Something to celebrate at St. Ann
St. Ann, the oldest Catholic church in Greene County, proudly prepares for its 175th anniversary celebration.
The congregation stands outside of St. Ann Church in Waynesburg for a blessing in this Nov. 8, 1970, photo.
WAYNESBURG – The journey of St. Ann Parish in Waynesburg has not been an easy one.
The story is filled with struggles, roadblocks and obstacles that make its 175th anniversary something to celebrate.
Not only is St. Ann the oldest Catholic church in Greene County, it is also one of the oldest within the Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh.
What began as a petition signed by 70 Catholics in the 1780s requesting someone be sent once a year to the Monongahela River and Ten Mile Creek area, has turned into a thriving facility for the community and the Catholic faithful.
For the Rev. Francis Frazer, the church’s pastor, this will be his first anniversary celebrated with the congregation at St. Ann.
“It is an accomplishment,” Frazer said. “One we should be proud of.”
In 1799, the land the future church would be built on was bought for $217. The Rev. Patrick Lonergan purchased the property in hopes to build a Catholic church for the area, but he was never able to reach that goal. He settled for offering Mass in private homes monthly.
The Rev. Patrick Rafferty tried to continue Lonergan’s plan between 1829 and 1830 by erecting a small brick church on the land, but lack of funds halted the project.
It wasn’t until July 28, 1839, that the first brick for the church, invocated as St. Ann and dedicated by Bishop Francis Patrick Kenrick, was laid.
Frazer explained there is not much left from the original church of 1839, because it was deemed unsafe in 1852. It wasn’t rebuilt at the location until 1869 by the Rev. Henry McHugh.
The present church that still stands on East High Street was dedicated by the Rev. Michael Domenec, Bishop of Pittsburgh, Oct. 29, 1871. Since then, the parish has expanded, renovated and grown.
“Large additions took place in the 60s when we were doubling our attendance rates,” Frazer said about the added annex that is as large as the original church.
Land next to the church was also purchased to give the priest a home and office space. The basement and other additions have been renovated in the past to create better facilities for the community, which have been used extensively.
“I think St. Ann has a great reputation with the people in the community,” Frazer said. “It has an awful lot of things going for it that bigger parishes don’t have.”
The congregation is involved in community outreach, such as soup kitchens being held three days a week, and opening its facilities to community groups, such as the Bonner Scholars at Waynesburg University for its free weekly dinner.
“We are invested in our community, and that’s the way that it should be,” Frazer said.
The 175th anniversary was last year, but a change in pastors precipitated a delay in the celebration.
And, as Frazer said, the church deserves to celebrate, so last year’s milestone will be recognized this weekend.
At 5 p.m. Saturday, members of the parish will be putting on a play focusing on 10 milestone days of St. Ann’s history. A special Mass service will be held at 6 p.m.
Following Mass, people are invited to explore the archive room that will be set up for the event. The room will be filled with old photos and documents of the church, along with some letters and objects found in a time capsule buried at the 150th anniversary.
A catered picnic along with covered dishes will take place on the grounds, where people of the parish and community can come together to celebrate the last 175 years.