Grab the selected book from your favorite bookseller and join us as we delve into the beautifully bottomless depths of spirituality. Our newest pick is Holy Desperation: Praying as if Your Life Depended on It by Heather King, set to be discussed in late February. Come join us! There is no need to sign up and no obligation to come to the book discussion.

There will be a Reborn Baptism Preparation Class on Tuesday, January 30, at 7 p.m. in the Adult Education Room for those who have completed all prior requirements and have handed in all their forms.

Into the Desert is the theme of our Lenten Mission led by Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter Sarah Hart on Sunday, Feb. 25 and Monday, Feb. 26. Sarah will explore the themes of sacrifice, prayer and almsgiving during times of hardship. Her presentations will begin both evenings at 6:30. The parish mission is free of charge and free will donations are welcome. For those wanting to purchase Sarah Hart music, there will be music available for purchase.

Young adults from ages 23-35 are invited to join us on Tuesday, January 30, from 6:30-8 p.m. at the parish hall to learn about the Market at Tierra Blanca! Please bring a BULK food donation for the Market and your favorite appetizer to share with the group! (Please bring bulk quantities of the same food item.) Cash donations for the Market will also be accepted. We plan to have childcare at the parish hall. Please inquire about that when you RSVP.

The Ladies of St. Ann's and the Knights of Columbus are offering two scholarships to parishioners who are graduating from high school and planning on attending any higher education programs that prepare them for a career. Scholarship applications are available on the table in the narthex, the parish office, and on the parish website. The deadline for submitting the scholarship application is Thursday, February 29. (Click anywhere in this article to get to the Scholarship page.)

St. Ann's is offering a 10-hour catechesis class for adults who have already received the Eucharist but have not received the Sacrament of Confirmation. If you fall into this category and are interested in participating, please contact Chris Hall by call the parish office at (806) 655-3302 or email faithformation@stannsofcanyon.org by Friday, January 26. Please note: in order to participate in this program and receive the Sacrament of Confirmation, the candidate must: Contact the parish office for an interview with Fr. Scott. Be out of high school and at least 18 years old. Be able to commit to 10 hours of catechesis before Confirmation and at least 3 hours after the reception of Confirmation. Attend the Diocesan Confirmation Retreat on Saturday, March 16, from 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. and the Diocesan Confirmation Mass for Adults on Saturday, April 6, at 10 a.m.. Provide a copy of their Baptismal Certificate. If married, provide a copy of the Church's certificate of the Sacrament of Matrimony. Understand the person he/she has chose to be the sponsor fulfills all the requirements as stated in Canon Law.

The faith community of St. Ann's want to welcme you! If you have been thinking about becoming more active in the Church again after some time away, know that we have missed you! One way to explore returning to active participation is through the LANDINGS program. During an 8-week program, a small group of active Catholics meet with a small group of returning Catholics to share and explore their faith together. For more information or to join, please contact Kevin Rickwartz at landings@stannsofcanyon.org. You can also find more information on our website at https://stannsofcanyon.org/returning-catholics-landings.

This behind-the-scenes ministry will involve unlocking/locking the church, setting up liturgical vessels, and troubleshooting for our Sunday, Holy Day, and special liturgies. We will have an organizational meeting for this new ministry on Wednesday, January 31, at 7 p.m. in the church narthex for those interested in learning more or getting involved in this new ministry.

Anyone who currently works with or plans to work with children or youth and is not certified needs to attend our next Safe Environment Training session on Saturday, Jan. 6, from 9 a.m.-noon in the Adult Education Room. The certification lasts 5 years. You must be pre-registered to attend any training. Please contact Deacon Dave or Mary Rausch at 806-681-9146 or email SET@stannsofcanyon.org with any questions or concerns.

Last year, our warrior gentlemen embarked on a 90-day program to enhance their spiritual growth. This year, there is a similar program for ladies called FIAT90. This is a 90-day program that begins on January 1st and ends on March 31st (Easter Sunday6). FIAT90 is an opportunity for women to grow closer to God, closer to each other, and closer to the authentic femininity to which we are called. Through 90 days of prayer, fasting, and asceticism, we will choose to submit our lives more fully to God's will. Most of the program is a very personal journey, but there will be a weekly meeting requirement (time and date TBD, but will try to coordinate for the same Exodus 90 day/time). If you are interested in learning more, please call or text Jinjer Mitchell. Her phone number is in the December 24 bulletin. And just in case you were wondering--no cold showers involved!

Exodus 90 has helped tens of thousands of men since it was founded in 2015 by embracing three essential elements of conversion: prayer, asceticism (acts of self-denial), and fraternity. These elements, or pillars, are based on Christ's own roadmap to freedom--freedom to love and serve our families and the Church as God calls us. The penitential season of Exodus lasts 90 days and starts January 1. To join in this exercise or for more information, contact Bryan Crabtree. (Bryan's phone number is in the December 24 bulletin.)

Do you want to help with RCIA but have little time and don't want to commit? One way to help is to sign up to bring a snack on a Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. and spend a few minutes getting to know the class! You could share your testimony, a ministry you are involved in, or just why you love being Catholic! Just a few minutes of your time, one time is all, and the snacks don't have to be fancy. Come meet the people seeking to join us! There is a sign up sheet in the narthex.

We welcome children who have received First Communion to come and learn to serve in the Mass. Please join us on Sunday, December 3, between the Masses in the church if your child is interested.

The Children's Christmas Choir will be singing at the Christmas Eve Mass on Sunday, Dec. 24, at 5 p.m. The choir is open to children in the third through eighth grades. Practices will be held on Tuesday, December 5th, 12th, and 19th, from 6:30-7:15 p.m. in the church. The choir will meet at 4:15 p.m. on Christmas Eve in the church and begin singing our prelude music at 4:30 p.m. Parents, please contact Elizabeth McKee at emckee@stannsofcanyon.org to sign up.

With the Thanksgiving holidays coming up for schools, we wanted to remind families that we WILL have Faith Formation on Sunday, November 19. There will be no Faith Formation classes on Sunday, November 26. Please plan accordingly so that your children are able to attend classes and not have unnecessary absences. Remember that for the two years of sacramental preparation for First Communion (1st and 2nd grade), students must have a 75% attendance for the year in order to be prepared to receive that sacrament. Thank you so much for your efforts and support for Faith Formation.

The St. Therese Circle is coordinating our parish's annual Angel Tree project again this year. There is still time to adopt an angel before and after all Masses this weekend (December 2/3). This project helps provide children in need with Christmas gifts. The gifts will need to be returned to the parish office or narthex by December 16/17 so they can be distributed to the families on Thursday, December 21. Thank you for supporting such a great project!

Young adults from 23-35 are invited to Theology on Tap with Fr. Scott on Wednesday, November 15, from 6:30- 8 p.m. at The Shell on the Square (1519 4th Ave.). A social hour starts at 6:30 p.m., and a theology discussion will be from 7-8 p.m. Light appetizers and drinks will be provided. We plan to have child care at the parish hall. Please inquire about that when you RSVP. Come prepared with questions about the Faith!

The Circle of the Holy Spirit will be selling Advent wreaths and replacement candles the weekend of November 25-26 in the narthex. The first weekend of Advent is December 2-3. Make sure to get your advent wreath!

Sts. Anne & Joachim Circle will be providing Thanksgiving baskets again this year. If you or someone you know is in need of a Thanksgiving meal, please call the parish office at (806) 655-3302 by Thursday, November 15.

Death is a difficult topic to discuss for many people, but it is something we will all face one day. An intentional act of love for your family might be in the form of pre-planning your own funeral, or helping a loved one plan their funeral in advance. Details for the Vigil Service, Funeral Liturgy, and Rite of Committal, could all be decided ahead of time and written down for when your loved ones need that information. We are offering an opportunity to do just that at our Funeral Planning Workshops. You will be given information to understand all the decisions that need to be made, and our Funeral Planning Team will be there to guide you through the process. There are two different times to choose from: Monday, Nov. 13, from 2-3:30 p.m. or Tuesday, Nov. 14, from 6:30-8 p.m. Please pre-register so that we can have materials ready for you at the workshop. You can click anywhere in this article to sign up online, or sign up in the narthex.