Advent Resources

Streaming Masses & Mass Readings

• Daily Catholic Mass Readings: cms.usccb.org/bible/
• Word on Fire: daily Mass, readings, reflections & more www.wordonfire.org/daily-mass/
• St Mary Masses - available on Facebook. The most recent are also available on this website by CLICK HERE
  

Daily Reflections & Prayers

• United States Conference of Catholic Bishops page for prayers and engagement: catholiccurrent.org/covid19/?mc_cid=653133a134&mc_eid=7734c10162
• Living Faith devotionals, prayers, and Mass readings  for adults and children: www.livingfaith.com/ 
  

Family Prayer Resources

Prayer Resources for Families:​

• Living Faith devotionals, prayers, and Mass readings  for adults and children: www.livingfaith.com/
• Subscribe to Family Matters Newsletter from the Archdiocese of Dubuque for additional resources: dbqarch.org/family-matters-newsletter

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We will observe the Archdiocese & CDC guidelines for social distancing & safe practices for Mass.
The dispensation for the Sunday obligation to attend Mass is still in place and will remain in place until a vaccine is available.

• · Masks required; put on before entering building. Limited number of reusable cloth masks available to use, launder & reuse.
  
• · Hand sanitizer provided at both entrances. Use as you enter.
  
• · Seating - sit only with those in your household. Ensure 6’ distance between non-household members.
  
• · No gathering before or after Mass in the building.
  
• ·· Singing will be very limited.
• · Communion (hosts only) will be brought to you in the pew.
• · Holy water font will not be available. Bottles of holy water can be requested from the office.
• · No sharing of the peace, hand shakes,  or other direct contact.
• · Ushers will dismiss by rows. Do not leave until they dismiss you.
• · Offertory & other gifts can be dropped in the boxes at the south or north entrance. We will not pass the collection baskets.
• · No food or drinks will be served in our facility until further notice. The water fountains & kitchen will not be available.
  
• · Restrooms will be available. While we will clean between Masses, we  cannot clean between every person. Plan accordingly.
• · High Risk Groups: Those aged 65+, have underlying health conditions, or are nervous about attending, please consider waiting to attend or attend a daily Mass with lower attendance. Stay healthy, stay safe.
  
• · Thank You! For your patience & cooperation!

Schedule & policies subject to change.

Charitable Gift Planning

Tax Benefits of the CARES Act – 2020 ONLY
The CARES (Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security) Act is designed to help all who face economic hardship during the coronavirus pandemic. 
Here are a few key provisions of the CARES Act that may affect you and your charitable goals:

Required Minimum Distributions Suspended
The new law temporarily suspends the requirements for required minimum distributions (RMD) for the 2020 tax year. This probably comes as a relief to many of you who would have had to withdraw from your retirement accounts. Many of our donors use their RMD to make a gift from their IRA. Despite the RMD suspension, remember that if you are 70½ or older, you can still make a gift from your IRA to us or you can name  St Mary Church  as a beneficiary.

Why a Gift From Your IRA May Still Be a Good Idea

• Your gift will be put to use today, allowing you to see the difference your donation is making.
• You pay no income taxes on the gift. The transfer generates neither taxable income nor a tax deduction, so you benefit even if you do not itemize your deductions.
• Since the gift doesn’t count as income, it can reduce your annual income level. This may help lower your Medicare premiums and decrease the amount of Social Security that is subject to tax.
  

New Tax Incentives – Federal Taxes Only
The CARES Act expands charitable giving incentives and allows taxpayers who take the standard deduction when they file their federal taxes to make up to $300 of charitable contributions to qualified charities this year and deduct it. You do not need to itemize to get this benefit. It is just for 2020.
For those who do itemize their deductions, the new law allows for cash contributions to qualified charities such as St Mary Church  to be deducted up to 100% of your adjusted gross income for the 2020 calendar year only.
These two opportunities do not apply for those filing an Iowa Income Tax Return.

Your Charitable Goals
We are deeply grateful for your continued kindness and support during this difficult time. Please contact St Mary Church to discuss how your gift can help further our mission.

Information contained herein was accurate at the time of posting (Nov 2, 2020). The information on this website is not intended as legal or tax advice. For such advice, please consult an attorney or tax advisor. Figures cited in any examples are for illustrative purposes only. References to tax rates include federal taxes only and are subject to change. State law may further impact your individual results.