or living trust are two of the most common ways to create a legacy gift for the benefit of our parish.  A bequest may include cash, specific property, or a share of the estate.

Gifts of Stock and Appreciated Assets

Donating stocks, bonds, or mutual funds directly to Prince of Peace Catholic Church can significantly increase your tax deduction and the amount of income our parish receives.

Gifts from your Retirement Plan

Gifts of retirement assets are another simple way to leave a gift by naming Prince of Peace Catholic Church as beneficiary of a percentage or the full amount of your Individual Retirement Account, 401k or other qualified retirement plan.

Gifts of Life Insurance

There are many ways in which life insurance policies can be used to make a contribution, all of which provide tax deductions and the opportunity to make a more substantial gift than otherwise possible.  It is easy to name Prince of Peace Catholic Church as the beneficiary of a policy or transfer ownership of a paid-up policy to our parish.

Gifts of Real Estate

Prince of Peace Catholic Church may be named as beneficiary or co-beneficiary to almost any type of personal property or real estate.

Contributors to the Prince of Peace Catholic Church Legacy Giving Program will become members of the Lumen Christi Legacy Society. Through this program, we can each leave a legacy that will help our parish and parishioners keep our faith journey and parish ministries thriving in the future.

Note: Prince of Peace Catholic Church does not provide legal or financial advice to current or prospective donors.  Always consult your attorney and/or financial advisor before making any important decisions that may impact your estate.

 For more details about Legacy Gifts, view and download the Guide to Legacy Giving Brochure.


Lumen Christi Legacy Society

Lumen Christi means “Light of Christ” which is the light in all things, which gives life to all things. This power is an influence for good in the lives of all people, and members of the Lumen Christi Legacy Society share in this purpose.

Contributors to the Prince of Peace Legacy Giving Program, whether gift designation is by Will with an Intention Form filed with the parish office (the form can be printed and filled out by hand or edited on PC before printing), or by use of the FreeWill process, will become members of the Lumen Christi Legacy Society. Through this program, we can each leave a legacy that will help our parish and parishioners keep our faith journey and parish ministries thriving in the future. The amount of your legacy gift is never publicly disclosed, it is a commitment known only to you, your family and the parish administration.

Members of the Lumen Christi Legacy Society are led by their faith and values to preserve our Catholic heritage and ensure everlasting giving for the future. To express gratitude for this final act of faith and demonstration of love for God and others, its members will receive the following special recognitions:

· A commemorative pin to wear to Mass

· Invitation to The Lumen Christi Legacy Society Annual Mass and Luncheon with the Bishop

· Invitations to the Chrism Mass, Diaconate Ordination Mass, and Priest Ordination Mass

· Access to the Director of Planned Giving for personalized legacy planning consultations

If you have already included our parish in your Will, we would invite you to become our newest Lumen Christi Legacy Society member by completing the Intention Form and filing it with the parish office (the form can be printed and filled out by hand or edited on PC before printing); please call the parish office at (757) 547-0356 or email: [email protected] to be included. We thank you for your support.

Lumen Christi Recognition

Prince of Peace Catholic Church is extremely grateful and wishes to recognize everyone who has joined the Lumen Christi Legacy Society Chapter.  For those who may choose to remain anonymous, we recognize you in our prayers of thanksgiving.  Thank you for your contribution (gift).  We celebrate your generosity and commitment to Prince of Peace Catholic Church.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

To learn more about leaving a legacy gift to Prince of Peace Catholic Church, please contact Nick Vacca at the parish office at (757) 547-0356.  Thank you for considering a legacy gift and for your generosity to Prince of Peace Catholic Church.

Prince of Peace Catholic Church Legacy Giving Committee Members

Al DeGuzman  |  Judy Florance  |  Keith Koon

Tom Lynch   |  Nick Vacca