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, May 18, from 9 a.m.-noon in the Adult Education Room. The certification lasts 5 years. You must be pre-registered to attend any training. Check out Virtus.org or call Dcn. Dave Rausch at 806-681-9146 for more information.

Attention all high school seniors! The Baccalaureate Mass will be on Sunday, May 19, at 9 a.m. Please wear your cap and gown for Mass. Join us in the parish hall after the 9 a.m. Mass for a reception honoring our seniors, and for the scholarshipwinners announcement!

The Great St. Ann's Ice Cream Churn-Off will be on Sunday, June 2, from 6:30-8 p.m. Enjoy ice cream and vote on your favorite with cash! The proceeds will go to St. Ann's Youth Ministry. Pick up an entry from in the narthex or parish office!

The United Catholic Appeal (UCA) pledge weekend is April 20 & 21. The Catholics in the Diocese of Amarillo come together to help each other. Your supports helps your parish and the ministries provided by the Diocese for each parishioner, Deacon, and Priest. Every gift makes a difference to you and your parish!

Divine Mercy Sunday is April 7, 2024. This is a wonderful time for conversion, inviting others to return to the Church, and growing closer to Christ's merciful heart on this feast. Please note the following opportunities at St. Ann's to celebrate the feast and receive the special plenary indulgence decreed by the Church: Extra Confession Hours: Saturday, April 6, and Saturday, April 13, confessions will be from 3-4:30 p.m. Please note that Confession for the indulgence may occur twenty days before or after the Feast of Divine Mercy! Praying the Our Father, Apostles' Creed, and a special Hail Mary for the Pope after all the weekend Masses of April 6 & 7. Encouragement of all to practice works of mercy and charity, especially inviting active Catholics back to the practice of their faith. In addition, we will have Divine Mercy materials such as holy cards and the Divine Mercy Novena available in the narthex, place an image of Divine Mercy in the sanctuary for this feast, and gather at St. Ann's at 3 p.m. on Sunday, April 7, to pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy.

The Ladies of St. Ann's are selling 50/50 raffle tickets for their annual fundraiser this year. This takes the place of the annual Holiday Gifts & Goodies. Thickets are $10 each and can be purchased from any of the ladies' circles. The winner will receive 50% of the sales and the other 50% goes to the Ladies of St. Ann's. For more information, email Jackie Leak at ladiesofstanns@gmail.com.

Please join us for St. Helen's Outreach ribbon cutting ceremony for the Market on Tierra Blanca on Tuesday, March 19, at noon. A good representation from the Canyon Chamber of Commerce, local businesses, city government, and the media will be present. We would love to have a large representation from our parish there as well!

If you would like to join us to discuss our current read, Holy Desperation: Praying As If Your Life Depended On It by Heather King, we will get together Thursday, March 14, at 7 p.m. to discuss this book and plan for our next book. There are still a few copies of our current book in the sacristy--$10 per book. All are welcome!

The Bach's Lunch Series is back by popular demand! Bring a box lunch and friends for a delightful time of Lenten reflection and music. The program starts at 12:05 p.m. at St. Ann's with a 25-minute organ recital, allowing you to return to work by 1 p.m. St. Ann's Music Director, Dr. Elizabeth McKee, is the featured organist on Friday, March 1. The Bach's Lunch series is sponsored by the Amarillo Chapter of the American Guild of Organists.

The Young Adult Group (ages 23-35) will meet on Wednesday, March 6, beginning at 5:30 p.m. for Adoration at St. Ann's. There will be a group dinner at a restaurant in Canyon from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Childcare is available--please inquire about that when you RSVP.

Faith Formation classes are in need of substitute teachers. Our wonderful Catechists occasionally need to miss class due to illness, family emergencies or other obligations and classes still need to go on. We can't accomodate this without a reliable group of people who are willing to step in on occasion and lead a class. Have you ever thought you'd like to teach Faith Formation but were afraid to commit to full time? Subbing could be a perfect way to try it out without the big commitment. If you are hearing the call to help your parish family in this way, please call Chris Hall at the parish office (806) 655-3302 or email faithformation@stannsofcanyon.org.

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.

Remember that our God is a God of surprises? Is God surprising you with a nudge or a push to serve on our Parish Pastoral Council? The Pastoral Council (aka Parish Council) is a consultative board that assists the pastor to understand and implement the parish vision according to God's lead and the Church's direction. This is one of the most important ministries in the life of our parish. Come find out more and/or express your willingness to be on the ballot in May by attending one of the following information sessions: Sunday, February 4, at 10:20 a.m. Location TBA. Thursday, February 8, at 7 p.m. Location TBA.

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.