Fall 2023 | Legacy of Hope

Most families have a “catch-all” drawer. You know the drawer – it is the one that collects everything from coupons to clothes pins, to the gadget you received at Christmas three years ago. Everyone needs a “catch-all” drawer.

But sometimes catch-all drawers can inadvertently hide valuable items that can be easily forgotten, especially when the drawer is in the room where you keep your important papers and documents. That drawer might hold the savings bonds that you received when you graduated from high school decades ago, or a cherished note written by one of your parents, or a photo of a long-lost loved one. This drawer might also be the one that holds your estate plan and your life insurance policies.

In particular, paid-up life insurance policies can easily be forgotten. You might have taken out a policy to protect your family when the children were young, but they left the nest years ago and the protection the policy provided is no longer needed. One of our friends told us he still maintains a policy first taken out by his father in 1955. Whatever the case may be, these policies also offer the potential to make a substantial gift to support our Franciscan Missions. 

Did you know:

• If you own a paid-up policy, it is possible to donate the policy to us now and receive a tax-deduction in the process. Depending on the amount of protection the policy provided, the deduction could be quite significant. 
• If you own a policy for which you still pay premiums, you can still donate that policy to the Franciscan Missions by making us the owner and beneficiary of the policy. Generally speaking, you would receive a tax deduction for the cash value of the policy. It is also possible to keep the policy in force, with future premiums covered through a gift you would give to us for the premium amount. We, in turn, would use your gift to pay the premium and you would receive a tax deduction for the gift that covered the premium amount.
• The simplest way to use a life insurance policy as a gift to support our work on behalf of the poor is to make the Franciscan Missions the beneficiary of the policy, to benefit us when God calls you home. We could be a full, partial, or even a contingent beneficiary. 

In each of the options mentioned above, your life insurance company can help you execute the forms necessary to make such a gift. 

We would be happy to discuss the possibility of making a gift of life insurance to the Franciscan Missions with you. You can reach Linda Knight in our Planned Giving office at 262-534-5470; she is ready to help answer all your questions.

Greetings of joy and peace from Friar Ganji Sujith Reddy, OFM here in India. 

In 2015, I began my religious formation process and was fortunate to be sponsored by a generous donor of the General Secretariat of Franciscan Missions. I am happy to share that I was ordained a priest on April 26, 2023. 

Indeed, it was a great celebration with forty priests and a huge number of religious and faithful gathered to share my joy. 

The beginning of my seminary experience during my formation was truly a journey of hard times and joyful days to reach the altar of the Lord. I have had a strong desire to be a priest since childhood. This desire and interest drew me to become a Franciscan religious. The real inspiration is drawn through our founder St. Francis of Assisi and St. Clare as well. 

There were many times I struggled in the initial stage of my formation to settle and to learn English and the many subjects taught in the seminary. As time passed, my studies became easier and interesting. The latter stages of formation classes in philosophy and theology helped me to think and reflect on my future as a Franciscan. While my religious knowledge and views grew in strength, I was confident my decision to become a Franciscan priest was the right choice for me. 

While in my formation days, I was able to extend my hand as a missionary to help in communities. This allowed me to learn caring skills like gardening, agriculture, cooking and prepping meals for others, caring for elderly friars, providing spiritual guidance to people in need and so much more. 

Much of the work in my community life helped me realize my own weaknesses and mistakes and reaffirm my religious life. 

As a friar priest, I am very interested in engaging in pastoral work and especially in educating children. It is in my own passion and faith through the Franciscan priestly life that helps me to bring people closer to God. Whatever the difficulties, I will love and cherish my life as a priest. The grace of God and the inspiration of St. Francis of Assisi and St. Clare allow me to carry on any task given to me. I assure you of my prayers. I sincerely thank you, dear donors, for your support and helping hands during my formation to priesthood and now. May the Lord give you peace!

Thank you.

Yours faithfully in Christ

Father G. Sujith, OFM