Legacy Builders: Tricia Morris
As the newest Legacy Builder – and likely the youngest in the program’s history – Tricia Morris, 42, believes that planning her estate for the benefit of her beloved parish is an everyday act of living and growing her faith.
“It’s an easy way for me to commit to a church that has been a part of who I am,” she said.
Tricia’s father, Whit Moore, grew up at Trinity. And her mother is the Rev. Patsy Malanuk, who served twice at Trinity - from 1996-2001, and again from 2010-2022.
As a young girl, Tricia moved to the mountains of Sewanee, Tenn., with her mother. While Patsy attended seminary, Tricia spent a semester in 5th grade. Her two sisters were in college, so she and her mother shared a special season of learning and growing.
“I have very fond memories of being up on that mountain with my mom,” Tricia said.
Aside from the semester in Sewanee, Tricia spent her childhood in the pews and classrooms of Trinity. After graduating from Washington and Lee University, Tricia was married in the Cathedral in 2007 to Jason Morris. Their children – Thomas, 11, and Patsy, 8 -- were both baptized here by their grandmother Patsy.
“They love coming to church, sitting in the pews and being part of it,” she said of her children, who have also played basketball and participated in choir.
As she has raised her children here, Tricia has been no less active and involved in her own right. She has participated in the ARK women’s group for 11 years, ever since she was pregnant with her son.
“That has been a real sense of my connection at Trinity, my connections with those women,” she said.
Tricia is also one of Trinity’s team leaders for MORE Justice, one of our mission partners. MORE Justice is an interfaith and diverse network of congregations that “come together to fulfill our scriptural mandate to ‘do justice’ and make the Central Midlands area a more just place to live for all people,” according to the organization’s website. “Member congregations work together to empower marginalized people and act powerfully to address serious community wide problems through direct action.”
While she feels called to lead Trinity’s team in this work, she also feels inspired by the larger community brought together by MORE Justice.
“I think there’s something beautiful about making relationships with people who have different backgrounds, but seek the same path and have the same values,” she said.
Tricia also has been active in the Daughters of the Holy Cross, and in 2024, was given the Young Woman of the Year award by Church Women United.
As she and Jason have raised their family, they have made plans for the future that include a bequest to Trinity Cathedral in Tricia's will.
“It is a gift you can give not only to the community and Trinity, but to God, by committing to give some of the blessings you’ve been given in this life after you’re gone,” Tricia said. “I really do feel it’s important. I feel like it’s a way to have a part of my faith and my support for this community to live on.”
Tricia, who works in real estate with her father, and Jason, who runs a 4th-generation produce business, were not afraid of the financial sacrifice it represented, even while their family is still young.
“It’s a statement of faith, of showing that I have faith that God will supply,” she said. “God will take care of my family. That’s not something I need to be afraid of.”