Why every Christian…. should have a will

For nearly 500 years the Church of England has encouraged its members to keep their wills up to date.
Every year many thousands of people die without leaving a will. This causes unnecessary complications for their families, and often means their wishes are not carried out. There are several good reasons to encourage people to make a will: pastoral care, good personal financial management, teaching on Christian stewardship. Making a will and keeping it updated is often simpler and less expensive than many people imagine.

St Catherine’s derives its existence and its name to a young lady ‘Catharine Dunbar’ who being very ill, came in a final hope of healing to the spa waters of Bad Cannstatt. When the cure didn’t work she left enough money in her will for a small church to be built for the Anglican Community, which had royal permission to worship here.

The Katharinenkirche was duly erected just outside the then city walls, and consecrated in 1868. It was designed to look like the Victorian churches being built in England around the same time. And although the building was ‘flattened’ during WW2, its replacement is built on the original foundations. The post-war Anglican community has retained rights of use as a consequence.

As unseen as angels, today’s worshippers remain constantly aware of the foundations below their feet, and grateful of the legacy both financial and spiritual that remains. Such a gift invites response. The only fitting response can be to ensure through our legacies, that the Anglican community still has somewhere to worship in Stuttgart, in 150 years from now.

Today the worshipping community is much more diverse. Some live permanently in Stuttgart, many come briefly for professional reasons, an increasing number seeking refuge from unimaginable horrors. Our family is not only culturally and socially diverse but we a family across all the generations and what a blessing that is. The Pandemic has given us a new dimension for which we are grateful. During the so far 15 months, some have joined us from other countries and continents, in Online Worship and some of the Zoom Groups. Some of these are family of those living here in Stuttgart, others are past members of St Catherine’s in Stuttgart but very much still members of the St Catherine’s church family. As we return to Church and Anglican Centre based life in due course, much will become hybrid in offer, so that members and visitors from far flung time zones can still keep in touch and join in.

We continue to have good working relationships with ecumenical churches and celebrate those too.

All Questions and Inquiries should please go directly to our Treasurer-Book Keeper: Jackie Wellhäuser on finances@stcatherines-stuttgart.de

Support for Particular Projects such as Maintenance of Organ or of Fabric or our work amongst Refugees, is possible if Bequests clearly communicate that.

For details as to how to give please see the Virtual Collection Plate

Legacy Log – any entries of Bequests can of course be listed as ‘Anonymous’ in which case only our treasurer will ever know details.

For those wishing to support our life and work in an ongoing regular way, see St Catherine’s Patronage Scheme’.

May you know God’s Blessing