Viewing entries tagged
Volunteers

Thank You Volunteers!

Thank You Volunteers!

Dear Parishioners,

This weekend, we offered our annual Volunteer Appreciation Dinner. Giving thanks is what we Catholics do. The word in Greek is the same word we use for Eucharist. So, we share our common thanksgiving for what Christ gave us in his Body and Blood as well as the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in the lay ministries of the Church.

Last week, we heard about how the disciples gathered together to listen to the teachings of the Apostles, share in fellowship, broke bread (think the Eucharist), and lived a common life helping each other. They didn’t do this because they believed in Socialism. They lived this way because of their shared experience of the crucified and risen Lord. Out of that experience came their desire to serve and give instead of being served and hoarding. We can all learn from their example.

In our situation, we have much for which to be thankful. Indeed, without our volunteers participating in the many, many ministries of our parish, there simply would be no outreach beyond Mass. It isn’t a matter of ownership and territory (these are antagonistic to the Gospel), but one of responsible stewardship, of recognizing one’s need to give, of making commitments and following through, of tending, and of responding in gratitude for all that God has given us. So, if you are involved in any ministry and were not able to make it to our gathering, please know of our deep appreciation for your faithful response to God’s calling in your life. I am a proud papa, or pastor! I am so grateful for all those things our parishioners do, those visible and invisible. You know who you are.

May God continue to pour out on you all his grace upon you all, and thank you so much for giving of your time, talent, treasure, and tradition to our community!

Blessings,

Fr. William Holtzinger
Pastor 

Three Ways To Help With Our New Church Building Project

Three Ways To Help With Our New Church Building Project

Dear Parishioners,

For many months, people have asked how the new church project was coming along.  I have shared with them that we had hired a capital campaign company, Walsh & Associates, who sent us Mark Warren as the lead coordinator who has been conducting our efforts to prepare and will walk us through the process to the end.  From there we hired Carole Kay as the Administrative Assistant to help manage the day-to-day operations in preparation for our capital campaign.  I have also formed a new cabinet specifically directed to lead our efforts to maximize our potential for success.  These include Dave & Doneta Thomason, Kirk & Jamee Chapman and Bill & Maureen Bailey who have graciously agreed to serve as our Campaign Chairpersons with Dave & Terri Currie, Glenn & Sandy Walker, Phil & Barb Busch, Mike & Kathy Bird and Stu & Sharon Watson respectively agreeing to head our important support committees for Prayer, Hospitality, Youth & Children’s Gifts, Communications, and Creative Giving.

So, this weekend marks what is called, “Announcement Weekend” where I spell out the issues that have brought us to this point of discernment to build a new church as well as our plan to meet and sole those issues.  Ultimately, I have three requests:

1) Please pray regularly for our campaign's success and that God’s will be done.

2) Please prayerfully consider helping by becoming a campaign volunteer, too.  Remember that many hands make light work.  With a strong volunteer group, we can have confidence that the effort is efficiently run and that the job of volunteering will be easy and enjoyable for everyone. 

3)  And finally, you will all eventually be asked to support the campaign effort financially, as well.  We also need and ask that whatever gift you ultimately decide to make be over and above whatever you do regularly for our church since we simply can’t afford to jeopardize our regular giving or in any way erode our ability to provide ongoing support for our programs, services and ministries.

Please see our special insert in this week’s bulletin for more details.  If you have any questions, do not hesitate to ask me or Stephen Voehl, our Business Manager.

Blessings,

Fr. William Holtzinger
Pastor

A Year of Gratefulness

Dear Parishioners,

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! With all the bad news in the world that covers our headlines, it is important not just to be nostalgic, but to once again, root ourselves in those things that are truly good, beautiful, and true (cf. Philippians 4:7- 9). For in these things are true joy and peace. For in these things we encounter the Good News who is Jesus Christ.

This year, for me, I look back and I am thankful for the work of all our pastoral ministers who have tirelessly worked in the vineyard with equally passionate volunteers. Events such as Joe’s Camp to Summer Bible School to the events surrounding Our Lady of Guadalupe show how much God had been working in the lives of our people. For a second year in a row, those who entered the Church through the Easter Vigil celebration, made up a group so large that the room where their classes where held was moved to a much larger one in the Parish Center. This year our sacristan crew (those who help prepare for Mass), more than tripled in size! I am so humbled to see their selfless dedication to this important task each week.

I am grateful that the Lord has blessed our school with a large increase in students which has allowed us to spread the Good News to more children and their families. The school community continued to grow in vibrancy. I am also so grateful for our wonderful teaching and administrative staff at the school. The sense of camaraderie and morale is inspiring.

I am excited about the work and direction our Core Building Committee who have taken a year to explore all the options for a new church building. Please note that I did not say renovation. In the course of our explorations, it turned out not be a significant cost difference to rebuild versus renovate the existing structure. So, early on after making that decision, we explored almost every location and arrangement of a proposed new church. In the Spring, we will have a feasibility study done in order to determine what financial potential there is in this project. I am so pleased with the discernment that has been so seriously undertaken in this task. I believe you will love what will come out of it all.

Finally, I am so very thankful for all the people who have newly come to worship here at St. Anne’s. They have helped us have new people helping with ministries. They have brought fresh eyes and ears to help us with our mission. I hope that we continue to be that church where Jesus is prophetically preached, hearts are healed, and the Mass becomes ever-more the center of our faith, for it is there that we encounter the sacrificed and risen Lord, Jesus Christ. In all, there is much for which to be grateful. May all these things give glory to God!

May God bless you all!

Fr. William Holtzinger
Pastor