Site 12: Saint Ann Statue and Plaza

En Español

Saint Ann Statue in original site, 2003.

Statue: This beautiful statue of our patron Saint Ann with the young Mary was first installed in 1982 on the lawn to the right of the front entrance of the old Church, facing to 10^th Street N. It was carved from Carrerra marble and purchased with funds donated by parishioners and friends. The statue was surrounded by a flower garden and evergreen trees, and lighting enhanced the statue at night. A ceremonial blessing of the statue was held on January 9, 1983.

Statue stored during construction of new church, December 2003.

The statue, especially lovely in the Spring, became the destination of many May Processions and a setting for many First Communion pictures.

When the new Church was under construction, the statue was stored away near back of the rectory until it could be reinstalled on this plaza. The four columns that stand in a curve behind it were also preserved from the left portico of the original Church. The columns and brick wall form a frame for the statue. The statue and old columns remind us of what and who have come before.

Gathering of parishioners 2002.

Plaza: The plaza that surrounds the statue and leads to the entrances of the Church and Parish Hall has served as a place for gathering, celebration, reflection, blessings and prayer. It is a space for annual Parish picnics, festivals, commemorations like Las Posadas and Living Stations, school award ceremonies, Work Camp departures and returns, and various gatherings and celebrations throughout the year. Some of these are shown below.

Each year just before Lent, there is a burning of last year’s palms into ashes for Ash Wednesday. On the evening of Holy Saturday, the plaza is the site of a fire to light the Pascal Candle and then pass on that light at the start of the Easter Vigil Mass.


Palm Burning 2019.	Parish Picnic 2013.

Parish Picnic 2012.	Parish Picnic Bolivian Dancers 2012.

Our outdoor nativity welcomes churchgoers here every Christmas season. The scene includes a wooden stable built in 2015 by volunteers from our Hispanic community. The stable’s backdrop of the Bethlehem skyline was designed by Invictus member Stephanie Salinas, who led other Invictus youth in painting it.

Nativity Scene, Christmas Eve 2015.

The plaza took on a new importance during the first years of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020-21. It became the site for Sunday outdoor communion services at a time when Masses were live-streamed as in-person Mass attendance was limited.

The plaza continues to be a welcome gathering place after Masses as parishioners return to regular attendance.