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The History Of Saint Anne
Parish
The parish of Saint Anne had its beginning in the summer of
1955, when a group of concerned parishioners of Saint Mary's Parish met with the
pastor, Monsignor Robert A. Feehan, to investigate what could be done to
alleviate the overcrowded conditions in Saint Mary School and Church. It was
decided and approved by Bishop Lambert Hoch, to construct a new school on
property at 13th Street and Braman Avenue, which had been donated by Mr. T. Clem
Casey.
In the
spring of 1956, plans for Saint Anne's were drawn up by architect, Bernard H.
Hillyer. The facility was originally intended to be a mission of Saint Mary
Parish. But, by the time construction was near completion, in the summer of
1957, bishop Hilary Hacker determined it more feasible to make Saint Anne an
independent parish and named Fr. Arnold Spain as pastor.
The first Mass was celebrated
in the school gymnasium July 7, 1957. Before long, four Masses were necessary to
accommodate the new parish of 350 families.
The Sisters of Notre Dame, from Mankato, agreed to
provide teachers for Saint Anne. The first six arrived August 20, 1957, and due
to delays in construction of the convent, were housed in two classrooms until
april 1958. The new school opened September 3, 1957 with an enrollment of 235
students. By 1960, it become apparent that Saint Anne
Parish needed a church building. The school gymnasium could not accommodate the
growing crowds that attended the Sunday Masses. Bernard Hillyar was retained as
architect for the church. A modern church to seat 700 was designed and built and
completed in 1961. The church is distinguished by the enormous south wall of
glass, affectionately referred to as "God's Picture Window". A Parish Center was added in 1980. The
church interior was remodeled in keeping with the Liturgical Documents of
Vatican II in 1984. Presently, Saint Anne Parish is a thriving faith
community of over 1500 families, pastored by Fr. Edwin P. Wehner.
Saint Anne has completed new additions to the seating area of the
church, replaced pews and flooring, enlarged the music area, installed
a fire
sprinkler system, added a gathering space and a lower level. Future plans are
to complete the lower level with a fellowship hall and construction of
a kitchen. However, after all is said and done, parish is
really about people, not buildings. Since the time that the first group of
volunteers organized as Saint Anne Guild, the Parish of Saint Anne has been
about the caring for one another as family.
In this sense God has truly
blessed us.
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