St. Anne's Church offers numerous liturgical, parish, and social services to the church and local communities. For a full listing of all active ministries in the parish, or for contact information for any of the ministries, please call us at 508-757-5154 or email [email protected].

The following list includes some of the more common ministries that exist in the parish.

To request more details or to volunteer for one of these ministries, please send an email to [email protected].

Liturgical Ministries

Liturgical ministers assist in the organization and execution of the liturgical activities of the parish, centered around the Sunday Mass.

Altar Server

The altar server assists the priest in the celebration of Mass and other liturgical services. It is a wonderful opportunity for the children at St. Anne's to participate in Mass in a very special way. Children may become altar servers once they have received their First Communion. (See also: Altar Server Guide)

Lector

Being a lector allows the men and women of the parish to be involved in the celebration of Mass through the reading and sharing of scripture and prayer. Children may also serve as lectors once they have reached the sixth grade. (See also: Lector Guide)

Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion

Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion assist the clergy in distributing the Precious Body and Blood of Jesus during Mass. Many ministers also bring the Eucharist to the ill and homebound. Children may become Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion once they have received the Sacrament of Confirmation. (See also: Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion Guide)

Choir

St. Anne's is a singing parish and is blessed with an outstanding music ministry. The St. Anne's choir brings to liturgy the beauty of song and enhances our worship at Mass each Sunday and other liturgical events.

Church Usher

The ushers at St. Anne's also play a very important role at Mass by helping parishioners and visitors to find a seat during crowded Mass celebrations. In addition, they assist in "passing the basket" for our weekly Sunday Offering.

Sunday Collection Counter

Each week, we graciously accept your weekly gifts in support of our parish. A natural extension of the giving is the counting and recording of donations. Because of the size of our parish, this work requires that we have help.

Parish Ministries

Parish ministers assist in the many needs of the parish community.

Religious Education Teacher / Catechist

The patron saint of teachers, Jean Baptiste De La Salle said, "To touch the hearts of your pupils is the greatest miracle you can perform." Come, as Jesus commanded his disciples, join this ministry to spread "the good news" of Jesus Christ to the youth of the parish.

Bereavement Committee

At some point in our lives, we all experience the loss of a loved member of our family or very close friend. During these times, having the support of our families and friends as well as our parish family is indeed comforting. As a small part of what we can do as a parish, the Fr. Smith Center is available for those families who need a place to gather and be together after the funeral ceremonies. We need volunteers who can assist in preparing the Center for these occasions.

Parish Council

The mission of the Parish Council is to assist the pastor and provide our parishioners with an active voice and role in church affairs through elected and appointed representatives. The Parish Council is made up of members from:

• Human Services
• Religious Education
• Finance Committee
• Clergy
• Family Life
• Liturgy Committee

Finance Committee

The Finance Committee is made up of parishioners who come together to access parish financial needs, establish a budget and supervise income and expenditures. This committee has been very instrumental in advising the pastor in the efforts to increase the parish income in order to ensure financial stability now and in the years to come.

Social Services

Social Services ministers assist in the many needs of the local community.

Human Services

As a parish and as individual Christians, we have a responsibility to assist and care for those in need. St. Anne's Human Services Ministry is one of the most active church ministries in the Worcester Diocese. Human Services and the parishioners of St. Anne are very generous in assisting the poor and needy in the parish as well as in our local community.

St. Anne's Human Services takes in clothing, food and other miscellaneous items. Some of these gifts are sold through the Thrift Shop, providing us money to buy food or to provide food vouchers for the hungry. Some is given directly to those in need.

We need people to help with these efforts. Each Human Services volunteer can offer help in their own special way. If it were not for the dedicated, caring and loving efforts of our Human Services volunteers, many in Shrewsbury as well as in our own Parish would have "gone without."

Free Medical Clinic

Every Tuesday evening from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m., parishioners, area doctors, and nurses volunteer their time to assist the local community with their medical needs. Services are open to everyone.

Alcoholics Anonymous (A.A.)

A.A. meetings are held every Wednesday evening from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. in the Fr. Smith Center.

To learn more about these and the many other ministries of St. Anne's Church, please contact Ellie Smith at 508-757-5154, ext. 12 or email her at [email protected].  There is always a great need for volunteers, and these ministries are some of the many wonderful ways of serving God and one another.