From the Pastor:
You should have recently received a letter in the mail from the diocese regarding the Annual Catholic Appeal. As you recall, this is the time each year when our Bishop asks for donations to help with the funding of his office and the other administrative offices of our diocese. The work of all the people in the central offices of our diocese (located downtown in the Pastoral Center building) is essential to what is done at the parish level. The services they provide for us at the parish level aren’t always seen but have a real effect.
The spiritual and administrative support that the diocesan administrative offices give me, the parish staff, and school is greatly appreciated. Their particular knowledge helps the parish operate at almost every level, for both the church and school. The various resources they provide range from spiritual to financial, sacramental to legal, as well as government laws and regulations.
The recruiting and training of men to be priests and deacons is not done by any one parish but the entire diocese. This is accomplished through the Diocesan offices that we are asked to support each year. We are blessed to have with us this year Evan, who is progressing very well through his formation for priesthood. After he finishes his year with us, he will have two more years in the seminary before his ordination as a priest. All this is made possible by your contributions to the Annual Catholic Appeal.
There are many more seminarians in our diocese, like Evan, in formation to become a priest. For a young man who enters the seminary directly out of high school, nine years of formation is needed before being ordained a priest. The cost for this is not cheap when considering all the seminarians in formation! Please pray that more young men will hear God calling them to “follow Christ as priests and have the faith and courage to say, “Yes!” The more seminarians we have, the greater the expense for their education, but I’d gladly put money toward more laborers in God’s vineyard!
The men and women in the Diocesan offices also provide training for religious education teachers, retreats for parishioners, outreach programs for the underprivileged, ministry to the immigrants, youth ministry, and much more. There is more they could help us with if they had the financial resources available. As a result, during this season of almsgiving, please prayerfully consider what you might be able to give to help the work of the Church in our small part of the world.
I encourage everyone to please consider giving something. Small amounts add up. I realize that there seems to be far too many charitable organizations appealing to you and me for our money. However, I and many other priests in our diocese give very generously to the Annual Catholic Appeal. It is about financially supporting ministries in our communities. Remember, our generosity will never surpass God’s generosity.
I’m deeply grateful to those who give to the Annual Catholic Appeal each year and to those who will do so this year. God’s blessing to you!
Sincerely,
Fr. Miller
Paula - February 9, 2025
From the Finance Department:
Thank you for your generous support of our parishes during 2024! The written acknowledgments for charitable contributions made during the 2024 tax year were mailed recently to parishioners who gave $250 or more. It is not necessary to call and request one.
Parishioners who made a Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD) from an IRA were mailed a separate written acknowledgement for this type of contribution. During the year, the Finance Office will be sending acknowledgements for QCD as they are received throughout the year. Its helpful if you let us know in advance of this type of contribution to the parish. If we are unclear whether your contribution is a QCD, we will contact you by phone or email.
If you do not receive your year-end statement soon, please call the Finance Office at 419-524-2572, extension 2105 (Barb Weaver) or extension 2103 (Paula Nestor).
Certain contributions are acknowledged by the Office of Mission Advancement at the Diocese of Toledo, not by the parishes. These include:
- Annual Catholic Appeal (ACA)
- Living Christ Campaign (LCC)
- Perpetuate the Gift (Priests’ Retirement Fund)
- Propagation of the Faith (World Mission Sunday)
If a contribution was made to one of these four and you have not received an acknowledgement or you have questions, please contact the Diocese office of Mission Advancement at 419-244-6711 or communications@toledodiocese.org.
Another tax topic is the Diocese of Toledo Scholarship Granting Organization (SGO). Ohio tax code allows Ohio taxpayers to receive a tax credit against their Ohio income tax liability for contributions made to a certified SGO. To claim a 2024 credit on your tax return, you must make your donation before April 15, 2025. To learn more about this tax credit or donate, please visit the Diocesan SGO website: www.dotsgo.org. If you would prefer to mail a check, donation forms are available in the parish offices or one can be emailed to you.
Paula Nestor,
Finance Department Manager