Committees, Ministries, Groups And Social OrganizationsVolunteers are the heart of St. Anne's Catholic
Parish. There are a number of committees, ministries, groups and social
organizations in which parishioners can actively participate and share their
faith, dedication, and talent. The list of organizations below is open to any
parishioners. Only the officers in the Pastoral Council and Finance Committee
are elected by a popular vote of the
parishioners.
Pastoral Council The Saint Anne Pastoral Council is composed of twelve lay parishioners and ordained clergy (priests and deacons) assigned to the parish. The lay membership consists of nine elective and three appointive positions. Membership eligibility requires one to be 16 years old and above; a registered member of the parish for at least one year prior to the election or appointment to the council. Also show regular financial support or parish participation. Finance Committee The St. Anne Finance Committee was mandated for all parishes by the Revised Code of Canon Law. The role of the committee is to help the pastor in overseeing the financial concerns of the parish. Typical functions of the finance committee include: - Preparing and presenting an annual parish budget. - Reviewing income and expenses semi-annually to determine if operational cost are within the approved budget. - Providing parishioners periodic reports on parish financial position. - Review parish fund raising programs. Catholic Youth Organization (CYO) St. Anne sponsors a CYO program as one dimension of the total ministry to youth. Athletic programs can help young people toward imperishable crowns as well as perishable ones. A parish CYO program justifies its existence, the sacrifice, and expense it entails only if it makes better Christians of its participants. In our CYO program, emphasis rests not on the number of games won or lost, but on the participants' attitude in victory or defeat. Learning how to lose is just as important as learning how to win. Learning how to win graciously is more important than winning itself. Our program is designed to serve the needs of all our youth. It enables the gifted to excel, the less gifted to participate and improve. "Star" athletes and teams do not receive exclusive attention. The principles of fair play and sportsmanship must govern every game. Dishonesty has no place in CYO competition. CYO competitors must not borrow from professional sports questionable techniques for winning at any cost. Finally, St. Paul advises in I Cor. 9:24 -- "run to win". In CYO athletics, all who compete can win, if they run to win the real prize: closer union with Jesus Christ. Charismatics The Catholic Charismatic is a "Grace of Pentecost sweeping through the Church". Men and women of all ages come together as a community to praise God, to pray, to learn, and to seek a renewal of spiritual life. Members of the Charismatic Prayer Meeting of St. Anne respond to the call "to make the divine message of salvation known and accepted by all men" through their involvement in various ministries in the parish. There is no formal membership. Guadalupana The objective of the Asociacion Guadalupana is to spread the devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe and an awareness of our heritage and traditions. The Virgin Mary appeared to Juan Diego, an Aztec Indian, the 12th of December of 1531. This date was solely 10 years after the conquest of the Tenochtitlan, the Aztec City and 40 years after the Discovery of America by Columbus. Her apparition at this moment in history is very important. When the Virgin Mary called Juan Diego "My Son", she adopted all of us living in the American Continent as her children. As proof of her presence in the new continent, the Virgin Mary left her image in Juan Diego's Huipil or Tunic. Her image is venerated in Mexico City and in our own church. The Knights of Columbus The Knights of Columbus is a Catholic, family, fraternal, service organization. It is committed to the four cardinal principles of charity, unity, fraternity and patriotism. St. Anne Council 8627, K of C was chartered on March 29, 1984 and is one of the active organizations of St. Anne Parish. Our membership belongs to different races and speaks different languages. We are diverse, yet we are one. Our diversity spells creativity, our unity spells strength. Our years of achievement show that we have remained true to our heritage and we will continue to build on it. We invite Catholic gentlemen 18 years old and over to join us. St. Anne Council 8627 meets every 4th Wednesday of the month at 7:30 p.m. Legion of Mary The Legion of Mary is a Catholic lay apostolate dedicated to personal sanctification and evangelization. The active members meet once a week and perform a two-hour apostolate within the week. Work is directed towards conversion, conservation and consolation through home visits, distribution of Catholic literature, teaching catechism, visitation of the sick and elderly and whatever help the priest needs in shepherding his flock. The active members are further subdivided into juniors from eight to seventeen years and seniors from eighteen years upward. For those unable to attend meetings, another kind of membership is available, that of an auxiliary. This is open to priests, religious. or lay persons. The auxiliary group is the praying wing of the Legion. Its service is the daily recitation of the rosary and a short prayer. Marriage Encounter Marriage Encounter (M.E.) is for any couple who wants to enrich their marriage. It is a positive and personal experience for a couple which offers a technique of communication they can use for their married life. A positive, simple, common sense experience between husband and wife that revitalizes marriage by helping couples to see what their relationship could and should be. The weekend is a series of talks which are given by a team of trained couples and a priest. Each talk gives a husband and wife the opportunity to look at themselves as individuals, and to look at their relationship with each other, with God and with others. An M.E. weekend is not a retreat, marriage clinic, or a sensitivity course. It is not a time to look at the past, but rather to your future together. It is a time to share your feelings, your hopes, joys and frustrations. Marriage Encounter is for couples who desire to make their marriage better. A Marriage Encounter weekend is open to all happily married couples regardless of faith, race, education and financial status. Marriage Encounter is also for priests and religious who want to revitalize their relationship with the people of God and develop an ever deeper appreciation for their vocation. There are information nights held for couples who want to know more about M.E. For more information on this valuable program, visit the Worldwide Marriage Encounter Web Site, provided by the San Jose/Oakland Marriage Encounter Presenting Team.Marriage Preparation (The Engaged Couple Program) Marriage Preparation prepares engaged couples for marriage. The engaged couple should contact the Parish Office six months in advance of their wedding date. The initial interview takes place with the priest after which all other requirements are determined. The program will help couples look at themselves in depth in order to discover what they truly want for their lives. The engaged couples are required to take one of the programs held on a weekend or the Evenings for the Engaged program held for six consecutive weeks. Couples For Christ Couples For Christ (CFC) is an international Catholic Christian Ministry that focuses on married couples through a seminar called the Christian Life Program (CLP). The program's emphasis is on husband and wife growing together in their Christian lives. It also focuses on the strengthening and the development of the Domestic Church, which is the family. Other programs that reach out to other members of the family - widows, singles, divorced, youth and children. We welcome everyone. For more information on this valuable program, contact the Saint Anne Parish Office, or visit the Couples For Christ Northern California Chapters Web Site.St. Anne Filipino Group It was early in 1973 when Sister Felicia Sarati, CSJ, approached some people about the idea of forming a parish group for Filipinos. The idea was welcomed by the nucleus group of seven couples. In the spring of 1973, a special Filipino Mass and pot luck was organized to launch the beginnings of the group. The response was overwhelming and the St. Anne Filipino Group was formed. We formulated our goals to have solidarity in purpose. It was this simple statement--"we exist to help the community with one and to extend that communal concern with those in our community of faith". We seek to identify the needs of the Filipinos in our area and respond to them. St. Vincent De Paul Society The St. Vincent de Paul Society is a world-wide charitable, lay organization whose membership is made up of local parishioners. Our goal is to put the Gospel message into action by helping those in need in a personal way. We do this by feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, assisting the homeless, visiting the sick and attempting to share God's love with those who come to us for assistance. If you are of high school age or older and can share your time and talents. We invite you to our meetings on Sundays at 10:30 a.m. in the rectory. Santo Nino Group The Santo Nino Group brings the image of the infant Jesus of Prague (or Santo Nino) to the familys' house. They pray the rosary and the first day of the novena along with the family. The image stays in the house for nine days for the family to pray. On the ninth day, the group picks up the image and brings the image to another family and continues the cycle again. They pray the rosary and the novena with the family. The main purpose of this group is to encourage the family to pray together. There is a saying "the family that prays together, stays together". The other purposes are to teach the young people to pray the rosary, to teach the family that God is always with us and that He answers all prayers especially if you are persistent. This group also helps out on most of the church's activities. It is also one way to meet new friends and praise God every week. Everyone is welcome to join us. There are no restrictions or no requirements. Please come and join us to pray. Senior Group The St. Anne Senior Group works to benefit its members physically, mentally and spiritually. We donate a portion of our funds to the Church in response to the Stewardship program. As part of our Ministry some of our members are Lectors and Eucharistic Ministers. We lead the daily prayers after the 8:00 a.m. daily mass. We also participate in the celebration of the feasts and novenas, as well as the annual Festival of the Church. Registered paid members are eligible to participate in the Mutual Aid Benefits provided by our Group. We celebrate the founding of this group yearly in the month of August. Once a year we arrange a trip to Reno as a fundraising project. Members socialize and are honored on their birthhdays at our monthly meetings. Social Justice Committee The purpose of the Social Justice Committee is to raise the awareness and commitment of the members of the parish to Catholic teachings and responsibilities with regards to social justice by providing information, support, and challenges. St. Anne's Social Justice Committee believes that our parish community are called to be "the salt of the earth" and "the light of the world" in the words of the scriptures (Matthew 5:13-16). As stewards of God, we are called in a special way to respect all life to serve the hungry and homeless, to welcome the stranger and immigrant, to reach out to troubled families, to advocate for just public policies, to organize for safer and better communities, to work creatively for a more peaceful world, to show our respect for the Creator by our care for creation and commitment, and to work for environmental justice. If you would like to join us, please contact our Parish Office. Union City Cursillo Group The Cursillo movement was developed by a group of men in the late 1940's in Majorca, Spain as a form of renewal, in order to bring the Church to life in the hearts of men. It is a Christian formation whose fundamental idea is to make it possible for anyone in the world to live a Christian life in a natural way and to learn the Gospel. Here at St. Anne, the Cursillo Group is composed mostly of lay persons who are active members of different organizations in our parish. Safely Home - Grief Support Ministry Jesus said "Come to me all you who labor and are burdened and I will give you rest". SAFELY HOME GRIEF SUPPORT GROUP meets on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of every month, classroom #101, 6:30 - 8:30 pm. All are invited who are experiencing grief or those who have experienced their own grief and are willing to share their process of their Season of Grief. We are here to help others to find God's plan for their own "Safely Home Experience", here on earth, our future and then someday Safely Home in Heaven with our love ones. No sign-ups or reservations required. All are welcome to share and be good listeners and comforters to ease the pain of sorrow. For more information call Roseann Langley @510-471-6545 SPRED (SPecial Religious EDucation) Are you aware that there are children with special needs waiting- perhaps for you- to be a volunteer catechist in the setting of a small faith community here at St. Anne. SPRED (SPecial Religious Education Department) in the Diocese of Oakland invites you to share your faith with children with developmental disabilities (such as autism, cerebral palsy, and mental retardation) in the SPRED community here at St. Anne. Training is provided, the only requisite is a desire to share and grow in faith with others. If you are interested in learning more about this ministry, which addresses the spiritual, needs of persons with developmental disabilities please call: Warren Chauvin: 785-9321; Maria Garcia: 471-5798; Geneveva Bagaoisan: 471-9128 . Other Parish Organizations and Groups Please contact the Parish Office for more information on these parish organizations and groups: * Lectors * Eucharistic Ministers * Choir and Folk Music Groups * Liturgy Committee * Altar Servers * Ushers * Bible Study Group Home: |