St. Anne Catholic Church

As people of Faith, we are convinced that "the earth is the Lord's and all it holds…

Today, our Catholic community is more consistently and faithfully addressing how to protect God's creation and the environment that sustains the human family. In caring for God’s creation, St. Anne Parish has taken initial steps to “green” our facilities:

> Through the leadership of Traci Sauvage, Paola Womac and Monika Dempsey, St. Anne School is giving our children practical ways to become better stewards of our environment. Every lunch and classroom snack time has become an opportunity to teach students how to effectively compost and recycle food and other materials. In fact, the School just received a $1,500 grant to purchase new recycling containers.

> In late 2009 St. Anne Parish started using Cedar Grove Compost. This service provides an additional system for the School when their containers exceed capacity after large events such as the Italian Dinner and the school auction.

> The church remodel provided a perfect opportunity to remove all of the asbestos in the west end narthex and nursery area. Our environment is cleaner and safer for everyone.

> The school will begin using C-5 florescent lighting this year, saving energy and money.

> Containers in the church restrooms have been clearly marked so that paper towels can be composted (95%) and garbage (5%) must go to landfill.

> There is now a container in the staff kitchen for compost.

But we can do more. Here are some of our next steps to becoming a greener parish:

> The parish is preparing a Request for Proposals (RFP) to vendors for the replacement of boilers, windows (convent only), electrical service (convent only), insulation, point of use water heaters, and other parts of our physical plants. This is a lengthy process that will result in a comprehensive assessment of our campus and provide a clear path to reduce any negative impact on the environment. We can also use the assessment to realize substantial grant and/or rebate monies from our public utility providers.

St. Anne Parish Welcomes New Crucifix
On September 19-20, St. Anne Parish welcomed and blessed its new crucifix, another important step in the renovation of our church worship space.

When the renovation of the church church interior ws done in the summer of 2008, a search began for an appropriate crucifix. The original crucifix, installed when the church was built in 1962, was only three feet tall. A replica of the original had been made and used as a processional cross, and kept on a stand in the sanctuary. But the architect’s design for the renovation called for a large, life-sized crucifix to hang on the east wall, near the baptismal font.

Pastoral Coordinator Ron Ryan was familiar with the work of artist Alexandre Safonov. Safonov had carved a statue for St. Brendan Parish in 1996, as well as several other works for parishes in the Seattle Archdiocese. Born in Russia, Alexandre attended the Maikop School of Art and the Krasnodar Institute of Art in the 1970s. In the 1980s he began doing sacred art for the Russian Orthodox Church, creating intricate floor-to-ceiling screens for their churches. With the loosening of government control, many of the churches began to bring out their icons that had been in hiding during the seventy years of communist domination. Mr. Safonov worked at restoring damaged icons and copying those that were beyond repair. He reports that he learned much about sacred art from the Orthodox monks. “Before you take a brush in hand, you must pray and fast. This is the most important thing. You must be a good artist, but people will never feel the energy of the Holy Spirit if you don’t pray and fast first!” In 1996 Alexandre immigrated to the United States, and became a US citizen in January 2000. He now resides in San Diego, California.

Working with a committee of parishioners, Mr. Safonov came up with a design for a corpus for the St. Anne crucifix. As he began carving in June, he asked for the community’s prayers for his work. He also asked that water from St. Anne’s baptismal font be sent to him so that the wood from which the corpus could be blessed with it.

Carved of linden wood, the corpus is traditional in design, conveying the quiet dignity of the crucified Lord just before the moment of his death. Without neglecting the suffering involved in the passion, it expresses the triumph of the cross. The five foot, six inch corpus is mounted on a simple cross of walnut.

On the weekend of September 19 & 20, the parish celebrated the Feast of the Triumph of the Cross in conjunction with the blessing of the new crucifix. The crucifix was placed on the altar platform. After his homily Parochial Vicar Father John Bowman blessed the cross. “Father, bless this cross, the sign of our redemption. Make it a sacred reminder of the passion of our Lord through which he revealed the full mystery of your love…May this cross help us, as individuals and as a community, live as faithful followers of our crucified and risen Lord.”

On Saturday evening, the artist, Alexandre Safonov shared about his experience of carving the crucifix. “This is the first life-sized corpus I have carved. I have carved smaller, and larger—even one that was nine feet tall. But there was something very special about carving this crucifix…It was a great blessing for me. Thank you for allowing me to do this for you.”

Mr. Safonov shared that as he finished the corpus, he wrote a prayer in his native Russian, that says in part: “God, may all who look upon the face of your Son on this crucifix be blessed by you and receive your mercy.” The prayer was then sealed in a space in the back of the corpus. Mr. Safonov also asked the community to think of him once in awhile when they see the crucifix, and to pray for him.

After the weekend, the cross will be hung on the east wall of the nave, near the baptismal font, emphasizing the connection between the sacrament of baptism, in which we are joined with Christ’s death and resurrection, and the Eucharist.

Welcome Home, Returning Catholics!
If you are a Catholic who has been away from active participation in the church, welcome! We hope you will feel at home here at St. Anne.

We realize that many returning Catholics have questions about the church, its teaching and its practices. We would welcome the opportunity to meet with you, to answer your questions, and to address any concerns. Please contact the parish office at 206-282-0223 or email info@stanneseattle.org. We look forward to helping you reconnect with your church community.
Here are a few of the questions frequently asked by those who are thinking about returning to active participation in the Church.

I am thinking of returning to the Catholic Church. Do I have to go through some kind of program in order to do this?
No, if you are a Catholic who has been baptized and received First Holy Communion, you do not need to go through a program. However, a person returning to active participation may find it helpful to meet one-on-one with one of our staff members to ask questions, address issues, and discuss the person’s specific circumstances. Please feel free to call or email the parish office if you would like to arrange to do this.

Also, we offer a program that many returning Catholics find helpful called What Catholics Believe, and Why It’s So Important. This is a 5-week series that explores Catholic teachings and their meaning for our daily lives. The series is free and you don’t need to register. It begins on April 29th.

If I return to the Church do I need to go to confession? Or can I just come to Mass?
You are always welcome to come to Mass! There are no prerequisites or conditions for attending Mass. However, before receiving Holy Communion you will most likely want to celebrate the sacrament of God’s reconciliation by making a confession. Regular confession times are Saturday at 4:00 pm (3:30 pm during Lent). You may also make an appointment with Father Bowman for other times.

I don’t remember how to go to confession. What do I do?
Knowing the “formula” for confession is not as important as simply availing yourself of the sacrament. If you go to confession and tell the priest that it has been a long time and you don’t remember exactly what to do, he will talk you through it without trouble or embarrassment. A simple guide to the sacrament is available near the Reconciliation Chapel, at the east end of the church.

I am not married in the Catholic Church. Does that affect my return to the Church?
If this is your first marriage, then having your marriage recognized by the Catholic Church should be quite simple. If either you or your spouse has been married before, the process may take more time. Talk to Father Bowman or Ron Ryan, and they can help you with your particular circumstances.

I have been divorced. Does that affect my return? What if I am remarried?
There are many members of our parish who are divorced; being divorced doesn’t mean that you can no longer be an active member of the Catholic Church. Father Bowman or Ron Ryan can talk with you about your individual situation, and how you can participate in the church.

I have unbaptized children. Can they be baptized?
Yes, they certainly may be baptized. Contact Marian Young at the parish office and she can explain the process.

I’m not Catholic, but I am curious about the Catholic Church. What should I do?
The Church offers a wonderful process for people who are considering entering the Catholic Church. The Rites of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) familiarizes participants with the Gospel, Catholic teaching and practice, and the Church community. It provides them with the opportunity to prayerfully discern whether they are being called to the sacraments and to be members of the Catholic Church. It usually begins with a personal interview and a fuller explanation of the process. For more information contact Ron Ryan.

Do you have bible study for adults?
Yes. Reading the Bible as a Catholic is an introduction to Bible study. It is offered in two parts: Sunday, Feb. 21 and Sunday, March 21, at 11:30 am. There is also a five week study of the Acts of the Apostles, Thursdays, February 25 through March 25. There is no registration or fee for either of these, and you are welcome to attend all or any part of the series.

What do you have available for children at your church?
We have programs for children from 3 months through middle school.
> Ages 6 months through 2 years – Nursery Care during the 10:00 am Mass
> Preschool Faith Formation during the 10:00 am Mass
> Children’s Liturgy of the Word during the 10:00 am Mass
> For children attending public or non-Catholic private school – Family Faith Formation on Sunday Mornings
Contact Marian Young at the parish office for more information.

How can I get more involved?
There are lots of opportunities to meet other parishioners and get involved.
> Every Sunday after the 10 am Mass coffee & donuts are served in Banchero Hall (across Lee Street).
> Every fourth Saturday of the month, a social time is held after the 5:00 pm Mass n the narthex at the east end of the church.
> Every Wednesday during Lent, we have Soup Night and Lenten Prayer. Soup Night begins at 6:00 pm in the Assembly Room.
> There are also many opportunities to meet other through our ministries and service projects. Our Parish Ministries Directory gives a description of each group, and a contact person. You can pick up a directory at any church entrance.

Do I have to register in order to be a Catholic in good standing?
Once you decide to be a parishioner at St. Anne, we do ask you to consider registering but it is not required. However, registering in the parish makes a statement of your intent, allows the parish to be in touch with you in important ways, and enables us to keep accurate sacramental records. Registration forms are available at all the doors of the church, or through the parish office.