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.

The Endow Women's Group will be studying St. Therese of Lisieux -- The Science of Love. Email stannsendowgroup@gmail.com for more information and to sign up. We will meet on the first and third Tuesday of each month at 6:30 p.m. in the parish hall. Join us on Tuesday, Jan. a6, for an Epiphany party!

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.

All students preparing for Confirmation AND their parents are required to attend the second Confirmation workshop on Sunday, November 5, from 3:30-5 p.m. Sponsors are encouraged to attend as well. The final workshop will be on Sunday, January 7, 2024.

Join us for the 20th Fallback Festival, a Mardi Gras Masquerade! It will be on Saturday, November 4, from 6:30-11:30 p.m. in the parish hall. The evening features music by Next to Kin, a steak dinner for 2, a reverse drawing, silent and live auctions, and a donation bar. Costumes are encouraged. Go to https://stannsofcanyon.org/fall-back-tickets to purchase tickets online or call the parish office at (860) 655-3302.

Are you willing to be a substitute catechist for Faith Formation? We are in need of volunteers who can be on a "call list" for those times when our regular catechists need to be absent. Substitute lesson plans and materials will be provided. Faith Formation meets from 10:15-11:15 a.m. on Sundays. If you are interested, you will need to be Safe Environment trained. There is a Safe Environment training coming up at St. Ann's on Thursday, Oct. 26 at 6:30 p.m. Please call Cindy Lewis, Acting Director of Religious Education, at (806) 655-3302, ext. 8 to let her know that you are willing to serve as a substitute.

If you volunteered for The Market, please join us for an orientation session, meet our coordinators and take a tour of our new building. The orientation sessions are scheduled for Sunday, October 29, between the Masses and on Monday, October 30, at 6:30 p.m. Both sessions will be in The Market building. If you are interested in volunteering, please join us for one of the sessions and sign up. We look forward to seeing everyone as we work to support our communities! For more information or to volunteer, visit https://sainthelensoutreach.org/

A few notes about Safe Environment Training (SET): If you are in need of SET, you can attend any training in the Diocese of Amarillo. There will be a training held at St. Ann's on Thursday, Oct. 26, at 6:30 p.m. in the conference room. 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.

The Diocese of Amarillo recognizes October as "Safe Environment Month." St. Ann's has scheduled several Safe Environment activities during the month of October 2023. Please note that the Circle of Grace materials for children and youth are very different from Safe Environment training received by adults. Youth: Those in grades 7 through 12 who come on Wednesday nights will receive the Circle of Grace training on Wednesday, Oct. 11, at 6:30 p.m. Otherwise, they will receive the training during normal Faith Formation classes on Sunday, Oct. 15. Kinder-6th Grade: Circle of Grace is scheduled for Sunday, Oct. 15. All children and youth participating in Faith Formation will receive age-appropriate lessons as part of the Circle of Grace program. A make-up session is scheduled for Sunday, Oct. 22, during normal Faith Formation time in the parish hall for any child or youth who missed the previous trainings.

Children's Liturgy of the Word (C.L.O.W.) needs your help! Do you love St. Ann's children and want to see them grow in their Catholic faith! We would love for you to join us. Volunteering for C.L.O.W. is easy and the time commitment is minimal. The lessons are already planned! Volunteers are needed for all Mass times! C.L.O.W. helpers must be Safe Environment trained. Please contact Chris Hall for more information. (Her contact information is in the October 8 bulletin.)