The new year is a moment for prayer and resolution, and to set priorities for the year ahead. In that spirit, we want to introduce a new resource, and resolution, that is easy for our Catholic community to keep: protecting your blessings by writing a legal will. It’s 100% free.

As grateful Catholics, God calls us to be stewards for loved ones and our faith, and estate planning is an essential way to accomplish both. By writing a will, you can protect the people you love and get peace of mind for the year ahead.

That’s why the Catholic Foundation is partnering with FreeWill, a social venture featured in Forbes, The New York Times and Oprah’s 31 Best Ways to Make a Difference — to provide a new resource to the community: a free tool to write a legal will. FreeWill has empowered more than 160,000 Americans to plan for their futures and protect the things they love by removing the expensive legal fees often associated with the process.

This resource makes the process simple. As a result of our partnership with FreeWill, individuals and families across El Paso and West Texas can now write a legal will in 20 minutes or less, completely for free.

The partnership with FreeWill also provides access to other important estate-planning documents, such as an Advanced Healthcare Directive (also known as a “living will”) and a Financial Power of Attorney. Additionally, it can be used in tandem with the attorney of your choice.

Including the Foundation for the Diocese of El Paso—your favorite charity, ministry, parish, and school—in your estate plans is not a requirement to utilize this free service.

Get started on your free will here. For more information about this service, contact Major Gifts Officer Sofía Larkin at slarkin@elpasodiocese.org or 915-433.2003.