Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults

Adults who have not been Baptized or have been Baptized in another Christian Community and wish to enter into full communion with the Church and adults who have not received the Sacraments of Communion and Confirmation, please contact the Rectory for further information.

Sacrament of Baptism:

The celebration of the Sacrament of Baptism is a lifelong journey and commitment to be "church". At St. Anne’s we recognize the major responsibility that the parents and the community have in choosing to celebrate infant Baptism. To assist the parents in their duty as Christian parents we supply an adult enrichment program for the parents and godparents. This program is for the spiritual benefit of the parents and godparents and also an opportunity for our parish family to share in your joy.

Infant Baptisms take place on the 4th Sunday of each month at 1:30 PM.

Prior arrangements are necessary. There is a pre-baptismal program for parents and
godparents to assist them in the preparation for the celebration of the Sacrament of Baptism.

Please make arrangements with a priest for an appointment.

Sacrament of Marriage:

Couples who are contemplating sharing the Sacrament of Marriage should contact one of the priests one year in advance to insure adequate preparation for this lifelong commitment.

Ministry to the Sick:

The Sacrament of Anointing is available for anyone seriously ill or of advanced age. Please notify the Rectory. In an emergency call the Rectory at any time.
Those who are homebound are still a very important part of our parish and the Eucharist will be brought to the home. Mrs. Marie Pianese coordinates  the ministry and care of our homebound for the English speaking parishioners and Mrs. Maria Gomez coordinated the Spanish ministry.  You may reach either of them by contacting the Rectory so arrangements can be made.  

Sacrament of Penance:

One of the great gifts of the Church is the Sacrament of Penance. In the early Church it was nicknamed "Second Baptism" . So often in our life as we journey to the kingdom, we awaken to the fact that our life style or life patterns have not been what they should or could be. We realize that we have lost our original fervor or relationship with God, or we have simply lost our way and like the prodigal son we want to return home. We want to renew our baptismal promises and begin anew. We do not have to be re-baptized when this spiritual event occurs. We can turn to the Sacramental gift of Penance and celebrate that tender healing of the Father’s embrace and return home. At St. Anne’s we encourage our members to choose a consistent  personal confessor, that is a priest who comes to know us as individuals and can share spiritual direction as well as the Sacrament of Reconciliation. This is normally done by appointment with your confessor.  Also to assist you in your spiritual growth we schedule confessions routinely in the reconciliation rooms in the Church. These rooms are built to give the penitent a choice of going face to face or staying behind the screen for anonymity.
Saturdays 1-1:30 PM 5-5:30 PM 6:45 PM                                                                            Eves of Holy Days and First Fridays 4-5:00 PM and & 7-7:30 PM or by Appointment.

Religious Education:

The education of our youth and the sharing of our heritage is a priority in our parish. We have two schools to aid our parents in their mission as primary educators of the faith. We invite all members of our parish to become actively involved with the school of their choice.

St. Anne’s School Parish School

We, the teaching staff members who serve at St. Anne's School consciously accept the
calling to spread the Good News of Jesus and His teachings to the children of our
parishioners inclusive of children residing in the immediate vicinity of our church and attend our school.

We believe that our religious belief and practices are the focal point all academic learning and allow us to nurture, guide mold and protect youth as they mature toward adulthood.

We strive to teach children to grow spiritually, to love and serve God, to perform academically to the best of their ability and to become responsible adult members of the community with strong moral convictions and a genuine concern for the well-being of all people, living things and the totality of God's creation.

For information on St. Anne's Parish School please contact our principal, Mrs. Marlene Bartram.

St. Anne’s Religious Education

Jesus' command to "Go, therefore, and make disciples of a nations......"is the basis upon which our Catechetical ministry is built. "Catechesis is an education in the faith of children, young and adults, which includes especially the teaching of Christian doctrine imparted, generally speaking, in an organic and systematic way, with a view to initiating the hearers into the fullness; of Christian life." (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 5) Catechesis is essential for on-going development of a personal relationship with Jesus as the foundation for discipleship for "at the support; heart of catechesis we find, in essence, a person, the person of Jesus of Nazareth."

Catechesis has four main aims:
To proclaim the Christian Message
To prepare for prayer and worship
To build up community
To motivate for Christian living and Service.

To accomplish this our Religious Education program is not Sacramental oriented but rather our goal is a life long education. We invite our families who have chosen to educate their children in the Public schools to become involved in created the space for our children to experience the four goals of our Catechetical Ministry

Classes are held on Sundays after the 9:00 AM Mass.

For information on St. Anne's CCD. School please contact Sr. Alberta, our D.R.E.

Adult Education:

Adult Catechesis is essential for on-going development of a personal relationship with Jesus as the foundation for discipleship for "at the support; heart of catechesis we find, in essence, a person, the person of Jesus of Nazareth." Too often our Adults see Religious education as something for their children. Their personal education ceases whenever there stop attending grammar school or high school. This creates the problem of having Adult Religious Experiences and attempting to deal with them with a vocabulary that was gain as a child or teenager. We become frustrated when this vocabulary is insufficient to help us deal with our adult situation.

CFM

Christian Foundations for Ministry is designed for those who want to deepen and enrich their personal relationship with God, assume responsibility for their own spiritual formation; examine their lives in light of the Gospel ; discern their giftedness for ministry; respond to the needs of the Church and the world. This program welcomes new parishioners, newly initiated Catholics, anyone who is searching for a role in the life of the Parish, of the Church it is an excellent follow-up to RCIA.

Various Forms of Spirituality

At. St. Anne’s we attempt to Assist you in your Spiritual Development:

The Second Vatican Council clearly proclaimed this universal call to holiness, this deepening of Christian conversion.  The Council stated that it is a unique call requiring a unique response, which is a gift of the Holy Spirit.  It is characteristic that women and men hear the call to holiness in the very web of their existence (Lumen Gentium, 3 1).  The response to this requires a spiritual foundation that continually generates a lived spirituality.

Spirituality is about noticing and sensitively listening to the leading of the Spirit of God in our own hearts and in the manifold expressions of God's presence in our life, in family, parish, work, people, events, and our total world.  Spiritual life begins when people realize that there is something going on between themselves and God and when they make the choice to be involved in that.  St. Anne’s tries to provide the baptized with a type of spiritual formation that furthers the living out of this call and gift.

Personal Prayer is at the heart of an individual's spiritual journey.  There are many types of prayer in the Christian tradition that may be useful for a particular person's spiritual journey. There are also various forms of prayer that may be useful at one time or during one stage of development and then another at another time or for another stage.  There are certainly available to Catholics, the use of the Book of Christian Prayer (Breviary), ways of praying with the scriptures, meditation, centering prayer, contemplative prayer, Novenas and other spiritual devotions, the rosary, Eucharistic Holy Hours, the use of prayer books and other methods of prayer.

Group Support (group prayer) - People often benefit from group support in their spiritual
lives and from group prayer.  At. St. Anne’s we have various styles of Group prayer. We
invite you to share you prayer life in one of these groups.

Spiritual Aids: There are also a number of traditional skills that aid a person to continue to deepen spiritual life.  Spiritual reading, examinations of conscience, rules for spiritual
discernment, visits to the Blessed Sacrament, devotions to the Saints, spiritual communions, ongoing spiritual direction, the spiritual exercises, and others are part and parcel of Catholic life.

Liturgy: Sunday Eucharist, Source and Summit of Christian Life Above all, the response to the call to holiness should come to expression through the celebration of the Eucharistic liturgy, the central form of worship in the Church, the source and summit of Catholic spirituality and life.

While there are a number of ways in which the Church gathers in prayer, the Sunday
Eucharist is the source and the summit toward which the activity of the Church is directed. All other forms of communal prayer, including daily Mass, flow from the celebration of the Mass on the Lord's Day. (Ref.  Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1322-1344)

The Sunday Eucharist, as the preeminent gathering of the local community at St. Anne’s

The Rosary is prayed publicly after daily Mass

Novenas: St. Anne, St. Jude and St. Anthony: Tuesday after daily Mass

Novena: Sacred Heart: First Friday after daily Mass

Novena: Our Lady of Perpetual Help: Every Wednesday 6:30 PM

Novena: Our Lady of Fatima: First Saturday after daily Mass

Holy Hour for Priests: Tuesday Afternoons 1-2 in the Church

Benediction & Holy Hour: 1st Saturdays following Saturday Evening Mass.

Volunteers Vs. Ministry
As you join us in covenant we invite you to prayerfully meditate on the difference between volunteers and Christ centered ministry. Volunteers are people involved in social organizations or in public works. They are people who give generously of their time for the betterment of Society.

Ministry on the other hand is living out the baptismal calling to proclaim and witness the
Gospel in our daily life. It is placing your time, your person and your financial resources at the disposal of God through the Church. We need you to consider tithing your time, talent and treasury. Read Paul’s letter to the Corinthians and then prayerful consider your gifts and talents and how they can aid our community in growth and becoming the 5th Gospel.

As you register in our parish, we invite you to challenge where your spirituality is leading you. The gifts of the Holy Spirit are not for the benefit of the individual but for the benefit of the Community. We, at St. Anne’s, incorporate all our gifts and talents and mold them into a living sacrament (i.e. an outward sign instituted by Christ to give grace) We become a visible presence of the Risen Lord. We are the body of Christ; through our actions and lifestyle, we visibly make manifest Christ’s presence in our world.  St. Thomas Aquinas said we must become "Altus Christus" (another Christ). We are the hands of Christ who hold each other in tenderness.  We are the ears of Christ that listen to each other in our needs. We are the Mouth of Christ that speaks to each other of the Father's love. We are the feet of Christ that walk with each other on life's journeys.

For this reason, we invite each parishioner to spend some time in prayer, asking how your prayer life and spirituality is being expressed in some form of ministry.
What direction this meditation takes you in is between you and the Lord. Is He inviting you in some special way to minister to the needs of the family of St. Anne's? How can that ministry take form so that the Kingdom of God can be experienced here and now as promised by Christ. When Jesus began His "Public Ministry" He announced the "Kingdom of God was at hand". Enclosed find a list of possible ministerial opportunities. We invite you to join us.  How can your gifts and talents best aid our parish? Please fill out the enclosed form after prayerful reflection. Share the gift of your person with our parish. If you feel a ministry has not been noted and desire to help get that ministry started, let us know your suggestion and how to start it.

Ideas for Possible Ministry

Liturgical Ministries

The Sacred Liturgy is the essential reason for our existence, to gather in community to
recognize Jesus in the Breaking of the Bread begun on the road to Emmaus.  Each of us has a role to play and a ministry to share. To say I'm not worthy to take an active role in the Liturgy is not to understand the great gift which has been shared with us in the suffering Messiah. The Son of Man came into the world not when it was saved, but to save it. Our salvation is a gift from God; no one is worthy of it. But if we realize the gift being offered and we accept this gift, then we can celebrate it with all the joy it entails.

1. Eucharistic Ministers (for Sunday Liturgies and for the shut ins and homebound.)

2. Lectors (Sunday and Daily Liturgies) To share in this ministry an individual should have a special relationship to the Scripture in their own prayer life. It is important that since the reader is reading the Word of God that they be good public readers and practice the weekly reading prayerfully during the prior week.

3 Ministry of Hospitality (Ushers) This is more than taking up the collection. It is this ministry that makes our new members welcomed and feel at home. It is essential that our ushers have a sense of respect and politeness when assisting our worshipping community. They must also have an awareness of the sacredness of the moment that surrounds that as they share their ministry.

4 Liturgical Art and Decoration Committee. Those interested in this ministry should be artistically inclined and aware of the rubrics of our Liturgy. There should also be a willingness for continued education.

 5. Altar Servers (Boys and Girls)

This is a wonderful opportunity for the youth of our parish to learn ministry. This gives them a chance to learn commitment and their role in the church

 6. Members of a Liturgical Committee

To assist in planning special Seasonal Liturgies (i.e. Advent, Lent, Sacred Triduum, Holy
Days, Novena in honor of St. Anne, Children's Liturgies.) Continued education is important
to this ministry.

Music Ministry

"He who sings prays twice" is an old quote from St. Augustine. Our music ministry is essential
to good Liturgy. We invite all musicians of the parish to gift their time and talent from voices
to instruments.

 7. Leaders of Song

Leading our parishes Sunday liturgies in song.

 8. Musicians:

Musical instruments can add a special touch to our liturgy. Would you like to play unto the
Lord during special celebrations using your gifts and talents.

 9. Adult Choir

Our Adult Choir meets on Monday at 7:00 PM and sings at the 10:30 AM Sunday Liturgy.

 10. Youth Choir

Our Junior Choir meets on Monday at 3 PM and sings at the 9:00 AM Sunday Liturgy.

Educational Ministries

Our faith is a heritage that must be passed on to our children or it will be lost.   It is essential that parents do not abdicate this responsibility to others.  However, it is not just the responsibility of the parents but of the entire community to educate our children in the ways of the faith.

 11 CCD. Teachers

 12 CCD. Substitute Teachers

 13. CCD. Teachers Aides

 14 CCD. Clerical Assistance

 15 St. Anne’s School Substitute Teachers

 16 St. Anne’s School Teachers Aides

 17 St. Anne’s School Clerical Assistance

 18 St. Anne’s School Lunch Room Monitors

 19 Adults to assist in the Rainbows program

 20 Sponsors to assist in Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults

 21 Sponsors to assist in Youth Orientated Service Projects for Confirmation

 22 Members for a Continuing Adult Education Committee to expand their horizons with
adult education classes.

If our formal style of education ceases whenever we leave school we will then be an adult people having adult religious experiences and trying to understand them with a vocabulary and mentality of a child.  Our faith is an adult faith that must be nourished throughout our life. There is a need for constantly growing in our faith. Not only must our youth attend to their education but our adults must continue

 23 Married Couples to Assist in Baptismal Preparation Program

 24 Married Couples Servant Oriented Ministry

 25 Members for Ministry to the Shut Ins 
    Home visitation is a key element to letting those who cannot  be part of our weekly gathering know that they are not forgotten.

 26. Members for Ministry to the Poor

The ancient tradition of Service to the poor is part of our heritage. Members are needed to coordinate, plan and execute our social justice ministry.

 27. Members for Ministry to Sick

 28. Members for Ministry to Youth

We are in need of role models for our youth, men and woman who can create a safe place for our youth to grow. By sharing your gifts and talents you aid our children. It takes a village to educate a child. Can you gift your time and talent?

Coaching, tutoring, social activities. Chaperoning.

Society oriented Ministry

As a community, companionship is essential to our continued growth. To be a community we
must gather with those of like minds and hearts. This gives us strength in our daily life.

 29. Rosary Altar Society

Monthly Mass on the Saturday preceding the 1st Sunday of the month at 6:00 PM. Monthly
meeting the following Tuesday at 7:00 PM in the Parish Center. All women of the Parish are
invited to join

 30. Holy Name Society

Monthly Mass on the 2nd Sunday of the month at 10:30 AM. Meeting  follows in the Parish
Center. All men of the Parish are invited to join.

 31. CCD Parent’s Association

 32. Home School Association

 33. CYO

 34. St. Anne's Seniors

They are presently two groups in our parish. The St. Anne’s Seniors that meet every other Monday in our auditorium and the Happy Wanderers who meet on the 2nd Sunday of the month.

 35. Boys Scouts & Girl Scouts & Cub Scouts

    Boys Scouts every Friday 7PM

    Cub Scouts every Wednesday 7PM

    Brownies on Thursdays

    Girls Scouts Thursdays

 36. Legion of Mary

Meets each Monday at 7:30 PM in the Rectory. All are invited to join.

 37. St. Anne’s Charismatic Prayer Group

Friday Evening 7:00 P.M. in the Parish Center. Every 1st Friday a Healing Mass is celebrated in the Church

 38. St. Anne’s Morning Prayer Group

Gather each morning for the recitation of the Rosary after Mass. They prayer for the intentions our parish and special intentions as requested.

 39. Bereavement Ministry.

So many of us are still dealing with the tragedy of the loss of a loved one. Every 1st and 3rd Friday a group of men and women who have experienced some form of loss gather with a trained facilitator to share and aid each other in experiencing healing.

 40. Rainbows for All God’s Children

A special program to support and heal children, adolescents, and adults who are experiencing grief, be it through death or divorce, by providing encouragement and nurturing in a confidential setting. Contact Sr. Alberta.

 41. St. Anne’s Young Adult Club

Young men and women creating a space to grow in understanding of Christ presence in their lives. Member are over 18 and are singles and couples.

42.Temporal Ministry

We live in a very concrete world. Nothing just happens. Not only must we take care of the soul of our parish, we must take care of the body of our parish. Our physical plant is in need of people to safe guard it for the future generations.

43. Finance Committee

Men and woman of our parish with the skills and talents to aid the pastor in creating and executing our annual budget. They offer suggestions to deal with the Temporal necessities of our parish.

44. Buildings and Grounds Committee

Men and woman who have skills and talents to care for the buildings of our parish. They meet to advice the pastor on the needs of our buildings and monitor and execute bids for jobs and contracts.

45. Bingo Workers

A group of men and women who understand that our School parents need help in paying for the cost of educating our children. They give of their time to help run Bingo on Tues. and Fri. afternoons. All proceeds go to offset our tuition. From their ministry of service they have also formed a community of friends and enjoy each other’s company.

 46. Annual Auction workers

 47. Collection Counters After Sunday Mass

 48. CFM     Meets on Thursday nights

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