A healthy, vital parish thrives on its members’ generosity of spirit. Never has there been a more important—and challeng-ing—time, in our parish lifetime, to meet the growing financial demands and expanded services. We are at a crossroads and as we con-tinue to work with the Archdiocese of Boston we will also be working with Cornerstone Fundraising, which specializes in capital campaigns, planning studies and increased offertory programs for parishes. They will be as-sisting us over the next few months to com-plete our work, evaluating our offertory and budgeting needs.

Through a combination of parish talks, mailings, onsite counsel and developing our options for weekly envelopes, on-line giv-ing and pledging, we will work together to have a creative, personalized means to meet the challenges of operating our parish with secure and dependable fiscal resources. As we begin the program our fundraising associ-ates will met with the Finance and Parish Councils and we will begin on the weekend of November 6th with the detailed announcement and action plan.

Please join me in praying for and supporting this vital program to assure our con-tinued presence, operation success, presence and parish survival. Peace, Fr. Sean

Memorial Sanctuary Lamp and Weekend Offertory Gifts

We have initiated a new way to pray for and remember of loved ones by sponsoring the Sanctuary Lamp and weekend offertory gifts of bread and wine, in memory of a loved one. The seven day candle will burn for a week, at the tabernacle, with your special intention or in memory of your loved one, as you have requested. The special intention and or your loved ones will be honored and remembered with the pray-ers of our parish at the offertory as they are presented and used at the weekend Masses. This is a nice way to remember birthdays, anniversaries and to offer special prayers and intentions for our loved ones. The suggested offering or donation of $10.00 is accepted for the for the Sanctuary Lamp and $20.00 for the week-end offertory gifts can be booked at the rectory.

Capitol Campaigntotal $30,623.00.  Thank you all for your generous contributions.   A special thank you to our $ 5,000 donor who matched five 1,000 donors, this brings us to 120% of our goal.

Catholic Legacy Society

Between now and January 31, 2010, you can make a gift to Saint Ann Parish directly from your IRA and have it count for your 2010 tax year. For more information or to take advantage of this oppor-tunity please call Richard Ely at the Catholic Foundation, 617-779-3702 or email Richard_ely@rcab.org. You can also get more information at www.catholiclegacysociety.org

WEEKLY OFFERING

IRA Gifts

Special opportunity for IRA gifts available through December 31, 2010. You could make a gift to Saint Ann Parish, or to another favorite charity, far bigger than you ever thought possible. The Federal Government will not accesss a tax penalty. So your retirement funds can go further than ever before.

This is good news for parishioners who want to make a charitable gift during their lifetime, from their retirement assests, but have been discouraged from doing so because of the income tax penelty.

Here's what it takes to qualify for this tax advantage

* Be 70 and a half years or older

* Have a IRA - whether traditional or Roth

* Want to make a charitable gift up to 100,000

* Make the gift by December 31, 2009

For more information and for sample forms to use in making a gift, call Richard Ely at the Catholic Foundation at 617-779-3702 or email Richard_Ely@rcab.org