We have been discussing the need for a new church for the past twenty years. For over three years our Parish Building Committee has been working with our church leadership and our architect to determine the best course of action. They researched retrofitting and refurbishing our existing facility but determined that the cost to do so would be near to the same cost for a new church. So, they decided to move forward, and they have come up with an exciting design for a new church that will serve St. Anne for the next generation.

Our new church will be approximately the same square footage as the existing church and will seat 450 participants, a number that is compatible with the existing and anticipated demographics of our Catholics in Grants Pass. The new church has been configured to comfortably seat an additional 150 people with extra chairs for special occasions. The exterior, a beautiful blend of the traditional and the modern, will combine natural stone around the perimeter, and the new church stucco will color-match all the other buildings on campus. We have added a steeple topped by a cross at the new, east-end entrance, and a second cross will adorn the roof at the west-end of the church. Ample Romanesque (arched) windows will allow natural lighting to grace the interior. On the south west side of the church, we have included the St. Anne Niche, a place for quiet prayer and contemplation.

A Walk to and through Our New Church

Welcome Center

The Entrance
Parishioners will find the new, single entrance at the east end of the church. The new church has a large, covered, outside area – one place for parishioners to greet each other, in good weather and bad, as we continue to create community – one of the goals articulated in our Mission Statement.

The Narthex
The reconfigured and expanded Narthex will be bright and welcoming, providing a pre-Mass gathering area where we display important parish information, greet attendees, and distribute parish bulletins. Additionally, the Narthex:

• Has men’s and women’s restrooms with multiple facilities. Both restrooms will be handicap accessible and compliant with all ADA code requirements.
• Has a small meeting room that can be used as a new Bride’s Room for pre-wedding preparation, a before-and-after Mass usher’s staging area, and a small gathering space for needs as they arise.

Worship Center

Into the Church
As parishioners enter the church, they immediately will be taken by the light, bright airiness of the new interior. It is a welcoming change for our members and guests. Just inside the doors, members will unite around the newly designed, Baptismal Font that will allow for Baptism by immersion if someone so wishes. This will bring our community together in sign and action around our one baptism in the Trinity. Additionally, the new Baptismal Font will have permanent and prominently placed holy water for parishioners entering and leaving the church to bless themselves.

• The new floor plan will allow all parishioners in the Nave to face the Altar, greatly increasing our sense of “participation” in liturgies.
• Handicap accessible seating has been incorporated, and the Nave has been designed so that overflow seating can be easily and comfortably added for Christmas, Easter, and other liturgical functions and gatherings that call for extra seating.
• A main aisle has been created which has two major benefits.
• The creation of a center aisle coupled with the warm and welcoming atmosphere will allow parishioners the opportunity to celebrate their marriages at their “home church.”
• During the distribution of Holy Communion, parishioners will be unified in approaching the Altar. This will lend clarity to the flow of traffic and an appropriate sense of respect as we approach the Altar to receive our Lord.
• Near the entry to the Nave, we have created a Cry Room for families who want to celebrate Mass with their young children while not disturbing other participants.
• Also in the Nave will be two Confessionals. Both will have face-to-face and traditional Reconciliation availability.
• A new and improved audio visual system will be installed with a greatly improved sound system so that our parishioners can hear both the word of God and the homilies presented. A drop down screen will allow for slides and videos for events such as the annual Archbishop’s Catholic Appeal.
• LED lighting will increase the brightness, especially during the winter months, and save on lighting energy costs.
• A more energy efficient HVAC system will insure the comfort of our parishioners and create significant utility cost savings. The new church will be fully insulated which will also save on utility costs.
• All windows will be double-paned and energy efficient.
• We plan to have new, padded pews in the new church.

The Altar and Ambo
Facing all participants in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass will be a new Altar platform which is also called a “Predella.” This will allow priests to face the congregation as they preach the Good News, and also allow our parishioners to clearly witness the sacred actions at the Altar.

• A beautiful, new Tabernacle will be relocated directly behind the Altar. Archbishop Sample has directed that all newly constructed churches position the Tabernacle directly behind the Altar.
• A choir area has been incorporated to the side of the Altar. The choir will now face the whole congregation, engaging all to actively participate.
• We plan to have a new Crucifix installed in the Sanctuary directly over the Tabernacle.
• Behind the Sanctuary, we will have an expanded Sacristy. It will be more spacious and will have additional cabinet space.
• Adjacent to the Sacristy, we have created a Flower Preparation Room. It will have more space and a sink with running water to help our volunteers easily manage the liturgical environment.

Safety and Efficiency

• Our new church will meet all current, seismic codes insuring the safety of parishioners, guests, and clergy.