Liturgy Committee
What is the Liturgy? It is the worship and prayer life of the people of God. First and foremost it means the Eucharistic Celebration. It also includes the celebrations of the other sacraments, the Liturgy of the Hours and other rites of the Church.

The goal of the Liturgy Committee is the "full, conscious and active participation of the entire people" in the liturgical celebrations of the parish.

The Liturgy Committee meets on the first Thursday of the month from September through May or June. Members of the committee are:

Priests and Deacons of St. Ann Parish;
Chairpersons of the following committees:
1) Altar Society
2) Extra-Ordinary Ministers of Communion
3) Family Life
4) Lectors
5) Sacristans
6) Ushers (Hospitality)

Staff members in attendance are generally the Director of Religious Education, the Director of Youth Ministry, and the Director of Liturgical Music.

Extra-Ordinary Ministers of Communion
Extra-Ordinary Ministers of Communion assist the priests and deacons of St. Ann Parish to distribute Holy Communion at Mass, and to the homebound of the parish and the residents of Colonial Oaks Nursing Home. They also participate in the Pastoral Programs of the Archdiocese at East Jefferson, Doctor's and Lakeside Hospitals.

Distributing Communion is a special privilege granted by delegation by the Archbishop of New Orleans. No one is asked to be a Communion Minister because they are worthier than others.

New Ministers are required to attend a basic workshop sponsored by the Archdiocesan Office of Worship either on Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. or a pair of two-hour night sessions during the week.

Lectors

Readings from Scripture form the main part of the Liturgy of the Word. Since the Scriptures are the Word of God, handed down in writing, "God speaks to His people" through the readings at Mass. The lector proclaims the Old and New Testament readings in preparation for the Gospel, which is the high point of the Liturgy of the Word.

This ministry of the Word is to proclaim the Word of God in a clear and audible manner so that every member of the faithful might be able to understand and reflect on the Scriptures without having to read along in a missal or missalette. Careful spiritual and practical preparation must be accomplished so that the readings will be proclaimed in a way which enriches the understanding of the faithful.

"It is necessary that those who exercise the ministry of reader .. be truly qualified and carefully prepared so that the faithful may develop a warm and living love for Scripture from listening to the sacred texts read."

Music Ministry
The music ministry consists of several choirs, cantors, and instrumentalists who give of their time and talent in service of the St. Ann community. The goal of our ministry is to unite the community in worship through song. Our musicians are dedicated and committed to their ministry. Their devotion to excellence is proven in their desire and openness to learning new vocal skills and by attending musicianship workshops.

The Adult Choirs sing each Sunday at the 8:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. Masses. The 8:00 a.m. choir meets at 7:20 a.m. and the 11:00 a.m. choir meets at 10:20 a.m. prior to Masses for warm-ups. Adult Choirs rehearse weekly on Wednesday nights 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. at 4940 Meadowdale Street.

The Children's Choir is composed of boys and girls in 3rd trade through 8th grade who sing at the 9:30 a.m. Sunday Mass. A warm-up prior to the Mass takes place at 8:30 a.m. at 4940 Meadowdale. The children's choir welcomes all children of St. Ann Parish who wish to experience the joy of singing to the Lord. Children's choir offers special opportunities for youth cantors by providing training workshops. Choir rehearsals take place twice monthly on Wednesday afternoons from 3:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. at 4940 Meadowdale.

The Teen Choir consists of young people singing praise with a more contemporary style of music. The teen choir sings at the 5:00 p.m. Sunday Mass. Rehearsal takes place in church prior to Mass at 3:30 p.m. All teens of St. Ann Parish are invited to be part of this wonderfully upbeat ministry.

St. Ann's music ministry extends a heartfelt welcome to all parishioners of all ages who wish to join in prayerful song, whether as a cantor, an instrumentalist or as a member of one of our choirs.

Ushers (Hospitality)
Would you like to serve the parish during the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass? If so, consider becoming a Usher or Minister of Hospitality. As a Minister of Hospitality, you will extend a warm welcome to people as they arrive at church, assist with seating, organize the Presentation of Gifts procession, collect offerings from the congregation and distribute the weekly parish bulletin after mass. An Usher does this and a little more, all with the intent of spreading the joy of the Eucharist and Gospel through his or her attitude and greeting. Ushering is graciously open to all men and women of the parish.

Altar Servers
The ministry of Altar Server offers a wonderful opportunity for young parishioners to serve God and the parish. Beginning in the 4th grade, altar servers assist the priests and deacons at various Eucharistic Celebrations throughout the year. This includes weddings and funerals held at St. Ann's. Most serving teams serve every other weekend and at special school liturgies. Both boys and girls are invited to be altar servers.

Sacristans
A Sacristan prepares those things necessary for the proper celebration of the sacred liturgy. Hosts, wine and water, chalice, books for the priest and lector, are some of the items that must be set out before the celebration of the Eucharist. The Sacristan ensures that everything needed is in good order so that the Mass and other religious functions proceed as smoothly as possible.

Little Church
Babysitting during 9:30 a.m. Sunday Mass)
Would you like a great start for the Lord's Day? Let us help you to concentrate on the celebration of the Mass by bringing your children, ages 1-6, to the Early Childhood Center (near the gym) before 9:30 Mass every Sunday. We will keep them occupied with our own Mass celebration, bible stories, songs, projects or color sheets, and a snack. When mass is over, pick up your little ones and enjoy the rest of the day renewed in spirit. Volunteers are also appreciated.

Adoration Society
The Adoration Ministry offers an invitation to quiet prayer. Faith brings to our life a thirst to know Our Lord, to know God's will and to know ourselves better. The light that we seek is "prayer." Quiet prayer is a time to listen and to present our cares and hopes for our families, friends, and ourselves. Time spent in prayer is a significant element throughout our faith journey. In all of the challenges of life, our Jesus the Lord walks with us. He invites us to "come away and rest a while in prayer ..."

Every Tuesday at St. Ann Church, following the 8:45 a.m. Mass, our day of Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament begins and continues until the 7:30 p.m. Novena mass. Please join us for 15 minutes or an hour or more; the time passes very quickly. You will find, as you leave, a strong desire to come again. Jesus' invitation is alive and never-ending. The Blessed Sacrament can never be left alone, so we invite you to sign in if you can stay for a while.

Shrine
The Church and Shrine as it now stands was completed in 1976 and was officially dedicated by Archbishop Philip M. Hannan on July 24, 1977. The stained glass windows in the body of the church, which is designed in the form of a cross, represent the Joyful, Sorrowful, and Glorious mysteries of the Rosary. The chapels are designated accordingly; namely, Our Lady's Chapel, the Crucifixion Chapel and the Resurrection Chapel.

The grotto-like structure in the center of the Shrine contains the holy stairs, which one ascends on his/her knees while meditating on the Stations of the Cross depicted in the beautiful stained glass window. Upon reaching the top of the stairs, there is a large wood-carved crucifix with the statue of St. Ann. The window facing the north depicts St. Ann, the grandmother of Our Savior, and her husband, St. Joachim.

Visitors from all over the United States visit the St. Ann Shrine to ask for special favors through the intercession of St. Ann, the mother of Mary and the grandmother of Jesus.