§ 48. Legacies. Any devise or bequest of real or personal property to an unincorporated parish, mission, congregation, chapel or religious society under the jurisdiction of or in communion with the Protestant Episcopal Church, for the purposes of such gift, may be taken, held and administered for the benefit of such devisee or legatee by the diocesan corporation of the diocese in which such devisee or legatee is situate, and such diocesan corporation shall have the power, subject to the provisions of article five of the not-for-profit corporation law and of section twelve of this chapter, to lease, improve, mortgage, sell, convey and transfer any property so held.