Dear Parish Family,
Now is the time. As we prepare for the end of this liturgical year and the start of Advent in two weeks, our liturgy points us to the end times when Christ will come again. The Father prompts us to pray, "Come, Lord Jesus" to be eager for Christ's coming in glory. Christ's triumphant return to earth shouldn't be something we fear, but an event we long for with joy and love.
 
Christ comes to restore all things to glory. There's a powerful invitation here to set things right in our lives, to return to the Lord's love and mercy with heartfelt repentance and prayer. Now is the time. As a Lord of the Rings fan, I recall Aragorn's response to Boromir, who was afraid to enter the Golden Woods of Lothlorien: "Only evil need fear it, or those who bring some evil with them." The only thing that should fear Jesus is the evil we cling to in our hearts. Cast the evil out and follow Jesus with joy!
 
Angel Scholarship Fund Kickoff Weekend
As we make preparations for end of the year activities and festivities, we celebrate our Angel Scholarship Fund (ASF) kickoff this weekend at our Masses! There will be an ASF Investor Reception in the school lobby and banquet room after the 10:00 am Mass this weekend, so please stop by for some treats and mingle with fellow ASF investors! While investing in ASF can be done any time of the year, we receive over 80% of our contributions towards the end of the year. Now is the time. So what is ASF and what has been its impact since its inception in 2022?
 
What is ASF?
ASF is part of the tax credit scholarship program set up by the State of Ohio for taxpayers to redirect a portion of the income taxes they owe the State to the Catholic school of their choice to use for tuition scholarships based on prioritized financial need. Investors in ASF can direct the amount they owe in state income taxes, up to $750 per individual (or up to $1,500 for a married couple filing jointly), to St. Mary School and receive that amount as a dollar-for-dollar tax credit reduction in what you owe in state taxes.
 
What's the impact of ASF?
Since 2022, we've directed over $400,000 in ASF funds to help fund tuition for students at our school! As tuition costs rise to reflect the true cost to educate, ASF scholarships not only lower parent out-of-pocket tuition payments, but also  help us further our faith formation opportunities for our students, raise teacher salaries, and lower our parish subsidy. In fact, this past year our parish subsidy to the school was reduced over 90% (from over $200,000 on average over the past five years to only $17,000 this past fiscal year)! The proof is here. ASF is a win-win for school families, students, teachers, our school and parish, and taxpayers.
 
What can I do?
Now is the time to make a no net-cost investment in the ASF tax credit scholarship! You read that right. Investing in ASF doesn't cost you anything since you are simply redirecting the state income taxes you already owe towards a tuition scholarship at St. Mary School. It's not too good to be true. Investing in ASF doesn't cost you money, but only a few minutes of your time. More than 250 investors make a contribution to St. Mary School each year, and we invite you to become one of our investors to help us reach our goal of $300,000 in ASF contributions this year. Contribution forms and flyers are available in this weekend's bulletin and at the ASF table in the gathering space after Mass.
 
I've made my investment to ASF this year, and I encourage you to do the same. Set our parish and school on their best foot forward and take advantage of this awesome opportunity before us to make Catholic education and a relationship with Jesus Christ a reality for our families. Learn more and donate at stmarychardon.org/asf.

You are invited to a special Ceremonial Groundbreaking for the new rectory at St. Mary Parish on Saturday, November 23 at 1:00 pm. We will gather on the southeast plot of land by the school drive where the rectory will be constructed for a prayer service, short speeches from the City of Chardon, the Catholic Community Foundation, Payne & Payne, and a ceremonial groundbreaking to mark this monumental occasion. We will hold a reception after the groundbreaking ceremony in the Banquet Room. Please RSVP at the parish office or use the link below.
RSVP Here for Groundbreaking Ceremony
 
Our 30 Days of Holiday Cash fundraiser for our school is in full swing! You can purchase tickets for $10 a piece at the parish or school office for daily chances to win prizes of $50 or $500! Thank you for supporting our faith formation mission at St. Mary School!
 
We've added two more dates for pictures for our Parish Photo Directory! Please sign up for available time slots on Friday, November 29 and Saturday, November 30 for individual or family photos at www.ucdir.com with Church Code: "OH2790" and Password: "photos" (without the quotation marks).
 
I am yours in Christ,
Fr. Scott Goodfellow