A Legacy of Faith

September 16, 2025

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Greetings in the Lord!

I offer my sincere gratitude for your continued annual support to your parish and the Archdiocese of Louisville. Your generosity enables the Church to continue our ministry to help so many people in need.

Below you will find information on a few ways to share your gifts with others, even beyond your lifetime. When you make a legacy gift to your parish and/or the archdiocese, you make an enduring investment in the future without giving up assets today. A legacy gift is easy, flexible, versatile, and tax effective.

I am grateful for these extraordinary gifts that bear witness to the faith and to the ministries that donors supported and cherished during their lifetime.

Thank you for your great generosity.

Know that I remain,

Sincerely in the Lord,

Most Reverend Shelton J. Fabre

Archbishop of Louisville

Gifts from God

By Tom Kennedy

All that we are, and all that we have, are gifts from God. The question is, what will we do in response to God’s generosity?

As Elaine and I grow a little older, we become increasingly conscious of the many blessings we have been given. When a problem gets solved, or a crisis that’s been brewing somehow dissipates, we say out loud “God is good” (or sometimes the full expression, “God is good all the time, and all the time, God is good”). It may simply be that the weather is beautiful, or one of countless other blessings, that causes our gratitude. Showered with His goodness, we want to give back in thanksgiving for all God has done.

A Simple Way You Can Make a Difference for the Church

As you are preparing your will or trust, your first thoughts will likely be how to protect your loved ones. Once you have all of that in place, you may ask, “How can I help others and make an impact on the future of the Church?

Fortunately, there is a simple way to make sure your love for the Church continues after you are gone. It’s easier than you think. Creating a beneficiary designation gift is simple and does not cost you anything now. Instead, it allows you to take the savings you have accrued over time and put it to good use. You can also designate percentages, so that you can include your loved ones as well as the Church.

The following assets also allow you to designate a beneficiary or beneficiaries.

Retirement plans
Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs)
Life insurance policies
Donor advised funds
Bank or brokerage accounts

All it takes is a few minutes to fill out a simple form. You may even be able to change your beneficiary online. That small effort can make a big difference for your parish and/or the archdiocese.

The legacy you leave behind will have an impact on future generations of Catholics for years to come!

Contact Melody Denson

(502) 585-3291, Ext. 1117, or visit

archlou.org/Planned-Giving

Notify Your Beneficiaries

Once you have created your gift, make sure you share the good news with the people you name on your form. Financial institutions often assume no responsibility to inform or administer a gift to beneficiaries.

Making an estate plan allows you to provide for your loved ones and the organizations that matter most to you. To learn more about including your parish and/or the Archdiocese in your estate plan, contact Melody R. Denson at (502) 585-3291, ext. 1117, or by email at mdenson@archlou.org.

To include a gift to your parish and/or the Archdiocese in your will, ask your estate planning attorney to add this suggested wording to your will or living trust.

I give, devise, and bequeath to the Roman Catholic Bishop of Louisville, a corporation sole with principal offices at 3940 Poplar Level Road, Louisville, Ky 40213-1463 [insert gift] for the use and benefit of [the Archdiocese, parish, or school name].

“Teach us to give and not count the cost”

St. Ignatius De Loyola

New Tax Law: Will It Impact Your Charitable Giving?

Written by Melody Denson, Director of Planned Giving, Archdiocese of Louisville

The newly signed tax legislation may bring lasting changes to how Americans give. Rather than letting key provisions of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Acts sunset at the end of 2025, this new act extends many of those provisions and introduces several changes that will shape the charitable giving landscape for years to come.

This legislation may impact your charitable giving in a number of ways:

1. Income tax brackets

The new law extends the 10%, 12%, 22%, 24%, 32%, 35%, and 37% tax rates.

2. Higher standard deduction (with a small boost)

It also extends the higher standard deduction. For 2025, the standard deduction is $15,750 for single filers and $31,500 for married couples filing jointly. It will be indexed for inflation thereafter.

3. Higher deduction limit for cash gifts

The act extends the 60%-of-AGI (Adjusted Gross Income) limitation for cash gifts to charities.

4. Higher estate tax exemptions

The federal estate and gift tax exemption will increase to $15 million per individual (indexed annually).

5. Tax break for non-itemizers

In a notable change, the act allows taxpayers to take a tax deduction for charitable donations up to $1,000 for single filers and $2,000 for married couples for taxable years after December 31, 2025.

6. Giving threshold for itemizers

The new law adds a minimum charitable contribution rate for taxpayers who itemize their deductions. The law will allow taxpayers to itemize charitable contributions above 0.5% of their AGI.

I hope this will help as you are considering your charitable giving moving forward. If you have any questions about how to adjust your giving to save on taxes beginning in January 2026, please contact me at 502-585-3291.

Melody R. Denson

Director of Major Gifts and Planned Giving

Phone: (502) 585-3291, Ext. 1117

Email: Mdenson@archlou.org

Office of Mission Advancement

3940 Poplar Level Road

Louisville, KY 40213-1463

archlou.org/planned-giving