Sarah (not her real name) had been a member of the Association for some years, and she corresponded with us regularly.  A widow of modest means, she had a special love of our Lady and her Association.  She revealed this love in an exceptional way by remembering Mary’s Association in her will.

Sarah never told us she had remembered our Lady’s Association in her will, and because of this, the surprise check from her attorney was bittersweet.  For you see, if I’d known Sarah had made a bequest to our Lady’s Association, I could have thanked her personally, instead of thanking her attorney after her estate had been settled.

Sarah’s gift made me think about what I could do to encourage others who share her deep love of Mary to let me know when they remember our Lady’s Association in their will or trust.  I wanted a way to recognize their generosity and thank them properly.  And ultimately, Mary’s Legacy Society grew out of Sarah’s surprise gift to our Lady’s Association.

A legacy is something of value handed down from one person to another.  Sarah’s love of Mary may have been a legacy handed down to her by her own mother, or perhaps her grandmother.  Your own love of Mary may be a legacy from one of your own family members, a valuable gift passed on from one generation to another.  And you create a different type of legacy when you write your will or set up a trust to leave gifts from your estate to your children, relatives, and organizations like our Lady’s Association.

Bequests like Sarah’s are part of her legacy to our Lady’s Association.  And they are an important part of our future.  They are vital to our work of promoting devotion to our Lady of the Miraculous Medal and supporting the Vincentian priests and brothers in their many charitable works with the poor and abandoned members of our society.