CHARLOTTE — St. Ann Church marked its 60th anniversary Aug. 15 with a Solemn High Mass for the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The Mass in the Extraordinary Form is an annual parish tradition but took on special meaning this year.
Established on Aug. 15, 1955, St. Ann Parish was the fourth Catholic parish erected in Charlotte.
Father Timothy Reid, pastor, delivered the homily to the hundreds of faithful gathered to mark the parish’s anniversary and the Feast of the Assumption. He thanked Bishop Peter J. Jugis – who was baptized at St. Ann Church in 1957 and who was in choir for the Latin Mass – for his special love for St. Ann Church, known as the “little parish with a big heart.”
“I think we can all agree that he is the son of which our parish is most proud,” Father Reid said.
Pictured at top: Father Timothy Reid, pastor, distributes Communion to parishioners at St. Ann Church's 60th anniversary Mass. (Photos by SueAnn Howell, Catholic News Herald)
After also welcoming other longtime parishioners, Father Reid remembered the late Bishop Michael F. Begley.
“As we celebrate our anniversary today, I think it is good for us to recall Bishop (Michael) Begley, who was the first pastor of this parish as well as the first bishop of the Diocese of Charlotte. I pray that he is pleased with what he sees today.”
Father Reid noted that it is God’s Divine Providence that St. Ann Church was founded on the Feast of the Assumption.
Bishop Peter Jugis, who was baptized at St. Ann Church in 1957, was in choir for the anniversary Mass Aug. 15.“This feast day points us toward heaven. Today we celebrate that most glorious moment in the life of Our Lady, when after the course of her earthly life she was assumed body and soul into the glory of heaven to be united with her Son and to be crowned Queen of Heaven and Earth.
“Immaculately conceived and persevering and perfect and sinless innocence throughout the entire course of her earthly life, at her death, Mary was accorded this one final favor from Our Lord ‒ that of being preserved free from the corruption of the grave so that she might triumph over death. With this favor, we see the magnificent heights to which our human nature, persevering in virtue and steadfast in the pursuit of holiness, can be raised. In Our Lady’s Assumption we can see the true beauty and dignity of our human nature.”
A large mural depicting heaven, Jesus Christ and the saints that is planned for the sanctuary wall was supposed to be dedicated in time for the anniversary Mass, Father Reid said, but it needs more time to be completed. The mural, he said, is designed to help worshippers focus on the hope of heaven – following the path of Mary.
“The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary reminds us we are all called to heavenly glory, we are all called to be saints. In her Assumption, Our Lady shows us the way to heaven. From her place in heaven she so capably aids each of us in our own journey there. She helps to form us into the saints we are called to be.”
“We should entrust ourselves completely and entirely to her motherly care,” he continued.
“Jesus knows that when we do, she always leads us back to Him, so that we might take our part in His great work of redemption. Mary always leads us back to the pierced heart of her Son, so that we can drink deeply of the love, mercy and forgiveness that He offers to all that are repentant.”
“We can hope for heaven because Jesus suffered, died and rose again. For the past 60 years, we as a parish family have shared in this hope for heaven. As we go forward as a parish family, I hope that we will live our common life together in a manner that might make us worthy of heaven. I hope we can always love, honor and trust Our Lord as we should.”
Many parishioners at St. Ann Church spent the 33 days leading up to the anniversary celebration preparing to consecrate or re-consecrate themselves to Jesus through Mary using the book “33 Days to Morning Glory” by Father Michael Gaitley, MIC, a popular abbreviated version of the consecration originally written by St. Louis de Montfort.
“As your pastor, I promise you that if you are faithful to your consecration promises throughout the course of your life, you will go to heaven at the end of your life. Our Lady will never fail anyone who is truly her child,” Father Reid told them.
“My brothers and sisters, as we celebrate this magnificent feast in honor of Our Lady and as we celebrate our 60th anniversary as a parish family, let us give thanks to Our Lord for His many gifts. Let us thank Him for His Paschal Mystery, for His willingness to suffer, die and rise again for us and for the mercy and forgiveness He so freely bestows upon the contrite of heart.
“Let us always stay close to His Most Sacred Heart. But let us also thank Our Lord for the gift of His mother, and let each of us entrust ourselves wholeheartedly to her maternal care. With the help of her mother and our patroness, St. Ann, may Our Lady always lead us to the Heart of her Son,” he concluded.
Father Casey Coleman, parochial vicar of St. Vincent de Paul Church in Charlotte, served as deacon for the Mass and chanted the Gospel. Father Noah Carter, parochial vicar of Our Lady of Grace Church in Greensboro, served as subdeacon. Father Jason Christian, parochial vicar of St. Thomas Aquinas Church in Charlotte, and Father Matthew Kauth, priest-in-residence at St. Thomas Aquinas Church and chaplain at Charlotte Catholic High School, assisted. Father Jason Barone, parochial vicar of St. Patrick Cathedral, was also present.
The St. Ann Schola Choir, under the direction of Terese Rowe, provided the music for the liturgy.
A reception was held in the Monsignor Allen Center after Mass to celebrate the parish’s 60th anniversary.
— SueAnn Howell, senior reporter
More online
Check out the parish's new website at http://www.stanncharlotte.org
New apse mural to be installed
CHARLOTTE — Later this year, the sanctuary of St. Ann Church will feature a hand-painted mural inspired by Jan van Eyck's "Adoration of the Mystic Lamb," famously known as the Ghent Altarpiece
Five separate canvases, crafted by sacred artwork firm Murals by Jericho in Peoria, Ill., over the past year and a half, will fill the five arched sections of the apse wall. Together, they will depict a single image of heaven: God the Father and the Holy Spirit looking down upon Jesus, the Paschal Lamb, who stands triumphantly upon an altar surrounded by angels holding the instruments of His suffering and death.
To the right and left of the Paschal Lamb will be images of numerous saints, including St. Ann and St. Joachim. The archangels Michael, Gabriel and Raphael will also be prominently featured.
— SueAnn Howell, senior reporter
Pastors of St. Ann Parish
1955-1966 Bishop Michael J. Begley
1966-1971 Father D. Edward Sullivan
1971-1972 Monsignor Eugene Livelsberger
1972-1979 Monsignor Anthony Kovacic
1979-1983 Monsignor Francis Smith
1983-1986 Monsignor John McSweeney
1986-1988 Father Charles Reese
1988-2000 Monsignor Richard Allen
2000-2006 Father Conrad Hoover
2006-2007 Father Frank O'Rourke
2007-present Father Timothy S. Reid
History of St. Ann Parish
Aug. 15, 1955
St. Ann Parish was established with the purchase of the northeast corner property at Park Road and Hillside Avenue. It was the fourth Catholic parish erected in Charlotte. During its first year, Sunday Masses were offered in the nearby Park Road School auditorium.
1956
St. Ann School was completed and dedicated. Originally it housed kindergarten through eighth-grade classes, and now it is has pre-kindergarten through fifth grades. The Sisters of St. Joseph of Chestnut Hill, Pa., staffed the school until the retirement of principal Sister Helene Nagle in 2008. Masses were offered at the school until the parish's first church was built.
Dec. 18, 1960
Bishop Vincent Waters dedicated the first St. Ann Church. The original structure consisted of a crypt church and a façade which faced Park Road, and a plan was made to finish the structure by building an upper church later. By 1961 money was raised by parishioners for this purpose, but St. Ann's first pastor, Monsignor Michael Begley (who would become the first bishop of the Diocese of Charlotte), determined that the money would be better spent by opening a mission parish three miles south on Park Road to serve Charlotte's growing population. St. Vincent de Paul Church was thus founded in 1961. While it was occasionally renovated, the original church structure did not grow beyond the "basement" church for the next 50 years.
1970s
Adjacent property on Park Road was purchased that included a house that was used for many years for various parish group meetings and religious education offices. That house was eventually demolished to make room for the parish's current parking lot.
1981
The parish acquired another house and property facing Willow Oak Road, which has served as a residence for both priests and nuns.
1993
A parish activity center was opened, and in 2000 it was named in honor of St. Ann's eighth pastor, Monsignor Richard Allen. It now houses the school cafeteria and gym, as well as meeting rooms and the parish offices.
2008
Ground was broken for a dramatic renovation of the church, under the direction of architect James McCrery and pastor Father Timothy Reid.
Dec. 5, 2009
Bishop Peter Jugis (who was baptized at St. Ann's in 1957) dedicated the new church.