We asked you to prayerfully consider an increase to your Sunday offerings, and what a great response. You received a mailer that illustrated that 49% (actually over 50%) of you responded back! Thank you! Many people made significant increases and many people were not able to increase their offering at this time. We do understand that everyone’s situation is different. Most of those responding also indicated they would pray for the success of the program and it obviously worked. That is why we added: “Prayer is at the Center of Everything” to the theme.
As we move forward in this process, we will continue to invite you and your input in establishing the direction that you want, and the direction the Spirit wants, St. Ann to go. As the theme says:
Generosity – the giving of our time, talents and treasure.
Prayer – the center of all we do. A talent we all possess.
Service – to others and the Lord as we are
What is GPS? GPS stands for Global Positioning System. Maybe we can consider it as a GOD Positioning System?! GPS has become a theme we have all come to associate with directions and guidance. All the things that we have been doing here at St. Ann are about creating the roadways, avenues, and vehicles to invite, involve and engage people in their journey to a closer relationship with our
Lord.
Here at St. Ann, this formal journey began a couple years ago as we decided to go forward with an engagement process with ISPD, that started in the Fall of 2017 and conducted a Parish Convocation in the Spring of 2018. We accumulated a lot of input and developed Mass+… that kicked off in August of 2018 as a vehicle to make your Sunday Experience come to life. We invite everyone to take part in the many formation, social, family and learning opportunities that we now provide via Mass+…
GPS is the continuation of that engagement process. We will continue to invite you and your input to develop our direction and our vision, one that creates opportunities to invite and involve people in our mission. Our mission statement is: “To know, love and serve the Lord in this life and to be happy with Him forever in the next.”
At St. Ann, GPS is the guidance system to fulfill our mission and vision. Many of the readings, gospels and homilies during the Advent and Christmas seasons dealt with a journey. The journey of the Jews, the journey of Mary & Joseph, the journey of the birth of our Lord, the journey of the Magi. The journey thru the Lenten season, we reflected on the journey of Christ defeating the devil in the desert, his life and
ultimately to his crucifixion to save our souls. We, too, are on a journey, a journey into that deeper, personal relationship with Jesus.
Where are you in your journey? Are you at a crossroads in your faith and don’t know which way to go? Are you simply looking to take your journey to the next level? That road can be quite bumpy, scary or confusing if you don’t have the right guidance system in place. St. Ann is committed to providing that GPS for your personal journey.
What makes St. Ann the place to be? We are committed to meet people where they are at and leading them to God. We are building those roads and avenues by providing the opportunities to grow in your faith, learn more about the genius of Catholicism and provide you opportunities to do what you do best. St. Ann is a place where you are a valued part of everything we do. A place of truth, faith and prayer.
That annoying voice from your mobile GPS says “Recalculating.” When you have made a wrong turn or gone off course – “in 50 feet, turn
around.” How we hate hearing those words! Even to the point of yelling at the GPS unit. But in our life, those same words delivered by Jesus have a totally different meaning and feeling.
The truth is, He died to give us a chance to recalculate, to correct that wrong turn we took somewhere along the way. His death and resurrection gave us almost unlimited chances to turn around and get back on the path toward salvation. What a sacrifice He made for us. Jesus speaks to us in this way all the time, if we only listen. In the classroom of silence, Exposition, at work – in prayer. “You have arrived at your destination” is that voice, that phrase, that brings comfort and peace to us.
Finding that comfort and peace in developing a deep, personal relationship with Christ is our ultimate destination. That feeling when you have made a difference in someone’s life through your act of kindness or service. That feeling when you have given yourself to our Lord