Anna Pacella’s Story
For Anna Pacella, St. Patrick’s Parish is far more than a place to attend Mass—it is a place that truly feels like home.
Anna first came to know St. Patrick’s through her family. Nearly 35 years ago, her daughter moved to Maple Ridge and joined this parish. While Anna and her husband were still living in Kamloops, she would visit often to spend time with her grandchildren, who were baptized at St. Patrick’s.
Eventually, Anna and her husband moved to Maple Ridge to be closer to their family. That was when her involvement in the parish truly began. What started with simple acts—greeting people at the door and attending Mass—quickly grew into a life of service.
“When you have your grandchildren become Catholic, that is special. So when I came to visit, even for a week or two, I would come to St. Patrick’s.”
Anna remembers the early days of the Saturday 4:30 p.m. Mass. On one snowy Sunday, she arrived to discover there were only four people present. Today, she smiles reflecting on the growth. “Now, thank God, the 4:30 Mass is full. And Adoration too—now many people come. It is beautiful.”
Over the years, Anna has helped in countless ways: assisting in the parish office, folding bulletins with her husband, counting the offertory, cleaning the church, and even sewing the altar linens that are still used today.
A Legacy in Bloom
One of her most cherished contributions was creating the garden beside the church. At the time, there was no water source nearby. Anna brought the hose from her own home to help the flowers grow. The garden quickly became something the whole parish admired.
“I started to do whatever I could.”