For Linda Lapos and Paul Wirth, a family endowment fund not only provides a heartfelt way to honor the memory of their parents, it also allows them to support Catholic causes close to their hearts for generations to come.
“The Catholic Foundation has a great track record of securing the future for Catholic ministries,” Paul said. “We are proud to be a small part of it with our family endowment fund.”
Honoring Both Faith and Family
Faith is a central part of Linda and Paul’s lives. They are members of St. Thomas More Parish, Allentown, where Linda serves as a lector, and both are members of the board of directors of the Vatican Observatory Foundation.
“We feel very grateful to be able to provide financial support for Catholic school tuition, for pregnant women and young mothers, for the Because We are Catholic campaign, and for the people who turn to other Catholic ministries for help,” Linda said.
Paul, a former chairman of the Board of Directors of Catholic Charities, Diocese of Allentown, spent his career in communications, first as a newspaper reporter, then as communications director for PPL Electric Utilities, and finally as communications director for the Diocese of Allentown.
Linda, a retired colon-rectal surgeon, is on the board of directors of the Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival and is a member of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem.
“For years, Paul and Linda have been deeply engaged in activities and causes that further and strengthen the mission of our Catholic faith,” said Pete Waldron, president of the Catholic Foundation. “Through their leadership and generosity, they have gained a clear understanding of the needs of Catholic causes both now and in the future.”
One of the many benefits of a family endowment fund is its capacity to provide stability and consistency to annual giving. Another is its funding flexibility. You can easily create or add to your own family fund using cash; a qualified charitable distribution from an IRA; appreciated securities; gifts in a will; a life insurance or investment account beneficiary designation…even a memorial gift mentioned in a loved one’s obituary.
“Faith-filled Catholics have been supporting their parish, schools and ministries their entire life,” Waldron said. “Why should that end when they go to heaven?”
Honoring Jack and Lillian Lapos, and George and Marguerite Wirth
Paul and Linda created their fund to honor their parents, Jack and Lillian Lapos and George and Marguerite Wirth, using a contribution from a donor advised fund. It’s the foundation’s fifth family endowment fund, and it will help to support several Catholic organizations meaningful to both Linda and Paul including:
- Cay Galgon Life House, Bethlehem
- Catholic Relief Services
- The Diocese of Allentown Because We Are Catholic annual appeal
- Catholic Charities, Diocese of Allentown
- St. John Vianney Regional School, Allentown for Tuition Scholarships
- St. Thomas More Parish, Allentown for St. Vincent de Paul Society
“With this family endowment, we can ensure that the help we provide for important causes will continue long after we are gone,” Paul said.
Waldron is grateful for the leadership Linda and Paul have shown to step up and start a family endowment fund.
“Paul and Linda’s generous spirit, unwavering faith, and steadfast vision to start a family endowment fund supporting Catholic causes meaningful to them sets an example for all,” Waldron said. “Imagine the impact on our Catholic community if others follow their lead.”
