St Matthew's Parish
Gift in Wills
Leave a gift in your Will TODAY...
Preserve St Matthew’s for TOMORROW.
A gift in your Will to St Matthew’s is a lasting expression of faith, gratitude and love for your parish.
“An authentic faith always involves a deep desire to leave this earth a better place than we found it.”
— Pope Francis
A message from our Parish Priest
Dear parishioners and friends of St Matthew’s,
St Matthew’s Parish holds a very special place in the life of the Church in Australia. Established in 1832, it is not only the oldest parish in the Diocese of Parramatta, but one of the oldest in Australia. Our historic church, opened in 1840, is the oldest Catholic church in continuous use on the Australian mainland.
This beautiful church has been handed on to us through the faith, generosity and sacrifice of earlier generations. Some gave their time. Some gave their skills. Some gave donations. Others remembered St Matthew’s in their Will, making gifts that helped build and strengthen the parish we know today.
By remembering St Matthew’s in your Will, you can give lasting thanks for the faith you have received and help pass it on to those who come after us.
A professional report commissioned in 2018 identified important maintenance and restoration works needed to ensure the church building remains safe and stable into the future. These works include repairs to guttering and downpipes, wall cracking, rusted window frames, leadlight window frames, paving and stormwater flow, rising damp and ventilation. The estimated cost at that time was $403,000. The actual cost today is expected to be higher.
While the parish has already begun taking steps to address these urgent works, the major restoration and preservation of St Matthew’s remains an ongoing responsibility.
Your lasting gift can help preserve our historic church and support the religious, pastoral and charitable life of our parish into the future. After caring for your family and loved ones, even a modest gift can make a lasting difference.
Thank you for considering how your faith and generosity today can help preserve St Matthew’s for tomorrow.
With gratitude and prayers,
Rev Ranillo Creta
St Matthew’s Parish Priest
We stand on the generosity of those before us
St Matthew’s exists today because earlier generations believed in leaving something lasting for those who would come after them.
Their gifts were practical, faithful and deeply generous. Some helped build the church. Others helped furnish, beautify and strengthen it for worship and community life.
We remember with gratitude:
Their generosity is still part of the life, beauty and prayer of St Matthew’s today.
A gift in your Will continues this tradition. It is a way to say thank you for the faith you have received, and to help pass it on to future generations.
Every gift can help preserve St Matthew’s
Leaving a gift in your Will is not only for those with great wealth. After caring for your family and loved ones, a gift of any size can make a meaningful difference.
A small percentage of your estate, a specified amount, or a gift made only after other priorities are met can still help preserve St Matthew’s and support the future life of the parish.
A legacy of faith is not measured by the size of the gift, but by the love and intention behind it – a faithful decision made today to help protect and pass on St Matthew’s for tomorrow.
Many ways to remember the Church
For those who have decided they would like to support the parish, there are several different ways you can choose to make a gift in your Will:
- As a percentage of your estate; leaving all or part of your estate, after caring for your family and loved ones;
- As a specified amount or asset (real estate, stocks, shares, collectibles, etc);
- As a contingent bequest – naming St Matthew’s Parish as an alternative beneficiary in the event another heir cannot receive your gift in your Will.
Two examples of wording that you could use within your Will are presented here:
Gift for St Matthew’s Parish
I give the sum of [insert amount] to The Trustees of the Roman Catholic Church for the Diocese of Parramatta ABN 69 107 619 942 for the purposes of St Matthew’s Parish Windsor, including the maintenance and restoration of the parish church and the religious, pastoral, and charitable activities of the parish.
Gift of residue to St Matthew’s Parish:
where there have been other gifts detailed earlier in the Will
I give all the rest and residue of my real and personal property to my trustees to pay all my just debts, funeral and testamentary dispositions and all other duties or taxes payable on or by reason of my death and to hold the balance thereof upon trust for The Trustees of the Roman Catholic Church for the Diocese of Parramatta ABN 69 107 619 942 for the purposes of St Matthew’s Parish Windsor, including the maintenance and restoration of the parish church and the religious, pastoral, and charitable activities of the parish.
Seeking professional counsel
When creating a Will, or altering your existing Will, it is always advisable to seek legal assistance, to ensure it accurately reflects your wishes and will be carried out professionally. When choosing to make a gift in your Will (also called a bequest) to the Church, whether to your Parish or one of the ministries of the Parramatta Catholic Diocese, you should seek independent legal advice. The example wordings shown above may be a useful basis for discussion with your solicitor.
It can also be valuable to discuss this bequest with your family, so they understand why this gift is important to you.
Thank you for your generous support of St Matthew’s parish.
Phone
Tel: (02) 4577 3073
or 1300 504 991
Fax: (02) 4577 2124
Address
12 Tebbutt St,
Windsor, NSW, 2756
Office Hours
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday 9.30am to 4.30pm