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If you would like to be part of a hands-on, groundbreaking ministry, Adopt-A-Spot could be the Stewardship opportunity for you! In their efforts to enhance and maintain the beauty of our parish landscape the Adopt-A-Spot ministers dig, plant, water, trim and prune. The results have been spectacular, a variety of growth and color that catches the eye of everyone who passes, letting them know that Saint Ann’s is a living, vibrant community. Why not share your green thumb, your love of gardening as part of this “ministry of growth”? Select a spot and make a plan. Annuals? Perennials? Early sun? Mostly shade? Be the steward of your little corner of the parish grounds. Plot it, plant it and watch it grow, a living tribute to your willingness to share the gifts God has given you.
 Archival Photography We are so blessed at Saint Ann! We have over 40 ministries working throughout our parish as well as within our community. Do you have a passion for recording events in pictures? Are you a shutterbug? Do you enjoy scrap booking? If so, you would be perfect as one of our “pictorial historians.” What a wonderful legacy pictures leave for future members of Saint Ann Church. If you would like to help document our history, consider joining our Archival Photography Ministry.
Think money counters, think generosity. These dedicated parish stewards give generously of their time and talent to separate and bundle the weekly offering, the treasure given so generously by members of our parish family. Six teams of counters work on a rotating basis on Sunday mornings. Based on guidelines from the Archdiocese of Hartford the teams have implemented new polices and made a smooth transition into a new, more secure system. They do a great job! If your talents run to stacking bills and having fun, you might like to be one of our marvelous money counters.
The M &
M Team Parish information arrives, as if by magic: inserts in the bulletin, newsletters in your mailbox. How does it happen? Elves, you say? No, it’s the M&M team on the job! Voted “best named ministry in the parish,” the M&M’s are a group of dedicated volunteers who help us get the word out. On Friday mornings the word is “bulletins” and our crack team inserts flyers (if necessary) and mails bulletins to parish shut-ins. Once a month the word might be “newsletters” and the team jumps into action, labeling and sorting The Parish Press before it goes to the post office. That’s the first M – Mailings. The Miscellany department is, well, miscellaneous. The team would like to recruit someone to make phone calls to gift bearers for each weekend’s Masses, not a time-consuming task but an important one. We’d also like to explore the notion of sending welcome and congratulation cards to new parishioners or to those marking special occasions. We have other ideas brewing, as well (along with the great coffee that team members enjoy). Consider sharing your time and talent as part of this valuable ministry. You’ll be helping the parish, engaging in stewardship and having fun, all at the same time.
Through our Bereavement Ministry the parish offers consolation and support to grieving parishioners. We do this in two ways: by assisting families in planning funeral liturgies for their loved ones and by offering comfort to the recently bereaved through our Bereavement Support group. Funeral Planning Bereavement Support
If you are skilled in the building trades, we invite you to share your time, talent and treasured knowledge as a member of Saint Joseph’s Guild. Guild members assess the parish’s plant and property for upkeep and routine repairs. They coordinate carpentry, plumbing and electrical work to upgrade and maintain parish buildings. Members of Saint Joseph’s Guild recently transformed the Children’s Chapel and installed the meditation benches near Mary’s shrine. Behind the scenes, they change valves and fuses, install canopies and do countless “ounce of prevention” jobs that help maintain the parish plant. The Guild’s goal is to develop a long-term maintenance plan for Saint Ann Parish.
The Welcome Ministry is a way to make new parishioners know that they are a special part of the Body of Christ here at Saint Ann’s. What could be more special than a friendly phone call, a personal visit and a “Welcome to the Family” gift bag? That’s our ministry in a nutshell, or in a pineapple, the traditional symbol of hospitality. If you would like to help newcomers feel an immediate and warm connection to our parish family, this is the ministry for you! As ambassadors for Saint Ann’s you will be the people newcomers will recognize at Mass, at Coffee Ands, at other parish events. We invite individuals, couples and families to sign on. |
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