Giving as remembrance

The Catholic instinct around death is to make an 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, 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 place of flowers. Others come on the anniversary of a death, or a birthday, or simply when a memory prompts it. Some are given on behalf of someone still living, to mark a milestone or to give thanks.

At the time of a funeral

Many families ask, in place of funeral flowers, for donations to the diocese or to the parish holding the funeral. It is a long-standing pattern, and it lets mourners express their love in a way that lasts. The funeral director or the parish office can set up a collection point, in person at the service or online, and the diocese can supply small donation envelopes for the church door.

Where the person had a particular love for one work of the diocese, that work can be named. Common choices are the Retired Priests' Fund, the Clergy Education and Training Fund, the cathedral, the parish itself, or Caritas Shrewsbury. If the family is unsure, the diocese applies the gift where the need is greatest.

Offering Masses

An in memoriam gift is not the same as a Mass offering, though the two often go together. A Mass offering is a small donation made to a priest so that a Mass is celebrated for a particular intention. The standard offering across England and Wales is £10 for a single Mass. It is paid directly to the priest as part of his support and is not a charitable donation in the Gift Aid sense. 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 the day of their death.

Anniversaries and gifts for the living

Many parishioners give on the anniversary of a parent, spouse, or child each year, some by a small standing order set to the date, others with a single larger gift to a fund the person cared about. An in memoriam gift does not have to follow a death, either. Catholics often give in honour of a living relative or friend to mark a significant birthday, an ordination anniversary, a golden wedding, or a recovery from illness. With their permission, the diocese can send a short acknowledgment to the person being honoured.

Supporting a project in someone's memory

Where a larger sum is given, families sometimes wish to support a specific project. Examples include:

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

These conversations are best had with the parish priest first, 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 like any other donation, as long as the giver is a UK taxpayer and completes a declaration, turning £100 into £125 at no cost to the giver. For collections at funerals, parishes can supply Gift Aid envelopes so each mourner declares their own gift.

How to make an in memoriam gift

• Online, through the diocesan giving partner MyDona, reached from the Support Our Work page on the diocesan website. There is a space to record the name of the person 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, with a short note naming the person and any specific fund.
• Through the parish, which can take an envelope at any time and forward it to the diocese or apply it locally.

A pastoral note

The diocese receives every in memoriam gift with care. Where the family wishes, it can write to confirm the gift, name the work it has supported, and assure prayers for the soul of the one remembered. To arrange this, get in touch using the contact listed below, including the name of the person you are remembering and any intention you wish recorded.