Our Children's Christmas Mass this will be be at 5 p.m. on Friday, December 24. We invite all youth from the parish to join their voices for this celebration! There will be several opportunities for practice: Wednesday, December 1; Saturday, December 11; Wednesday, December 15, and Wednesday, December 22. We look forward to preparing to celebrate the coming of Jesus this Christmas with everyone! If you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to call Cindy Good at the parish office (806) 655-3302.

Sts. Anne and Joachim Circle will once again be providing Thanksgiving food baskets to anyone in need. If you are in need of one or know of someone who is, please contact Tammy Ramaekers by Wednesday, November 10. (Tammy's phone number is listed in the November 7 bulletin).

The pandemic has brought grief to many areas of our lives, from deaths to job loss to postponed weddings and cancelled graduations. For all of the grief our parish family has endured during this time, we would like to invite you to a special event behing held on Thursday, November 18, at 6 p.m. in the parish hall. Licensed grief counselor, Angela Keller, will be here to speak with us on dealing with grief during the holidays. Angela received her Master's in Community Counseling with an emphasis in Ministry & Theology from St. Mary's University in San Antonio. She is the niece of the late Fr. Ken Keller. Hors d'oeuvres will be provided, as will time for prayer and healing at the end.

Come and enjoy some time in the Atrium on Tuesday, November 9, from 6:30-7:30 p.m. and experience the treasures offered to our children. The Atrium will be located in the southeast corner of the parish hall. Kendra Backus will explain how the Atrium works and give a couple of presentations. Join us if you would like to see what Catechesis of the Good Shepherd is about or if you are interested in helping in any way. Please contact Kendra Backus if you have any questions. Her contact information is in the October 31 bulletin.

St. Ann's Knights of Columbus Council 7840 will host an exemplification for our current and prospective members on November 14 at 4 p.m. in the church. If you are planning to join, please arrive by 3:30 p.m. to get some paperwork completed. Everyone else, please arrive by 3:45 p.m. so everyone can be seated and ready to begin at 4 p.m. We encourage everyone to bring their family to the exemplification, which will last about 30 minutes. We will have a meal and fellowship after the exemplification. Any men at least 18 and a practicing Catholic may join. Please contact Joe Shehan (his number and email are in the October 31 bulletin) before Wednesday, November 3 at 5 p.m. to sign up to attend so we have a head count for the meal, or if you have any questions.

Join us on Saturday, November 13, from 9:30-11 a.m. for breakfast and a workshop on planning your own Catholic funeral. For childcare during the workshop, please call the parish office at 806-655-3302 before Wednesday, November 10.

All children of the parish (and their adult family members) are invited to join us for an evening of games, food, and prizes on Wednesday, October 27 from 6-8 p.m. in the parish hall! There will be costume contests for three different age groups (infant-K; grades 1-4; and grades 5-12). Hot dogs, nachos, and Frito pie will be served. This event is sponsored by the youth of our parish. There is no charge, but cash donations will be accepted.

St. Ann's is celebrating All Saints Day and All Souls Day beginning with Candles and Reading of Names, the Table of Remembrance, and All Saints processions at all of the weekend Masses next weekend (October 30 & 31). The Visit and Blessing at Cemeteries will be on Sunday, October 31, at 2 p.m. All Saints Day Mass will be at 6 p.m. on Monday, November 1. A Mass to celebrate the Feast of All Souls will be on Tuesday, November 2, at 6 p.m. Please click on the article title for more details on each of our celebrations commemorating All Saints Day and All Souls Day.

Please join us as we celebrate with Joe and Karen the Ordination Anniversary of Deacon Joe Roder at 6 p.m. on Saturday, October 23, in the parish hall. Finger foods and drinks will be served.

The 10th Annual Red Mass will be celebrated at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, October 19, at St. Mary's Catholic Cathedral with Bishop Patrick J. Zurek as celebrant. Following Mass, the Honorable Eva M Guzman, former member of the Texas Supreme Court, will be the keynote speaker. A reception with heavy hors d'oeuvres and cocktails will follow in the Monsignor Smyer Reception Room. Judges, lawyers, public officials, law faculty members and the community are invited to the Mass and reception.

RCIA classes for those preparing to become Catholic are in full swing now, and meet after the second Mass each Sunday! If any parishioners would like to prepare or offer a meal, please contact Adrian Johnson at ajohnson@stannsofcanyon.org or 806-655-3302. Thank you!

The 17th Annual Holiday Gifts & Goodies will be on Saturday, November 13, from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. in the Paul Blake Building (1501 4th Ave.). There will be a variety of fabulous vendors including home goods, delectables, holiday gifts, decor, accessories, novelty items, and much more, so you can shop 'til you drop! Santa will make a special appearance from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. for photos.

November is a special month in the Catholic calendar for remembering our loved ones who have died with whom we hope to be reunited one day in eternity. All Masses in November will be offered collectively for those you wish to remember. All Souls Day Envelopes will be attached to the bulletin next week (Oct. 16 & 17), and available on the glass table in the narthex and the parish office. Please place them in the offering basket or bring them to the parish office before the beginning of November. While is it customary to include a donation for the priests who offer these Masses, all enveloped will be included and prayers offered, whether a donation has been included or not. The envelopes will be placed in a special basket in a place of honor in our church sanctuary for the entire month of November. May God grant eternal life to those who have died and comfort those of us who remain.

All ladies of the parish are invited to the Fall Women's Social at St. Ann's for some fun, fellowship, and bunco! The social will be on Thursday, October 14, from 6:30-8:30 p.m. in the parish hall. Please bring an hors d'oeuvre or appetizer to share.

St. Thomas the Apostle Parish in Amarillo is making plans to re-open their Perpetual Adoration Chapel. Parishioners from the Amarillo area are invited to join the program by committing to an assigned hour each week or as a substitute. For more information, please visit the St. Thomas the Apostle website at https://amarillo.church/adoration-2021

If you are 55 and older, come join us for an afternoon of food, fun, and fellowship on Friday, October 22, from 1-3 p.m. in the parish hall. Those 55-72, please bring a main dish; 73-80 bring a salad or vegetable; and those 81 and older bring a jello, fruit, or other dessert dish to share with 6-8 others. Bingo is free to play, with cash prizes! (Rescheduled from Friday, October 15.)

St. Ann's Fallback Festival will be on Saturday, November 6, from 6:30 to 11:30 p.m. in the parish hall. Tickets are $125 for two, and include a steak dinner, dance, and an entry in the reverse drawing for a grand prize of $5,000. There will also be a sneak peek of the new building plans! Please call the parish office at 806-655-3302 to get your tickets!

October is Safe Environment Month, so as is customary at St. Ann's all children and youth in our Faith Formation and Youth programs will be Safe Environment trained. This training teaches our young people that they should always feel safe and comfortable, especially at church events. Parents, be sure to bring your students to Faith Formation classes on Sunday, October 17, so they can received the training in their Faith Formation classes, and St. Ann's can do its part to ensure the safety of our beloved children. It is also recommended that parents have open conversations at home with their children about appropriate behavior to create the safest environment for Jesus' young disciples! Thank you!!

Our October practices will be Thursday, October 14, and Thursday, October 28, at 5:45 p.m. We will start practice with a meet and greet in the conference room in the office area. There will be food, fellowship, and fun! At 6:30 p.m., we will adjourn to the church for an hour-long practice, and ending between 7:30 and 7:45 p.m.

All are invited to bring their pets/animals to the front parking lot of the church for the traditional blessing of animals on the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi! Please bring animals on a leash, in a pet carrier, or kept in your vehicle. Prayer cards and blessed medallions will be given to our animals' human companions!