I hope that everyone will enjoy a HAPPY THANKSGIVING this coming Thursday. If you are traveling over the holiday to be with family and loved ones, we wish you a safe return. It just so happens that there is another occurrence this same week for which we should give thanks. Fr. John’s birthday falls on Saturday, November 26th. Please wish him well on his big day!
Speaking of Thanksgiving, don’t forget that the annual Thanksgiving Mass will be celebrated on November 24 at 9:00 a.m. This is a very special Mass for several reasons. Obviously, we are able to give thanks to God for all that He has given us in our lives. In addition, we will have the opportunity to improve the lives of those who are not as fortunate. The entire collection from the Thanksgiving Mass will be given to our St. Vincent De Paul Society to assist families in need in our parish community. I can assure you that the need has never been greater. As many of you have read in the Naples Daily News or seen on TV, the food pantry at the main St. Vincent De Paul office is literally running on empty. Our volunteer caseworkers have also been working feverishly to accommodate all of the calls they have received. The requests are many and those requesting assistance basically have nowhere else to turn. Our Society assists these families on several different levels including, but not limited to, rent assistance, utilities, fuel and food. The families are screened prior to being assigned a caseworker at which time one of our volunteers meets with them to further assess their needs. Many of these families are those who never thought they would be in need of assistance. Believe it or not, some of these families requesting assistance are former supporters of St. Vincent De Paul themselves. Please consider my comments while attending Mass this Thanksgiving and be as generous as possible. As I have said before: The family that you are assisting through your generosity could be sitting right next to you at Mass.
Time is running out for the Pension Protection Act which will expire at the end of this year. Our financial representative has indicated that most money managers/financial advisors have set the date of December 7, 2011 for the cutoff to make such a gift. Several of our parishioners have taken advantage of these favorable guidelines as mentioned in my column last week. For those who are not familiar with the Pension Protection Act, here is a brief summary:
Have you taken advantage of the favorable IRS regulations (Pension Protection Act) regarding distributions from your IRA? Many of you have done so, however, many more may not be aware of this opportunity which will expire in 2012. In an attempt to increase philanthropic giving, the IRS has extended the deadline in which distributions from your IRA may be directed to a charitable organization tax free. Once an individual attains the age of 70 1/2, he or she is required to begin taking minimum distributions from their IRA. This distribution is taxed at the individual’s particular tax bracket (15%, 25%, 28%, etc…). For the remainder of the 2011 tax year, you may choose to gift your distribution (up to $100,000) directly to your favorite charity (i.e. St. John’s, Jamaica Outreach, CFA) completely tax free. This is a great opportunity to make a one time gift without the federal government getting their “cut”. Please see your financial advisor or tax professional to obtain the forms necessary to make your gift.
As the year end approaches, I have received numerous calls regarding the donation of stock. All stock gifts are processed through the Diocese of Venice for the benefit of St. John the Evangelist. If you would like to make such a year end stock gift, please call the Diocese of Venice at 941-484-9543 and ask for the development office. They will handle the transfer for you and allocate the funds as you request. You may split your gift, however, you like (i.e. 50% for general operating, 35% CFA 15% Jamaica Outreach). The DOV will acknowledge your gift and notify us of the transfer and allocation. You will then receive an acknowledgement from St. John’s. Your annual statement will also reflect the gift.
Due to the fact that I had to submit my column very early, there will be no collection information this week. I will include this information in next week’s bulletin.
As my form of Thanksgiving to all of you that do so much to make this parish so wonderful, I will not include a plea for the Catholic Faith Appeal or the lighting project this week. Although I make this comment in jest, please know that on behalf of all the clergy and staff, we are forever grateful to our amazing parishioners for sharing your many gifts of time, talent and treasure.
In His work together,
Scott Schlossberg, MBA
General Manager