The Lord is so good! We have much to celebrate this week: priesthood ordination, graduation, and a blossoming scholarship program for our school.
Mass of Thanksgiving for Fr. David Verbsky. First of all, congratulations to the newly ordained priests in our diocese, especially Fr. David Verbsky who is a son of St. Mary Parish. He will celebrate his Mass of Thanksgiving with us at our 12:00 p.m. Mass this weekend with a parish- wide reception in the Banquet Room following the Mass. Stop by the reception to receive a special blessing from Fr. Verbsky as a newly ordained priest, congratulate him and his family, and enjoy food and fellowship with our community. What a blessing for our parish community to celebrate an ordination of one of our own parishioners!
8th Grade Graduation. Congratulations to our 8th graders who are graduating from St. Mary School this Wednesday! I share the joy of so many of our school families and faculty who have accompanied these young disciples for many years during their time at St. Mary School. I pray that our graduates look back on their time at St. Mary School with love and gratitude, and look forward to their future with so much hope for the good things God wants to give them!
Wednesday Adoration – Early Benediction (5:45 p.m.). Due to graduation, please be aware that our Wednesday Adoration will end an hour earlier than usual this week in order to prepare the Church for graduation. Please join us for Benediction at 5:45 p.m. in the church.
Angel Scholarship Fund (ASF) Follow-up. Follow-Up. I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity I had to present the Angel Scholarship Fund (ASF) at all Masses last weekend. The Angel Scholarship Fund capitalizes on a new tax credit scholarship program in the State of Ohio whereby Ohio taxpayers who donate to the ASF receive a tax credit against their Ohio income tax liability (up to $750.00 for single filers, and up to $1,500.00 for married joint filers). St. Mary School in Chardon or any Catholic school in the Diocese of Cleveland can be designated to receive these tax credit scholarship funds to provide tuition assistance for students, at no net cost to you as a donor!
This is the low-hanging fruit I'm encouraging you to take full advantage of. It's a win-win in lowering your tax liability while offering tuition assistance, in making Catholic education an affordable reality for families, and in providing a financial relief valve to our school families and parish subsidy. My dream is that our donor network will grow strong enough to greatly reduce the financial obligations of our school families while also lowering the parish subsidy so that we can focus more resources on growth and development in our parish and school.
With this being a new program for our parish and school, I was blessed to receive a few questions about donating to the ASF, so I'd like to share some remarks below:
"When do I donate"? You should plan to donate THIS YEAR (2022) to the ASF. You will use your 2022 donation when you file your taxes on or before April 15, 2023 to receive the tax credit. Use the tax receipt you receive from the Angel Scholarship Fund to claim your tax credit when you file your 2022 State of Ohio income tax return.
"For how long will this tax credit program exist?" This tax credit scholarship will continue each year until the tax law changes. Plan on making a donation to the Angel Scholarship Fund each year for as long as the program continues. We will keep you updated on any changes.
"Where do I find how much state income tax I owe?" You can find how much you owed in state taxes in 2021 on your Ohio Income Tax Form IT 1040. Line 8c will show how much your tax liability is before credits.
"What happens if I donate more to the ASF than I owe on taxes?" Donations to the ASF count as a nonrefundable credit (OH IT 1040 Form, line 9), meaning that if you donate more on line 9 than your tax liability listed on 8c, the amount over your tax liability will be counted as a donation and not as a tax credit or refund.
"Can I get my employer to match my contribution?" Matching contributions from employers can be made to the ASF! This is a great way to double or triple your contribution. Contact your employer’s human resources or benefits department to verify participation. If they do, fill out the employee portion of the application and send it to the Angel Scholarship Fund, 1404 East 9th Street, Cleveland, Ohio 44114.
Read more in today's bulletin, or on our website at www.stmarychardon.org/asf. Thank you for spending the 5 minutes it takes to donate to the Angel Scholarship Fund to make a difference for a family desiring affordable Catholic education.
The Lord is so good! Even in the midst of a crazy and chaotic world, the Lord continues to bless us in so many ways. We open ourselves to receive His blessings when we pray and enter ever more deeply into His love. I hope you steal away a few moments of silent time with Him this week so you may know of His great love He has for you.