Prayer & Devotion

“Besides sacramental liturgy, catechesis must take into account the forms of piety and popular devotions among the faithful. The religious sense of the Christian people has always found expression in various forms of piety surrounding the Church’s sacramental life, such as the veneration of relics, visits to sanctuaries, pilgrimages, processions, the Stations of the Cross, religious dances, the rosary, medals, etc.” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, art. 1674)

• In addition to the regularly scheduled liturgical celebrations of Mass and Sacraments, St. Anne Parish offers opportunities for deepening one’s prayer life and fostering piety and devotions.

The Holy Rosary

• Here at St. Anne, the Rosary is recited before morning mass Monday through Saturday at 8:30 am.
• The Rosary is one of the most traditional and powerful devotions of the Roman Catholic Church, combining prayer and meditation. For over four centuries, the rosary has been promoted by several popes as part of the veneration of Mary in Roman Catholicism.  The rosary also represents the Roman Catholic emphasis on “participation in the life of Mary, whose focus was Christ”, and the Mariological theme “to Christ through Mary”, taught by Saint Louis de Montfort. 
• The prayers that essentially compose the Rosary are arranged in sets of ten “Hail Marys” with each set preceded by one “Lord’s Prayer” and followed by one “Glory Be”. During recitation of each set, known as a decade, thought is given to one of the Mysteries of the Rosary (Glorious, Joyful, Sorrowful and Luminous Mysteries), which recall events in the lives of Jesus and Mary. Normally, five decades are recited in a session. Other prayers are sometimes added after each decade (in particular, the Fátima Prayer) and before (the Apostles’ Creed), and after (the Hail, Holy Queen) the five decades taken as a whole.
• The Rosary itself as a material object composed of beads acting as an aid towards saying these prayers in the proper sequence.

Eucharistic Adoration

• Here at St. Anne, Eucharistic Adoration is every Friday from 8:00 am to 9:00 am and on the First Friday of the month, following the 9 am Mass until 1:30 pm.
• Adoration is a sign of devotion to and worship of Jesus Christ who we, as Catholics, believe to be especially and fully present Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity, under the appearance of the consecrated host or consecrated altar bread otherwise known as the Eucharist. As a devotion, a large host is enthroned in a decorated container called a monstrance and placed on the altar.  The community is given this special time to be present to Jesus in the Eucharist and for Jesus to be present to them.  This time of Eucharistic adoration, prayer, and meditation is more than merely looking at the Blessed Host, but is a continuation of the Eucharistic celebration in the Holy Mass as a means of growing in faith, hope, and love with our Blessed Lord Jesus Christ.