Missouri Catholic Conference

Autumn Update

November 22, 2013

Fall road

St. Francis Xavier in St. Joseph

Collects CEI Signatures

The parish of St. Francis Xavier in St. Joseph, Missouri has sent the MCC a large bundle of notarized petition pages with voter signatures in support of the Children's Education Initiative (CEI). These signatures are coming from the sixth Congressional District, a large sparsely populated district that runs across a wide band of Northern Missouri. It is a district where petition collectors generally have trouble gathering the required signatures so the big push by St. Francis Xavier is much appreciated.

Don't Wait to Send MCC Your Signatures

The MCC is now processing and tallying signatures. If your parish or Catholic school has collected voter signatures you can send them to the MCC now. You can do this and still send more signatures to us later. In this way the MCC will be in better position to gauge the success of the CEI campaign and determine where more signature gathering efforts must be undertaken.

How Does My Parish Collect Signatures? Where are our Petition Pages?

If your parish or Catholic school has misplaced the training packet or petition pages the MCC mailed to you earlier, don't hesitate to contact the MCC at (800) 456-1679 or email us. We can also answer any questions you may have about CEI and the CEI campaign. Here again find the Instructions for Circulators. Your Parish or School Coordinator should train Circulators before they gather signatures. Also check with your CEI diocesan coordinator for further assistance:

St. Louis--George Kerry, (314) 792-7568, georgekerry@archstl.org

Jefferson City--Deacon Dan Joyce, (573) 635-9127, djoyce@diojeffcity.org

Kansas City--John Murphy, (816) 729-5222, kellynjohnmurphy@aol.com or john.murphy@breifnemarkets.com

or Dan Peters, (816) 714-2344, peters@diocesekcsj.org

Springfield/Cape Girardeau--Leon Witt, (417) 866-0841

lwitt@dioscg.org

Archdiocese Re-files Lawsuit

Challenging HHS Mandate

The Archdiocese of St. Louis re-filed its lawsuit in federal court this week challenging the HHS mandate. A federal court judge dismissed the lawsuit last January, stating that the claim wasn't "ripe" for consideration, because the mandate wasn't actually in effect at the time the lawsuit was filed.

The Department of Health and Human Services issued a final rule on the mandate this summer, which exempts "churches and their integrated auxiliaries." However, the exemption did not apply to Catholic Charities of St. Louis, an affiliate of the Archdiocese and an insured under the Archdiocesan health plan.

The re-filed suit challenges the failure of the final rule to exempt Catholic Charities, and the requirement under the final rule that the Archdiocese self-insurance health plan provide coverage to all Catholic Charity employees for contraceptives, sterilizations, and abortifacient drugs.

Meanwhile, a federal court in Pennsylvania this week granted an injunction in favor of the Diocese of Pittsburgh in a similar lawsuit.

Missouri Executes Joseph Franklin

After Appeals Fail

The State of Missouri this week executed Joseph Franklin, convicted of murdering Gerald Gordon in 1977 outside a synagogue in the St. Louis suburbs as he was attending a bar mitzvah. The state resorted to injecting Franklin with pentobarbital, a drug compounded by a non-disclosed pharmacy.

The MCC had asked Governor Nixon to grant Franklin clemency based upon evidence of his severe mental illness, and because of the untested and secret nature of the method of his execution. A district court in St. Louis initially granted a stay of the execution, but the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals overturned that ruling. An appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court on Franklin's behalf was denied.

How Does CEI Raise Funds for

K-12 Schooling?

By attracting private investment - charitable donations - to help K-12 school children. CEI does this by offering a state income tax credit when donors give to K-12 school foundations that help local schools and school children.

How Much Can Be Claimed by the

CEI Tax Credit?

The tax credit is for 50% of the dollar amount donated. If a person gives $1000, he or she can claim a $500 tax credit, provided he or she has this much tax liability. If a person's tax liability does not allow the full amount of the tax credit to be claimed in that tax year, the tax credit can be carried over for as many as four years until the full benefit of the tax credit is realized.

Can't Donors Already Get a Tax Break for Charitable Donations?

Yes, donors can now claim a tax deduction for their charitable gift, but the CEI tax credit will offer an additional, more substantial tax break for charitable givers. Combined, the tax deduction and CEI tax credit will offer a powerful incentive for donors to give to K-12 school foundations.

In This Issue

1. St. Francis Xavier in St. Joseph Collects CEI Signatures

2. Don't Wait to Send MCC Your Signatures

3. How Does My Parish Collect Signatures? Where are our Petition Pages?

4. Archdiocese Re-files Lawsuit Challenging HHS Mandate

5. Missouri Executes Joseph Franklin After Appeals Fail

6. How Does CEI Raise Funds for K-12 Schooling?

7. How Much Can Be Claimed by the CEI Tax Credit?

8. Can't Donors Already Get a Tax Break for Charitable Donations?

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