Saint Ann

Parish Mission and Identity

The mission of St. Ann Catholic Church is to live and proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ and His real presence in the Eucharist according to Sacred Scripture and the Tradition of the Catholic Church. The parish pursues that mission through the bulletin, public worship, prayer and sacraments, teaching and preaching the Word of God, living according to the Gospel, and offering charity, compassion, respect, and hospitality to all. St. Ann is a parish in the Diocese of Memphis and is listed by GCatholic as a Shrine, recognized for the Divine Mercy Shrine on its campus.

History of St. Ann

The origins of the parish go back to Christmas Eve 1949, when parishioner John Maher buried a statue of the Infant Jesus of Prague on the site and hopeful Catholics began fund-raising to build the first Catholic church in Bartlett. The site on Stage Road was purchased for $5,000, and while construction progressed, Masses were held in a store at Stage Road and Court Street. The red-brick, vernacular-style church was dedicated on October 19, 1952, and named for Bishop William O'Brien's sister Anna. Father Leonard Oglesby, the first full-time pastor, arrived in 1955 and led the parish for 26 years, opening a school and growing the small rural parish into one of the largest in West Tennessee. A new church was built in 1969, the original structure became classrooms and, in 2002, was rededicated as St. Joachim Chapel.

• 1949 — John Maher buries the Infant Jesus of Prague statue on Christmas Eve
• 1950 — Stage Road site purchased for $5,000
• October 19, 1952 — Church dedicated; named for Bishop O'Brien's sister Anna
• 1955 — Father Leonard Oglesby becomes first full-time pastor
• 1960 — Saint Ann Catholic School opens with the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth, KY
• 1969 — New church building erected
• 2002 — Original building renamed St. Joachim Chapel, returned to liturgical use
• September 26, 2011 — Shrine of St. Faustina of the Divine Mercy established
• November 19, 2023 — Fr. Jacek Kowal installed as pastor by Bishop David P. Talley

Clergy and Staff

St. Ann is served by a priest team of three, two deacons, and a full lay staff for parish operations, school, and faith formation. Father Jacek Kowal is the current pastor; Father Chris Fagin serves as Parochial Vicar; Father Andrew Raffanti is in residence. Rev. Mr. Paul Dixon is a deacon, with Rev. Mr. Robert Skinner as Deacon Emeritus. Candace Campbell is Parish Administrator.

• Rev. Jacek Kowal — Pastor
• Rev. Chris Fagin — Parochial Vicar
• Rev. Andrew Raffanti — In Residence
• Rev. Mr. Paul Dixon — Deacon
• Rev. Mr. Robert Skinner — Deacon Emeritus
• Candace Campbell — Parish Administrator
• Didier Aur — Saint Ann School Principal
• Angela de Jong — Saint Ann School Development Director
• Lauren Whittenberg — Director, Parents' Day Out
• Kelley Stuppy — Director of Faith Formation
• Alica White — Accountant
• Kelly Pettit — Front Office Coordinator & Scheduler
• Brittany Martinez — PRE, VBS, and Youth Ministry Coordinator
• Melodee Pohl — Wedding, Baptism, & Funeral Coordinator
• Katie Dyer — Sacramental Records, Technology & WeShare
• James Newell — Maintenance
• Angel Tarango — Maintenance
• Latonya Samuels — Housekeeping

Sacraments

Sacramental preparation at St. Ann includes Baptism, First Reconciliation and First Holy Communion (a two-year PRE track, Eucharist One and Two), Confirmation (a two-year program in 7th and 8th grades using Ascension Press's CHOSEN and Connected), Marriage, and Funerals. Weddings, baptisms, and funerals are coordinated by Melodee Pohl. Non-traditional-aged children have access to OCIC and OCIT tracks for Christian Initiation. Sacramental records, WeShare online giving, and parish technology are managed by Katie Dyer.

Faith Formation and Religious Education (PRE)

St. Ann Faith Formation (Parish Religious Education, or PRE) gathers on most Sunday mornings during the school year in the Saint Ann School building and serves children from Kindergarten through Confirmation, including high-schoolers who are not yet Confirmed. The program is led by Director of Faith Formation Kelley Stuppy and PRE/VBS/Youth Ministry Coordinator Brittany Martinez. Registration is tiered by family size, with an early-bird discount for applications submitted by June 30.

• Kindergarten: Faith First from RCL Benziger
• Eucharist One (1st Grade) and Eucharist Two (2nd Grade): Blest Are We – Faith in Action; Renewed (Reconciliation) and Received (Communion) by Ascension Press
• 3rd–6th Grades: Christ Our Life by Loyola Press
• Confirmation 1 & 2 (7th & 8th Grades): CHOSEN and Connected by Ascension Press, plus a $25 Confirmation Retreat fee
• OCIC — Order of Christian Initiation for Children (elementary-aged)
• OCIT — Order of Christian Initiation for Teens (middle and high school)

Saint Ann Catholic School

Saint Ann Catholic School has served the Bartlett and surrounding area since 1960 and is currently in its sixth decade of Catholic education. The school is led by Principal Didier Aur and Development Director Angela de Jong, and provides strong academics, faith formation, and a wide range of facilities. The campus includes 30 classrooms, a library, computer and science labs, art and music rooms, a LIFE resource room, a SPARKS gifted-education room, an outdoor classroom, two gymnasiums, and a full-service cafeteria. The vision is to be a thriving school for all children providing a premier education in the Catholic tradition.

• Founded September 1960 by the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth, Kentucky
• Original principal: Sister Mary Thomas
• 150 students in grades 1–8 in opening year
• First lay principal: Mrs. Peggy Fiveash (1982)
• School phone: 901-386-3328
• Website: www.sascolts.org

Parents' Day Out

St. Ann's Parents' Day Out program, directed by Lauren Whittenberg, offers daytime care on the parish campus. The program serves children from infants and toddlers up through pre-kindergarten, with a daily schedule that includes Music, Movement, and other early-childhood activities in a safe, faith-based environment.

Shrine of St. Faustina of the Divine Mercy

Housed in the St. Joachim Chapel, the Shrine of St. Faustina of the Divine Mercy was established on September 26, 2011, and contains the first-class relics of Saint Faustina Kowalska, the Polish mystic to whom Christ revealed the Divine Mercy devotion. Coordinator Jay Hastings founded the Society of St. Faustina of the Divine Mercy the same year. The Shrine is a center of perpetual prayer: a daily Holy Hour (Tuesday through Thursday, 12:30–10:30pm), the Chaplet of Divine Mercy and Rosary (daily, 3:00–4:00pm), a perpetual Chaplet of Divine Mercy Novena every day of the year, and on Sundays St. Faustina's Way of the Cross. The Shrine regularly takes its relics on the road for veneration at other parishes.

• Established September 26, 2011
• First-class relics of St. Faustina Kowalska
• Coordinator: Jay Hastings (901-438-7772)
• Companion website: divinemercyshrine.site
• Contact: [email protected]

Parish Life and Ministries

Beyond the sacraments and school, St. Ann offers a wide range of ministries for every age and stage of life. Children are served by the Kid Zone program during Sunday Masses and by Vacation Bible School. Teens are reached through Youth Ministry. Adults can plug into Family and Parenting Ministry, Women's Ministry, and Men's Ministry, as well as parish-wide communications via the weekly bulletin and the Flocknote 'Saint Ann News' email. WeShare provides online giving. Visitors and newcomers can join the parish through the Parish Registration Form, with Parish Data coordinator Cindy Tyler (901-266-5203, [email protected]).

• Kid Zone (children's program during Sunday Masses)
• Vacation Bible School (VBS)
• Youth Ministry (teens)
• Family and Parenting Ministry
• Women's Ministry
• Men's Ministry
• Parish Registration — contact Cindy Tyler at 901-266-5203
• Weekly bulletin and Flocknote 'Saint Ann News' email updates
• WeShare online giving

Visit, Connect, and Giving

The parish office is open Monday through Friday, 8:30am to 4:00pm, and can be reached at 901-373-6011 or [email protected]. The full campus is at 6529 Stage Road, Bartlett, TN 38134, with a published campus map and driving directions on the Visit Us page. Worship Aid selections can be directed to St. Ann Catholic Church through the parish's WeShare platform. The parish maintains an active Facebook page (St. Ann Parish – Bartlett, Tennessee) and encourages parishioners to sign up for the weekly Flocknote email.

• Parish office hours: Monday–Friday, 8:30am–4:00pm
• Phone: 901-373-6011
• Email: [email protected]
• Facebook: facebook.com/stannbartlett
• Online giving via WeShare