Church of Saint Ann
From the Pastor's Desk
In spite of the weak economy we’re told that there are some terrific bargains to be had if we know where to look. I couldn’t agree more. Here’s the best bargain of all: it comes from the liturgy of the octave of Christmas, January 1:
“O marvelous exchange! We have been made sharers in the divinity of Christ who humbled himself to share in our humanity.”
Think about this deal. God the Son has taken on our humanity, without giving up his divinity. We rightfully acclaim him as true God and true Man. But look what it does for us. He came to give us, in our frail human condition, a share in his divinity. We are called into the family of God; he whispers his truth into our ears; his Spirit dwells within us from the time of our baptism; his body and blood are given us as food and drink. And we are destined to share life with God forever in heaven. That’s more than a bargain. It’s pure gift.
Gift giving at Christmas has a long history, going back to the basic truth that God so loved the world that he gave us his own son. The gifts of the Magi to the newborn Savior express our desire to offer something to God in return for his gift. A kindly bishop from Turkey some 1800 years ago gave further inspiration to the custom of gift giving. St. Nicholas gave gifts to poor children anonymously, and now such gifts are attributed to him under his slightly revised name: Santa Claus.
The simple Christmas customs of earlier times have evolved into major league commercial campaigns, to the point where many merchants depend on Christmas sales of everything from household appliances to power tools. And now that we are officially in recession, there is anxiety and even panic in some quarters. But the spirit of Christmas didn’t begin with frantic shopping and its absence doesn’t take away from the importance of the day. We regret the hardship the economy has created in too many homes and businesses, especially among the most vulnerable. But remember this piece of wisdom: when you run into those people whose only comment about this season is “Bah, humbug,” remind them of the words of Dr. Suess, “The Grinch hated the whole Christmas season, for the most likely reason that his heart was two sizes too small.”
-Fr. Peter
Our Mission
We, the parish community of St. Ann's Church, are called by God to be a family of believers united in faith and love, to teach and to proclaim the message of Jesus Christ, to celebrate the Word of God, to witness to the presence of God in our community, and to manifest the Kingdom of God in word and work.
TEACH
In our efforts to teach the Gospel message we offer religious education classes for all ages. Through discussion, formal instruction and study, the tenets of our Catholic faith are passed on.
PROCLAIM
In word and in action we strive to proclaim the message of Christ to all. We believe that by our example others can come to know Jesus Christ. We endeavor to build a vibrant community so others are touched by what they see and experience.
CELEBRATE
In our attempts to celebrate the word of God we seek to create a lively, worshipping community. The Eucharist is our central celebration to which all our hopes lead, and from which all of our strength comes. From this celebration all meaningful parish activities flow. We recognize that the celebrations of the sacraments are great occasions of joy and new life in our parish. The prayer life of our parish sustains us in our journey of faith.
WITNESS
In our witness of the presence of God in our world we reach out to those who are oppressed in any way or who are victims of injustice. By using the gifts of our members we create programs that will bring about peace, justice and harmony in our community.
MANIFEST
In our service to others we try to follow the example of Jesus Christ who was present to others who needed healing, forgiveness and restoration. We value the individual and the communal efforts of our parish to recognize and respond to the needs of our community.
We perceive our mission as both gift and challenge. We believe that God will use us as His instruments manifesting His Kingdom on this earth. We rely on the Holy Spirit to lead us in being faithful to this parish Mission Statement.
Upcoming Events
DECEMBER/JANUARY CALENDAR
Sun., Dec. 21 Fourth Sunday of Advent No Sunday School, Confirmation Class, or SAY G
Wed., Dec. 24 Christmas Celebration Christmas Carols, 7:30 pm, Christmas Mass, 8:00 pm A blessed Christmas to all!
Thurs., Dec. 25 No Mass at St. Ann’s on Christmas Day 9 am Mass, St Wenceslaus
Sat., Dec. 27 Serve our Sisters at Our Sisters’ Place, 3pm
Franklin and Cathedral Streets
Sun., Dec 28 Feast of the Holy Family 10 am Mass CHRISTMAS BREAK No Sunday School, Confirmation Class or SAY G
Wed., Dec 31 New Year’s Eve Interfaith Prayer Service for blessings on the New Year, 8 pm, St Ignatius Church No tickets required.
Thurs., Jan. 1 Feast of the Motherhood of Mary and World Day of Prayer For Peace 10 am Mass at St. Ann’s Blessings on the New Year!
Sun., Jan.4 Feast of the Epiphany 10 am Mass No Sunday School, Confirmation Class or SAY G Christmas break.
Saint Ann Birthdays
DECEMBER BIRTHDAYS
1 SHIRLEY SMITH
3 GWENDOLYN NEALE
7 ARTHUR “DINO” GRIER
9 PEGGY DAY
11 JOHN G. BOSTON
14 ERIC BUNDY
21 QUAWANDRA BROWN
22 PATRICIA WARREN
22 RENEE TURNER
24 ANGELA DAY
25 LILEMA BUNDY
28 VICTOR MARCH, JR.
African Proverb
AFRICAN PROVERB::: :: ::: : : God’s gifts are greater than human gifts......... . . .........(IBO) — (Ghana )