Share the Spirit
July 29, 2019 at 12:37 p.m.
A quality diamond is recognizable by its durability, clarity, and many sparkling facets. St. Ann Parish, Lawrenceville, celebrated the opening of its diamond jubilee year the weekend of Sept. 24-25 with a slate of events which illustrated these qualities polished to a brilliant finish over its 75 years of service to the Catholic community.
The Saturday Vigil and each Sunday Mass at the parish began with a procession into the main church from the Faith Formation Center’s Gallery of Light. Masses concluded with a symbolic ribbon cutting by Msgr. R. Vincent Gartland, pastor. Prior to the 9:30 a.m. Mass, Lawrence Township mayor, Greg Puliti, also presented the assembly with a Township Proclamation. A ministry fair, to urge further parishioner participation, rounded out the opening festivities which bore the theme “Share the Spirit and Secure the Future.”
Click HERE for a gallery of photos.
St. Ann Parish was incorporated August 9, 1937, in response to the growing Catholic community in Mercer County; then-Father Michael McCorristin was installed as its first pastor. The original church, named in honor of the mother of Blessed Virgin Mary, stood until Jan. 2, 1982, when a devastating fire necessitated its demolition and rebuilding. The current structure was completed in December, 1985, and can seat 750 worshippers. The main campus of St. Ann Parish on Lawrenceville Road today includes a rectory, school, convent, and faith development center adjoining the church; Masses in English and Slovak are offered at the St. Michael Campus on Brunswick Avenue in Trenton.
Msgr. Gartland, pastor of St. Ann Parish since 1994, described the faith community’s future plans in a recent conversation with The Monitor. Though the most recent parish census counted 2,619 families, Msgr. Gartland still sees room for growth. “We have a bold goal,” he admitted. “We want to increase the Sunday Mass attendance by 750 people, and add an extra Mass each weekend.” Msgr. Gartland expressed appreciation for the more than three dozen parishioners on the planning committee for the diamond jubilee. “We have a real good thing here, and we want to share it. We want to bring the people in for a great celebration,” Msgr. Gartland stated.
A centerpiece to St. Ann’s anniversary celebration is “The Catholicism Project,” a monthly series of workshops set to begin in October, and based on a groundbreaking 10 part documentary by Father Robert Barron, acclaimed author, speaker, and theologian. This epic media experience explores the nature of the Catholic faith around the world.
The 75th anniversary kick-off was also a time for the parish’s Second Annual Pumpkin Patch. More than 1,000 pumpkins were delivered to the church lawn as a fundraiser for the parish’s youth ministry summer service immersion trips.
Other parish activities will include novenas, an Oldies dance, an Italian Mass and festival, picnics, the St. Vincent de Paul turkey drive, a parish tailgate party, and a golf outing. Parish contributions to outreach events such as Lawrenceville Community Day and the Memorial Day parade are also slated. Festivities will conclude at the Anniversary Mass scheduled for August, 2012.
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A quality diamond is recognizable by its durability, clarity, and many sparkling facets. St. Ann Parish, Lawrenceville, celebrated the opening of its diamond jubilee year the weekend of Sept. 24-25 with a slate of events which illustrated these qualities polished to a brilliant finish over its 75 years of service to the Catholic community.
The Saturday Vigil and each Sunday Mass at the parish began with a procession into the main church from the Faith Formation Center’s Gallery of Light. Masses concluded with a symbolic ribbon cutting by Msgr. R. Vincent Gartland, pastor. Prior to the 9:30 a.m. Mass, Lawrence Township mayor, Greg Puliti, also presented the assembly with a Township Proclamation. A ministry fair, to urge further parishioner participation, rounded out the opening festivities which bore the theme “Share the Spirit and Secure the Future.”
Click HERE for a gallery of photos.
St. Ann Parish was incorporated August 9, 1937, in response to the growing Catholic community in Mercer County; then-Father Michael McCorristin was installed as its first pastor. The original church, named in honor of the mother of Blessed Virgin Mary, stood until Jan. 2, 1982, when a devastating fire necessitated its demolition and rebuilding. The current structure was completed in December, 1985, and can seat 750 worshippers. The main campus of St. Ann Parish on Lawrenceville Road today includes a rectory, school, convent, and faith development center adjoining the church; Masses in English and Slovak are offered at the St. Michael Campus on Brunswick Avenue in Trenton.
Msgr. Gartland, pastor of St. Ann Parish since 1994, described the faith community’s future plans in a recent conversation with The Monitor. Though the most recent parish census counted 2,619 families, Msgr. Gartland still sees room for growth. “We have a bold goal,” he admitted. “We want to increase the Sunday Mass attendance by 750 people, and add an extra Mass each weekend.” Msgr. Gartland expressed appreciation for the more than three dozen parishioners on the planning committee for the diamond jubilee. “We have a real good thing here, and we want to share it. We want to bring the people in for a great celebration,” Msgr. Gartland stated.
A centerpiece to St. Ann’s anniversary celebration is “The Catholicism Project,” a monthly series of workshops set to begin in October, and based on a groundbreaking 10 part documentary by Father Robert Barron, acclaimed author, speaker, and theologian. This epic media experience explores the nature of the Catholic faith around the world.
The 75th anniversary kick-off was also a time for the parish’s Second Annual Pumpkin Patch. More than 1,000 pumpkins were delivered to the church lawn as a fundraiser for the parish’s youth ministry summer service immersion trips.
Other parish activities will include novenas, an Oldies dance, an Italian Mass and festival, picnics, the St. Vincent de Paul turkey drive, a parish tailgate party, and a golf outing. Parish contributions to outreach events such as Lawrenceville Community Day and the Memorial Day parade are also slated. Festivities will conclude at the Anniversary Mass scheduled for August, 2012.
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