Children’s Christmas Pageant
Sunday, December 18, during 10:30 worship
What a blessing to have a playwright in our midst. And an even greater blessing to have a playwright who is so willing to share his talents and gifts. A huge thank you to Bill Lanoue for writing and directing today’s Christmas pageant. And a special thank you as well to his assistant director, Ann Lanoue. Thank you to Tony for the beautiful music, to the children for their eager participation, to the parents for working pageant rehearsals into an already busy time of year, and thank you to Mary Holland and to Lydia Huttar Brown, for feeding everyone at those rehearsals. He was here all along! indeed.
Report on the Children’s Christmas Boutique
The first annual Children’s Christmas Boutique was a wonderful success! Thank you to Lisa Coonan, Sally Countryman, and Beth McInerny for their energy and enthusiasm for this special event; and thank you to everyone who donated fabulous gifts. The children had a great time buying gifts for their family and friends, and $56 was raised for Mission to Children.
Check out the library!
If you haven’t looked lately, stop and browse the shelves in St. Anne’s Library. Bob Furniss spent the summer sorting, discarding, adding, and arranging books, and the result is wonderful! Thanks, Bob. To check out a book, write your name and the title of the book, and the date you take it out, in the little notebook prominently displayed on the bookshelves.
A note about the organ
The Patterson organ has broken down frequently and been expensive to maintain since its installation in 1995. In 2008, the vestry reviewed the history of the organ, and consulted with experts, to determine that it was no longer advisable to continue pouring money into an instrument that would never be fully functional. The resolution was passed in May 2008 that we would continue regular maintenance and tuning, but that if the instrument needed repairs beyond normal upkeep, they would not be done. Tony Sofie was able to keep the organ playable for three more years, but in the spring of 2011 an electrical surge damaged the inner working of the organ beyond repair.
Please feel free to express your opinions, hopes, and dreams about organ music at St. Anne’s to any vestry member. Whether to replace the organ will be part of our visioning and planning, as we move forward in mission.
Meditation stations along outdoor walking path
Our walking path around the church grounds is now marked by stations containing 
poems and prayers. Take some quiet time for a contemplative walk before or after services or meetings, or just come over to church at any time. Thanks to Denny Thompson and Doug Rude for installing the stations. The meditations at the stations will change periodically. Send your suggestions — such as Scripture passages, prayers, and poems (including hymn texts) — to Denny Thompson: d.l.thompson@comcast.net.
A Litany of Remembrance on September 12
Worship services on Sunday, September 12, opened with a Litany of Remembrance for those who died in the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2011. Thanks to to Mary and Steve Truran, Carolyn Swiszcz, and Mark Brown. Click here to see a video of the litany.
New walking path
The month of June was a busy one, as St. Annians of all ages helped create a 1/5 mile walking path around the church grounds. The path was laid out on the June 11 Work Day, and was completed during the Summer Club/Summer Stretch week, June 13-17.
The project was undertaken in part so that St. Annians could walk with Lydia and Mark Brown, as they undertook a pilgrimage on the Camino de Santiago in Spain. More . . .
Walking the Camino: A pilgrimage completed
On Friday, July 1, 2011, our rector Lydia Huttar Brown and her husband Mark Brown walked into Santiago, Spain, completing a 500-mile walk on El Camino de Santiago, an ancient route of pilgrimage across Spain. The Browns began their Camino walk at the end of May; as the first part of Lydia’s sabbatical. Read about the Camino and the Browns’ pilgrimage here