When Amy Profenna recently met with a lawyer to update her Will, one of the questions she was asked was if she wanted to be cremated.

It happens often that a deceased person leaves a sum of money to support a broad cause without naming a specific charity.

If people think they will no longer be paying taxes upon death, they are sadly mistaken. As Benjamin Franklin wrote, “in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.” 

Donations of real estate are a popular way to benefit a favourite charity.  Here are some of ways to donate real estate and the tax implications of this type of gift:

There already were a few children in line making a bowl of cereal or waiting for the toaster to pop when Jazmin Torres burst through the basement doors at 7:42 a.m. St. Paul’s Basilica in the Corktown neighbourhood of East Toronto.

Fr. Don MacLean’s kidneys are failing and he needs dialysis on a regular basis in order to remain in good health. But with the help of The Shepherds’ Trust fund, he has found himself in the right place at the right time.

Have you ever wondered what would it be like to “speak” from the grave and tell your loved ones how you would like things handled after you die? 

Stocks, bonds and mutual funds make great gifts — just ask the parishioners at St. Patrick’s in downtown Toronto.

Sixty years ago — on Oct. 28, 1958 — Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli was elected pope, taking the name Pope John XXIII.  His coronation Nov. 4 lasted five hours, filled with all the pomp and ceremony that accompanied the position at that time. Here’s The Register’s account of that historic day:

Sr. Mary Aquinas did not necessarily fit the stereotype of a nun in the first half of the 20th century. Aside from prayer, Sr. Aquinas was accomplished in many other fields, including aeronautics, electronics, physics and education. She earned her pilot’s license in 1942 and in 1957 was honoured by the U.S. Air Force for contributions to national security and world peace. That same year she became the first nun to fly a jet plane. She bore no resemblance to the Sally Field character in the 1960s TV sitcom The Flying Nun, but she was no less famous in her own fields of endeavour. Sr. Aquinas shared her passions across the continent, including a stop in Montreal in October of 1958, dutifully reported by The Register. Sr. Aquinas died at age 91 on Oct. 20, 1985.