Making a charitable gift through an IRA charitable rollover

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Sr. Goedken

By Sister Laura Goedken

Normally, a distribution from your IRA is taxed as ordinary income. However, if you are 70-1/2 or older, new federal tax legislation allows you — for the remainder of 2010 and throughout 2011 — to make a direct gift from your IRA to the Church through your parish, the Annual Appeal, the Catholic Foundation for the Diocese of Davenport, a diocesan institution or other qualified charity without the distribution taxed as income to you.

The new law also provides that you may consider an IRA distribution made in January 2011 as made in 2010.

The IRA charitable rollover law may provide a very good charitable giving vehicle if you are age 70 ½ and take the standard deduction rather than itemize deductions on your tax return. The law may also reduce the tax impact on your Social Security benefits. Your IRA could be considered a special fund for distributions to the Church and charities without the normal consequences of reporting additional taxable income.

The distribution must be from your IRA, not a 401(k) or other retirement plan. However, consult with your financial or tax advisor about the possibility of transferring funds from one of these other plans to establish an IRA, with the distribution to charity coming from the newly established IRA.

The IRA distribution must be a direct charitable gift and not a distribution to a donor-advised fund, a charitable remainder trust or for a charitable gift annuity.

To take advantage of the IRA charitable rollover to support the Church, please review the following helpful tips on how to handle your charitable gift correctly: 

• Contact your IRA custodian or representative before making a gift to arrange for the proper transfer of funds from your IRA directly to the Church and other qualified charities. The check issued from the IRA must be made payable to the charity.

• If you have elected to have income tax withheld from your normal IRA distributions, advise your IRA administrator not to withhold taxes from distributions to charity.

 • While this topic is fresh on your mind, ask your attorney and financial advisor how to make the Church a beneficiary of your will or trust or IRA.

For more information about how you and the Church can benefit from an IRA charitable rollover, contact the parish office or the Diocese of Davenport’s Office of Development at (563) 888-4252.

These helpful tips are only for your information on this change in the IRA law and are not to be considered as legal, tax or financial advice. You should consult with your legal, tax and financial advisors to implement the benefits of the IRA charitable rollover law and related matters.

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A response to Magliano’s column on Bethlehem

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Ross

By Allan Ross

I recommend that columnist Tony Magliano turn out the lights when the last Christian flees Bethlehem. 

After all, Mr. Magliano (and he is not alone) is in deep denial about the major reasons behind the flight of Christians from Bethlehem and the economic challenges for those who remain. If the real problems cannot be identified, then they cannot be solved. And if they cannot be solved, then there will be no Christians left in Bethlehem within our lifetime.

In his column published Dec. 16 in the print edition of The Catholic Messenger, Mr. Magliano lays total blame for Bethlehem’s troubles on the Israelis, faulting the security barrier and the building of settlements and for causing stress and misery from the occupation. That’s the safe and easy answer – it’s all the fault of the Jews. 

But nowhere does Mr. Magliano mention where the real blame lies, which is living in dhimmi status under the corrupt, bigoted and inept Palestinian Authority. This is not such a safe or easy answer, and if mentioned at all, only in a fearful whisper.

Since the late Yasser Arafat and the Palestinian Authority regained administrative control of the Palestinian territories after the signing of the Oslo Accords in 1993, Christians in Bethlehem have suffered from the accelerating confiscation of their land, shakedowns by gangs, fire bombings of Christians stores, desecration of churches and Christian cemeteries, murders, beatings, death threats, sexual assaults, kidnapping and abuse of Christian women, forced marriages and employment discrimination. No wonder they are emigrating in large numbers. 

A prime example occurred in 2002 when heavily armed Palestinian terrorists fleeing Israeli soldiers commandeered the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, holding priests, monks and nuns hostage for 39 days, stealing church valuables, desecrating the building and using Bibles for toilet paper. Yet in the end, Israel was blamed for causing this. It reminds me of the abused spouse who refuses to fault the abuser. 

There is no doubt that the Israeli security barrier and check points have caused economic hardships for the Palestinians; they certainly have. But they have also prevented countless Israeli deaths and injuries from Palestinian suicide bombers and snipers targeting Israeli women and children. I pick economic hardship over dead and maimed Israelis every time.

Despite all the terrorism, wars and destruction thrust on Israel by the Palestinians and their Arab brethren, most Israelis — as well as most Americans — are already  committed to a two-state solution — a homeland for the Jewish people and a homeland for the Palestinian people.  However, it is the Palestinians, the Arab world and their anti-Israel allies that refuse to accept a Jewish homeland, and thus are to blame for keeping peace and justice so elusive. 

But I do agree with you Mr. Magliano; there are signs of goodness and hope. According to the Israeli Tourism Ministry, over 1.4 million tourists have visited Bethlehem this year — a record number.  And 90,000 Christian tourists and pilgrims are expected in Israel over the two-week Christmas period — with most of them going to Bethlehem where all the hotel rooms are booked solid. 

Extra efforts are being made to ensure their safe and quick passage from Israel to Bethlehem, and free shuttle transport for pilgrims is available to and from Bethlehem.  In addition, four more hotels are under construction to accommodate more tourists in the future. Even Samir Hazboun of the Bethlehem Chamber of Commerce has said, “We believe that the economic situation in comparison to previous years is more stable and is improving.”  Good news all! 

I truly hope and pray that the Christian lights in Bethlehem shine brightly for years and years. But until Christian leaders are brave enough to confront the “real” problems and the “real” perpetrators, the “real” problems will never be resolved.  And until that happens, those Christian lights will continue to get dimmer every day.

(Allan Ross is executive director of the Jewish Federation of the Quad Cities. He can be reached at across@jfqc.org.)

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Students explore Christmas traditions

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Third-grade students, from left, Gabby Bojorquez, Brode Flynn, Alyssa Macias and Camile Thobe show off gingerbread houses they made Dec. 15 during a Christmas Around the World program. Students in K-8 at John F. Kennedy Catholic School in Davenport showed off customs and traditions of various countries around the world that day.

By Anne Marie Amacher

DAVENPORT — Christmas traditions came alive for students at John F. Kennedy Catholic School on Dec. 15. Kindergarten through eighth-grade classes had selected various countries to study, and then researched the customs and traditions and put together a presentation. Throughout the day, students toured the school to learn about traditions in Christmas Around the World.

Principal Chad Steimle encouraged students to learn from the experience and asked teachers to consider incorporating information gained from the daylong event into language/literature, social studies or religion classes.

Kindergarteners chose Mexico for study and presented the history of the poinsettia, sang “Feliz Navidad” in Spanish, had displays of authentic Mexican attire, food and clothing. The importance of the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe was also introduced.

First-graders took students to Sweden. They displayed the Advent calendar and explained the tradition of St. Lucia, the patron saint of light, whose feast day is celebrated Dec. 13. Students learned Christmas trees often are decorated with paper mache apples, Swedish flags and baskets with candy. On the feast of the Epiphany the three wise men walk through the villages.

Second-graders displayed materials about the Philippines. A talk about the Philippines was made in front of a map showing the country’s location. The “Parol,” a star-shaped Christmas lantern, figured prominently in the presentation. The lanterns students made hung throughout the classroom. They are traditionally made of paper and bamboo and represent the Nativity star.

Third-graders took students to Germany. The traditions of tinsel and candles were explained, students sang “O’Tannenbaum” (“O’Christmas Tree”) and “Silent Night.” They also displayed gingerbread houses they made early in the morning.

Fourth-graders presented information about Ireland. They explained the religious meaning of the “Twelve Days of Christmas” song and told how the shamrock is used to explain the Holy Trinity. The group concluded with an Irish blessing and said “Merry Christmas” in Gaelic.

Fifth-graders presented Christmas in the Colonies. They displayed homemade decorations such as strings of popcorn and cranberries. They talked about and displayed candles on a Christmas tree and explained the use of pine/fir and other greenery available in December.

Sixth-graders focused on Brazil. They told of Papai Noel, the Brazilian version of Santa Claus who lives in Greenland and wears silk because of the heat when he visits Brazil. Dried fruits such as apricots, pineapples and bananas – staples for Christmas dinner — were served.

Seventh-graders made their presentation on Russia. Students talked about the Russian ballet, attire, Father Frost — Russians’  Santa — and the various parts of the 12 dishes served at Christmas. They had Russian tea and desserts on display.

Eighth-graders celebrated Christmas in France. They explained that the tradition of the Nativity is important to those in France. Students also had a display with various Christmas carols that were originally composed in French that have since been translated to English and other languages.

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Finding rest and inspiration

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Martha Popson holds a staff and breviary, both of which support her on her journey of faith. Popson is a member of St. Anthony Parish in Knoxville and a Benedictine oblate with St. Mary Monastery in Rock Island, Ill.

By Martha Popson

Earlier this week, I could not fall asleep. I have insomnia maybe twice a year and resist it mightily each time, resulting in only more prolonged sleeplessness. 

I moved from bed to front room; the clock kept watch with me, moving on to midnight, 1 a.m., 2 a.m., 3 a.m. Sparky wandered in to see who was up.  That good and faithful canine companion and I tried all sorts of soporific tricks. He fell asleep quickly.  Alas, none worked for me.

I did relaxation exercises, listened to music, even tried a few minutes of “The Christmas Story.” (Praise be to iPods, appreciated anew that dark night.  Further praise for my ear phones, enabling my husband Johnny to sleep on, oblivious to my plight.) The minutes, the hours slipped by, yet the arms of Morpheus did not beckon.

At last, in desperation, I remembered God. Once I let God into the quiet, sleep soon followed. Both dog and I sunk into a long winter’s nap, extending into midmorning.

Today, of my own volition, I got up at 4 a.m. The wee hours before dawn are my favorite part of the day.  Sparky and I have been sitting here in the recliner for a couple of hours now. I’ve had my tea and Sparky, sated with doggy treats, has drifted off again. This time we welcomed the presence of God, best found in the stillness. Good moments of contemplative union were shared. We have started the day.

God, I’m so glad we had this time together.  Amen.

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Loftus ready for challenges as university president

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By Anne Marie Amacher

DAVENPORT — An opportunity to make a contribution to higher Catholic education as a university president led Jamie Loftus to accept the presidency of Cardinal Stritch University in Milwaukee.

“This was a good opportunity for me, Irene and the girls,” said the St. Ambrose University vice president of enrollment and student services in Davenport.

Loftus said he received a call last summer from someone who heard he had aspirations of becoming a college president. “Would you be interested,” he was asked. “Yes.”

Loftus and his wife, Irene, drove to Milwaukee during the late summer to walk around the campus and get a sense of the community. “We had a terrific impression.”

Cardinal Stritch is a Catholic university founded by the Sisters of Saint Francis of Assisi in 1937. Current enrollment is around 6,000 undergraduate and graduate students; the university has several campus sites in Wisconsin and Minnesota.

Cardinal Stritch “fit with my sense of values and skills. I liked their heritage and values. I think I am a good fit for them. I want to help students learn and succeed — at whatever level that might be.

“There will be some challenges — I’m sure — but those will be opportunities,” Loftus said. He looks forward to collaborating with the community “in this terrific mission.”

Like St. Ambrose, Cardinal Stritch is grounded in liberal arts. “I will not lose sight of that.”

In addition to interviews with Loftus, university staff talked with the family — especially the Loftus’ youngest daughter, Claire, who is still in high school. Loftus said Claire took a liking to the university because its former name was St. Clare College. The Sisters of St. Francis “embraced all of us, but also worked with Claire.”

On Dec. 14, Cardinal Stritch University announced Loftus as president effective July 1. He said his wife and four daughters traveled to Milwaukee for the welcoming and introduction. “It was a marvelous and joyous occasion.”

The family received a wood carving of St. Francis and a small stained glass artwork of St. Clare. “It is very visible in our home.”

From now until he officially begins work as university president, Loftus will make monthly trips to Cardinal Stritch as part of the transition process. “We also will look for a place to call home and find a place for Claire to complete high school.”

David Hawke, chairman of the Cardinal Stritch University Board of Trustees, said the board voted to select Loftus because of his collaborative leadership style, solid experience and lifelong commitment to Catholic education.

“We are pleased to have Dr. Loftus take the helm at Stritch. He is a dynamic, experienced and highly respected academic leader with a demonstrated commitment to Franciscan values.”

Loftus praised the St. Ambrose community for its support during his 21 years with the university. “They have been incredibly supportive and congratulated Irene, me and the girls. I can’t thank them enough. It has been very special.”

Loftus said he will miss the St. Ambrose community, “there’s no doubt about that. There is a huge place in my heart for St. Ambrose.”

“While saddened to lose such an effective administrator, the Ambrose community is also excited for Dr. Loftus and this wonderful opportunity,” said Sister Joan Lescinski, CSJ. The president of St. Ambrose added, “Dr. Loftus will bring leadership, passion and significant experience to his new position as a university president. It has been a privilege to work with him and we wish him the very best with our utmost gratitude for 21 years of service.”

With his wife’s family still in the Quad-Cities, the family plans to make trips back to the area. “I’ll be back. It’s only three hours by interstate max.”

About Jamie Loftus

James (Jamie) Loftus will become president of Cardinal Stritch University in Milwaukee on July 1. He has been with St. Ambrose University in Davenport since 1990.

Loftus earned his B.A. in psychology and M.B.A. from the University of Notre Dame. He earned his doctorate in planning, policy and leadership studies from the University of Iowa.

Loftus has served as assistant dean of continuing education, director of the master of pastoral studies program and director of professional development at St. Ambrose. In 1995 he was made director of the newly established ACCEL program. In 1998 he was promoted to vice president for enrollment management and in 2002 assumed oversight responsibility for student services.

Loftus is married to Irene, an attorney and former chancellor for the Diocese of Davenport. The couple are parents to Bridget, 22;  Kathleen, 21; Molly, 18; and Claire, 15.

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Groups helping children get St. Vincent grants

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By Anne Marie Amacher

Since its founding in 1895, St. Vincent Home has cared for children. Although its services have changed over time, the overall effort to help children is the main focus.

The orphanage closed in 1971; in 1973 the Diocese of Davenport entered into an agreement with St. Vincent Home Corporation to take over all assets and liabilities and establish a foundation.

Today, the corporation makes loans and grants for projects that further the original purpose of St. Vincent Home, said Kent Ferris, director of social action for the Diocese of Davenport. The corporation focuses on funding projects that assist children who are in the greatest need.

Funded groups are allocated on a nondenominational basis; funds are not distributed to government agencies. Projects and activities that are funded must conform to the moral teachings of the Roman Catholic Church, Ferris added. In addition, organizations that work with children must document their efforts to perform background checks of employees and volunteers who work with or have direct contact with children in order to be eligible for grants.

Applicants must be located within the diocese’s 22 counties or serve children within the diocese.

St. Vincent Home Corporation also requires grant recipients to submit progress reports.

The corporation has distributed more than $3 million to organizations since 1973. The latest grant allocation totaled more than $44,000; but requests for funds totaled more than $72,000.

Grants awarded in November went to:

• Boys and Girls Clubs of the Mississippi Valley in Moline, Ill., which received $2,000 for help with matching funds for programs that revolve around education and career development, character and leadership development, health and life skills, the arts, sports, fitness and recreation. More than 1,000 children in the Quad-City area are served by the clubs.

• Emma Cornelis Hospitality in Fort Madison. The grant for $5,000 will go toward providing basic food and shelter and working with Fort Madison-area community organizations to help individuals build self-esteem and establish themselves to become self-supporting citizens.

• Girl Scouts of Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois in Rock Island, Ill. The $600 grant will be used to provide materials for girls to earn their religious awards. Religious award activities would be conducted through their local churches or places of worship in partnership with volunteers.

• Humility of Mary Housing Inc. in Davenport. Its $12,750 grant helps pay for leases for eight apartments. HMHI provides support to single-parent families in the Quad-City area.

• Information Referral & Assistance Services in Clinton. The $6,500 grant will be used to keep living units safe by completing necessary maintenance and repairs and to help purchase basic personal needs for families moving in. Children are the main focus of the Jericho Supportive Housing Program.

• Mt. St. Clare Speech and Hearing Center in Clinton. The grant for $3,500 will go toward a desktop computer with a touch screen that will be put on a mobile cart to use with clients. Other therapy materials may be purchased as well. The Sisters of St. Francis assist clients by providing speech and occupational therapy services at a reduced or waived fee. Seventy percent of the clients are children.

• Project Renewal of Davenport. A grant for $6,000 will help pay for a stipend for three or four college students to assist in planning and implementing activities for summer programs for children at risk who come from low-income families. Project Renewal offers programs year-round with an average attendance of 40 children per week.

• Safer Foundation in Davenport. Its $3,500 grant will be used to support GED testing. The exam fee is a hardship for many students who have low income. This program offers an alternative for youth who are no longer in traditional schools. Funding also will help provide life skills instruction, pre-employment training, job referral and placement, and facilitation and oversight of community service house.

• Family Resources in Davenport. The $5,000 award will help bring two nationally recognized trainers from the Family Partnership Institute to the Quad-Cities to train Family Resources staff with three days of intensive training and two coaching days. The training will assist staff in identifying, engaging and connecting an individualized family support plan, which will allow children to be moved from a residential treatment center to a loving home.

Corporation history

When the Diocese of Davenport took over the St. Vincent Center, it assumed its debt, said Msgr. Michael Morrissey, a retired priest of the diocese and former vicar general. There was roughly $76,000 of debt from the replacement of the windows, he noted.

To carry on the ministry of helping children, Msgr. Morrissey said the diocese set a Catholic Charities collection to be taken each year, for 20 years. That money would help carry on the ministry of the former orphanage.

Money that came in from bequests and wills also was put into an account that was established for St. Vincent Home Corporation, he said. One bequest was $300,000. “That really helped get it going.”

Once money started going into the corporation, investments grew rapidly.

Today, interest from the account is distributed in the forms of grants to agencies and groups that help children.

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Youth retreats make great Christmas gifts

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O'Leary

By Kaitlyn O’Leary

iPods, UGGs and video games are at the top of many teens’ Christmas lists this year, but have parents been choosing what to buy their teens based on trends that will go out of style? Or a gift that has a long lasting effect on their teens’ faith and lives? A great gift to give your Catholic teen this Christmas is the opportunity to experience a weekend retreat.

The Diocese of Davenport offers a variety of retreats that high school Catholics can attend. Quest is a weekend retreat for freshmen and sophomores in high school that helps them to focus on loving themselves, loving others and loving God. It is a great opportunity to get away from their crazy lives, meet new teens in the diocese, talk about important issues and, most importantly, have a great time. The Quest retreats for youths in grades nine and 10 will be held Jan. 8-9 at Our Lady of Lourdes in Bettendorf and March 26-27 at St. Mary’s in Grinnell.

COR (Christ in Others Retreat) is for sophomores, juniors and seniors in high school. COR is a weekend full of personal reflection about relationships with family and other people in our lives. It is a faith-filled experience of fun and friendship. COR retreats will be held Jan. 21-23 at Our Lady of Victory in Davenport, March 11-13 at St. Joseph in DeWitt and March 25-27 at Holy Trinity Parish in Keota.

TEC (Teens Encounter Christ) is a weekend-long retreat in the summer that is offered to juniors and seniors in high school. This is an intense, faith-filled weekend that teens have a great time participating in. TEC this year will be held Feb. 19-21 at Assumption High School in Davenport.

When you are deciding whether to buy your teen a $50 pair of jeans or a video game, consider buying him/her a retreat instead. It is a long-lasting gift and a great way for your teen to express his or her faith in a fun way. If you have any further questions, log on to www.davenportyouth.org or contact your youth minister.

(O’Leary is a member of the Diocesan Youth Ministry Committee, or DYMC, and a member of St. Joseph Parish in DeWitt).

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