Dear Parish Family,

Happy Easter! What a joy it is for Fr. Fabian, Deacon Tom, Deacon Larry, Deacon Bob, Deacon Phil, and me to celebrate this Easter with you. Our Lord is risen! The resurrection of Christ anticipates our own resurrection, when He will raise us up, body and soul, to live with Him in eternal life. While I think most people already assume that the soul lives on after death, the power of the Christian proclamation of the resurrection is that the body is raised from the dead. No one would have cared if the early Church proclaimed, "Jesus' soul lives on!" When we do not have an encounter with Jesus' body, we can over-spiritualize the resurrection to the point that it has no bearing on our daily lives. 

Wouldn't you know that we do get to regularly encounter the body of Jesus Christ! The early Church proclaimed, "We have seen the Lord! He appeared to us on the way. He ate with us, let us place our hands in His wounds, and we recognized Him in the breaking of the bread." We also get to encounter, touch, and taste Jesus in His resurrection in the Holy Eucharist. The Body and Blood of Jesus given to us lets us share even now in His risen glory.

Brothers and sisters, what a joy it is to celebrate Eucharist with you today. As members of a Catholic parish, we have the chance to taste and see the goodness of the Lord every Sunday. Every Sunday is a mini-Easter, a day we can encounter the Lord Jesus so His saving mysteries can reach us. The day of our salvation is here!

If you're a parishioner or a visitor looking for a parish to call home but have some questions or concerns to work through before coming back, please reach out to me and we can talk about some next steps. I just want to help you to know Jesus and His love for you. He is the desire of your heart, the One you've been longing for, and He longs for each of us with an infinite desire. Open your heart to Him in every way. What a beautiful way for us to live!

ASF Tax Credit Reminder
Now's the time to get your 2023 tax credit by donating to the Angel Scholarship Fund! Your contribution assists our St. Mary school families with tuition assistance and gives you a dollar-for-dollar reduction in what you owe in state taxes. Pick up a contribution form and important tax flyer in the back of church. Please reach out to me or our Advancement Director, Frank Rihtar (frihtar@stmaryschoolchardon.org) with any questions. Read the ASF blurb below for more important donation and tax information. Thank you for your support!

Footsteps of St. Paul Pilgrimage
Join Fr. John Betters and me on a "Footsteps of St. Paul" pilgrimage to Greece and Turkey this September 3-13! Fr. John was my first pastor as a new priest, and I’m excited to travel with our parish families and with him and his Ss. Robert and William and St. John of the Cross Parish families. We postponed our Holy Land trip for a year but decided keep it biblical by following the path of St. Paul. The itinerary looks incredible. Check it out and learn more at the link below, and pick up a brochure in the back of church. Save the date for an information session on Wednesday, April 3 from 6:30 - 8:00 pm in the St. Mary ABC Rooms.

https://www.trinitytourtravels.com/fr-goodfellow-fr-betters

I am yours in Christ,
Fr. Scott Goodfellow

ANGEL SCHOLARSHIP FUND (ASF): CHECK LINE 8C BEFORE SUBMITTING YOUR TAXES

There's still time to contribute to the Angel Scholarship Fund and get a dollar-for-dollar tax credit for 2023! 

If you did not invest or are on the fence, we have one simple request:
1) Before you hit the submit button online or authorize your tax preparer to file your Ohio income taxes, please check Line 8C of the IT 1040 form to see what amount of taxes you owe.

2) If the amount you owe is over $750 and you're an individual or if it is over $1,500 and you’re a married couple filing jointly, you are eligible to claim the full tax credit through the ASF.  Note: If the amount on Line 8C is less than $750 or $1,500, you are still encouraged to invest in ASF but just up to the amount shown.  Investing will not only allow you to claim this dollar-for-dollar tax credit, potentially maximizing your refund by bringing those dollars back into your pocket, but it will turn your taxes into tuition for families at St. Mary School.

3) Invest in ASF before April 15, 2024 and claim the tax credit in 2023.  This will increase the amount of funds our school will have to distribute for the 2024-25 school year. You will receive a tax receipt to apply to your tax return immediately via email after you invest online.

Please contact Fr. Scott at 440-285-7051 or Frank Rihtar at 440-286-3590 if you have any questions regarding the ASF.  We would be happy to put you in touch with a local CPA to answer specific tax questions.