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Take Action This Week: Urge Congress to Keep the Charitable Tax Deduction November 21st, 2017
Letter to Senators asking them to keep the Charitable Tax Deduction, which benefits charities like Oblates of Mary Immaculate, Oblate Missionary Society, Inc (OMSI) and Oblate School of Theology.
Message:
I am writing you to share my concern and urgently seek your help regarding efforts by the United States Senate to pass a bill that would eliminate all charitable tax deductions. Last week the House passed this bill, “Tax Cuts and Jobs Act” (H.R. 1.), and this week the US Senate is considering this bill as well. If passed, this bill would have dire consequences for Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate, its affiliates, and all US non-profit organizations.
The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act’s current language & the elimination of the Charitable Tax Deduction would be devastating to the charities that I support and the non-profit organization for whom I work. It would remove the tax incentive for millions of charitable taxpayers, and could result in a loss of $13 billion annually right where the funds are needed the most – helping America’s poor.
Sr. Georgette Lehmuth, President/CEO of the National Catholic Development Conference states, “Tax reform should protect and expand this deduction to recognize the impact of charitable gifts, regardless of size, to support those most vulnerable in American society and worldwide.” I wholeheartedly agree.
Additionally, I STRONGLY urge you to support the amendment by Senators Wyden and Stabenow that will create a universal charitable deduction. This way, there will continue to be tax-wise incentives for people to support those who fall through the cracks in our American society.
Please offer your support by taking immediate action! Instructions are outlined below.
- Click this link to find your Senator: https://democracy.io/ (Enter your address and zip code, then click “Submit”.)
- A new screen listing your Congressional Representatives will appear, select your Senators, then click “Write to them.”
- Please use this as your message Subject line: “Please keep the Charitable Tax Deduction in any Tax Overhaul Bill.”
- Enter a short letter to your Senator in the “Message” box. Please include the information in this Action Alert in your letter.
- Enter your contact info. (Check “Taxes” under the topic drop-down box.)
- Then hit “Send” button to complete the action.
Thank you for your time and generosity! Have a Happy Thanksgiving!
Urge Your Members of Congress to Support Continued Protection for Haitians November 20th, 2017
Support Continued Protection for Haitians: Extend Temporary Protected Status(TPS) For Haiti
Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate is joining with other Catholic groups and interfaith coalitions in calling to extend the designation of Haiti for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for an additional 18 months.
TPS is a temporary, renewable, and statutorily authorized immigration status that allows individuals to remain and work lawfully in the U.S. during a period in which it is deemed unsafe for nationals of that country to return home. While the current designation for Haiti is set to expire in January 2018, the Department of Homeland Security is required to make a decision to terminate or extend TPS for Haiti by November 23, 2017.
People of faith are concerned that thousands of hardworking Haitians in the U.S. may be at risk of having their Temporary Protected Status (TPS) terminated. Extending Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitians is the right action to take because Haitian migrants will temporarily remain in the United States and support themselves legally while the nation of Haiti is being rebuilt. The U.S Catholic Bishops recent trip report, Haiti’s Ongoing Road to Recovery: The Necessity of an Extension of Temporary Protected Status, make the extension of TPS for Haitians vital at this time.
Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate has been present in Haiti since the 1950’s. Today Oblates in Haiti are still doing active missionary work in the northeastern part of the country. In the United States, Missionary Oblates are doing Catholic parish work, ministering to diverse immigrants including Haitians.
TAKE ACTION:
- Support Continued Protection for Haitians: Extend Temporary Protected Status(TPS) For Haiti- https://justiceforimmigrants.org/action-alerts/action-alert-urge-continued-protection-haitians-country-continues-recover/
November 19 is World Day of the Poor: Love not in word, but in deed November 16th, 2017
“It would be a day to help communities and each of the baptized to reflect on how poverty is at the very heart of the Gospel and that, as long as Lazarus lies at the door of our homes (cf. Lk 16:19-21), there can be no justice or social peace. This day will also represent a genuine form of New Evangelization (cf. Mt 11:5) which can renew the face of the Church as she perseveres in her perennial activity of pastoral conversion and witness to mercy.”
— Pope Francis in his November 2016 apostolic letter Misericordia et Misera, closing the Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy.
The Church will celebrate the first World Day of the Poor on November 19, 2017, with the theme
“Love not in word, but in deed.” It is a call for the Church to advocate and pray for those in poverty. This year’s observance is exactly one year after the close of the Jubilee of Mercy. The World Day of the Poor was announced in Pope Francis’s closing letter for the Jubilee of Mercy. It will be celebrated in Rome and various dioceses and parishes around the world.
Read the message of His Holiness Pope Francis.
TAKE ACTION:
- The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops created a pastoral aid that includes a homily resource reflecting on the Sunday readings and Pope Francis’ message. It also includes Prayer of the Faithful, a sample bulletin announcement, parish activity ideas, and more.
Download the resource in English
Download the resource in Spanish
- Download Catholic Relief Services World Day of the Poor resources for prayer and liturgy.
- Visit the Pontifical Council’s website for more information on the day’s events.
Diverse Faith Groups Urge Passage of the Dream Act of 2017 November 14th, 2017
Members of the Washington Interfaith Staff Community (WISC) recently embarked on a letter-writing campaign as part of Praying With Dreamers week. Over 40 national faith-based organizations wrote letters to Members of Congress on behalf of their congregations and in support of the Dream Act of 2017 (S. 1615/H.R. 3440). The Dream Act of 2017 will protect about 800,000 young undocumented immigrants brought here as children from being deported. These young people had been protected under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program set up by President Obama in 2012. The Trump Administration announced in September 2017 it will end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program (DACA).
Fifty letters were sent to Members of Congress (10 per day) between Oct 29-Nov 3, 2017. Click here to read OMI JPIC’s letter.
OMI JPIC General Service Committee Convenes in Rome, Italy November 14th, 2017
From November 9-14, 2017, the OMI JPIC General Service Committee met in Rome for their annual session. Present at this meeting were: Ramon Bernabe, OMI, 2nd General Assistant, Alerto Huaman, OMI, General Councillor for Latin America, Louis Lougen, OMI, Superior General, Guillaume Muthuna, OMI, General Councillor Zimbabwe/Region of Africa-Madagascar, Peter Subagyo, OMI General Councillor, Mediterranean-Europe Region, Cristobal Acosta, OMI, JPIC Animator for Latin America, Elphas Khoza, OMI, Zimbabwe/Region of Africa-Madagascar, Daniel Leblanc, OMI, United Nations, Sergio Natoli, OMI, JPIC Animator for Mediterranean/Europe Region, Antonio Ponce, OMI, JPIC Animator US-Canada Region, Ashok Stephen, OMI, JPIC Regional Animator Colombo/Region of Asia-Oceania.
