Apologies all, I accidentally hit "send" too soon, without all the attachments and a few errors, so hoping I got most of it right this time.
Greetings!
Thanks to everyone who joined us last week to learn about the Cabrini Ministry at Sacred Heart's work serving immigrant families in our community. You should have received a separate message regarding this. We are building a list of St. Ann parishioners who would like to receive occasional updates about Cabrini Ministry volunteer needs, as well as information about opportunities to provide financial support for this work. If you are interested, please contact Lisa Madden at lamadden47@gmail.com.
You may be interested in reading Cardinal McElroy’s homily last Sunday on the Universal Church's annual commemoration of the World Day of Migrants and Refugees
St. Ann sponsored last week’s inaugural Caregiver’s Conference hosted by IONA, an organization based just around the corner from St. Ann which provides resources and support to older adults and their caretakers. This week, I attended one of the monthly coffees with their CEO to learn more about their work. IONA’s work aligns nicely with our committee’s effort to support parishioners and community members experiencing isolation. Let me know if you are interested in attending one of their coffees.
On Monday, I attended a Ward 3 Community Conversation about homelessness in DC hosted by The Way Home Campaign which sought to educate the public about the challenges of the issue and opportunities to make a difference by advocating on behalf of these vulnerable citizens to your DC Council Representatives. Unfortunately, these reps receive many calls from citizens complaining about the homeless population and far fewer from citizens urging them to take steps to ensure this population is given the resources they need.
Monsignor Watkins will celebrate the first Friday Mass at Seabury at Friendship Terrace on October 2 at 2 pm. Members of the Outreach Committee have been joining for the monthly Mass and to meet with those gathered for the Mass. The residents really like having us there. Please note that the Mass is very brief, so if you have just an hour to spare, you will have plenty of time to chat with the residents.
In an effort to streamline this “Update, ” I am including below opportunities for action, service, learning, and fellowship directly related to St. Ann, along with NEW opportunities and upcoming events. Opportunities that are ongoing are attached below — these have been announced in previous updates.
If you have suggestions for additions or questions about anything, please let me know. I would really love to hear from you!
Debbie Grieser
St Ann Catholic Church
Social Outreach Coordinator
volunteer@stanndc.org
Service
1. Supporting our immigrant community. Interested in joining a list of St. Ann parishioners who would like to receive occasional updates about Cabrini Ministry volunteer needs, as well as information about opportunities to provide financial support for this work. Contact Lisa Madden at lamadden47@gmail.com.
2. Support parishioners and community members who are experiencing isolation. This may be simply a weekly telephone call, or could be periodic in-person visits, depending on your availability. Contact Sal Selvaggio, selvaggiosal@gmail.com
3. Faith, Food & Fellowship is hosted by AU Catholic every Tuesday night during the academic year. Students gather for Mass and dinner to connect with Christ and with each other. FFF attracts 40-50 students each week. Please consider preparing or purchasing a meal, or a partial meal by using SignUp Genius. Contributions should be delivered to the Kay Spiritual Center at AU by 6:30. Your generosity makes a tangible impact in the lives of students, who come hungry and searching. Jesus conducted much of his ministry through dinner table conversations, and AUCatholic seeks to imitate the Master. If you have questions, you can reach out to Allie Vega at campusministry@aucatholicdc.org
4. NEW: Open House at Friendship Place’s Welcome Center, Weds, Oct 7 and Sat, Oct 14: tour the facility, meet the staff and hear stories of FP’s impact.
5. NEW: IONA provides resources and support to older adults and their caretakers. Founded 50 years ago by neighbors who wanted to look out for one another IONA believes that volunteers are the heart of their work. With a location just around the corner from St. Ann, consider one of their volunteer opportunities.
Learning
1. NEW: Next in the Series of Catholic Social Teaching Fellowship Series at St. Matthew's Cathedral : Sunday, October 11 at 12:15 (after the 11am Mass) to discuss Magnifica Humanitas: Pope Leo’s Call to Safeguard Humanity in the Age of AI led by Professor Matthew David Hamilton, George Washington University, Georgetown Initiative on AI and Democracy. All are welcome! St. Matthew's is at 1725 Rhode Island Ave NW, look for their North Conference Room. A flyer is attached.
2. Holy Trinity Parish in Georgetown's Migrant Familia Group hosts a virtual speaker usually at 7pm on the 4th Monday of the month, though this one was rescheduled. Anyone can register for upcoming presentations:
Oct 5: Ava Benach, Founding Partner, Benach, Pitney Riley, LLP, Register: The Enforcement Landscape: Steering Immigrants Through Shifts in Policy For 25 years, Ava Benach has steered clients through the ever-shifting landscape of immigration law, concentrating her practice on defending those in removal proceedings.
Fellowship
1. NEW: St. Ann Ministries are Kicking Off for the Fall. They include groups that address Mental Health, Cancer and Adult Faith Formation. Meetings begin this week, but they go on year-round. It is never too late to join or spread the word.
2. NEW: Franciscan Festival: Shrine of the Sacred Heart, Sunday, Oct 4, 8-4, 3211 Sacred Heart Way, DC. See attachment. If you’d like to support them, but can’t attend, you will find a second attachment with QR code for their raffle in the attachment below..
3. St. Ann's Gather & Grace Dinner Groups: a place to make new friends and develop new links that might aid efforts to serve God and man more effectively. With small groups, each couple or single person hosts a meal in their home. You can serve whatever you wish at your home, using paper plates or fancy plates. The essence, the ministry and the blessing of Gather & Grace is the ageless “sharing a meal,” not the meal sophistication. Sign up through the link above.
Greetings!
Thanks to everyone who joined us last week to learn about the Cabrini Ministry at Sacred Heart's work serving immigrant families in our community. You should have received a separate message regarding this. We are building a list of St. Ann parishioners who would like to receive occasional updates about Cabrini Ministry volunteer needs, as well as information about opportunities to provide financial support for this work. If you are interested, please contact Lisa Madden at lamadden47@gmail.com.
You may be interested in reading Cardinal McElroy’s homily last Sunday on the Universal Church's annual commemoration of the World Day of Migrants and Refugees
St. Ann sponsored last week’s inaugural Caregiver’s Conference hosted by IONA, an organization based just around the corner from St. Ann which provides resources and support to older adults and their caretakers. This week, I attended one of the monthly coffees with their CEO to learn more about their work. IONA’s work aligns nicely with our committee’s effort to support parishioners and community members experiencing isolation. Let me know if you are interested in attending one of their coffees.
On Monday, I attended a Ward 3 Community Conversation about homelessness in DC hosted by The Way Home Campaign which sought to educate the public about the challenges of the issue and opportunities to make a difference by advocating on behalf of these vulnerable citizens to your DC Council Representatives. Unfortunately, these reps receive many calls from citizens complaining about the homeless population and far fewer from citizens urging them to take steps to ensure this population is given the resources they need.
Monsignor Watkins will celebrate the first Friday Mass at Seabury at Friendship Terrace on October 2 at 2 pm. Members of the Outreach Committee have been joining for the monthly Mass and to meet with those gathered for the Mass. The residents really like having us there. Please note that the Mass is very brief, so if you have just an hour to spare, you will have plenty of time to chat with the residents.
In an effort to streamline this “Update, ” I am including below opportunities for action, service, learning, and fellowship directly related to St. Ann, along with NEW opportunities and upcoming events. Opportunities that are ongoing are attached below — these have been announced in previous updates.
If you have suggestions for additions or questions about anything, please let me know. I would really love to hear from you!
Debbie Grieser
St Ann Catholic Church
Social Outreach Coordinator
volunteer@stanndc.org
Service
1. Supporting our immigrant community. Interested in joining a list of St. Ann parishioners who would like to receive occasional updates about Cabrini Ministry volunteer needs, as well as information about opportunities to provide financial support for this work. Contact Lisa Madden at lamadden47@gmail.com.
2. Support parishioners and community members who are experiencing isolation. This may be simply a weekly telephone call, or could be periodic in-person visits, depending on your availability. Contact Sal Selvaggio, selvaggiosal@gmail.com
3. Faith, Food & Fellowship is hosted by AU Catholic every Tuesday night during the academic year. Students gather for Mass and dinner to connect with Christ and with each other. FFF attracts 40-50 students each week. Please consider preparing or purchasing a meal, or a partial meal by using SignUp Genius. Contributions should be delivered to the Kay Spiritual Center at AU by 6:30. Your generosity makes a tangible impact in the lives of students, who come hungry and searching. Jesus conducted much of his ministry through dinner table conversations, and AUCatholic seeks to imitate the Master. If you have questions, you can reach out to Allie Vega at campusministry@aucatholicdc.org
4. NEW: Open House at Friendship Place’s Welcome Center, Weds, Oct 7 and Sat, Oct 14: tour the facility, meet the staff and hear stories of FP’s impact.
5. NEW: IONA provides resources and support to older adults and their caretakers. Founded 50 years ago by neighbors who wanted to look out for one another IONA believes that volunteers are the heart of their work. With a location just around the corner from St. Ann, consider one of their volunteer opportunities.
Learning
1. NEW: Next in the Series of Catholic Social Teaching Fellowship Series at St. Matthew's Cathedral : Sunday, October 11 at 12:15 (after the 11am Mass) to discuss Magnifica Humanitas: Pope Leo’s Call to Safeguard Humanity in the Age of AI led by Professor Matthew David Hamilton, George Washington University, Georgetown Initiative on AI and Democracy. All are welcome! St. Matthew's is at 1725 Rhode Island Ave NW, look for their North Conference Room. A flyer is attached.
2. Holy Trinity Parish in Georgetown's Migrant Familia Group hosts a virtual speaker usually at 7pm on the 4th Monday of the month, though this one was rescheduled. Anyone can register for upcoming presentations:
Oct 5: Ava Benach, Founding Partner, Benach, Pitney Riley, LLP, Register: The Enforcement Landscape: Steering Immigrants Through Shifts in Policy For 25 years, Ava Benach has steered clients through the ever-shifting landscape of immigration law, concentrating her practice on defending those in removal proceedings.
Fellowship
1. NEW: St. Ann Ministries are Kicking Off for the Fall. They include groups that address Mental Health, Cancer and Adult Faith Formation. Meetings begin this week, but they go on year-round. It is never too late to join or spread the word.
2. NEW: Franciscan Festival: Shrine of the Sacred Heart, Sunday, Oct 4, 8-4, 3211 Sacred Heart Way, DC. See attachment. If you’d like to support them, but can’t attend, you will find a second attachment with QR code for their raffle in the attachment below..
3. St. Ann's Gather & Grace Dinner Groups: a place to make new friends and develop new links that might aid efforts to serve God and man more effectively. With small groups, each couple or single person hosts a meal in their home. You can serve whatever you wish at your home, using paper plates or fancy plates. The essence, the ministry and the blessing of Gather & Grace is the ageless “sharing a meal,” not the meal sophistication. Sign up through the link above.
