About St. Ann Church & Shrine · Lafayette, Indiana
St. Ann Church & Shrine is a Roman Catholic parish in Lafayette, Indiana, sharing a pastorate with the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception under the Diocese of Lafayette in Indiana. The parish traces its roots to 1884, when St. Mary Church began caring for what was then St. Ann Chapel, and grew into a community of 380 households / 797 persons. In 1933 the parish became a shrine when it received a relic of St. Ann from St. Anne de Beaupré, Quebec, and since then an annual novena has been held in her honor. The current pastor is Father Ted Dudzinski (2024–Present).
- Established
- 1884
- Patron
- St. Ann (mother of the Blessed Virgin Mary)
- Rector
- Father Ted Dudzinski
- Diocese
- Diocese of Lafayette in Indiana
Why belong here
St. Ann is a parish with deep roots in Lafayette — founded in 1884, it has been an active shrine to St. Ann since 1933, drawing pilgrims each year for the annual novena. Worship is straightforward and traditional: Saturday Vigil Mass at 4:30 PM, three Sunday Masses (7:30, 10:00 AM, 12:00 PM — wait, official site lists 10:00 AM and 12:00 PM at St. Ann; 7:30 AM is at the Cathedral), and daily 7:00 AM Mass Monday through Friday, with Saturday confessions at 3:00 PM and First Saturday Eucharistic Adoration. The parish shares its campus with Bennett Hall and the St. Ann Memorial Center across Wabash Avenue, and continues a legacy of outreach such as the Matthew 25 Care & Share Food Program.
Mass times at St. Ann Church & Shrine
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:00 PM (and by appointment — call the Pastorate Office at (765) 742-4440)
Adoration times
- First Saturday of the month, 3:00 PM
About St. Ann Church & Shrine
St. Ann is a Roman Catholic parish and shrine on Wabash Avenue in Lafayette, Indiana, sharing a pastorate with the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception under the Diocese of Lafayette in Indiana. The parish currently numbers 380 households with 797 persons, served by Father Ted Dudzinski (since 2024). Its identity as a shrine — and as a pilgrimage site centered on the relic of St. Ann — has shaped the parish's life since 1933.
History of St. Ann Parish
St. Ann's roots go back to 1870, when Father George Hamilton built a two-story chapel and school and entrusted teaching to the Holy Cross Brothers (boys) and the Sisters of Providence (girls). St. Mary Church cared for St. Ann Chapel until 1884, when Father John Dempsey became the first resident pastor; GCatholic dates the parish's founding to that year. Bishop Joseph Rademacher laid the cornerstone for the present Wabash Avenue church on September 12, 1897. In 1919 the Lafayette Franciscan Sisters succeeded the Sisters of Providence, and in 1923 Father John McCarthy opened St. Ann School, which ran until 1968. The defining moment came in 1932–1933 when Father John Dillon secured a relic of St. Ann from St. Anne de Beaupré, Quebec, and parishioners Emmett Stevenson, his father Albert, and 17 helpers built the shrine — beginning the annual novena that continues today.
- 1870: Chapel and school built by Father George Hamilton.
- 1884: Father John Dempsey becomes first resident pastor.
- 1897 (Sept. 12): Bishop Joseph Rademacher lays the cornerstone.
- 1919: Lafayette Franciscan Sisters succeed the Sisters of Providence.
- 1923: St. Ann School opens under Father John McCarthy.
- 1933: Relic of St. Ann arrives from St. Anne de Beaupré; shrine is built.
- 1939 (Dec. 13): Shrine becomes headquarters of the Pious Association of St. Ann.
- 1968: St. Ann School closes.
The Shrine of St. Ann
In 1932 the Franciscan Sisters asked Father John Dillon to petition the Sisters of Charity in Montreal, Quebec, for a relic of St. Ann. The relic was received from St. Anne de Beaupré in 1933, and parishioners Emmett Stevenson, his father Albert, and 17 helpers built the shrine to display it. Since then an annual novena in honor of St. Ann has taken place each year, and on December 13, 1939 the shrine was designated headquarters of the Pious Association of St. Ann.
Liturgical & Devotional Life
Beyond weekly Mass and confession, St. Ann's devotional calendar centers on the annual novena in honor of St. Ann, which has been observed every year since 1933 — the year the relic arrived from St. Anne de Beaupré in Quebec. Monthly Eucharistic Adoration is offered on the First Saturday at 3:00 PM.
- Annual novena in honor of St. Ann (since 1933)
- First Saturday Adoration at 3:00 PM
- Annual feast day of St. Ann: July 26
Outreach & Charity
St. Ann's most celebrated outreach is the Matthew 25 Care & Share Food Program. In 1983 the program won Monsignor John Duncan the local George Award and national television coverage, and the parish has continued its commitment to feeding those in need in the Lafayette community.
- Matthew 25 Care & Share Food Program
Contact Information
St. Ann shares its official website and pastorate office with the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception. The parish phone line is (765) 742-7031 and the Pastorate Office — which handles appointments and is the first stop for sacramental emergencies — can be reached at (765) 742-4440.
- Parish phone: (765) 742-7031
- Pastorate Office: (765) 742-4440
- Website: https://smcsaclafayette.org/
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father John Dempsey1884–
First resident pastor of St. Ann; St. Mary Church had cared for St. Ann Chapel until this point.
- Father Patrick Roche1888–1901
Arranged for a Catholic chapel at the West Lafayette Indiana Soldiers' Home, which parish priests served from 1896 to 1957.
- Father John McCarthyearly 1900s
Opened St. Ann School in 1923.
- Father John Dillon1930s
Petitioned the Sisters of Charity in Montreal for St. Ann's relic and oversaw construction of the shrine in 1933.
- Father Leo McHale1953–1976
Introduced a new pipe organ in 1956, erected Bennett Hall, and renovated the church in the early 1970s.
- Monsignor John Duncan1976–1984
Repaired the rectory and church, reorganized parish programs, built a facility connected to Bennett Hall; in 1983 received the George Award and national TV coverage for the Matthew 25 Care & Share Food Program.
- Father Thomas Fox1984–1995
- Father Ambrose Zeigler1995–1997
- Father Michael McKinley1997–2007
- Father Dominic Young2007–2020
- Father Anthony Rowland2020–2024
- Father Ted Dudzinski2024–Present
Current pastor.