Advance Planning for Catholics

Saturday, January 18, 2025
9:30 AM – 12:00 PM
St. Anthony of Padua Parish, Vancouver

Doors open at 9:00 AM.

About the presentation

This free presentation offers a Catholic perspective on wills, estates, advance healthcare planning, legacy, meaningful funerals and sacred burials. Our expert presenters will share wisdom and practical advice you need to plan ahead with peace of mind. There will be time at the end for questions and answers.

Attendees of this presentation are eligible to receive:

20% burial benefit toward their pre-need purchase of burial space at Gardens of Gethsemani.
Free one-on-one consultation with a professional estate planner at a later date.

Wills and Estate Planning

The legal and financial world around Wills and estates can be confusing. This talk will clarify the roles and responsibilities of being an executor. We will discuss how to make sure your family is left with as much as possible while giving to the charities you care about. We will discuss some important features to keep in mind when writing a Will as well as what to do after you have already completed your Will.

Speaker: Rick Lam

As an active parishioner of Corpus Christi Parish for almost 30 years, Rick Lam has been dedicated to bringing financial planning support to the Catholic community. Bringing over 30 years of experience as an independent insurance and investment advisor as a Chartered Accountant, Certified Financial Planner, Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU), and Elder Planning Counsellor (EPC), Rick is also one of three financial planners appointed by Archbishop Miller to help the employees of RCAV and CISVA who participate in the pension plan. For Rick, his clients’ interests always come first, and he continues to find new ways to improve things for his clients.

Advance Healthcare Planning

This talk will offer a professional Catholic perspective on how to write your wishes and values for future healthcare treatment in the event you become incapable of deciding for yourself. Robert Breen will share practical tips and experiences on preventative measures and resources about advance healthcare planning.

Speaker: Robert Breen

Robert Breen, CD, OSJ, MSc, ICD.D. Bob has over 48 years in healthcare leadership including roles as a hospital CEO, a regional Chief Operating Officer, President of western Canada’s largest community clinical laboratory, Chief Project Officer of the BC Children’s and Women’s Redevelopment and CEO of a 275-bed faith-based campus of care for seniors.Bob is now the Executive Director of the Denominational Health Association and the Catholic Health Association of BC where he continues to work with faith-based health care providers. Bob spent 6 years on the Board of the Burnaby Hospital Foundation, including two years as the Chair. He has also been involved in youth sports for both soccer and hockey and currently serves as a board member of the Canadian Association of Long Term Care, SafeCare BC and Little Mountain Housing Society. A native of Saint John, NB, Bob completed his undergraduate studies at St. Mary’s University in Halifax and his MSc in Health Care Planning from UBC.

Planning Meaningful Funerals & Sacred Burial

This talk provides inspiration and practical information about the funeral rite and sacred burial. Making pre-need burial and funeral arrangements today ensures important decisions will not be made in a time of sorrow. Preparation is an act of care for the family.

Speaker: Peter Nobes

Peter Nobes is the Director of Catholic Cemeteries, a ministry of hope and healing. He will share insights and wisdom from his tenure managing the Gardens of Gethsemani. He’ll speak to the importance of preparation and how our Church offers hope and meaning in the beauty of the funeral Mass followed by sacred burial. Peter will offer insights from his thesis work, “Life without End.”

A Legacy - Planned Giving

This talk provides a perspective on the importance and benefits of Leaving a Legacy through Planned Giving. It defines Planned Giving as a future gift from your Estate. It describes the different Ways to Give and their attendant tax benefits. It brings the idea down to earth through concrete examples that will inspire you to consider giving a gift in your Will. It helps you appreciate who will benefit from your gift in the Archdiocese, the parishes, the charities, or ministries. You will receive a complimentary Estate and Memorial Planning Guide and online tools to help you plan.

Speaker: Georgia Gamboa

Georgia Gamboa serves as the Associate Director for Planned Giving at the Development Office of the Archdiocese of Vancouver. She holds a Masters Degree in Economics and brings over 33 years of experience in the Banking and Finance Industry, 13 years of which were in senior leadership roles. As a fundraiser, she trained with the Association of Fundraising Professionals and the Canadian Association of Gift Planners. She is passionate about her work as a mission, having been a missionary family in Karachi, Pakistan for one year with her husband and two kids while they were in their mid-thirties. She enjoys serving the Church and is an active member of Church ministries, including the Ablaze Charismatic Prayer Group at St. Mary’s Parish and Opus Dei Recollections in Richmond.