Partnering with your Parish

“Honour the Lord with your wealth, with your First Fruits” (Proverbs 3:9)

Our parishes are vibrant, living communities of faith, enriched by the love of God. Through His love, we are continually being shaped as Body of Christ. Within our parish communities, Jesus invites each of us to participate in His mission by offering our time, talents, and treasure for the building up of His Kingdom.

Planned Giving is a commitment to entrust God with a regular financial gift to the parish, clergy, or both. Your financial offerings ensure that your parish remains a beacon - a place where people encounter Jesus Christ in the Eucharist and experience the love of God through the sacraments and life of the Church, in communion with one another. Jesus taught that everything we have is a gift from God. In response, we are called to give willingly and generously, offering our First Fruits, a practice deeply rooted in Scripture.

This is far more than a donation; it is a way of putting our faith into action. Offering God our first and our best reflects our gratitude for the blessings He has bestowed on us, deepens our trust in His provision and strengthens our bond with our parish. In a world competing for our time and money, when we give these back to God, we make space for Him in our hearts, and our lives.

In Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus tells us “Where your treasure is, there your heart is also”. He calls us to invest in the things that matter most – His Kingdom, His Mission, His People.

The vibrancy of our parish reflects the commitment of its people. We thank God for the generosity He inspires in you!

Ways to Give

Giving online is quick, easy and secure *insert PACEM QR Code*

Sunday Mass collection provides an opportunity to give via cash or envelope

Contactless machines in your church are a simple way to regularly offer up your gifts

Planned Giving & Donations

Below you’ll find information on our two collections which we take up at Mass, the expenditure they provide for, and the different ways that you are able to contribute.

First and Second Collections – What’s the Difference?
Each weekend at Mass two collections take place in our parish, one immediately after the Prayers of the Faithful, the other after Communion.

The First Collection provides, in the first place, for the priests of the Diocese: their monthly stipend, household food expenses, household electricity and cleaning expenses. This collection also contributes to a central fund which provides for the health care of priests and for the care and upkeep of retired priests.

The Second Collection provides the income for all the running expenses of the parish – staff employment, insurance, maintenance, maintaining and operating the Parish Office, liturgical supplies, water, waste collection, and most importantly – parish ministries and services.

Ways to Contribute.
There are three ways that you can contribute:

Click on the button above for an online donation,
by an authorised periodical contribution via your credit card, or
giving a cash donation during collections at Mass.

To apply for this second option, please download the form here or on the button on this page and return it to the Parish Office either in person, by mail (PO Box 127, Pennant Hills, NSW 1715), or by placing it in a sealed envelop and putting on the collection plate during mass.

By using the automated contribution via your Credit Card the Parish Office can make a charge on your nominated credit card on a weekly / monthly basis according to a signed authority, offering a ‘set and forget’ option for those who would like to set up a regular system for their contributions. Of course, you can withdraw your authoristation for these contributions at any time.

Thank you
We sincerely thank you for your contributions. They are greatly appreciated and will be an affective assistance in our ministerial work of spreading the love of Jesus and the good running of the parish.

Online Donation

Download Form

Bequest in favour of the Parish
Many of us have a special connection to our parish, nurtured by years of church, schooling, friendships and support. You can help your Parish to flourish with a gift in your Will.

You should always consider the needs of your family, dependents and loved ones first. Having done this, people often want to leave a further legacy to organizations that do good works. We invite you to consider our parish as part of your will.

A gift of any kind set in your will for your parish is one way you can personally advance the vision and mission of the church. A bequest to your Parish can create lasting change and help provide a secure future for your local church, its parishioners and priests.

Over the years, many people who have felt a special connection with their local parish and church have left part of their Estate to their Parish or the Diocese of Broken Bay. Like a gift to a charity, a bequest of any amount to the Church is a way of saying “thank you” for the spiritual nurturing provided to you and your family over the years.

By making a bequest you can specify to which area of church life, you would like to contribute. Contact the parish office, for any additional information you may want on specific areas of work in the Church, making/changing of a will, making a bequest or ways in which you or your family can be recognized. We also respect that you may rather give anonymously. Either way, if we can be of any assistance please do not hesitate to call us.

Some frequently asked questions:

What is a bequest?
A bequest is a gift of any kind set out in a Will. No matter the size of the gift, a bequest of any kind in your Will can make a significant difference. It is a simple but powerful way to provide support for the causes that matter the most to you. By making a bequest, you decide how you would like your generous gift allocated. A bequest can be made in several ways: The following are some examples of how a bequest may be given:

A Specific Bequest: A detailed gift, for example, an item of property, shares or an insurance policy,
Percentage of your Estate: Nominating a set percentage of your Estate for your chosen beneficiaries,
Residuary Bequest: Nominating a beneficiary to receive any leftover monies from your Estate, and
Whole Estate: Nominating your entire Estate for your chosen beneficiary.

How does a bequest help your parish?
A bequest to your parish, no matter how small, will help the faith community which has meant so much to you to continue its good works and its loving outreach. It is also a means by which you can plan a lasting gift for your parish which might not be possible in your lifetime.
In receiving a bequest, a parish may be able to use the gift to attend to much-needed maintenance and improvements to the church and other Parish property or put the gift towards building a new church or refurbishing their existing one. These kinds of gifts help the Parish free up other income to use toward pastoral care programs.

How do you leave a bequest?
First and foremost a Will should provide for your family. If you don’t have a Will when you die, your goods are distributed according to a set formula, which may not reflect your intentions.

It is advisable to seek professional advice and assistance when making a Will. Your solicitor can confidentially discuss your concerns and requirements and can prepare a Will for you to ensure that your wishes regarding your estate are honoured. If you do not have a solicitor, please contact the Law Society of NSW who can provide a solicitor referral service for your area

Law Society of NSW
Solicitor Referral Service: Website
Sydney: (02) 9926 0300
Email: crs@lawsociety.com.au

What should I give?
You should always consider the needs of your family, dependents and loved ones first. Having done this you may give a dollar amount or a specific gift such as shares. Care should be taken in giving a specific asset, as it may not be suitable or useful to the purposes of the Parish. In addition, if you are too specific the asset may no longer be in existence at the time of execution of your will, so nominating an amount is better than gifting the remaining balance in a certain bank account.

Alternatively, you may give all or some of your residuary estate, that is the portion of your estate left over after you have made your specific bequests.

How to include the Parish in your will.
Thank you for your thoughtful and generous consideration to make a lasting gift to your Parish. A gift in your Will (also known as a bequest) to the Church supports your family of faith.
It is important that you take care of your family’s needs first, and we recommend that you have a discussion with them regarding your intentions.

The following wording is intended as a guide only and we recommend that you seek advice from a solicitor who is experienced in Wills and Estates. You may wish to contact the Law Society of NSW via email lawsociety@lawsociety.com.au or phone (02) 9926 0333 for their Solicitor Referral Service.

A. For general purposes to a Parish in the Diocese of Broken Bay

“I give to the Trustees of the Roman Catholic Church for the Diocese of Broken Bay, (ABN 79 031 652 544) as trustee for the Catholic Parish of St Agathas Church, Pennant Hills , in the State of New South Wales for its general purposes, the sum of
$________ or _ percent of my estate or the property at ______________ (or other specific items), free of all duties, taxes and other deductions of whatever kind.I declare that the receipt for the same signed by the Bishop of the Diocese, or other designated officer, shall be sufficient discharge to my Executors and Trustees.”

If you would like further information on bequests including how we can acknowledge your generosity in your lifetime, please contact the parish office (02-94841427) to speak with the Parish Priest.

Thank you for your thoughtful consideration.

Bequest brochure

Finances

We look to provide good stewardship of the gifts and resources that God provides us through the generosity of our parishioners. We have a Parish Pastoral Council that works with the priests in advising on parish projects. Secondly, there is a separate Finance Committee of independent parishioners that monitors and helps manage the finances. The parish is also accountable to the Diocese of Broken Bay and must report regularly throughout the year against the agreed plan and budgets. All of this ensures we are focused on the needs of our parishioners with transparency in our expenditures.

The Parish has limited resources and relies heavily upon the generosity of the parishioners for its on-going funding. These funds go to: the running of the parish, our outreach to seniors, visits to nursing homes, the youth in our own Catholic Schools and to our youth in State Schools. All this takes resources and staff (paid on a modest salary).

In our recent Parish Census a number of improvement priorities were identified, however this will be resourced from separate appeals over time. Included in parishioners’ feedback was: better resources for the musicians and improvements to our Church with air conditioning, a more functional crying room and improving the spirituality of the Church interior.

If you would like to donate as a once-off or contribute a little each week through our Planned Giving, please contact the Parish Office on 02 9484 1427, or download the form below.