“I offer prayers for the Poor Souls every day, and each month I schedule a Mass for them in my parish,” Frank adds. “Some people have asked me about it, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to encourage them to remember the Poor Souls also. As Sister taught us, every soul in Purgatory is destined for ‘life everlasting,’ and we can and must pray for them since they can no longer pray for themselves.” It was a natural step for Frank to join the Marian Fathers’ Holy Souls Sodality. He appreciates this ministry, which not only arranges daily Masses for the souls in Purgatory but also provides valuable education and encouragement through its For Heaven’s Sake monthly newsletter and the PrayForSouls.org website. Frank is happy that helping souls find their way to Heaven is always on his mind. However, for a long time, there was something else on his mind that weighed on him — he needed to update his last will and testament. He admits, “I made my will more than 25 years ago, and I knew it was outdated. Times change, and making a new will was always on my todo list — but I just kept putting it off.” Free and easy will Then Frank saw an offer to create a will for free. “All the excuses disappeared,” he said. “I thought to myself, ‘I need to do this. Let me check it out.’” He visited Marian.org/Will and found the FreeWill tool. “The questions were clear, and the process was simple,” he told me. “I actually did the whole thing on my phone! “There is another feature that I found very helpful. At the end of the will-making process, FreeWill asked me if my spouse also needed a will. I said yes, and since all the information for her will would be the same, it allowed me to create a ‘mirror will’ instantly. “Then, just five minutes after I hit ‘submit,’ I received an email with our wills attached. I printed them, and the next day, my wife and I went to the bank to have our wills witnessed and notarized. “I was so pleased with the process — and so relieved — that when I saw my son a few days later, I asked him if he had a will. When he said ‘no,’ I told him, ‘You need to get one today, and I know a way for you to get it — for free.’” Frank called to thank us for offering this reliable, easy tool. “It was so easy to take care of this important task,” he said. “I’m sure there are many people like me who know they need to make a will and could benefit from FreeWill, too.” Go for it Knowing that his enthusiasm would inspire others, I asked if I could share his experience with fellow Marian Helpers. Without hesitation, he said, “Go for it. It can help others.” Take it from Frank — you don’t have to figure everything out on your own. With FreeWill, you can prepare your will or a revocable living trust, and a durable financial power of attorney — all at no cost. Or, you can create drafts to review with your attorney. Our goal is to help you complete this important task and give you peace of mind. There’s no obligation to include a gift to the Marians, but that’s easy to do as well if you’d like. Visit Marian.org/Will to get started. And as always, feel free to reach out to me if you have questions. Frank has been praying for the souls in Purgatory for most of his life. He recalls, “My fifth-grade teacher, a Dominican sister, told us that the best thing we could do is pray for the soul in Purgatory who is the closest to achieving Heaven and only needs a prayer or two. That stuck to me like glue.” TAKING CARE OF WHAT MATTERS Outstanding Helpers Frank’s fifth-grade photo Ellen Miller is a planned giving manager. Contact her at [email protected]; (413) 298-1380; or Association of Marian Helpers, Stockbridge, MA 01263. Visit Giving.Marian.org to learn more. Marian Helper • Winter 2025-26 • Marian.org 31
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