GREENSBORO — St. Benedict Church is receiving much needed exterior repairs thanks to an estate gift from longtime parishioner Dr. William Raymond Bodner Jr., who passed away at age 81 in 2019.
Bodner and his wife Anne, who passed away in 2017, moved to Greensboro in 1973. A psychiatrist, Bodner had his own medical practice and also worked with veterans at the Veterans Affairs hospitals in both Winston-Salem and New Bern.
In total, he and his wife left $130,000 to St. Benedict Parish: a $65,000 estate gift to be used for general purposes and a $65,000 endowment, which will continue to earn income over time to provide for parish needs.
Kim Garcia, a member of the parish’s finance council, said the parish is using funds from the estate gift to help restore the church’s exterior.
“We began the restoration several years ago, but the pandemic put it on hold and the craftsman we had on the project retired. The church was built in 1899 and the mortar had begun to break down, so we are using funds to replace the mortar. It is a very specialized craft and technique,” Garcia noted.
She says the funds from the Bodners meant the parish did not have to dip into its savings to finish the project.
“Our current plan for the Bodner Endowment Fund is to let it grow, so in the future when there may be a need, that will again be a tribute (to the family),” she explained. “We’re very grateful. It’s so inspiring when people leave something to a charity that they care about.”
Jim Kelley, diocesan development director, noted, “We are so grateful that so many are leaving gifts to the Church in their estate plans. These gifts will go into endowments for parishes and other entities that will help provide financial security for the work of the Church for generations to come.”
Fund an endowment
Interested in setting up an endowment or adding to an existing endowment at your parish or Catholic school? Establish an endowment in the Diocese of Charlotte Foundation by leaving a bequest in a will; a beneficiary designation from a retirement plan; a gift of real estate; a gift of life insurance, cash or securities sufficient to set up an endowment; or a life income arrangement, such as a trust or annuity.
For details, contact Gina Rhodes at 704-370-3364 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
— SueAnn Howell, Senior reporter