Giving as remembrance

The Catholic instinct around death is not silence. It is offering. We offer the funeral Mass, we offer prayer, we offer flowers, we offer alms. An in memoriam gift is the alms-giving part of that pattern. It is a way to mark a life by directing money to the work the person loved, in their name, so that good continues to be done because they lived.

The Diocese of Shrewsbury, registered charity number 234025, accepts in memoriam gifts at any time, in any size, for any reason. Many come at the time of a funeral, in lieu of flowers. Others come on anniversaries of death, or on a birthday, or simply when a memory prompts it. Some come on behalf of someone still living, to mark a milestone or to give thanks for what they have meant.

At the time of a funeral

Many Catholic families ask, in place of funeral flowers, for donations to the diocese or to the parish where the funeral is being held. This is a long-standing pattern. It allows mourners to express their love in a way that lasts. The funeral director or the parish office can usually set up a collection point, either in person at the service or online. The diocese can supply small donation envelopes for use at the church door if helpful.

Where the deceased had a particular love for a fund or work of the diocese, that fund or work can be specified. Common choices are the Retired Priests' Fund, the Clergy Education and Training Fund, the cathedral, the parish where the funeral is held, or Caritas Shrewsbury. If the family is unsure, the diocese will apply the gift for general charitable purposes, where the need is greatest.

Offering Masses

An in memoriam gift is not the same as a Mass offering, but the two often go together. A Mass offering is a small donation made to a priest in exchange for the celebration of a Mass for a particular intention. The standard offering across England and Wales is £10 for a single Mass. This is paid directly to the priest as part of his support and is not a charitable donation in the Gift Aid sense. Many families combine a Mass offering for the deceased with a larger in memoriam gift to the diocese.

The parish office can arrange a Mass for the repose of the soul of your loved one on a chosen date, often an anniversary, a birthday, or a Mass on the day of their death.

Anniversaries

Many parishioners give on the anniversary of a parent, spouse, or child each year. Some set up a small standing order so the gift is made automatically on the date. Others mark the year with a single larger gift to a fund the person cared about. A common practice is to add a small note to the parish bulletin requesting prayers for the deceased on the anniversary, paired with the gift.

For someone still living

An in memoriam gift does not have to be made after a death. Many Catholics give in honour of a living relative or friend, perhaps to mark a significant birthday, an ordination anniversary, a golden wedding, or a recovery from illness. The diocese is glad to receive these and can send a small acknowledgment to the person being honoured, with their permission.

Supporting a parish project in someone's memory

Where a larger sum is given, families sometimes wish to support a specific project in their loved one's memory. Examples include:

• The repair or restoration of a particular item in a church, such as an organ, a window, or a Stations of the Cross
• A book of remembrance kept at the parish
• A named bursary for a seminarian or for a young pilgrim
• A contribution to a parish hall refurbishment, school chapel, or shrine

These conversations are best had with the parish priest in the first instance, with the diocese involved if the project is large enough to need diocesan approval.

Gift Aid on in memoriam giving

An in memoriam gift attracts Gift Aid in the same way as any other charitable donation, provided the giver is a UK taxpayer and completes a declaration. A £100 gift becomes £125 in the diocese's hands at no cost to the giver. For collections at funerals, parishes can supply Gift Aid envelopes that allow each individual mourner to declare their own gift.

How to make an in memoriam gift

The simplest ways are these:

• Online: through the diocesan online giving partner MyDona, accessed from the Support Our Work page on the diocesan website. There is a space to record the name of the person being remembered.
• By cheque: payable to "Diocese of Shrewsbury", posted to Planned Giving and Gift Aid Service, Diocese of Shrewsbury, Curial Offices, 2 Park Road South, Prenton, Wirral CH43 4UX. Include a short note with the name of the person remembered and any specific fund.
• Through the parish: most parishes can take an envelope at any time and forward it to the diocese on your behalf, or apply it within the parish.

A pastoral note

The diocese receives every in memoriam gift with care. Where the family wishes, the diocese can write to confirm the gift, name the fund or work it has supported, and assure prayers for the soul of the one remembered. To arrange this, contact Carol Lawrence, the Financial Secretary, at carol.lawrence@dioceseofshrewsbury.org or 0151 652 9855. Please include the name of the person you are remembering and any particular intention you wish recorded.