Friends,

As most of you are aware, I’ve been Moderator of The Curia of the Diocese of Fall River for the past five years. A few months ago I asked Bishop da Cunha to allow me to step away from that role. He kindly accepted that request. This past Friday, April 30, was my last day in that role. While I am relieved and pleased to have completed this time, I am grateful to have had the opportunity to serve in this capacity.

The role has been challenging for many reasons. Some of the things I’ve done have been difficult and painful. I’ve learned more about our diocese than I ever thought I would learn. I say this to tell you that I could not have fulfilled the duties of this role without you, my parish family. Whether you realize it or not you have made it possible for me to do what was asked of me. I can never express to you the full extent of my gratitude.

Thank you for your support and prayers. I am grateful to be your priest.

God bless you all,
Fr. John

On Saturday, April 24th, 14 of our second graders received their First Holy Communion:

Cooper Brown, Dylan Connolly, Dylan Fitch,
Madison Fitch, Brynn Grabowski, Emma Houghton,
Brynn Kennedy, Madison Kinney, Ella Morse,
Kyle Nichols, Corey Panaikas, Logan Silva,
Lucas Soares, and Nathan Wronski.

We congratulate them and their families, and we continue to pray for the students who will receive their First Holy Communion this weekend.

We again will be celebrating First Communion Mass on Saturday, May 8th, at noon. While this Mass will be limited to the students and their guests, they will be live-streamed on our parish website so that all may witness these beautiful events. Please keep our First Communion students in your prayers as they continue their journey of faith.

Friends,

The Catholic Appeal begins today. This is an important endeavor to fund the ministries of the Diocese of Fall River. Please prayerfully consider pledging or donating to this Appeal. Without your support, our Diocese would not be able to conduct the significant ministries which assist so many in various ways.

If you have given in the past, please think about giving a little more this year. If you have not given in the past, please let this year be the start of a new practice. If you are unable to give please pray for the success of the Appeal. No gift is too small, or too large.

A pledge allows you to give more (this is what I do). A one-time donation can also be made. There are various options to do this. It can be done online, through the mailing you received at home, or with the envelopes at the front door of the Church. The link below will bring to this year’s video.

Thank you in advance for your generosity.
Fr. John

The American Red Cross is experiencing a severe blood shortage due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  To help, the St. Ann’s Knights of Columbus is sponsoring a Blood Drive on Friday, May 14th, from 10:00am to 3:00pm in the Parish Center. The Red Cross follows strict COVID-19 guidelines to assure donor safety. Appointments are required.

Please call 1-800-RED-CROSS, or visit www.redcrossblood.org and click on “Donate Blood” and then “Find a Blood Drive”.  Did you know that ALL blood donations are tested for COVID-19 antibodies?  Easy way to find out if you have had asymptomatic COVID-19. Please contact John Donahue by email at john.donahue64@gmail.com or phone (508) 822-6015 with any questions or for help with registering for an appointment.

Pope Francis has invited Catholics worldwide to take part in a marathon of prayer during the month of May for an end to the Covid-19 pandemic. This global prayer initiative calls for a daily recitation of the Rosary this month dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary. Each day in May at 12:00 noon EDT on Vatican online media platforms, there will be a live stream broadcast from a different Marian shrine around the world to lead the Rosary prayer. Bishop da Cunha is encouraging the faithful of the Fall River Diocese to take part, joining their prayers to this critical cause.

People can join the Vatican online platform at noon, they can pray on their own at a convenient time, they can gather as a family or as a group at home to pray, or they come together as a parish community to pray in the church. Please use whatever means fits your particular situation.
https://www.catholicnews.com/pope-calls-for-monthlong-global-prayer-marathon-for-end-of-pandemic/

Looking for any male or female interested in helping to plant, weed, or water garden areas on either side of the Church, and under the sign in front. If you would like to help, contact Carol Czarn at 774-991-0701 or jccz32@verizon.net, or contact Joanne Reynolds at 508-880-8955 or callalily9@comcast.net.

St. Ann’s K of C will offer a Fraternal Benefits presentation on Thursday, May 6th at 7:00pm in the Parish Center.  John Stewart, K of C Benefits Agent will be the host and presenter.  This presentation will be available to all K of C members as well as St. Ann’s parishioners that are interested in learning more about the Knights of Columbus and the benefits that are offered to fraternal members.  If you are unable to attend in person, the presentation will be live-streamed on the Parish Facebook page and Youtube.

https://www.facebook.com/stannsraynham/

https://www.youtube.com/StAnnsParishRaynham

The Rev. Gerald T. Shovelton at St. Ann Parish K of C Council #10289 of Raynham announces applications for their 2021 scholarship to high school seniors. Registered members of St. Ann’s Parish in Raynham are invited to apply.  One (1) $1,000 sponsored scholarship will be awarded. To obtain an application, interested students can call Fred Mailloux at 508-824-5066. The completed application and required attachments are due to the scholarship committee no later than Monday, May 3, 2021.

A wonderful tradition here at St. Ann’s is the First Friday Adoration of The Blessed Sacrament. This Friday, May  7th, following the 7:00am Mass, the Eucharist is available on the altar so we can spend time with our Lord in prayer. Many thanks to those who spend time in prayer with our Lord. Please take advantage of the opportunity for prayer.

Click here to sign up for a time:
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0D49A9A62DABFAC61-first5

The new Lector Schedule for May 1 to May 31 is available for download or viewing by clicking here

St. Ann’s Council is seeking to increase its membership.  Any practicing Catholic man 18 years of age or older wishing to join the Knights should contact Grand Knight, Ron Pagels at 774-281-2429 or email rnpnekvt114@gmail.com.

For additional information about the Knights of Columbus, visit our website at www.kofc.org.

Please keep in mind that the mailing address for all parish business, including Faith Formation or for Fr. John is:
St. Ann’s Parish
PO Box 247
Raynham Center, MA 02768-0247

A reminder, the church is open daily from 8:00am to 5:00pm for you to stop by and pray. Please exercise social distancing while in the church. Daily Mass is live-streamed on our website & Facebook at 8:00am each day.

The Daily and Sunday Mass is recorded for your viewing!

On Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/StAnnsParishRaynham

To view on Facebook, visit:
https://www.facebook.com/stannsraynham
and the live-stream appears under the Video section.

The Parish Facebook page is also embedded on this site at
https://stannsraynham.org/facebook-page/

The live stream video is compatible with all desktop, tablet, and mobile devices.

Many have been so thoughtful and concerned during these days about how we can continue to support our Parish. Many thanks to all who have mailed in or dropped off their contributions. We also have a new method – online giving. To sign up for that simply go to stannsraynham.weshareonline.org or click the “We Share” icon above. There you will be able to set up weekly, monthly, or a one-time contribution. It is very simple to use and very secure.

If you wish to receive regular updates regarding St. Ann’s Parish and what is happening with Mass schedules, etc… please text the words StAnnRaynham to 84576. You can also sign up using this link: https://flocknote.com/StAnnRaynham.

A word of welcome to our new parishioners! Please introduce yourselves to Fr. John, Deacon Joe, and Deacon Paul so that we can better serve you. We hope that you will become involved with our parish, and we look forward to your presence and participation each week.

You must be a confirmed Catholic, at least 16 years old, registered in a parish, and practicing your faith by weekly participation at Mass. If you are married, your marriage must be recognized as valid by the Church. Please see Fr. John after Mass to have a sponsor form signed.

The Fall River Diocese sponsors a televised Mass each Sunday at 11:00am on WLNE-TV, ABC Channel 6, New Bedford-Providence. The Mass is re-aired at 12:30pm on Comcast cable channel 95 in Fall River. On the air since September 1963, the Television Mass serves members of the faithful who are unable to attend Mass at a parish church because of illness or infirmity.

Mass Online: http://www.fallriverdiocese.org/tv-mass/

No Facebook account? No problem. View the Parish Facebook page on this site by clicking here. No Facebook account required to view.