2017- Fall Response

From the office of
Mission Advancement
Patricia Butler, SNDdeN
Mission Advancement Director
FAQ
uestions
FALL/WINTER 2017 PAGE 3
Estate
Planning
Jane E. Sullivan, Esq.
As I reflect on how I want to communicate with you in
this issue of Response, a line from the Collegial Assembly
Prayer inspires me. May we be faithful to our share in Your
mission of unity, and through the transforming power of
Your Spirit, collaborate for the wellbeing of all, through
prayer and ministry. The Holy Union Sisters continue to
focus on what will bring peace and healing to our world,
a world so much in need of these gifts. It is our hope that
you see your generosity not only as a contribution to support
Holy Union, but also through the Holy Union Sisters
and Associates, a concrete way to effect positive change
toward unity and peace in our world.
A few years ago a good friend and colleague shared with
me her vision for the future of society in general and in
religious orders in particular. She was convinced that the
age of individualism or individuals working in isolation
would be replaced by community efforts and collaborative
styles of working together to bring peace and healing
to our world. This way of being is inherent in the vision
of the Holy Union Sisters. I often return to the word of
God in the prophet Habakkuk on the subject of visions.
Habakkuk’s conversation with God revolves around the
complaints of the people of that time. In a sense we have
our own type of complaints in the form of war, violence
and natural disasters, to name a few. God says to
Habakkuk, Write the vision down and make it plain. The
vision is for an appointed time and it will not lie. Though
it tarries, wait for it, because it will surely come.
A vision must be enfleshed to be effective in responding
to the complaints/needs of our world and our universe.
In the following pages you will read about Holy Union
women who give shape to the vision: the Congregational
leaders, newly elected, the young women in Cameroon
and Tanzania who profess their final vows, Holy Union
Jubilarians who celebrate many years of service and sisters
who minister at the margins of society.
The continued assistance of our donors is an assurance
that the vision will not tarry and will surely come. In this
way yours is a direct collaboration with Holy Union and
with our faithful God.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Q. Should I include a Trust in my estate plan?
A. A Living Revocable Trust is a commonly used estate
planning vehicle for avoiding probate, minimizing the
costs involved in administering an estate and keeping
the provisions of the estate plan private. The probate
of a Will, which is the process of having the Will allowed
by the Probate Court and the appointment of the Personal
Representative of your Will and Estate (formerly
known as the Executor) approved, takes time and
money. The Successor Trustee of your Living Revocable
Trust assumes ongoing administration of your Trust immediately
upon your death and commences the process
of paying your bills and distributing your assets, which
could include a distribution to the Holy Union Sisters.
Q. What is the most efficient way for me to include
the Holy Union Sisters in my estate plan?
A. There are a variety of ways to do so, including a
bequest in your Will or a distribution in your Trust. Because
of the time that it takes to probate a Will or administer
a Trust however, there will be a delay in the
Sisters receiving the money. A preferable approach
could be to name the Holy Union Sisters directly as the
beneficiary of a retirement account, life insurance policy
or annuity. That way, the Sisters deal directly with the
financial institution, and the money is paid directly to
the Sisters. There is also an income tax advantage to
leaving a tax deferred retirement account to the Sisters,
as no income taxes will be withheld or paid.
Attorney Sullivan can be reached at 508-679-0535
or www.janesullivanlaw.com.
This information is solely advisory and does not constitute legal
advice. A qualified estate planning attorney should be consulted
before you make any Estate or Medicaid Planning decision.