National Director's Message

Dear Friend in Christ,

Greetings to you as we move out of the cold into the joy of spring. Hopefully as the weather warms up we will make further progress against this coronavirus and soon be able to return to some normality.

You will no doubt be aware of the tragedy that occurred last month with the devastating explosion in Lebanon. Within days we launched an emergency appeal across Australia and New Zealand. Praise God we are receiving a strong response which is allowing us to be ready for both the physical and spiritual needs of the Lebanese people today and tomorrow. If you wish to make an offering for that appeal please visit www.aidtochurch.org/lebanon or call us on 1800 101 201.

What I would like to focus on here is the whole area of legacies (or bequests) and you will find a related brochure enclosed. We are honoured that each year a number of our benefactors leave a final gift in their will for the suffering Church. We know of some in advance and others we do not. In some cases we receive legacies from people who we never even knew in life, or others who made one or two small offerings. No matter where you are at in life or in the development of your last will and testament, please allow me to make one suggestion. Ensure that you include in your will the instruction to have Masses offered for the repose of your soul. I have encouraged a number of benefactors to leave at least $500 in their will for ACN with the explicit instruction that it be used to arrange a Gregorian series of thirty Masses for their eternal repose. Whether you leave more is up to your own discernment. Obviously, you and I hope our loved ones will arrange Masses for us, but one never knows, and at the moment of death nothing will matter more to us than prayers for our final purification. I know of one benefactor who has even arranged to have a trust set up after he passes away which will make annual disbursements, precisely for the arranging of Masses for his repose and that of his parents. I know it can all sound a bit strange when we are living life to the full, but none of us know the day or the hour. I regularly hear ads about pre-planning a funeral but I think it even more important to pre-plan Masses to be offered after the Lord calls us into eternity. As well as the enclosed legacy brochure, you will see that the donation form includes a tick box to request our full legacy pack and I really encourage you to tick that box and get the pack. There is no pressure to act one way or the other, but you can then take your time to read it and discern your own way forward.

I will leave my letter here and allow you to peruse the Mirror. As always, thank you for any offering you can make in support of the suffering Church. Large or small, every gift is received with prayerful thanks.

God bless you.

Bernard Toutounji. 

National Director - ACN Australia

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