Dear Friends of Saint Ann Shrine,
Pope Pius XI some years ago said: the Rosary is a powerful weapon to keep yourself free of sin, to foster Peace in your heart, home, and country. Recently Pope Francis urged Catholics to carry the Rosary in their purse or pocket and to pray it…whenever you find yourself forced to wait for an appointment, stand in line while shopping, etc. Don’t waste that time…pray the Rosary…say the words of Mary while thinking of the life of Jesus.
The history of the Rosary is unclear and its structure evolved gradually between the 12th-15th century. Saint Dominic is said to have devised the components to facilitate the teaching of the life of Christ, from his birth, public ministry, to his passion, death, resurrection, and ascension to his Father’s side in heaven. The main focus of the Rosary is not the repetition of fifty Hail Mary’s but the recalling and meditating on these events that won our salvation in Christ. As always, Mary is a teammate of her Son pointing him out to everyone as the Savior of the world since she is but His handmaid.
October is dedicated to honoring Mary as Our Lady of the Rosary. But not surprisingly, Mary never prayed the Rosary as we know it today, she rather lived the joyful, luminous, sorrowful, and glorious events of her divine son’s life, walking beside him, with her mind and heart ever joined to His…they were a team! Yes, Catholics honor Mary a lot with statues, paintings, medals, prayers, and the Rosary – however, we only honor Mary, while we always worship and adore her divine son Jesus.
Here at the Shrine of Saint Ann, the mother of Mary, we celebrate the Paschal Mystery of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection in our daily Eucharist and the welcoming of Jesus into our lives through Holy Communion and we pray that all of you come to know and love Jesus all the more every time you pray the Rosary.
Yours in Good Saint Ann,
Father Roger Bourgeois, SSS, Chaplain
Throughout 2025, the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament will be celebrating 125 years of service in the United States. We invite you to join us at any of our celebrations across the country. Please contact Scott Gongos at 440-449-2700 or sgongos@blessedsacrament.com for more details or if you’d like to meet with Scott while we celebrate!
Monday, January 6, 2025 Eglise Saint Jean Baptiste Bishop Whalen, Presiding
5:30 pm Eucharist New York, NY Reception following
Wednesday, March 19, 2025 Saint Joseph Downtown Archbishop Gustavo,
5:30 pm Eucharist San Antonio, TX Presiding
Saturday, April 26, 2025 St. Charles Borromeo Provincial Superior, Presiding
5:00 PM Eucharist Albuquerque, NM with Rev. Timothy Martinez
Saturday, June 21, 2025 Corpus Christi Provincial Superior, Presiding
5:00 pm Eucharist Houston, TX procession and reception
Thursday, August 7, 2025 Saint Paschal Baylon Bishop Malesic, Presiding
4:30 pm Eucharist Highland Heights, OH with a banquet following
Friday, August 15, 2025 Saint Mary Provincial Superior, Presiding
12:15 PM Eucharist Menasha, WI with a reception following
Tuesday, December 9, 2025 Bethany Center Provincial Superior, Presiding
5:00 pm Eucharist Lutz, FL with a banquet following
*We invite you and your group to join us at Saint Ann Shrine for Daily Mass at 11:30AM, Monday-Friday (call for Holy Days and Holidays).
*The Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament offers a daily reflection. If you’d like to receive this uplifting message, send an email to cee@blessedsacrament.com.
*Your loved ones can be remembered during Mass at Saint Ann Shrine. Call 440-449-2700 for details.
*Our Blessed Sacrament religious in Bethany and at Regina Health Center pray for you daily. Please let us know of any special intentions you’d like us to remember. The Blessed Sacrament Community supports you in prayer and Eucharist. You can submit your prayer though our website and request a candle to be lit for your special intentions at www.blessedsacrament.com/st-ann-shrine/.
*We no longer have Blessed Oil available at Saint Ann Shrine. However, we do still have Holy Water available for a donation. Contact Saint Ann Shrine at 440-449-2700 or visit our website at www.blessedsacrament.com/st-ann-shrine/.
*We ask you to consider becoming a member of our Legacy Society by naming Saint Ann Shrine or the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament in your will. For more information, please contact Scott Gongos, Director of Mission Advancement, at 440-449-2700 or sgongos@blessedsacrament.com.
*You may also consider donating gifts of stock. Depending on the stock’s current value, you may avoid capital gains tax or deduct the loss in value while donating the proceeds of the sale to the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament. Consult your financial advisor for the most advantageous opportunities for you.
*Be sure to “Like” St. Ann Shrine on Facebook!
*If you are 70 ½ years of age or older, you can support Saint Ann Shrine or the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament through distributions from your Individual Retirement Account (IRA). Your IRA Charitable Rollover Gift may satisfy your annual required minimum distribution and reduce your taxable income. Consult your financial advisor for the most advantageous opportunities for you.
*Have any unused office supply gift cards lying around that you don’t have a use for? Consider donating them to Saint Ann Shrine and the Blessed Sacrament so we may purchase our office supplies! Thank you for thinking of us!
