Parish Stories – St. Francis of Assisi, Seffner

St. Francis of Assisi Parish is a Christ-centered community. The parish strives to be a warm, friendly and caring faith family, where the gifts and talents of all, young and old, are recognized and graciously used to nurture others, and to worship together in a vibrant and spirit-filled liturgy. Through their mission, they go forth healed, affirmed and refreshed to meet the challenge of life in their spiritual growth.

Recently, Rev. Edison Bernavas, Pastor, created a Bequest Fund with the Catholic Foundation after receiving an estate gift from a parishioner. Father Edison was inspired by the desire to have an additional source of income the parish could pull from in the future. The community members have been very generous even during these difficult times, so the funds were not urgently needed. Recognizing that there will always be future needs and knowing there is not always room in the budget for those needs, he felt the Bequest Fund was the right investment in their future.

As a further investment in the fund, Father has committed to holding future planned giving seminars at the parish to educate his community members about estate planning. It is Father’s hope that these efforts will help his parishioners understand their options, and how they can support their parish with their best last gift.

The bequest fund is a great way to plan for your parish’s future by thoughtfully investing estate gifts. We thank Rev. Edison Bernavas for entrusting us with this very special gift, and the ability for us to serve the parish of St. Francis of Assisi Church in St. Petersburg.

For more information on how you can establish a bequest fund for your parish, please contact the Catholic Foundation by completing the Legacy Form.

“It is important to me that we have another source of income for the future. The Bequest Fund is a great way to invest estate gifts, grow the funds, and be ready when the need does arise.”

Father Edison, Pastor – St. Francis of Assisi Parish