CONCORD — St. James Parish recently received an unexpected windfall from a former parishioner.
The money came in the form of an estate gift from Carol Ann Darland, who designated the Concord parish as the beneficiary in her will. As part of the settlement of her estate late last year following her death, the parish received a check totaling more than $169,000.
It was “a gift from heaven,” said Dan Ward, the parish’s business manager, who opened the letter from the estate executor last September and found the enclosed check for $169,205.25. “Needless to say, we were touched and amazed!”
Darland had been gone from St. James Parish for almost 15 years, having moved to Columbus, Ohio, where she quietly passed away. The church northeast of Charlotte has experienced rapid growth in recent years, and no one currently there recalls her presence – but now everyone certainly knows her name.
A Carol Darland Endowment has been set up using about half of the estate gift, and the other half is being set aside for much-needed repairs and capital expenses – things like a new roof, parking lot repairs and other items that are tough to find the money for, even in a growing parish like St. James.
Redemptorist Father Jerome Chavarria, pastor, says Darland’s gift is like an outstretched hand from outside of time – a former parishioner reaching out to help current parishioners she never met.
“Her gift is enduring support that makes all the difference in the world to help the parish here and now,” said Father Chavarria, who has served at St. James for the past five years.
He wonders what loving presence or act of kindness Darland may have experienced that prompted her to remember the Concord parish in her will so many years after leaving. But, he added, “I’m not surprised that this community had an impact on her life. The people here are very warm and welcoming of each other. The community has grown, but it has inherited the warmth and hospitality of those early days when the community was smaller.”
Gifts such as Darland’s show just how meaningful having a church home can be to someone, said Jim Kelley, diocesan development director.
“A number of parishioners become actively involved in parish ministry. Others, while less involved, still attend Mass regularly and provide financial support to their parish. Carol decided to remember her church in Concord in her estate plans even though she moved to Ohio almost 15 years ago. She obviously had a special love for St. James Church,” he said.
— Patricia L. Guilfoyle, editor