3,129 students this year have STO donors to thank!STO tuition awarding for the 2022-23 school year was finalized in October, and nearly 37% of all students attending our Archdiocesan schools received STO assistance. In addition, the average award amount increased by $229/year to $1,626. Thank you to our 2021 donors who turned taxes into tuition while helping shape the future for these income-qualifying families. However, the pace of donations for 2022 has slowed, so… Will fewer students receive STO assistance next year?    The STO and the students we serve with tuition assistance greatly need your help right now. For many families, the expense of Catholic school tuition is on the table as they discuss ways to make ends meet. If you’ve been a donor, won’t you please donate today, or if you’ve never donated, would you please consider helping keep enrollment and participation strong at our Catholic schools?   Appreciated Securities and year-end givingAs we come to year-end, please know that there are recommended deadlines for donating appreciated securities. Our preference is to receive stock donations before mid-December to have time to value the securities and process the contribution. Remember that if you initiate a stock transfer in December, we always recommend you check our website OurFaithSTO.org to verify the availability of credits.

CPA’s are talking about the STO Tax Credit“I say, eliminate your state income tax. I try to do it every year” says CPA Ken Kuene of Hacker Nelson CPA in Decorah.  Ken’s personal strategy has been to donate to the STO to reduce or eliminate his Iowa income tax liability.  In fact, Ken has donated for all 16 years that the Our Faith STO has been in existence  As one of northeast Iowa’s strongest advocates for the program, he and his firm have recommended this strategy to countless donors. To hear more from Ken, and three other CPAs about the benefits of the STO tax credit watch our video titled “Ask a CPA about the STO” vimeo.com/763836280  Thank you Ken Kuene and all CPAs, Financial Advisors, and Tax Professionals for your promotion of the STO tax credit! Speaking of CPAs and Tax Professionals…  have you met with yours regarding your 2022 tax strategy?Many people are beginning to sit with their tax professionals to discuss their 2022 tax strategy.  A gift to the Our Faith STO has been an annual practice for hundreds and hundreds of our donors.  We thank those who have chosen this strategy in the past and ask for your help spreading the word about the 75% tax credit.We’re at 47% of our fundraising goal, so the need is great if we are to continue to grow enrollment in our Catholic schools through STO tuition assistance.Won’t you please donate today?If you have questions about the STO, please contact us at 563-556-2580 x296 or visit us only to donate at OurFaithSTO.org/donate-nowDonate Now

Bosco Catholic Receives 2022 “Embracing Inclusion Award”

In October, Immaculate Conception/St. Joseph School, part of the Bosco Catholic School System was presented with the 2022 “Embracing Inclusion” Award.  This award is presented each year to a parish, Catholic school, or organization in the Archdiocese of Dubuque that offers the Best Improvement to Property, providing greater accessibility, or for the Best Program or Project, providing fuller inclusive participation in the life of the faithful. Immaculate Conception/St. Joseph was recognized for being inclusive in areas of both property and project!              (Pictured are Principal Shelby Douglas and Lynn Chapman, Archdiocese Disability Inclusion Manager)  When presenting the award to Principal Douglas, it was stated, “Immaculate Conception/St. Joseph School is an ideal example of an inclusive community that nurtures the souls of its students. Your school is filled with supportive staff, students, and families, who help to make Catholic school education possible for persons with disabilities by providing a prayerful and inclusive environment where all feel safe, accepted, and valued…a place where everyone BELONGS.  Your school system currently provides services for one preschool student with special learning needs, two elementary age students, and one high school student, all receiving services fully onsite. In addition, you are providing fun for the preschool students with the construction of a new universally designed, inclusive playground.”Congratulations to the Immaculate Conception/St. Joseph and Bosco Community!  STO donors like you give all students an opportunity for a faith-based education and welcoming environment!

For more information on the Our Faith STO, please contact:Deacon Brian Zeman  Director- Our Faith STO  b.zeman@dbqarch.org (563) 556-2580, ext. 296  or visit OurFaithSTO.org

A message to the faithful of the archdiocese from Archbishop Michael Jackels

24 October 2022

Gender: Bend but Don’t Break

The discussion
There are some children, youth and adults who suffer from the feeling that their body
doesn’t match where they see themselves internally along a broad, non-binary sexual
spectrum.
Who knows why people experience that, but the suffering they experience is real, and they
deserve to be met with respect and compassion, and helped to find relief.
Advocates of gender theory say they can find relief by choosing their gender, and how they
express that choice, even to the point of changing their bodies to correspond to that choice.
People who identify themselves as transgender sometimes express themselves with a new
name, preferred pronouns or wardrobe, and anticipate that others will respect that choice.
That is a challenge for those who embrace the Catholic worldview, especially in terms of
understanding the human person and human sexuality.
The Catholic worldview
Catholics are guided by the Holy Spirit, who Jesus promised will lead us into all truth (John
16:13). That guidance is given through Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition.
We believe that God created humans in the Divine Image, as male or female, which is both
a given and a gift, and having an inherent dignity (Genesis 1:27).
The sexual difference between male and female speaks to their responsible cooperation with
the Creator to increase the number of the human race (Genesis 1:28).
The sexual difference also speaks to the complementarity between woman and man, finding
in each other an equal and a suitable partner in marriage (Genesis 2:20-24).
In our human nature we enjoy free-will, which isn’t a limitless autonomy, but circumscribed
by the sovereign will of God (Genesis 2:17).
Our first parents violated those boundaries by trying to commandeer the sovereignty of
God, resulting in our soul and body feeling divided (Genesis 3:5).
One form of that divide is feeling shame when naked (Genesis 3:7). Others may feel it as a
disconnect between their chosen gender and their body.
Conclusion
Catholics must respect the dignity that every person enjoys, assure them that they are
loved by God and us, and protect them from harm, and certainly not be the cause of it.

1229 Mount Loretta Avenue • Dubuque, Iowa 52003-7286
Phone (563) 556-2580 • www.DBQArch.org

But at this point in the gender discussion, we aren’t able to go along with the idea that
people can choose and change their gender, rather than see it as a fact of nature.
We aren’t sticks-in-the-mud. We’re open to other perspectives, to see if we might find truth
there, or to seek common ground, or to promote acceptance, even if we don’t agree.
Others may consider Catholics unenlightened, but we too deserve respect when in our
various ministries we aren’t able to accommodate someone’s preferred gender expressions.
What we can do though is imitate Jesus: accompany transgender people, feel their pain,
listen to their story, tell them another side of the story, share life and love with them (Luke
24:13).

Michael O. Jackels
Archbishop of Dubuque

Watch our latest video to see why the STO Matters! STO Matters! The Our Faith School Tuition Organization is in the business of changing lives. Your donations profoundly affect students, families, our schools, and the Church. (Not to mention your Iowa income taxes)  Please watch our newest video titled “The STO Matters” to glimpse how a donation to the STO isn’t just good for your taxes but has a much more significant impact. Please watch until the very end to watch a “pay it forward” story likely to impact Catholic education for years to come!Gifts of Grain make excellent STO Donations!It’s harvest time, and did you know that Gifts of Grain to the STO are eligible for the 75% Iowa income tax credit? The gift should be from unsold crop inventory with no prior sale commitment and can be gifted when delivered to the elevator. A form must be signed by an elevator representative at the time of delivery to verify your donation.  The form can be found at Ourfaithsto.org/donate-now.Should you have questions about this method of donation, please contact the STO at 563-556-2580 x296Hear from this CPA why the STO is not just a great tax credit programJennifer Decker, is a Catholic school parent, CPA at Hogan-Hansen in Cedar Rapids, STO donor, and current STO Board President.  She is committed to the work of the STO because she has seen firsthand how this “win-win” contribution can help families in need while providing a generous 75% Iowa income tax credit.  Our donors have many reasons for giving.  Here’s why Jennifer and her husband give to the STO, “We give twofold; first there’s the tax credit that helps, but secondly, we’re both products of Catholic education, and we were students that would have probably qualified for the STO program, so it’s really a way for us to give back because I am where I am today because of the Catholic education I received.” Jennifer and three other CPAs recently sat with the STO to explain why they recommend STO donations to their clients.  Highlights from those conversations are available at 75percenttaxcredit.com Check out this page and the video, or better yet, tell your CPA or tax preparer about the page so they can learn more about the 75 percent tax credit. Won’t you please consider Turning your Taxes into Tuition?The largest income tax credit in Iowa is the STO tax credit, it allows donors like you to turn dollars that would have otherwise gone toward taxes into tuition assistance.  If you’ve never made a donation to the STO and “tried out” the tax credit for yourself, won’t you please consider donating this year? We are currently at 39% of our fundraising goal, but for the STO to help even more Catholic school families next year, won’t you please donate before December 31st?  Your tax credits can be applied to what you will owe when you file your 2022 taxes.To donate safely and easily, please use the link below or feel free to download the donor form on our website to mail your contribution OurFaithSTO.org/donate-nowDonate NowTake Care, and God Bless!Director- Our Faith School Tuition Organization. P.S.   Appreciated stock makes an exceptional STO donation. They are eligible for the 75% Iowa income tax credit, and you avoid paying capital gains because you’re donating the security!Leadership Opportunity AvailableDo you or someone you know have a passion for Catholic education and the well-being of our schools? If so, the Our Faith School Tuition Organization is looking for candidates interested in leading the STO into the future. Deacon Brian has recently accepted a different Archdiocesan position which he’ll assume full-time in 2023.  Until that time he will guide the STO and will eventually train his successor. If you’re interested in learning more, here is a job description listed under Pastoral Center positions. https://dbqarch.org/employment-opportunities. Interested candidates are encouraged to send a resume and cover letter to Human resources at dbqchr@dbqarch.orgFor more information on the Our Faith STO, please contact:Deacon Brian Zeman  Director- Our Faith STO  b.zeman@dbqarch.org (563) 556-2580, ext. 296  or visit OurFaithSTO.orgUnsubscribeThe Archdiocese of Dubuquecontactus@dbqarch.org Watch our latest video to see why the STO Matters!The Our Faith School Tuition Organization is in the business of changing lives. Your donations profoundly affect students, families, our schools, and the Church. (Not to mention your Iowa income taxes)  Please watch our newest video titled “The STO Matters” to glimpse how a donation to the STO isn’t just good for your taxes but has a much more significant impact. Please watch until the very end to watch a “pay it forward” story likely to impact Catholic education for years to come!Gifts of Grain make excellent STO Donations!It’s harvest time, and did you know that Gifts of Grain to the STO are eligible for the 75% Iowa income tax credit? The gift should be from unsold crop inventory with no prior sale commitment and can be gifted when delivered to the elevator. A form must be signed by an elevator representative at the time of delivery to verify your donation.  The form can be found at Ourfaithsto.org/donate-now.Should you have questions about this method of donation, please contact the STO at 563-556-2580 x296Hear from this CPA why the STO is not just a great tax credit programJennifer Decker, is a Catholic school parent, CPA at Hogan-Hansen in Cedar Rapids, STO donor, and current STO Board President.  She is committed to the work of the STO because she has seen firsthand how this “win-win” contribution can help families in need while providing a generous 75% Iowa income tax credit.  Our donors have many reasons for giving.  Here’s why Jennifer and her husband give to the STO, “We give twofold; first there’s the tax credit that helps, but secondly, we’re both products of Catholic education, and we were students that would have probably qualified for the STO program, so it’s really a way for us to give back because I am where I am today because of the Catholic education I received.” Jennifer and three other CPAs recently sat with the STO to explain why they recommend STO donations to their clients.  Highlights from those conversations are available at 75percenttaxcredit.com Check out this page and the video, or better yet, tell your CPA or tax preparer about the page so they can learn more about the 75 percent tax credit. Won’t you please consider Turning your Taxes into Tuition?The largest income tax credit in Iowa is the STO tax credit, it allows donors like you to turn dollars that would have otherwise gone toward taxes into tuition assistance.  If you’ve never made a donation to the STO and “tried out” the tax credit for yourself, won’t you please consider donating this year? We are currently at 39% of our fundraising goal, but for the STO to help even more Catholic school families next year, won’t you please donate before December 31st?  Your tax credits can be applied to what you will owe when you file your 2022 taxes.To donate safely and easily, please use the link below or feel free to download the donor form on our website to mail your contribution OurFaithSTO.org/donate-nowDonate NowTake Care, and God Bless!Director- Our Faith School Tuition Organization. P.S.   Appreciated stock makes an exceptional STO donation. They are eligible for the 75% Iowa income tax credit, and you avoid paying capital gains because you’re donating the security!Leadership Opportunity AvailableDo you or someone you know have a passion for Catholic education and the well-being of our schools? If so, the Our Faith School Tuition Organization is looking for candidates interested in leading the STO into the future. Deacon Brian has recently accepted a different Archdiocesan position which he’ll assume full-time in 2023.  Until that time he will guide the STO and will eventually train his successor. If you’re interested in learning more, here is a job description listed under Pastoral Center positions. https://dbqarch.org/employment-opportunities. Interested candidates are encouraged to send a resume and cover letter to Human resources at dbqchr@dbqarch.orgFor more information on the Our Faith STO, please contact:Deacon Brian Zeman  Director- Our Faith STO  b.zeman@dbqarch.org (563) 556-2580, ext. 296  or visit OurFaithSTO.orgUnsubscribeThe Archdiocese of Dubuquecontactus@dbqarch.org