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Parish Survey
Our parish leadership is conducting a
survey regarding active involvement in
our liturgies. You can fill out and submit
the survey online by clicking the link below. Hard copies are also
available at the doors of the church. You can take
one of these home and return it to the church or
the parish office. It only takes a few moments to
complete—please give us your input to help us
with our parish planning.
> launch the parish survey
Building our Parish’s Vision & Mission Statements
Writing a mission and vision for a church is a bit different than developing statements for a company or nonprofit. A mission statement describes a parish’s understanding of its identity and its purpose. What are we called to do? Why does a parish exist? A vision statement imaginatively describes what the parish will look like when its mission is fully realized. It helps the members to “see” what they want their community to become—a prophetic image of what they want to create in years ahead, describing the hoped-for results of their efforts.
One major point the committee wanted to capitalize on was how the mission of the Church is not merely the mission of the pope, or the bishops, or the priests; it is the mission of all—the clergy and the laity. Since we live in the midst of the world, as lay members of the Church it is our responsibility to invite people into relationship with Christ and to bring justice to the world through our everyday actions. After reading the comments made by parishioners, we wanted to draft a vision statement that represents a parish that actively engages with its people
and with humanity—a place where Church intersects and interacts with the world.
Please see the Draft Mission & Vision Statements
St. Anne Says Thanks!
Over sixty St. Anne Parishioners joined forces on Saturday, April 4th to say “Thank You, Queen Anne,” in our second annual neighborhood service day. In Banchero Hall, adults and children spent the morning putting together personal hygiene kits from the shampoo, soap, toothbrushes, toothpaste and other items donated by parishioners during Lent. They were able to make 125 kits that were delivered to Queen Anne Helpline. The staff at Helpline were ecstatic, saying that these would help supply their clients for the next several months.
Meanwhile, other volunteers headed outdoors to do some spring cleaning in the gardens of homebound neighbors. A crew also worked with Seattle City Parks to help spruce up Upper Kinnear Park.
Thank you, not only to everyone who participated in the Day, but to all who donated toiletry items for the hygiene kits. Our simple efforts continue to make a difference in our neighborhood and our world!
> See pictures in the community section.
Archbishop Alex Brunett’s Homily
Rite of Dedication and Centennial Mass
The following is from the Sunday, December 14, 2008 Rite of Dedication and Centennial Mass
It’s a great joy for me as archbishop to be here to celebrate with you. There are two very significant things, but they are interrelated. One is the fact that you are celebrating a 100th anniversary of this parish. And it has a very glorious and illustrious history. If you have a chance to read it, I got a copy of the history off the internet and it’s beautiful. When you look up all the different people and all the stages that this parish went through in its development and its growth. During that time you had many wonderful pastors. Some of them had very interesting reputations and backgrounds. Maybe some of you can remember back that far. But the leadership has always been very strong in this community.
You also have a wonderful history of many lay people doing many wonderful things, and they continue to do that. I believe that in our day and age this is still very much prominent in this parish. So many of you give of your time to make this parish community really a house of prayer, a community of faith that reaches out to others. In reading that history I’m struck also by the many priests who have come from this parish community. One of your own native sons, Father Paul Magnano, comes from this parish. His parents were very prevalent here and the first funeral I went to was just after his father died. I know his mother very well. She is a long-time parishioner here. Father always talks about St. Anne’s. The rector of our cathedral, Fr. [Michael G.] Ryan is from here. We have the Dalton brothers [Fr. Jim and Fr. Paul]; one of whom died this past year. We have many vocations from this parish, and the priests have really served the diocese very well. Fr. Magnano is the vicar for clergy. I saw Mary Magnano Smith over here. She’s many years the president of Forest Ridge and retiring this year.
> read more
50th Anniversary of Vatican Council II
2009 marks the Fiftieth Anniversary of Pope John XXIII’s announcement that he was convening an Ecumenical Council to renew and rejuvenate the Catholic Church. At the time, no one envisioned the far-reaching effects the Second Vatican Council would bring. Within a few years people realized that the Catholic Church was changing. No longer could they sit and passively listen as the priest “offered Mass” in Latin; now they too joined in the prayers—in their own language!
But the reforms of Vatican II reached far beyond the liturgy. They brought about a sea change in the way the Catholic Church understands itself and its relationship with the modern world. After five decades, bishops, priests, religious and laity continue to struggle to live out the vision that the Council embraced—to create a dynamic church that is effective at renewing the lives of its members and the world around it.
St. Anne, like every other parish, has experienced the ramifications of the Second Vatican Council at every level. As we enter our second century and take time to discern our vision and mission as a parish, it would be worthwhile to reflect on the Council’s message. The accompanying article, Statement on the 50th Anniversary of the Declaration of Vatican II, provides some excellent insights on the significance of the Council, the changes it has brought about, and its meaning for us as a parish today.
Please take time to read this article, and then to reflect on what it says to us as St. Anne Parish:
- In light of the meaning of Vatican Council II, what are we called to be as a parish?
- What are we called to do?
> read full article
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