Our Campaign Commitment Sunday will be next weekend, February 5 & 6. Please pray the following prayer composed by a member of our Building Committee for our Light on a Hill Campaign as you pray about the commitment you will make: Humble builder St. Joseph, who dared to believe that the impossible was possible, come with your intercessory power to our Light on a Hill vision for the future. The example you set for us in caring for Mary and Jesus illumines our responsibility to care for your Church on earth. We pray that what we plan and implement is good and pleasing to the Father and in accord with God's will. We pray through Jesus Christ the Lord, whose grace has made His people the light of the world and a city set on a hill not to be hidden. Amen.

Please circle Sunday, February 20, for a parish potluck supper at 5:30 p.m. in the parish hall. We haven't been able to do this for way too long and it's time to push through the February blahs amid the warmth of our fellow parishioners. We will celebrate in a special way our Light on a Hill Capital Campaign as well as the synodal process being enacted in the Church on the local, diocesan, regional, national and international levels. (We will soon announce how you can participate in the some listening and feedback sessions.) Last names starting with: A-I, bring a side; J-R, bring a dessert; S-Z, bring an entree.

Calling all Czech Sausage Dinner aficionados! Our first planning meeting for this year's Czech Sausage Dinner will be on Thursday, January 20, at 6 p.m. in the parish hall. Any parishioners who are interested in helping to plan the event are welcome to join.

St. Joseph, defender of life, pray for us! is the theme of the annual Respect Life Mass and Walk on Saturday, January 22. Activities begin with a Diocesan Respect Life Mass at 10 a.m. at St. Mary's Cathedral, 1200 South Washington, celebrated by priests of the Diocese of Amarillo. Following Mass, the Walk for Life will begin with prayer and a procession to 15th and Taylor, where the Rosary for Life, Marriage and Family will be prayed at Sanborn Park

The next Reborn session is scheduled for Tuesday, January 25, at 7 p.m. in the parish hall. This session is for those who are planning to have a son or daughter baptized in the next few months and those who have been invited to serve as a godparent. To register for this session, please contact Adrian Johnson at (806) 655-3302 or ajohnson@stannsofcanyon.org.

Last semester's "Who am I to Judge?" class ended on December 5th, and it will be replaced this semester by a new class on prayer called "Deepening Your Prayer Life." It will be taught by Angela Asbill and will take place in the Blessed Sacrament Chapel from 10:15-11:15 a.m. every Sunday except for the last Sundays of the month, which will still be a Pastor's Class. Prepare for your Lenten fasting and praying by attending "Deepening Your Prayer Life!" Topics for the class will include spontaneous prayer, Lectio Divina, prayer and fasting, the Mass and adoration, the Daily Office, praying with the Psalms, and much more! The class will begin on Sunday, January 9 and there is no need to re-register for this class.

To schedule your photography appointment online, simply go to https://ucdir.com, click on Photography Appointment Scheduling Login on the right side of the page, enter tx148 in the Church Code filed, and then enter photos in Church Password field. Follow the prompts to schedule your family's appointment time. If you have 6 or more in your family, please use 2 consecutive time slots. The online scheduling option is available Monday through Friday. Appointments fill up quickly, so schedule as soon as possible to secure your preferred date and time. Beginning in January, we will also offer in person scheduling after every weekend Mass. (Online scheduling is unavailable on the weekends to prevent double-booking of time slots.) There are fewer than 60 spots available (as of Friday, Jan. 14).

St. Ann's Speaker Series continues on Wednesday, January 19, at 6:45 p.m. in the church, with refreshments served in the parish hall by the offices at 6:30 p.m. Fr. Scott and members of the Building Committee will give a presentation on the parish building plans and the upcoming capital campaign.

Season's Greetings! There will be no Faith Formation or RCIA for children and adults this weekend and for the next two weekends due to the upcoming holydays. Classes for all ages will resume on Sunday, January 9. We wish everyone in our parish family a very blessed and holy celebration of our Lord's nativity, a Happy New Year, and wonderful feast of the Solemnity of Mary!

Please make plans to join us on Wednesday, Dec. 22, at 1 p.m. as we adorn the church for our celebration of Christmas.

If you are 17 or older and have received the sacrament of First Communion but were never confirmed, and are interested in being confirmed, please contact Adrian Johnson at the parish office at (806) 655-3302 or ajohnson@stannsofcanyon.org.

For students in grades K-12 who missed the initial Safe Environment Training, there will be a make-up class this Sunday, December 12, from 10:15-11:15 a.m. during Faith Formation classes. If you child missed the training, parents please make every effort to bring your child to receive the training to know what safe relationships are, and St. Ann's can create a safe environment for all of our amazing kids!

Anyone who currently works with or plans to work with children or youth and is not certified must attend our next Safe Environment Training session on Saturday, December, 11, at 9 a.m. in the Adult Education Room. The certification lasts 5 years. To attend the training session, you must contact Adrian Johnson in the parish office at (806) 655-3302 or at ajohnson@stannsofcanyon.org,

St. Ann's parishioners are invited to join our choir for Christmas Masses this year! Our first practice will Thursday, December 2, at 6:30 p.m. in the church. Please feel free to contact Cindy Good in the parish office at 806-655-3302 with any questions you may have.

First Reconciliation for students preparing to receive First Communion is scheduled for Saturday, December 4, at 2 p.m. If you have not signed up your child for a time slot, please contact Adrian Johnson at (806) 655-3302 or ajohnson@stannsofcanyon.org,

Make sure to stop by the Advent Table in the church narthex on your way out of Mass to pick up Advent resources for you and your family for the Advent season. Individuals, couples, and/or families are invited to sign up to light Advent wreath candles after walking in the opening procession. The sign up sheet is on the glass table in the narthex.

Thanksgiving Day Mass will be at 9 a.m. on Thursday, November 25. Parishioners are encouraged to bring a food item (bread, bottle of wine, or a pie) to be blessed that they will then share with their families and friends.

A popular country song opens with the words: "Daddy ain't a bank, Mama ain't a shrink, and God's not a wishin' well." Your pastor might add, "And your priest ain't a sacrament machine!" No matter your life's work and vocation, the longing for fulfillment and purpose flows deeper than one's duties and responsibilities. On Wednesday, November 17, a local priest, Fr. Shane Wieck, will share some of the personal joy and fulfillment he experiences in his life as a priest. His stories of discovering meaning and grace in challenging circumstances and unexpected places can help you do the same.

The next Baptism preparation session will be on Tuesday, November 30, at 7 p.m. in the parish hall. This session is for those who are planning to have a son or daughter baptized in the next few months and for those who have been invited to serve as a godparent. You must be a registered parishioner for at least three months, or have a letter of active participation and good standing from your home parish in order to participate in this class. Please contact Adrian Johnson to register at (806) 655-3302 or ajohnson@stannsofcanyon.org.

Our parish family extends our prayers to the catechumens and candidates in our RCIA who will go through the Rite of Acceptance and Welcoming on Sunday, November 14, at the 9 a.m. Mass!