Virtual Town Hall  

June 27, 2020

Dear Parishioner, 

Annunciation of the Lord held it’s first virtual town hall last evening. Turnout was great – 53 screens filled with smiling faces of parishioners was a sight to behold! 
 
For those of you who were unable to attend, here are a few of the highlights: 
 

• Fr Rob spoke about how the parish team was able to quickly pivot to doing church in a whole new way. COVID-19 created an enormous distraction but also brought great opportunities. He mentioned that what has taken place over the last three months in terms of the adoption of technology, the use of social media and other communication tools to stay connected with our parish family and the outreach activities like the Garden of Hope were things he believed we might do one day – yet here we were participating in a virtual town hall. 
• Volunteers working behind the scenes with staff have been crucial to our efforts– from the technical team videotaping/livestreaming Mass to the team of gardeners who are lovingly creating a beautiful outdoor space have enabled us to do the things we are doing. Going forward, the need for volunteers will only increase. So too will new volunteer opportunities that require a wider range of skills and talents to build and sustain our ongoing efforts to stay connected. 
• Rob Hayes, Chair of the Parish Pastoral Council, presented a report outlining some of the key initiatives undertaken by the Council. To learn more, please have a look at the Parish Pastoral Council Report below. 
• Maureen Tonon, Chair of the Parish Finance Council, gave a snapshot of the 2019 financial report and an update on the 2020 financial picture to the end of May. The reports are attached. If you are interested in receiving a copy of the full 2019 Financial Statements, please contact Liam Malone, Parish Manager, at parish@annunciation-ottawa.com.
• Participants had a chance to go into small groups to reflect on the impacts of the last three months on their spiritual lives and to share ideas about what the future might hold. 
• Finally, Richard O’Reilly gave an update on the parish’s first offering of ALPHA online. Forty-seven people are participating with a prayer team of 40 people. Overall, it is proving to be a great experience, drawing in younger people and many folks who are new to Christianity.  

So, if you are interested to get more details, you are invited to check out the reports below.