Every Saturday since April, something very private and holy has been happening on the sidewalk in front of Mercy Hall on Saturday afternoons. People from all over Columbus come to St. Anne Church’s friars to ask God for forgiveness for their sins in the Sacrament of Confession. Sometimes two of us hear confessions straight from 4 until 5:30 p.m. or later. We hear these confessions outside, under the school’s Kay Circle breezeway, because there is less risk of the friars infecting a penitent (person going to confession) with COVID-19 and vice versa. The portico also protects those waiting for the sacrament from the sun and the rain. From time to time, people wanting to park, enter Mercy Hall or attend a sporting event inadvertently interrupt these very private moments. No bad will is intended, but it is very disconcerting for the people going to confession, as well as the priests hearing them, to find someone standing near or next to them. Please help us spread the word that every Saturday from 4 to 5:30 p.m. the school portico is reserved for these sacred moments and the front doors of Mercy Hall are not available except in cases of an emergency evacuation. Thanks in advance for helping us keep this space holy and private.

We all know at the end of the first quarter we were facing a $59,000 Covid income deficit from last year. People weren’t coming to church. There were some very lean income months when we were locked down and some people were just not in a position to give as much as they used to or give at all. This is understandable. The parish response to this deficit has been overwhelming and humbling to me. 295 families have contributed $87,132.38 to the appeal. The average gift was $295.36. I just ran the report and as of today, January 5, 2021, our Offertory is down only $1,500 from last year. With expenses that we were able to cut I have to say our bottom line is looking great and our financial standing is very much improved. Thank you so much for caring about your parish and helping us in these uncertain times. To say that I am relieved and grateful is an understatement. This parish always comes through!

Because of the increase in Covid cases in Columbus we were forced to change our volunteer criteria and encourage those most vulnerable to stay home for the time being. Once again we are in need of volunteers to assist at St. Anne Community Outreach. Many people need assistance now and sometimes the food flies off our shelves at an astounding rate. There are also many people seeking assistance for rent and utility expenses. While we have the funds to give out, these programs have a lot of paperwork and accountability requirements which make them very labor intensive. If you are able to help us, please give the Outreach Center a call at 706-568-1592 or email kbyers@stanneoutreach.com to volunteer.

The big bell in the tower continues to malfunction. While the stationary hammer continues to work so it can chime the hour, it no longer is able to swing. The motor that runs it is 20 years old or older than some of your grandchildren. The company who services our bells is getting assistance from the motor manufacturer to see what is going on. I’ll keep you posted.

The company that cleans our school has changed. The company that cleans our church and preschool has remained the same. We will begin weekly deep cleaning sessions in the Outreach Center. The cost for the new cleaning service is roughly the same as the previous company so we will be able to remain in budget.

We have received the following donations for our Church:

We will be taking down the Christmas decorations after the 12:30 p.m. Sunday Mass this weekend and could use some help. Annie and Carol have been so generous with their time over the years. Any help we can give them taking down and packing up the Christmas decorations will be greatly appreciated. It might be a nice family project. Just show up around 1:30 p.m. to help. I know we can count on you!

We were trying to save on postage by asking people who wanted to receive a contribution statement to let us know. We’ve just been informed that the law demands that we send a statement to everyone who has given $250 or more a year, whether they want a statement or not. Rest assured, we will now be sending out statements to everyone who has given at least $250 this year...even if they don’t want one.

The Finance Council approved our plan to begin construction on the Early Learning Center. Once the project has been bid and we find out what it will cost, it is our hope to once again begin the project which is so mission critical for the wellbeing of future enrollment at St. Anne-Pacelli.

We hope to begin the full publication of our bulletins either next week or the following week. The bulletins will include news from around the parish and our school. They will also include the readings for the current Sunday. When you are finished with the bulletins please either discard them or take them home. Leaving the used bulletins in the pews will just mean extra work for our cleaning staff. This is the last weekend to pick up your 2021 calendar in the Commons Area.

Stewardship of Treasure

COVID Deficit Appeal

Attendance

Altar Flowers

This week, the gift of Bread & Wine was donated by Joe Roy in loving memory of his wife, Tonya L. Roy. If you would like to offer the bread and wine for Mass in honor of or in memory of a loved one, please call the Parish Office to schedule your weekend. Your offering of $50 will help defray the cost.