Dear Friends of Saint Anne's Shrine,

​

The 2026 Pilgrimage season is approaching a successful conclusion as we enter autumn. The pace of the summer seemed busier than in prior years. A pilgrim from Maryland recently made a comment in a letter to me that captures this sentiment: “Carol and I were discussing Mass at the Shrine a few days ago. I always seem to feel the presence of God when we attend Mass up there. And this year we were amazed that we witnessed six of the seven sacraments being offered.” Our Chapel liturgical celebrations did include all the Sacraments except for Holy Orders. (I am not authorized to ordain anyone!) It was a wonderful opportunity to celebrate these liturgies with well attended congregations and with families from near and far.

The retreat cabins were well used this summer. Among the groups hosted were 35 seminarians and priests from the Archdiocese of Hartford for a weeklong convocation and several couples from the Marriage Encounter program recently had their fall gathering at the Shrine over Labor Day weekend. We had private retreats by priests and religious sisters, and with the start of the school year, a few athletic teams from Saint Michael’s College made team retreats on weekends. Please consider joining us for the 10:30 am Mass and Harvest dinner on October 11th.

We strive to make improvements to enhance the experience of our visitors and realize cost savings in the future. Two projects we would like to undertake are in the Chapel pavilion. Each year we get a bat infestation in the ceiling above the pews. Enclosing the ceiling at the top of the pavilion with soffit material will improve the appearance of the pavilion interior and reduce maintenance costs over time. The other project is to pour concrete so that the pews outside the pavilion are sitting on a slab rather than dirt and weeds. A concrete slab will also make it safer for people to return to their pews after Holy Communion and save us the labor of moving the pews to remove grass and weeds. These projects will cost between $40,000 and $50,000.

To help us make these improvements, a Vermont family has come forward with a $50,000 matching gift to help us cover our operating expenses. Each dollar you contribute for the operations of St. Anne’s Shrine will be matched, up to a combined total of $100,000! Please help us realize this generous matching gift opportunity by submitting your donation today.

Please also enter your intentions in the note section of the donation form so we can remember your prayer requests. I will especially remember all your deceased loved ones in a special way on All Souls Day on November 2 and throughout the month of November. Thank you for your continued support of the Shrine and be assured of my continued prayers for you and your family.

Sincerely,