How can one sufficiently honor the legacy of a man like Richard John Neuhaus?
 
He accomplished more before founding FIRST THINGS than most do in a lifetime. What he accomplished here speaks for itself. Even today, we stand on his shoulders and firmly in his debt.
 
So, the short answer is that you can’t. But we will try.
 
Toward this end, I am pleased to announce our first annual Founder’s Day—a celebration of the life and legacy of Richard John Neuhaus. We take July 27, the day he established the Institute on Religion and Public Life (the nonprofit publisher of FIRST THINGS) in 1989, as our day of celebration.
 
Whether or not you knew him personally, I hope you’ll join us in honoring his legacy to this magazine and institution. Specifically, please consider including FIRST THINGS in your will or estate plans to become a member of the Richard John Neuhaus Society.
 
To learn more about the Richard John Neuhaus Society and your estate giving options, or to notify us of an estate commitment you have already made to FIRST THINGS, please visit our website here.

From the beginning, Fr. Neuhaus founded FIRST THINGS to endure—to be, borrowing from the famous parable, the seed that fell on good soil and produced many times what was sown.
 
More than three decades on, it is clear that he succeeded. He tended the soil of FIRST THINGS until his death in 2009, and—thanks to his generous charitable bequest—continues to advance our mission even to this day.

Today, I invite you to join Fr. Neuhaus in leaving a lasting legacy with FIRST THINGS. Through this Founder’s Day celebration and appeal, we hope to inspire six new RJN Society members to join the dozens of committed readers who have already left FIRST THINGS in their estate plans.

To learn more, make an estate pledge, or notify us of an existing estate pledge, please visit our website here.
 
We would also welcome any stories, memories, or other remembrances you have of Fr. Neuhaus. To share these comments, visit our website or respond directly to this email.
 
Thank you for joining us to celebrate the inestimable legacy of our founder Richard John Neuhaus. And thank you for standing shoulder to shoulder with us as we advance his legacy today.

Yours,

R. R. Reno
Editor

P.S. Reader, your support for FIRST THINGS is also needed in the present day.

Whether or not you can commit to including FIRST THINGS in your will or estate plans, please make a tax-deductible gift to advance thoughtful religious voices in the public square today!