73rd Anniversary of the Laying of our Cornerstone!

On November 16, 1947, the cornerstone of our present Saint Ann Church was blessed in a ceremony officiated by the Most Reverend John M. McNamara, D.D., who was at that time the Administrator of the Archdiocese of Baltimore and Washington. Looking on was Saint Ann’s pastor, Henry D. Collins. Father Collins was deeply involved with the design and fundraising efforts to have the church and surrounding buildings constructed. His vision of how the future of our Saint Ann parish community was literally being built before his eyes.

As part of the blessing ceremony, objects were placed and sealed into a compartment of the cornerstone for future parishioners to open and examine. According to the November 21, 1947 edition of the Catholic Review, these objects were:

• The names of the officers of the Holy Name Society.
• The names of the officers of the Blessed Mother Sodality.
• The names of the priests of the Saint Ann parish.
• A copy of an edition of the Catholic Review that had a picture of how the completed church would look as well as an article describing the new church plans.
• United States coins for the year 1947.

The ceremonial laying of a cornerstone has long been a part of the dedication of new buildings. In earlier construction methods, the cornerstone was the first one to be placed in the foundation of masonry buildings. Its size and orientation would dictate how the remaining stones would be arranged, and without proper placement, the building could collapse upon itself.

For Christians, the term “cornerstone” conveys a deeper meaning. Psalm 118:22 speaks of the Messiah, stating, "The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone." Matthew, Mark, and Luke record Jesus referring to this passage as finding its fulfillment in Him (Matthew 21:42; Mark 12:10; Luke 20:17).

The Apostle Paul referred to the faith as "built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets with Christ Jesus himself as the capstone. Through him the whole structure is held together and grows into a temple sacred in the Lord” (Ephesians 2: 20-21).

As part of the 150th Anniversary Celebration of St. Ann’s Parish, the church cornerstone will be dislodged, and the contents placed in it more than 70 years ago will again see the light of day. Monsignor Watkins will add to the collection with some items from today’s world that will be again resealed for future St. Ann parishioners to uncover in 2069, 50 years from now.

But the true Cornerstone upon which our faith depends cannot be dislodged. Christ is the foundation that supports us and provides us the strength and guidance for our lives.

We will conclude the 150th Parish Anniversary Celebration in October of 2020. Stay tuned!