By Friar Paul Schloemer OFM Conv.
Vocations Director in Silver Springs, MD
Pope Francis quotes St. Anthony in his exhortation to us to “see the Lord!” And certainly, recognizing Christ in the other, especially the stranger, is a cornerstone of what it means to be Christian. But there is a difference in simply physically seeing Christ, and seeing Christ as the young Augustinian canon Anthony did. On the road to Calvary, countless people saw Jesus with their eyes, but only a few truly saw Jesus, walked with Him to the Cross. The young St. Anthony saw those other young friars ready to give themselves to witness to the Cross, and he didn’t just wish them well, he followed!
I think this is how we are also called today to see Christ in this world torn by war, pandemic, economic and ecological disaster, and the long-standing racism that often results in anger and violence. As Peter stepping out into the storm, we Franciscans are called to enter into that pain. We don’t just see Christ in George Floyd and Breonna Taylor and all the others, we follow them all the way to the Cross. This is difficult and often doesn’t end up where we think it will. Anthony was headed to Morocco and ended up in Sicily. But the point is, he saw Christ, got up and followed!
So now what? In my own little, insignificant way, I’ve tried to lend my voice to those crying for justice in our country. I’ve attended a bunch of marches and a few webinars and got the t-shirt for “Black Lives Matter.” And now we’re in that strange place where the street protests are dying down (until the next senseless death,) and we’re trying to make real change. How should just community protection and crime prevention look? What is the role of the police? How do we move those in positions of power, to relinquish that power to permit those who have been oppressed to have their fair shot?
It’s easy to now just downshift to my usual lethargy. The students will be returning; we’ve got some renovations going on; I’ve got homilies, presentations, and these little articles to write. But Christ is still out there, getting shot, losing His job, fleeing persecution and violence, being forced aside by politicians who won’t need Him after the election. I wonder if I will still really see Him?
Thank you for considering a planned gift to the Conventual Franciscan Friars of the Province of Our Lady of Consolation.
We all worry about what will happen to our family and friends when we pass on to eternal life. We want to ensure our loved ones are cared for here on earth after we are gone. However, many people find thinking about estate plans to be an unpleasant or daunting endeavor. We hope the information we have available will ease the process and be a source of comfort to both you and your loved ones by allowing you to make certain your legacy will continue.
When you meet with an attorney who will assist in planning for the rest of your life and your estate, be sure to discuss frankly with your attorney important issues, such as your current situation, financial matters, family dynamics, charitable planning and health care. This will allow the attorney to craft an estate plan that most accurately satisfies your needs and those of your family.
There are different kinds of bequests. For each, you must use very specific language to indicate the precise direction of your assets, and to successfully carry out your final wishes. Here are samples of how to indicate a general or undesignated gift to the friars.
| Legal Entity for the friars | Province of Our Lady of Consolation, Inc |
| General Bequest | I hereby give, devise and bequeath to: Province of Our Lady of Consolation, Inc. the following ______ |
| Bequest language for specific amount: | I hereby give, devise and bequeath the sum of ________ dollars ($_________) to Province of Our Lady of Consolation, Inc. |
| Bequest language for specific property: | I hereby give, devise and bequeath [100 shares of XYZ Corp. stock / my guitar collection / the real estate legally described as follows] to: Province of Our Lady of Consolation, Inc. |
| Contingent bequest language: | If my spouse does not survive me, then I hereby give, devise and bequeath to: Province of Our Lady of Consolation, Inc. [the sum of ________ dollars ($_________) / 100 shares of XYZ Corp. stock / my guitar collection]. |
| Residuary bequest language: | I hereby give, devise and bequeath [all -or- ___ percent (___%)] of the residue of my estate to Province of Our Lady of Consolation, Inc. |
If you have included a bequest for the Friars in your estate plans, please call us at (812) 923-5250 or use this confidential form to let us know. We would like to thank you for your planned gift and invite you into the San Damiano Legacy Society.
Sharing your plans to include the friars in your estate plans allows for the friars to maximize the impact of your gift and honor your benefaction during your lifetime. Throughout your lifetime, you can change this gift arrangement if your needs change.Your loving gifts help us to form a community of fraternal love and equality by supporting and calling one another to on-going conversation in our vowed life. Prayer and Contemplation strengthen us on our journey of faith.
Our ministries arise from the needs of God’s people in an ever-changing world. As servants and heralds of the Kingdom, we strive to respond compassionately to those needs through a prayerful discernment of our gifts and resources as individuals and as community.
Gifts of any size are deeply appreciated and will be stewarded according to your wishes. In many cases, legacy gifts allow you to make larger and more impactful gifts than would have otherwise been possible
Contact Us to learn more about creating your legacy.
Working with Father John and Becki to find a donor story regarding including the friars in their estate plans and why it means so much to them.
As soon as a gift is received and matched to a donor, the Mission Advancement Office sends an acknowledgment letter stating the nature of the gift, the gift valuation date, and the gift valuation amount and a clarification statement indicating no goods or services were exchanged for the gift.
The Province of Our Lady of Consolation, is a tax exempt 501(c) organization (EIN # 35-6019627) and Its members and employees do not provide tax, legal, or financial advice. Any document or information shared by our staff is intended to be educational. We strongly encourage donors to seek counsel with tax expertise from their own legal and financial advisors.
Thank you for considering a planned gift to the Conventual Franciscan Friars of the Province of Our Lady of Consolation.
We all worry about what will happen to our family and friends when we pass on to eternal life. We want to ensure our loved ones are cared for here on earth after we are gone. However, many people find thinking about estate plans to be an unpleasant or daunting endeavor. We hope the information we have available will ease the process and be a source of comfort to both you and your loved ones by allowing you to make certain your legacy will continue.
When you meet with an attorney who will assist in planning for the rest of your life and your estate, be sure to discuss frankly with your attorney important issues, such as your current situation, financial matters, family dynamics, charitable planning and health care. This will allow the attorney to craft an estate plan that most accurately satisfies your needs and those of your family.
There are different kinds of bequests. For each, you must use very specific language to indicate the precise direction of your assets, and to successfully carry out your final wishes. Here are samples of how to indicate a general or undesignated gift to the friars.
| Legal Entity for the friars | Province of Our Lady of Consolation, Inc |
| General Bequest | I hereby give, devise and bequeath to: Province of Our Lady of Consolation, Inc. the following ______ |
| Bequest language for specific amount: | I hereby give, devise and bequeath the sum of ________ dollars ($_________) to Province of Our Lady of Consolation, Inc. |
| Bequest language for specific property: | I hereby give, devise and bequeath [100 shares of XYZ Corp. stock / my guitar collection / the real estate legally described as follows] to: Province of Our Lady of Consolation, Inc. |
| Contingent bequest language: | If my spouse does not survive me, then I hereby give, devise and bequeath to: Province of Our Lady of Consolation, Inc. [the sum of ________ dollars ($_________) / 100 shares of XYZ Corp. stock / my guitar collection]. |
| Residuary bequest language: | I hereby give, devise and bequeath [all -or- ___ percent (___%)] of the residue of my estate to Province of Our Lady of Consolation, Inc. |
If you have included a bequest for the Friars in your estate plans, please call us at (812) 923-5250 or use this confidential form to let us know. We would like to thank you for your planned gift and invite you into the San Damiano Legacy Society.
Sharing your plans to include the friars in your estate plans allows for the friars to maximize the impact of your gift and honor your benefaction during your lifetime. Throughout your lifetime, you can change this gift arrangement if your needs change.Your loving gifts help us to form a community of fraternal love and equality by supporting and calling one another to on-going conversation in our vowed life. Prayer and Contemplation strengthen us on our journey of faith.
Our ministries arise from the needs of God’s people in an ever-changing world. As servants and heralds of the Kingdom, we strive to respond compassionately to those needs through a prayerful discernment of our gifts and resources as individuals and as community.
Gifts of any size are deeply appreciated and will be stewarded according to your wishes. In many cases, legacy gifts allow you to make larger and more impactful gifts than would have otherwise been possible
Contact Us to learn more about creating your legacy.
Working with Father John and Becki to find a donor story regarding including the friars in their estate plans and why it means so much to them.
As soon as a gift is received and matched to a donor, the Mission Advancement Office sends an acknowledgment letter stating the nature of the gift, the gift valuation date, and the gift valuation amount and a clarification statement indicating no goods or services were exchanged for the gift.
The Province of Our Lady of Consolation, is a tax exempt 501(c) organization (EIN # 35-6019627) and Its members and employees do not provide tax, legal, or financial advice. Any document or information shared by our staff is intended to be educational. We strongly encourage donors to seek counsel with tax expertise from their own legal and financial advisors.
Thank you for considering a planned gift to the Conventual Franciscan Friars of the Province of Our Lady of Consolation.
We all worry about what will happen to our family and friends when we pass on to eternal life. We want to ensure our loved ones are cared for here on earth after we are gone. However, many people find thinking about estate plans to be an unpleasant or daunting endeavor. We hope the information we have available will ease the process and be a source of comfort to both you and your loved ones by allowing you to make certain your legacy will continue.
When you meet with an attorney who will assist in planning for the rest of your life and your estate, be sure to discuss frankly with your attorney important issues, such as your current situation, financial matters, family dynamics, charitable planning and health care. This will allow the attorney to craft an estate plan that most accurately satisfies your needs and those of your family.
There are different kinds of bequests. For each, you must use very specific language to indicate the precise direction of your assets, and to successfully carry out your final wishes. Here are samples of how to indicate a general or undesignated gift to the friars.
| Legal Entity for the friars | Province of Our Lady of Consolation, Inc |
| General Bequest | I hereby give, devise and bequeath to: Province of Our Lady of Consolation, Inc. the following ______ |
| Bequest language for specific amount: | I hereby give, devise and bequeath the sum of ________ dollars ($_________) to Province of Our Lady of Consolation, Inc. |
| Bequest language for specific property: | I hereby give, devise and bequeath [100 shares of XYZ Corp. stock / my guitar collection / the real estate legally described as follows] to: Province of Our Lady of Consolation, Inc. |
| Contingent bequest language: | If my spouse does not survive me, then I hereby give, devise and bequeath to: Province of Our Lady of Consolation, Inc. [the sum of ________ dollars ($_________) / 100 shares of XYZ Corp. stock / my guitar collection]. |
| Residuary bequest language: | I hereby give, devise and bequeath [all -or- ___ percent (___%)] of the residue of my estate to Province of Our Lady of Consolation, Inc. |
If you have included a bequest for the Friars in your estate plans, please call us at (812) 923-5250 or use this confidential form to let us know. We would like to thank you for your planned gift and invite you into the San Damiano Legacy Society.
Sharing your plans to include the friars in your estate plans allows for the friars to maximize the impact of your gift and honor your benefaction during your lifetime. Throughout your lifetime, you can change this gift arrangement if your needs change.Your loving gifts help us to form a community of fraternal love and equality by supporting and calling one another to on-going conversation in our vowed life. Prayer and Contemplation strengthen us on our journey of faith.
Our ministries arise from the needs of God’s people in an ever-changing world. As servants and heralds of the Kingdom, we strive to respond compassionately to those needs through a prayerful discernment of our gifts and resources as individuals and as community.
Gifts of any size are deeply appreciated and will be stewarded according to your wishes. In many cases, legacy gifts allow you to make larger and more impactful gifts than would have otherwise been possible
Contact Us to learn more about creating your legacy.
Working with Father John and Becki to find a donor story regarding including the friars in their estate plans and why it means so much to them.
As soon as a gift is received and matched to a donor, the Mission Advancement Office sends an acknowledgment letter stating the nature of the gift, the gift valuation date, and the gift valuation amount and a clarification statement indicating no goods or services were exchanged for the gift.
The Province of Our Lady of Consolation, is a tax exempt 501(c) organization (EIN # 35-6019627) and Its members and employees do not provide tax, legal, or financial advice. Any document or information shared by our staff is intended to be educational. We strongly encourage donors to seek counsel with tax expertise from their own legal and financial advisors.
English 
Spanish