In this issue

A NEWSLETTER FROM THE CHURCH OF ST. ANN AVON, CT FALL 2016

VOLUME XXXVI, NO.3

Meet Ro NeamtzImmaCare ShelterYouth OutreachTeen SceneSt. Mary’s Mission, Myanmar

THE NEXUS

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Parish Happenings ....dates to jot downOct 29Nov 4 & 5Nov 13Nov 19 & 20Dec 10Dec 17Dec 17 & 18Jan 6, 7, 8

Confirmation/Youth Ministry Flea MarketAnnual Scholarship Clothing SaleTurkey & Fixin’s CollectionConfirmation/Youth Ministry Pumpkin Bread SaleFirst ReconciliationChristmas PageantChristmas Gift & Toy CollectionAnnual Scholarship Book Sale

Sharing Experiences Building Community

Pastor's Corner

Dear Parishioners,

Now that the summer is over, we look forward to another exciting and eventful year at St. Ann. While the summer months are a restful time for our parishioners, our ministry heads have been working in earnest to plan programs that will benefit our entire parish community.

Rosemary Neamtz was hired as Confirmation and Youth Ministry Director, replacing the retiring Joan Gould. Rosemary has been working diligently since June preparing her programs to accommodate the needs of our parish youth and the needs of their parents. Rosemary is joined by Jennifer Soucey, CPA, who replaced Phyllis Kayan as Religious Education Registrar. Her role as Registrar is to make sure credits and debits are in balance for all payments to the religious Education Office. We welcome these parish ladies to our parish team.

The summer months are a time to refurbish our parish building and to make needed repairs. Following is a partial listing: the cracks in the church parking lot have been repaired; the rectory driveway was repaved; the church heating circulator pumps were replaced; the dead trees along our border with Alexandra Drive were removed as well as dead trees along our property on Arch Road; steps in the rear of the church were resurfaced; sidewalks along the rear of the church were sealed; statues at our parish cemetery were repainted and resealed; a new statue of the Holy Family was added to our parish cemetery.

By now, you are aware that our annual parish appeal has begun. The parish appeal is a crucial part of the financial parish landscape. The purpose of this collection is to cover costs not covered by ordinary parish income. I am humbled and grateful for those who have already donated and would ask those who have not donated to make a prayerful gift to your parish of St. Ann.

Sincerely yours,

Fr. John McHugh

Tom Stockton, Director of MusicKris Martino, Office ManagerMike Gould, Building & Cemetery SuperintendentAnn DiStefano, Adult Faith Formation Director

The Rev. John W. McHugh, Ph.D., PastorThe Rev. Joseph P. Cheah, OSM, Ph.D., Weekend AssistantThe Rev. Daniel J. Sullivan, Weekend AssistantJeffrey Sutherland, Deacon

St. Ann's ParishTim Healy, DeaconValerie St. Jean, K-8 Religious Education CoordinatorRosemary Neamtz, Confirmation & Youth Ministry CoordinatorMaureen Fiedler, RCIA Director & Liturgy Coordinator

LIVING THE YEAR OF MERCY AT ST. ANNThe Holy Jubilee Year of Mercy began on December 8, 2015, and will end on November 20, 2016. According to Archbishop Blair, Pope Francis encourages us to go out of ourselves and our comfort zones, individually and as a Church, to address the misery of others - those who are suffering spiritually, morally, and materially. The following are a few of the ways in which parishioners at St. Ann have continued to help others through works of mercy. The corporal works of mercy are actions that help others in their physical needs. The spiritual works of mercy are actions that help them in their spiritual needs.

Spiritual Works of Mercy: “Comfort the Sorrowful,” “ Pray for the Living and the Dead”My parents, Connie and Buck Ballantyne, met when they were 14 and 15 years old and married four years later, just before Dad shipped out during WWII. They were married for 73 years, and lived in the same house on Long Island for almost that long.

On Friday, June 3, 2016, my mom had a severe stroke which brought her to the hospital. Initially, she responded to "hold up two fingers" and "squeeze my hand." There were no such responses Saturday or Sunday. Monday night as I was leaving the hospital, I tried one more time to rouse Mom and she opened her eyes! For an hour and a half, she responded to my requests to communicate by squeezing, and tracking between my husband, Hema, and me numerous times. I quietly sang some of her favorite songs to her. She listened very intently. My dad had left for the evening. I phoned him and placed the cell phone next to her ear. Dad talked to her and sang to her.

Tuesday, Dad played his clarinet for Mom at the hospital; there was no response. Wednesday, June 8, while my dad, my youngest sister Barbara, and I were holding her hands, Mom slipped away. There were so many family and friends who kept us in their prayers during Mom’s last days. I believe the blessings of those prayers made what happened that Monday possible for me and Dad. That day was a gift I will always treasure.

Paula DeSilva, parishioner, singer and local coordinator for the Haitian Health Foundation’s “Mothers and Babies Sewing Project.” quiltingyourway@comcast.net

Corporal Work of Mercy: “Feed the Hungry”As the weather gets colder, the Church of St. Ann, once again, has committed to prepare dinners for the residents of ImmaCares, a shelter in Hartford for homeless men. This year, in addition to dinner on 16 dates, parishioners will provide breakfast breads and muffins so the men will have something to eat before going out into the cold and brown bag lunches to take with them when they leave the shelter.

Corporal Work of Mercy: “Visit the Sick”Youth Outreach members visited the residents of River Ridge, an assisted living facility in Avon, to share the joy during the Christmas season last year and plan do so again this year. In addition to singing Christmas carols with the residents, the youths gave them Christmas pictures that they had colored for them and served Christmas cookies!

As the Jubilee Year of Mercy draws to a close, St. Ann’s is creating a Mercy Quilt to show how we’ve been sharing mercy. This collection of our parishioners’ stories, photographs, and artwork will be on display in the Gathering Space in November. Adults and children, please submit your stories and pictures to Ann DiStefano by November 10: ann.distefano@stannavon.com, 860-673-9858 x228

THE ST. MARY’S MISSION IN KYAUKTAN, MYANMARRecall that this past July, there was a fundraiser at Bertucci’s for an orphanage in Myanmar. It was sponsored by St Ann’s Social Action ministry in conjunction with Fr. Cheah. Many of us either ate in or did “takeout.” And along with generous donations from a couple of parishioners, the fundraiser was very successful.

Fr, Joe Cheah is a Servite priest affiliated with the American Servite order. He is volunteering with sisters from the Burmese Servite order who, as a part of their mission and at the urging of Fr. Cheah, provide a home and career training for approximately 125 female orphans ages 5-20. They reflect the poorest of ethnic minorities and include a few non-Christian orphans.

These are very hard-working nuns. They run a 50-acre orphanage with many buildings including a residence for 20 nuns and a chapel. The nuns use every part of their land to produce income. They raise vegetables, fruits, and chickens and even created a pond with fish.

The orphanage provides basic needs for the girls. There are not enough trained teachers among the nuns; so the girls attend a local school. They are tutored in English at the orphanage by the sisters. The older girls also learn life skills, computer skills, etc., to prepare them for adult life.

Fr. Cheah’s goal is to help these sisters to continue their ministry to these poor orphans. He and his cousin established a U.S. nonprofit organization, the Children Charitable Foundation of Myanmar, Inc., Orphan Fund of which he is Vice-President. Go to their website http://www.childrenmyanmar.org to see photos.

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On Sunday, September 18, St. Ann’s held a Ministry Fair in Fr. Bennett Hall featuring nearly 50 different ministries, along with free food, door prizes, and a variety of games and activities for kids and adults. The goal was to recognize the efforts of all the dedicated members of our ministries and to encourage others to “Get in the Game.” The event was a great success on both counts. “It was wonderful to all be together, catching up with one another and celebrating the things that we do,” said one ministry member. Dozens of folks signed up to join a ministry that day - surpassing any previous effort, according to Ministry Coordinator Tom McCabe. Music Director Tom Stockton remarked, “I’m thrilled to have more names on our ministry list, but for me the best part of the event was raising an awareness of just how much is going on in the parish!” Kudos to Fair organizers Ann DiStefano and Karen Edgar and their team. To see where you might get involved in parish life, contact Tom McCabe, mccabet@comcast.net

THANK YOU!Special thanks to Ann DiStefano and Karen Edgar for coordinating the

hugely successful Ministry Fair in September. The addition of free food, door prizes,

and activities for children and adults made it fun as well as informative.

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Meet: One of the central challenges of faith is trusting that God has a plan for us; and perhaps the greater challenge is accepting that plan. St. Ann’s new Youth Minister and Confirmation Director, Rosemary “Ro” Neamtz, embraces these challenges with a “bring it on” gusto that will serve her and the teens of the parish well. She took on the position when Joan Gould retired in May, and she hasn’t looked back.Raised in Connecticut’s Catholic ‘mecca’ (Waterbury), Ro followed brothers Martin and Matthew as the third and youngest child of Josephine Didomizio and Jack Walsh, devout Catholics who didn’t stray far from their Italian and Irish roots - or from their home in Connecticut’s brass city, where Josephine still lives. “I grew up sincerely believing that if God has a plan for me, I certainly can’t stop Him,” Ro explains. “It’s very liberating to let go and let God,” she continues, invoking the words that are her personal mantra.

Ro has had many opportunities over her 50 years to put that mantra into action. A gifted performer, she studied fine arts at Emerson College in Boston, and summered on Martha’s Vineyard, doing stand-up comedy and acting in summer stock theater to earn money. After graduating in 1988 with a degree in Theater Education, Ro returned to the Vineyard and landed a job co-teaching dramatic arts to an elementary school class of 35 students.

RO NEAMTZ

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“So, here I was in this large class of mostly bright, happy kids, and I was drawn to the few who struggled,” she recalls. Ro’s mentor, a school administrator, noticed this over time and one day commented: “Ro, you would be a wonderful therapist.” This, Ro soon realized, was the “plan.” She left the island, moved back to Boston, and enrolled in the Masters of Social Work program at Simmons College, from which she graduated in 1993.

Ro’s first job was at Compass Child and Family Services Center, a nonprofit mental health care center that provides therapy, mediation, and consulting services. The office was in a tough, urban neighborhood, which Ro navigated with aplomb day and night - ‘letting go and letting God.’ She served inner-city clientele with services ranging from individual and group therapy and crisis intervention to crisis planning for urban schools. On call 24/7, Ro regularly intervened in suicide attempts and child crises.

“I loved my work,” she explains; “just like my mentor said, it truly was a calling.” But the pay wasn’t great; so Ro supplemented her income with her other love: Food. “Food is in my blood - the Italian side,” she jokes. (She even studied fine cooking in Italy, for a brief stint.) Fortunately for her, one of the public schools she serviced was kept open and occupied 24 hours a day; so Ro was allowed to use its large commercial kitchen at night for free. A domestic worker there connected Ro with a very prestigious Bostonian looking for a private caterer; and for four years, she was his “go-to catering gal.”

When that Bostonian followed his political career to D.C., a young mutual fund manager named Steve Neamtz moved into his apartment, and soon dialed the number on the catering business card left behind. Ro Walsh met her future husband by cooking him his first proper meal in his new city.

The couple began dating right away. Steve was called back to New York soon after and they nurtured a long-distance romance for a bit. But the stresses of Ro’s jobs and the frustration of being far from Steve soon tipped the scales. She decided to “put down the beeper” and move to New York. Never one to sit still, Ro enrolled in pastry school at the New York Culinary Institute and began a new career as a pastry chef. She and Steve became engaged and set a wedding date for October, 2001. Life was good; Ro liked God’s plan.

And then on the morning of September 11, 2001, after Steve commuted to work in the financial district and Ro to her bakery across the Hudson, the unthinkable happened. For several hours, Ro didn’t know if her fiancé was dead or alive. She drove to St. Virgil Church in Morristown, N.J., to seek comfort from her priest, Father Fran, whose words were transformative: “I can’t promise you that Steve will be OK if you pray for that,” he told Ro. “But I can promise you that if you pray for faith to sustain you - he, you, and all of us, will be OK.” Ro describes this moment as an “epiphany of faith.” She rephrases Father Fran’s words regularly to her children and students this way: “Don’t pray for an A on the test. Instead, pray for the strength to work for the A and to accept the B or the C.” 9/11 reaffirmed Ro’s foundational belief in trusting and accepting God’s plan.

Ro and Steve Neamtz moved to Avon in 2006; Steve had taken a fund management position (he also flies a private plane on the side) and Ro continued working as a pastry chef. They are raising their two beautiful daughters, Kendall, 11, and Morgan, 9, here, and enjoying suburban life. This past winter, however, Ro was feeling an ‘itch’ and began praying for a life change. “Baking wasn’t doing it for me anymore. I wanted to marry my two callings: ministering to children and living my faith.” So, she approached Father McHugh who, once realizing she wasn’t looking to be the parish pastry chef, said he’d keep her in mind if any positions opened up. A seed was planted.

Months passed. In March, the Neamtz family took a trip to St. Thomas, during which Ro’s beloved dad passed away suddenly. She didn’t make it back to say good-bye, and that was devastating. Ro, the actress, the comic, was selected to deliver her dad’s eulogy. In it, she shared her favorite “Jackisms,” including #1 - spend more time with dogs, and #3 - learn how to cheat at cards. She also shared the lesson that he taught her as much through his action as through his words: cherish life’s every moment and laugh at as many of them as possible.

On the eve of her dad’s memorial, Ro received an unexpected call from Fr. McHugh. The Confirmation/Youth Ministry position had opened up unexpectedly; was she interested? “That,” insists Ro, “was my Dad’s final gift to me. He gave me my faith; he taught me to live a life of love and laughter, and now I was being offered the chance to share those gifts with others.” She accepted Father’s offer on the spot.

Although she’s been in the position for only a few months, Ro has a clear vision for Youth Ministry and Confirmation at St. Ann’s. Her primary goal is to guide students to “find God in their own personal way.” To help them, she’s inviting their parents to move ahead in their own faith journeys by joining with their children in prayer, setting daily intentions, attending mass, and serving others. Inspired by the guidelines set forth in Matthew’s Gospel 25, the Judgment parable, she is creating opportunities for spiritual growth and faith deepening. These include: ministering locally to support the Avon food bank and Gifts of Love (feed the hungry, clothe the naked); washing gravestones at the cemetery (care for the dead); and partnering with the Knights of Columbus to raise money for their rosary bead ministry (comfort the sick). Ro lights prayer candles daily for friends and parishioners who send her prayer intentions through a facebook campaign she’s initiated. She is coordinating teen and family masses - and hopes to coordinate an outdoor liturgy at the Passionist Retreat Center - to grow participation in celebrating the Eucharist. In short, and in her own words, Ro is “sowing seeds of faith.”

“I’m no fan of the word ‘mandatory,’” Ro admits, “but I do want to keep the sacrament meaningful and real for St. Ann’s teens. Confirmation is not just a box to be checked off.” Nothing Ro Walsh Neamtz does (or has done) is compulsory or perfunctory; she doesn’t ‘check boxes.’ No, this actress, teacher, therapist, chef, wife, mother, and now Youth Minister/Confirmation Director does everything with intention, commitment, and confidence in God’s plan. “God, with help from my Dad, picked me for this important job,” she says assuredly; “and I’m doing my all not to let those two down.”

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SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM NEWS

“TO DEEPEN MY FAITH.”

“To provide me with a great education and religious teachings.”

“To be prepared for college.”These are some of the reasons that the recipients of partial tuition support from the St. Ann Scholarship Program gave as to why they want to attend Catholic school.

This year, 14 deserving young people are enrolled at St. Paul, East Catholic, and Northwest Catholic high schools. They are involved in Mock Trial, Debate Team, Engineering Club, Book Club, Youth Achievers, UConn Pipeline Program and volunteering at Food Share as well as musical and sports programs at their respective schools.

For more than 35 years, over 100 students have been given a hand up with the generosity of the parish of St. Ann. Please continue to support our fundraisers by donating goods and volunteer time and by shopping with us.

Our fundraisers are as follows: Used Clothing Sale - November 4-5, 2016; Used Book Sale - January 6-8, 2017; Art Show and Sale - April 22-23, 2017; Perennial Plant Sale - May 20, 2017

To volunteer or learn more about the scholarship program, please contact Meg Kundahl at 860 521-1051 or mkfk@sbcglobal.net.

IMMACARE SHELTERAs St. Ann Church begins another year of its commitment to the men of ImmaCare shelter, there are many changes happening. The shelter has come a long way from that morning in 1981 when Father Donagher found a man frozen to death out front of the church and opened what would become Immaculate Conception Shelter. Father Donagher died this year, but his legacy will continue on bitter cold nights when doors are opened and warm food is served.

One of the first changes is a decrease in the number of guests served. Unfortunately, the homeless in Connecticut are impacted by the severe budget issues in this state and in the city of Hartford. ImmaCare can no longer run the "No-Freeze shelter" that they have in the past. There is no money to fund it when reimbursement looks minimal. The low budget is also impacted by a need for overdue renovations. This money crunch has made it impossible to serve breakfast or lunch. Through a new state system, guests will be assigned to the ImmaCare shelter, pulled from a list of the most needy, chronically homeless people. Mentally ill, aged, sick and alone, they will find a place where no one asks how they ended up there. For many, it is a life they never wanted or imagined.

Some of the changes have been good. An optimistic update is that many former shelter guests now are in supportive housing and many are employed. Most veterans in Connecticut now are housed. Through major efforts of ImmaCare to help guests become healthy, mentally and physically, there are many men who are heading toward independence and productive lives. This is the goal. No one has ever thought a shelter was the answer to homelessness; only a home is. That said, the number of homeless in the Hartford area still is high; and the first step is getting these individuals to make it through the night. We pray a place will open for those people on the street and under bridges, on freezing cold nights when no one should be outdoors.

So what's the St. Ann commitment this year? As always, we have committed to a lot because we know this is a parish where so many kind people ask "what do the guys need?" Lots of dates are booked, and we have also agreed to bring "brown bag lunches" every time. The response so far has been better than expected; we have received some support from church and school groups and families that are offering to make sandwiches. That kind of made us braver; so we agreed to also provide breakfast breads or muffins because no one should head out in the morning hungry.

John Bunyan said: "You have not lived today until you have done something for someone who can never repay you." To all of you who have cooked or baked or donated food for so many years, or who will for the first time this year, we cannot repay you; the guests cannot repay you. But know that you made someone's day better, and maybe that's really all that matters. Thank you. If interested in helping please email kfinocchio@gmail.com or Twohig7@gmail.com

Shelter dates: Oct 6 & 20; Nov 3 & 17; Dec 1 & 22; Jan 12 & 26; Feb 9 & 23; Mar 9 & 16; April 6 & 20; May 4 & 18

SAVE THE DATE:Saturday, May 6, 2017

St. Ann Cares Day

The Marthas and Marys have celebrated their Tenth Birthday. A real Birthday Party with games, prizes, and a beautiful Birthday Cake was held on Thursday, September 24. Lots of conversation and many laughs!

HAPPY 10th BIRTHDAY TO YOU! We are very excited about our upcoming program on Tuesday, October 18, at 7 p.m. in the Father Bennett Hall. Trish Eigenbrode is a Fashion Stylist who has appeared on the Today show as well as local television. She is practical in her approach to fashion. She believes that if you look the best you can, you will feel better about yourself, which can help you in many ways - gaining self-confidence, making you happier. There will be a display in the Gathering Space with further information.

The M+Ms will sponsor a Parish Coffee Hour after the 9:30 Mass on Sunday, November 13. We look forward to seeing many parishioners, and there will be information regarding our ministry. The M+Ms book discussion will be held on February 21 (snow date, the 28th). In the winter issue of The Nexus, future programs will be presented in more detail: the St. Patrick's Day party held in conjunction with the Men of St. Ann on March 17 and our Trivia night in April.

Marthas+Marys

The Nexus staff welcomes articles from parishioners. To be considered for the Winter issue, please submit your article/letter by January 16. Please drop off at the parish office. All articles may be edited for content, grammar, and length. Please include your name and phone number for the purpose of verification.

Staff - Jean Frey, Editor

Michele CimentSusan Rietano DaveyNicki Jud

Tinker MurphyJoEllen OakesBonnie Santarsiero

Sophie SopelakAnita Sullivan

THE NEXUS

Sealing and Labeling: Thank you to all those who helped apply seals and labels.

Sacramental MilestonesBaptismsLogan Joseph Maurice DanceLilly Marie FarrellLucianna Rose HigginsChad LangevinAdrianna Reese LedasAngelina Rose MarinoSydney Elizabeth MountJonathan Costello OkumuraAlexander OlczykSebastian John OrzelBenjamin Fernand PareAlexandra Halee Tabora

Baptisms

MarriagesVenkata Bharatula and Grace MillerJoseph Conte, Jr. and Kim SavinoBenjamin Kulas and Courtney MooreJonathan McClintock and Jessica Courtois Christopher Stankus and Sara RayChristopher Trifone and Kristine GlynnTimothy Walsh and Jennifer Noble

DeathsFrancis AielloGeorge BauerLouis CollacchiLester HardingGeorgina MoranElizabeth NelliganAndrew OhJulie-Ann PollThomas Radzevich

Women of St. Ann Retreat News

“THE LIGHT OF SIMPLICITY”In an age of stress, distraction, and technology, it is easy to overlook the

importance of simplicity. That is why the theme offered for the 2016-2017 retreat season at Holy Family Retreat Center, The Light of Simplicity, is so relevant.

Come and explore how simplicity can shine a light on what is essential in our lives, and be aware of the transformative message at the heart of Jesus’ teaching. The scheduled dates are available at www.holyfamilyretreat.org . Monthly teachings,

new videos, reflections, homilies, and guided meditations are offered, also. Register on line or print the mail-in form.

St. Ann contacts are Nancy Janiszewski, 860-818-9260, and Jacquie Warren, 860-673-6761.

YOUTH OUTREACHYouth Outreach is a wonderful branch of St. Ann's Social Justice ministry that creates opportunities for families to be hands serving those in need locally and globally. The four main activities happening this year include:

1. Packaging Meals for Haiti This is our third year packaging meals for Haiti. The kids are hands-on, wearing hair nets, aprons, and gloves as they package individual meals that are sent to those in need in Haiti (courtesy of Mary Lou Connors).

2. Christmas Caroling at River Ridge This will be our second year Christmas caroling at River Ridge. We gather at River Ridge and sing Christmas carols with the residents. The kids handdeliver Christmas pictures they colored for them as well. When we are done singing, we serve the residents Christmas cookies! It is a joyful occasion for all!

3. Walk for Water This year will be our third annual Walk for Water. We have a meeting prior to the walk to educate the kids about the water crisis and have them create signs about what they learned. These signs are posted along the street the day of the walk to educate all who are walking about the water crisis. On the day of the walk, families walk two miles while holding water jugs to experience what many kids do around the world to bring water back to their families daily. This impactful activity raises awareness, and money, for the water crisis.

4. Seed to Harvest (for the St. Ann Community Garden that Serves the Avon Food Pantry)We are finishing up our second harvest season - and our most abundant! We meet in late winter and the kids choose the seeds they want to grow. They plant the seeds at home, tending to them until spring. In the spring we have a planting day when we plant the seeds that the kids grew into the community garden in back of the church (we also purchase some extra to fill the beds). Then throughout the spring, summer, and early fall, families help water, weed, and harvest the fruit and vegetables and deliver them to the Avon food pantry. It is a beautiful experience to watch the kids planting seeds and then walking the food they grew into the food pantry to provide for those in our community.

If you are interested in getting your family involved in any, or all, of these purposeful Youth Outreach opportunities, please contact Shawn George, segeorge12@gmail.com or 860-836-5209. Please know we appreciate you doing what you can, when you can :-)

"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a

wise man who built his house on the rock.”

Matthew 7:24

Trent Christopher TaboraGiada Speranza Ursino

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Church of St. Ann289 Arch RoadAvon, CT 06001

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Permit No. 24

TEEN SCENEConfirmation students and Youth Ministry members met with their respective groups for the first time this season on Sunday, September 25. The youth, whose goal is to minister locally, have planned two fall events. On Saturday, October 29, a Flea Market will be held in the Fr. Bennett Hall from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Proceeds will go to the Avon Food Bank and Gifts of Love. On November 19 and 20, directly after masses and in conjunction with the Knights of Columbus’ annual pie sale, youths will be selling pumpkin bread. Proceeds from that sale will go toward Confirmation rosary beads. (Each year, the Knights give rosary beads to our St. Ann youths upon their receipt of the Sacrament of Confirmation.)