Dear Friends of St. Anne's Shrine,

 

On the first Sunday of Lent, we always hear the passage of Jesus going out into the desert under the guidance of the Holy Spirit for forty days. During this time, Jesus has nothing to eat and is tempted by the devil. Jesus confronts his demons in what could be described as a retreat experience before he begins his public ministry of proclaiming the Kingdom of God. On the second Sunday of Lent, we again have the same passage each year hearing the account of the Transfiguration. On a mountain top, Jesus is transfigured in the presence of Peter, James and John giving a foretaste of the glory to be revealed later in the resurrection.

It is no accident that we hear these two gospel stories at the beginning of this holy season. Lent can be for us an experience of the desert as we acknowledge our sinfulness and confront our own demons. Through this experience we face our temptations, our shortcomings, and our wrongful actions. Yet the process does not stop there because it takes place with the desire for reconciliation with God and others. God’s grace underlies this conversion process. Through the discipline of Lent, we experience our own transfiguration and are transformed into stronger disciples of Jesus in the hope that we too will share in his glorious resurrection.

One of the primary ministries of Saint Anne’s Shrine is providing opportunities for people to experience a transformation in their spiritual life. Such opportunities are offered in our retreats which strengthen people in their faith. I invite you to consider attending three such opportunities. From June 8th to the 13th, we will offer our 5-day directed retreat where retreatants will pray with sacred scripture with the companionship of a spiritual guide. Fr. Richard Myhalyk will offer two guided weekend retreats: Let Biblical Waters Refresh You to be held June 13-15 and Climbing Biblical Mountains of Hope taking place October 31-November 2. Retreats such as these cannot happen without the support of friends like you.

Recognizing the opportunities the Shrine provides for pilgrims to grow in their faith, a family in Massachusetts has offered to match each gift up to $27,000. Each dollar you contribute to the ministry of Saint Anne’s Shrine will be matched, up to a combined total of $54,000. Please consider making a sacrificial gift to the Shrine this Lenten season so we may continue to offer various retreat experiences and provide our visitors with an experience of God’s love.

May this season be a time of transformation for you as we journey together through the Lenten desert to the resurrection of Jesus. Kindly fill out our petition form so we can remember your intentions in our Masses and prayers. Thank you for your generous support and may you have a blessed Easter!

Sincerely,