Diocese of Toledo, Ohio

Browsing From the Pastor

January 18/19 Bulletin Article

From the Pastor:                           

People of all ages this week will witness to the sanctity and dignity of all human life by witnessing to the dignity and sanctity of children still in their mothers’ womb. In the many times I have participated in the March for Life, I was most surprised by the countless number of young people who were there. Their joy and conviction are inspiring. They believe (as they should!) every human person has the right to life because each is made in the image and likeness of God.

Our time on earth is given to each of us by God. The purpose is to grow in wisdom, knowledge, and love of God and others. Taking the youngest, most vulnerable people in our society is one of the greatest possible injustices. Jesus makes clear we are to lay down our life for another person. We should never be like King Herod who sacrifices the lives of others to preserve his way of life. For those who regret their involvement in an abortion, there is hope and mercy when they turn to God, repenting of their sin, as Jesus says, with a humble and contrite heart.

On a different topic, I share with you again this week the great news that you might be tempted to think is too good to be true. At first, I too was skeptical, but not after learning more about it. What I’m referring to is the state tax code that allows Ohioans to make a financial donation to the work of the parish and fully deduct it from what they owe in state taxes. This is great news because it allows parishioners to contribute to the work of the Church with zero cost to themselves.

As with every tax law, there are limitations and specific guidelines that must be followed. First, the financial gift cannot be greater than $750 for individuals or $1,500 for married couples. Second, the donation must be made to a Scholarship Granting Organization (SGO), not directly to parishes. This is because the tax law intends the donation to be directed toward private schools, such as our Catholic schools. Since parishioners subsidize the cost to operate their parish school, these donations will help reduce the school operating cost to the parish.

Although not every parish operates a Catholic school, hopefully every Catholic understands the importance and need for good Catholic schools in our society. More and more our society is drifting from a Christian viewpoint to one that is rapidly becoming pagan and hedonistic. This state tax law allows every parishioner who pays state income taxes to contribute a small portion of that to their local Catholic schools at no cost to themselves. This is a rare win-win situation and something we should all support.

The Diocese of Toledo has established itself as the Scholarship Granting Organization (SGO) for all the Catholic schools throughout our diocese. Financial gifts are made directly to our Diocesan SGO with specification for which Catholic school it is intended. To claim a 2024 Ohio Scholarship Donation Credit, you would make your donation to our Diocesan SGO before April 15, 2025. More information about this can be found in this bulletin.

Gratefully,
Fr. Miller

 

Kayla - January 19, 2025

From the Catechesis & Evangelization Department:

If you haven’t looked ahead at the calendar, you might find it surprising that Lent is 6 weeks away. Preparation is underway to make this holy season spiritually enriching for all of us. Events planned thus far are the annual tri-parish mission, a book study led by Fr. Miller, a family Lenten retreat day, and the Soup-Supper series hosted by the Christian Formation team at St. Mary. The office staff will be mailing out Lent calendars in the coming weeks with the various spiritual opportunities available to you in this very important spiritual season.

This year’s tri-parish mission speaker is Fr. William Slattery, who currently serves as chaplain at the Damascus Catholic Mission Campus. Born in Ireland, Father Slattery was ordained by St. Pope John Paul II at St. Peter’s Basilica in 1991. He is the author of several books, including Heroism and Genius (Ignatius Press) and The Logic of Truth (Leonardo da Vinci Press). His next book, Ultramodern Catholicism: How to Re-Enchant the Modern Lifestyle (Our Sunday Visitor Press), will be published next spring with a foreword by Mark Wahlberg. The movie star endorsed it with these words: “This book slam dunks why I’m proud to be Catholic.”

The tri-parish mission will be four days, beginning Sunday, March 16 and ending Wednesday, March 19. It will follow the same daily schedule as last year. The last evening will include food and fellowship following that night’s talk. That same evening will also include live music by Damascus Worship during Exposition. You can listen to their albums on any major music streaming platform (personally, my favorite songs are “Hail O Queen” and “Body and Blood”).

We look forward to spending time with you all at these events as we strive to draw closer to the heart of Jesus during the upcoming Lenten season.

Kayla Truax,
Department Manager

 

 

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