Our School & Auction

Dear Parishioners, friends, and families of St. Anne Catholic School,

This weekend, we hosted our annual auction for our school.  I write this column prior to the event, but I am sure it will be a great time for all who attend. I want to offer a big thank you to all those who spent countless hours preparing for the auction as well as to the companies, individuals, artisans, and the like who donated the items for the event.  It all goes to further the four-point mission we have for our children: “faith formation, scholarship, leadership, and service according to our Catholic values” (St. Anne Catholic School Mission Statement).  Our children are our precious jewels.  While we endeavor to raise them, they, in turn, inspire and challenge us back. In a culture so divergent from our Christian values, St. Anne School stands out as a beacon of hope. Next time you bump into one of our teachers, staff members, or especially any of our school families, thank them for the sacrifices they are making to raise our children in the faith. Let them know of your prayerful support. you might even want to take on or sponsor a family through prayer or financial assistance.  

Our school is a vital and vibrant ministry of the parish. Next school year, while the construction of the new church is underway, things will get messy.  Our school will be adapting to the sounds, sights, and activities that will be taking place literally next door to their classrooms. This will add some excitement, curiosity, and even stress in the classroom environment.  Some of the school’s necessary fundraisers will have to be rethought out and possibly moved to other venues.  So, again, keep them in your prayers. 

In conclusion, be mindful how important it is that we have a parish school.  Be prayerful towards the students, staff, and teachers. It is a ministry with a complex infrastructure that has a serious task to educate and inspire a coming generation of leaders.  Finally, I want to express my gratitude to Colleen Kotrba, our Principal, and Shawna Prestianni, our Office Manager, for their spirit-filled love and labor in our school.  Together, they are the glue that keeps it all together.

Blessings,

Fr. William Holtzinger
Pastor

Prepare the Way for a New School Year!

Dear Parishioners,

School has begun!  Fall is all most here (Sept. 22nd is the first day of Autumn), and changes are in the air! This 2016-17 school year will be one for the books, so-to-speak, and I am excited. Faith Formation and Youth Ministry are starting up.  Our capital campaign is also underway. There are countless dreams and hopes in our hearts.  There are also many hurts that still reside deep inside.  All of these things are opportunities… and I am not just being an optimist.  Why? Because, God is faithful!  He has plans for each one of us which will help us come to know him and experience him.  If we just let him in even more, if we subject our wills to his, we can be changed by the love and mercy of our Lord.

What plans do you have afoot for this coming school year?  How will you make a difference?  How will you give of yourself this year to help one other person?  How will you participate in the life of your faith community? What goals do you want to achieve? Who do you need to thank for what is going on in your life? Where do you need to seek out forgiveness for the hurts you’ve caused? What areas of weakness do you need to seek out God for strength?  Will you let go of that thing that is keeping you from Jesus?  We are St. Anne Catholic Church.  We are made up of broken people who seek to be empowered by the Holy Spirit to proclaim Christ’s loving mission.  So, pray!!  Let this new season be a time of refreshment and growth. And let us pray for each other, for there is much to be done, and it won’t happen as it needs to unless we keep ourselves focused on God! 

Blessings,

Fr. William Holtzinger
Pastor

The School, Memorial Weekend, and Boatnik

Dear Parishioners,

This last weekend, our country celebrated Memorial Day. The weekend was full of all kinds of activities here in Grants Pass due to Boatnik. This was a wonderful time for people from all over to gather together for a common purpose. Memorializing our fallen veterans is near and dear to all of our hearts.

Our float during the 2016 Boatnik Parade

Part of the festivities included the Boatnik Parade. Our school, once again, participated with our children, parents, teachers, and fans of the school. I think it is very safe to say that we had a great time. The float won first place overall! A big thank you needs to go out to Tiffany & Allen Fuller, along with Nikki & Garry Huffman who spent most of Friday afternoon into the night putting the float together. Even Fr. Karl was there to lend a hand. Many other people spent countless hours painting and creating the elements that would be later assembled on the float. During the parade itself, there was clearly a wonderful outpouring of joy and support by the people of Grants Pass.

This is one of our most visible opportunities to share the Good News. Our school continues to educate and form our children to be faithful Christians and great assets to our society. We should all be proud of what we are doing for our church and community through our school. Please share this good news!

This coming year, the school will be adding a 3-year old preschool and offering grades up through 5th grade. We will be dropping 6th grade and focusing on being the best elementary school we can be. St. Anne Catholic School is something we all need to promote by getting the word out to those who are discerning where to take their children for the coming school year. We have so much to offer our young people that they need. I am a fan of all that goes on there. And with the continued leadership of our principal, Colleen Kotrba, and the wonderful teaching staff, we have a bright year ahead of us. May God continue to bless our parish and school. May we be beacons of light to all who come our way. May we be the welcoming people we are called to be, sharing Christ’s loving mission.

Blessings,

Fr. William Holtzinger
Pastor

School Year Begins

Dear Parishioners,

School Begins
The school year officially begins after this Labor Day.  That means that we will once again see the beautiful faces of our little ones on our campus.  If you have not decided to enroll your child at our school yet, there is still time without any great struggle for makeup homework or figuring out proper placement in classes.  If you have a child that is age 4 yrs. old, we offer a fantastic full-day Pre-K.  If your child is 5 yr old, then why not enroll them in our very successful Kindergarden class?  Come by the school office and inquire.  You can get a tour and meet our wonderful teachers.  We strive to live out our mission statement: “St. Anne Catholic School is committed to faith formation, scholarship, leadership, and service according to our Catholic values.”  Come check us out and see if St. Anne’s Catholic School is right for you.  

Faith Formation & Youth Ministry
Whether your children are enrolled in the public school system or in our Catholic School, we have other wonderful opportunities to help build your children’s faith whether they are in grade school, middle school, or high school.  Our Faith Formation program is receiving registrations already and you can find them online, in the vestibules of the Church, in the main parish office, or at the Faith Formation Office located in the Parish Center.  you can also call Jessica McCormick at 541-479-4848.  Our youth ministry program is also an excellent way for your middle school or high school teen to experience our living faith in a way that speaks their language.  If your teen is a Freshman or later and hasn’t been confirmed, again, we are gearing up for Confirmation classes.  Seek out Natalie Scott, our Coordinator of Youth and Young Adult Ministry for details 541-476-5802.

Golf Tournament
On a totally different note, our annual parish golf tournament is two Saturday’s from now, the 14th of September!  Have you signed up your team of four?  The tourny is open to men and women and teens alike.  Last year, one of our teens, Donnie Thomason really schooled many of our vetran players.   I hear that Fr. José was even thinking of swinging some clubs. Last year was a lot of fun, and I am looking forward to this year as well.  The funds raised go to the general fund of the parish which will help us in our ministries and much more.  Please come by the parish office ASAP and sign up your team.  Time is getting short!  Hope to see you out there!

Blessings,


Fr. William Holtzinger
Pastor

Year of Faith Opportunities

Dear Parishioners,

The school year is coming to a close and many of our young people are graduating from  high school, college, and even kindergarten!  But, most of our young people will be simply moving to the next level in their educational journey.  As a parent, the first priority for you is the faith-life and education of your child or children with whom God has entrusted to you. You might remember that you made this promise when you participated in the baptism of each of your children.  So, in that context, I want to encourage you to give serious consideration to your child’s participation in and education in the Faith.  We have many ways that you can consider to further that mission with which you’ve been entrusted.

The first is our grade school which brags of a full-day Pre-K and Kindergarden.  St. Anne Catholic School has been accredited from our earliest grades all the way up to 8th grade.  Our school has awesome teachers who know that the mission of faith comes first and foremost.  Our school offers more hours of faith formation and education per week than any of our ministries.  Our teachers are great at lifting up their students to excel in reading, mathematics, science, and the arts.  The classrooms are welcoming and the student to teacher ratio allows for maximum potential for contact with each other.  Our graduates have a wonderful track record of becoming leaders in the faith and the community.  They are well prepared and often are well ahead of their fellow students when they reach high school.  If you have children who are of age to attend our school, I want you to give serious prayer and thought to bringing your child or children to St. Anne Catholic School.  Enrollment is now open, so don’t hesitate.  Contact the school office and learn more about how the school may be a wonderful opportunity for your family.

Another way to fulfill that commitment of raising your children in the faith is enrolling them in our Faith Formation Program which also begins with the school year.  We have dedicated catechists who spend hours preparing for lessons to reach the hearts of our young ones.  The classes are placed between our Sunday Masses which allow you as their parents to also grow in your faith.  As such, we will continue to offer an assortment of adult faith formation opportunities.  This past year, we watched Robert Barron’s Catholicism DVD series.  This coming year, we will continue to offer monthly opportunities for adult catechesis and Faith Formation.  So, please don’t just drop your children off and pick them up later.  Come and stay while they are going to Faith Formation classes.  Learn about the faith yourself.  Become a resource for your children when they ask those hard questions.  This Summer, we will host our annual Vacation Bible School which will help our children learn about our Lord through compelling stories, music, and activities.  Sign up now before it’s too late!

Lastly, if your child is in Middle School or High School, then be aware that we have a fantastic ministry to our teens.  Our youth ministry program is based on Life Teen which is an internationally recognized program of resources, training, and methods all geared toward creating opportunities for the teens to encounter Christ, most specifically in the Eucharist which is our source and summit.  We commit ourselves to tackling the hard topics that besiege our teens in our culture today.  This past year, we spent five weeks learning about Pope John Paul II’s Theology of the Body, arguably the most compelling teaching on sex and marriage ever articulated.  This summer, our teens will participate in Joe’s Camp which will help them learn about the dignity of work and the needs of the less fortunate.  The High School teens will have the opportunity to attend Steubenville NW Youth Conference with thousands of other teens and nationally recognized speakers who will challenge them to live their lives as committed disciples of the Lord.

Pope Benedict XVI called for a year of faith.  That challenge is for all of us.  What are you doing to increase your love and knowledge of the Catholic Faith in your life and the lives of all your family members?  As your pastor, I want to encourage you to take the challenge seriously and consider all these options which I’ve describe here.  If you do not have children or they are already grown, consider how you can support these endeavors while at the same time growing in your own faith walk.

Blessings,

Fr. William Holtzinger

Pastor