Dear Parish Family,

St. John Paul II named the Second Sunday of Easter as Divine Mercy Sunday when he canonized St. Faustina Kowalska on April 30, 2000. Divine Mercy is more than a pious devotion of the Church. It is the foundation and perfection of God's plan for our salvation. Christ showed that His mercy knew no limits when He gave Himself completely on the Cross. We are given the courage, confidence, and joy to approach the throne of Divine Mercy this Easter season as we proclaim the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. We have been given new life in Christ. We are not defined by our sins, but by the infinity of His divine merciful love!

Fr. Spisak Update and Invitation
As many of you may know, our Parochial Vicar, Fr. Steve Spisak, has been on medical leave since late November. He is doing well, and even came to a few of our Lenten Fish Fry's to visit. Fr. Spisak's four-year assignment as our Parochial Vicar concludes this June. He will receive a new assignment once he is ready to come off of medical leave and return to ministry. Please save the date for a Farewell Mass and Reception for Fr. Spisak scheduled the weekend of June 3-4. Please also keep Fr. Spisak in your prayers as he recovers his health. I know he prays for and misses our parish community. St. Mary and St. Patrick Parishes will receive another priest as our Parochial Vicar this June. I will keep you posted on updates as they are available.

Catholic Charities Annual Appeal Update
Thank you to all our parishioners who pledged to this year's Catholic Charities Annual Appeal. Throughout our diocese, $9.7 million has been pledged towards the $14 million goal. Catholic Charities will be sending letters this month to households that have not yet made a pledge. I want to update you on our goals and next steps. 

• Congratulations to St. Patrick Parish for raising $115,919 in pledges for the Catholic Charities Annual Appeal! This greatly surpassed the parish goal of $46,170. St. Patrick Parish will not need to conduct a second in-pew appeal weekend.
• St. Mary Parish has currently raised $82,490 in pledges towards the $131,701 goal. If we do not meet our goal in pledges by May 1, we will conduct a second in-pew appeal the weekend of May 27-28. This will be less intensive than the first in-pew appeal weekend, and will focus on a specific ministry of Catholic Charities towards which we will make a pledge. 

Angel Scholarship Fund Tax Credit - Your Taxes, Their Tuition!
Finally, as we are in tax season, now is a great time to check how much you owed in Ohio state taxes last year, and estimate how much you might contribute to the Angel Scholarship Fund this year. This state tax credit is a dollar-for-dollar reduction in what you owe in state income tax by making a no-net cost contribution to the Angel Scholarship Fund to assist with student tuition scholarships. You have to pay your state taxes anyway, and the state of Ohio is now letting you choose where to allocate a portion of your income tax (up to $750 for single filers or $1,500 for married filing jointly). You can designate a school of your choice in the Diocese of Cleveland (we recommend St. Mary School in Chardon), or you can make an undesignated contribution to assist in the area of greatest need. Pick up brochures and contribution forms any time this year in our gathering space or parish office, or visit https://stmarychardon.org/asf to learn more or make a contribution. This is a win-win for you as a taxpayer, for our students and families, and for our Catholic parishes and schools. Please take the time to learn more and contribute! 

I am yours in Christ,
Fr. Scott Goodfellow