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Welcome to Saint Ann's Parish
Welcome to Saint Ann’s Old Lyme, an Episcopal Church in Connecticut on the coasts of the Connecticut River and Long Island Sound. We have been a welcoming community in this landscape since 1883.
We are in the time of COVID-19, and our lives have changed forever. It is a time to deepen our faith and stay connected.
The sign on our front yard reads, "The voice of prayer is never silent." Prayer courses through us like the waters of the estuary on which we sit. Prayer is our lifeline to God and to one another. Prayer is as vital as the air we breathe and the water we drink.
In the midst of uncertainty and death, we know that love is contagious, and that resilience and hope are stronger than any fear of the unknown we possess. May our prayers this season of COVID-19 be our consolation and our faith be our strength and guide. In the words of Hymn 594, "God grant us the wisdom and courage for the facing of this hour, for the living of these days.”
Stay connected! Pray with us.
Saint Ann's Mission Statement
We are a community of Christians,
open to all who serve God in Jesus Christ through worship, education, mission and fellowship.
Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday offerings,
in person and online.
The purpose of the liturgical calendar in both the Western and Eastern Churches is to relive the major events in Jesus' life in real time, which is why Lent is forty days long. Lent recalls Jesus' fast of 40 days in the wilderness, which recalls the Hebrew people's journeying the wilderness for forty years in the desert.
Together let us keep a holy Lent this year by being with one another in prayer, study and deed.
Mother Anita
Lent begins on February 17: Keeping a Holy Lent
Lent originated in the very earliest days of the Church as a preparatory time for Easter, when the faithful rededicated themselves and when converts were instructed in the faith and prepared for baptism. By observing the forty days of Lent, the individual Christian imitates Jesus' withdrawal into the wilderness for forty days. All churches that have a continuous history extending before AD 1500 observe Lent. The ancient church that wrote, collected, canonized, and propagated the New Testament also observed Lent, believing it to be a commandment from the apostles.
The word "Lent" comes from the word "to lengthen," because the days are lengthening as we move towards Spring.
In the Western church, the custom is not to count Sundays in the great 40 days of Lent, as Sundays are the day of the Resurrection. Therefore, in the Western Church, Lent always begins on Ash Wednesday, the seventh Wednesday before Easter. On Ash Wednesday, along with Good Friday, the most solemn day in the church calendar, ashes are imposed (or this year sprinkled) on our foreheads, again, following an ancient custom in the church, reminding us of our mortality.
Tuesday Lenten Study
The Way of Love 50 Day Bible Challenge
February 23 thru March 20
4 – 5pm via Zoom
Read with the class or on your own. The text is available to borrow or purchase ($12) through the parish office. The Way of Love is the way of Jesus. With seven core spiritual practices, the Way of Love offers an intentional, Spirit-led path to following Jesus. The Way of Love Bible Challenge pairs each practice with a passage of scripture as well as reflections, questions, and prayers written by a variety of faith leaders.
Come and see what God has to say about the spiritual practices of Turn - Learn - Pray - Worship - Bless - Go - Rest. Informed by scripture and inspired through prayer, these practices offer the opportunity to transform our relationship with ourselves, with our family and communities, and with our Savior. Featuring fifty days of reflections, The Way of Love Bible Challenge is an extension of The Bible Challenge, a global initiative to encourage daily engagement with scripture and an exploration of the Word of God.
Outreach Mission Project
As you may have heard at the Annual Meeting, we are bringing mite boxes back to collect our Lenten offerings. Some Episcopalians may remember the blue cardboard boxes into which we were encouraged to deposit change in gratitude for our blessings. As a result, we would become more mindful of all that we had been given.
Stations of the Cross Fridays during Lent
Stations of the Cross are held at 3:30pm on Fridays in Lent (February 19 through March 26) in the Memorial Garden. The 14 stations are a devotional walk recalling Jesus' way to the cross.
In the event of inclement weather, we will offer Stations of the Cross via Zoom. Zoom link
Saint Ann's Connex – a new and exciting way to stay connected with each other at Saint Ann's
You're invited to Saint Ann's Connex--a new and exciting way to stay connected with each other at Saint Ann's. As we continue to be virtual during this pandemic, we are starting a new series of weekly Zoom meetings to gather, reconnect, and share our thoughts and stories with each other. Each meeting will have a designated host to help facilitate the conversations and offer topics for discussion.
Each week we will hold a Zoom session on Saturday from 4:00pm to 5:00pm starting this Saturday, Feb 6th. Just click the Zoom link below during that time and join the conversation. If you cannot make the entire hour, that's ok, just join for as much as you can. Feel free to join as many or as few as you are available.
Staying connected during these times is so important. When we gather together, God's presence among us has the power to transform lives.
Any questions please reach out to:
Hal Swope (haroldswope@gmail.com)
Jill Whitney (jillwhitneyOL@gmail.com)
Alden Rockwell Murphy (aldierock@yahoo.com)
