About St. Ann · Dayton, Nevada
St. Ann Catholic Church is a small, bilingual parish serving Dayton, Silver City, and the surrounding Lyon County communities in northern Nevada, in the Diocese of Reno. The parish traces its roots to 1937, when Dayton and Silver City residents raised money to move an old Catholic hall from Yerington to Pike Street in downtown Dayton; nearly sixty years later, on August 14, 1996, Bishop Phillip F. Straling elevated St. Ann's from a mission to a full parish. Today the community worships at 3 Melanie Drive, on Highway 50 at Hughes Avenue, offering Mass in both English and Spanish along with religious education, Bible study, Knights of Columbus, and a women's community group.
- Established
- 1937
- Patron
- St. Ann (Saint Anne), mother of the Blessed Virgin Mary and grandmother of Jesus
- Rector
- Father Tom Nelson
- Diocese
- Diocese of Reno
Why belong here
St. Ann's is a small, family-sized parish where a bilingual (English/Spanish) community worships together at one site and where almost every ministry has a named contact you can call directly. It offers the full sacramental life — Mass seven days a week in two languages, Reconciliation on Saturdays, Baptisms, First Communion, Confirmation, Marriage, Anointing of the Sick, and funerals — alongside religious education for 1st through 8th graders, weekly Bible study, a Knights of Columbus council, and an active St. Ann's Women's Community. Joining means becoming part of a parish whose roots stretch back to 1937 Dayton pioneers and whose present-day family of ministries makes it easy to get involved.
Mass times at St. Ann
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:00–3:30 pm
History of St. Ann's
The Catholic community in Dayton began in the 1930s when residents of Dayton and Silver City had to travel to Virginia City for Mass. In May 1937, the Catholic ladies of the two towns formed an altar society, purchased a lot on Pike Street for $150, poured a foundation for $100, and paid $350 to have an old building — formerly a school in Yerington — moved onto the site. The first Mass was celebrated that September. The Pike Street chapel served the area for nearly sixty years as a mission until Bishop Phillip F. Straling formally elevated St. Ann's to parish status on August 14, 1996. As the Dayton Valley grew, the parish relocated to 3 Melanie Drive on Highway 50, and in 2019 donated the original 1937 chapel to the Historical Society of Dayton Valley to be preserved as a museum.
- 1937 — Old Catholic hall moved from Yerington to Pike Street, Dayton; first Mass celebrated in September.
- May 1937 — Catholic ladies of Dayton and Silver City formed an altar society to purchase the church site.
- August 14, 1996 — St. Ann's elevated from mission to parish by Bishop Phillip F. Straling.
- 2019 — Original Pike Street chapel donated to Lyon County / HSDV to be restored as a museum.
Our Parish
St. Ann Catholic Church is a bilingual (English/Spanish) parish in the Diocese of Reno, located at 3 Melanie Drive (Hwy. 50 & Hughes Ave.) in Dayton, Nevada. The parish mailing address is PO Box 309, Dayton, NV 89403, and the parish office can be reached at (775) 246-7578 or [email protected]. Office hours vary by day (see below) and the Office Administrator is Liz Hernandez-Lara.
- Pastor: Father Tom Nelson ([email protected])
- Visiting Priest: Father Jim Setelik
- Office Administrator: Liz Hernandez-Lara / Liz Lara
- Office Hours (per About page): Tuesday–Friday, 9:00 am – 2:00 pm
- Office Hours (per Bulletin/Contact page): Tue & Thu 3:30–5:30 pm; Wed, Fri & Sat 8:00 am – 2:00 pm
- Mailing: PO Box 309, Dayton, NV 89403
Religious Education & Confirmation
Faith formation for children is led by Director of Religious Education Rosie Vega ([email protected]). Elementary Religious Education serves 1st through 6th graders, while Confirmation preparation is a two-year program for 7th and 8th graders. Classes meet during the school year, typically on Sundays between Masses, with Confirmation also gathering on Tuesday evenings and on Saturday afternoons after the Vigil Mass.
- 1st–6th Grade Religious Education: every other Sunday, 10:45 am – 12:00 pm (school year)
- Confirmation (Year 1 & 2, 7th–8th grade): every other Sunday at 10:30 am
- Confirmation Tuesday sessions: 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm
- Confirmation Saturday: attend 4:00 pm Mass, then review with teacher
- Contact: Rosie Vega — [email protected]
Adult Faith Formation & Bible Study
Adults at St. Ann's can grow in faith through a weekly Bible Study that meets Wednesday mornings after Mass. The parish invites anyone interested to contact the office for current details, materials, and room location.
- Bible Study: Wednesdays at 9:30 am
- Contact the parish office at (775) 246-7578 for details
Parish Organizations & Ministries
St. Ann's parish life is sustained by a wide network of lay ministries and organizations, each with a named coordinator parishioners can call directly. Two of the most active groups are the Knights of Columbus and the St. Ann's Women's Community, which both meet monthly.
- Knights of Columbus — Grand Knight David Smith (775-301-6099); meets 1st & 3rd Thursdays at 7:00 pm
- St. Ann's Women's Community — Sandy Zboinski (775-230-5090); meets 1st Sunday at 12:15 pm
- Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion & Lectors — Jeanette Cox ([email protected])
- Holy Communion to the Homebound — Frances Ramos (775-315-2557)
- Funeral Receptions — Frances Ramos (775-315-2557)
- Prayer List — Frances Ramos (775-315-2557)
- Church Cleaning — Vicky Kinney (775-246-9396), Gabby Anguiano (775-220-9769)
- Altar Linen Care — Chris Strickler (775-246-4792)
- Choir Director — Juan Lara (775-246-7578)
Sacraments
St. Ann's celebrates the full range of Catholic sacraments. For information or to schedule any of them, the parish asks visitors to call the parish office at (775) 246-7578 during business hours or leave a message. The parish website lists ten sacramental and faith-formation ministries under 'Our Sacraments.'
- Marriage / Weddings
- Baptisms
- First Holy Communion
- First Reconciliation
- Confirmation
- Anointing of the Sick
- Funerals
- Holy Orders
- Adult Faith Formation
- Religious Education
New Church Plans & Building Project
After decades in its Pike Street mission chapel, St. Ann's relocated to its current 3 Melanie Drive site (Highway 50 at Hughes Avenue) to accommodate the growing Dayton Valley community. The parish maintains a 'New Church Plans' page on its website with information on a church building initiative, including exterior renderings and a 'Contribute Now' link to support the project.
- Current address: 3 Melanie Drive (Hwy. 50 & Hughes Ave.)
- Original 1937 chapel preserved by HSDV as a museum at 140 Pike Street
- Building-project support available through the parish website
Joining the Parish & Contact
New parishioners can register with St. Ann's through the 'Parish Registration' page on the parish website or by contacting the office. The parish invites community members and visitors to call (775) 246-7578 or email [email protected] for any questions, and notes that office hours differ depending on the day.
- Online registration: stannsdayton.com/parish-registration
- Phone: (775) 246-7578
- Email: [email protected]
- Pastor email: [email protected]
- Online Giving available via the parish website
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Thomas Fransiscus
Pastor at the time of the June 2019 donation of the original 1937 Pike Street chapel to Lyon County for preservation as a museum.