About St. Ann · West Palm Beach, Florida
St. Ann Catholic Church is the oldest Catholic parish in the Diocese of Palm Beach, serving downtown West Palm Beach since 1895. Built and developed by the Jesuits (Fathers of the Society of Jesus), the historic church was dedicated in 1896 and moved in 1902 to its present location on land donated by Henry M. Flagler. Today St. Ann is a multicultural, multilingual downtown parish celebrating Mass in English, Spanish, and Haitian Creole, and it runs St. Ann School (founded 1925), a religious education program, the St. Ann Place Outreach Center, and the Our Lady of Faith Haitian Center.
- Established
- 1895
- Patron
- St. Ann (Saint Anne, mother of the Blessed Virgin Mary)
- Rector
- Rev. Quesnel Delvard
- Diocese
- Diocese of Palm Beach
Why belong here
St. Ann is the historic Catholic heart of downtown West Palm Beach, with weekend Masses offered in three languages (English, Spanish, and Haitian Creole) and weekday Masses downtown at lunchtime — perfectly suited to people who live or work in the city. A family-sized clergy team of three priests and three deacons run RCIA/OCIA, religious education, youth formation, a K-8 school, the St. Ann Place food pantry and outreach center, the Our Lady of Faith Haitian Center, hospital and homeless outreach, the Knights of Columbus, and St. Vincent de Paul. Belonging here means joining the oldest parish in the Diocese of Palm Beach (since 1895) while serving a neighborhood as varied as West Palm Beach itself.
Mass times at St. Ann
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday: 4:00 PM
- Other times may be scheduled by calling the parish office (561-832-3757)
Parish History
Historic St. Ann Church was dedicated March 15, 1896, on the southeast corner of Rosemary and Datura Streets. In 1902 the parish was moved to its present location on land donated by Henry M. Flagler, and a new church building was dedicated in 1913. The original 1896 church was reused as the forerunner of St. Ann School, which was built in 1925. St. Ann is the oldest Catholic parish in the Diocese of Palm Beach and was developed by the Fathers of the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits). A Seminole Chapter DAR historic marker stands at the parish.
- Founded 1895; church dedicated March 15, 1896
- Relocated to current site in 1902 on land donated by Henry M. Flagler
- Present church dedicated 1913
- St. Ann School built 1925 in/near the original 1896 church
- Founded by the Fathers of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits)
About Saint Ann
The parish's 'About St. Ann' page, drawn from the archives of Historic St. Ann Church, traces Saint Anne as the grandmother of Jesus and a focus of pilgrimages for popes and kings over many centuries. It is this Saint Anne — 'Ann' — for whom the West Palm Beach parish is named, and the church keeps her story as part of its identity. The full saint narrative is available on the parish website.
Clergy & Staff
St. Ann is served by a team of three priests and three deacons, supported by parish and school staff. Father Quesnel Delvard was formally installed as pastor by Bishop Gerald M. Barbarito on September 17, 2023; he celebrated Mass in multiple languages to reflect the parish's multicultural makeup.
- Rev. Quesnel Delvard — Pastor ([email protected])
- Rev. Marc Gustinelli — Parochial Vicar ([email protected])
- Rev. Cosmas Brendan — Priest in Residence ([email protected])
- Deacon Gino Aceto
- Deacon Jojo Guardiario
- Deacon Mike McDonald
- Tom Drury — Religious Education Director ([email protected])
- Sr. Margarita Gomez — R.C.I.A. ([email protected])
- Yasa Polataeva — Director of Music Ministries ([email protected])
- John Pescosolido — St. Ann Place Executive Director & Community Services (561-805-7708)
- Onik Kevin Mitchell — Bookkeeper ([email protected])
- Saida Lopez — Parish Secretary ([email protected], ext. 301)
- Rocio Escalante — Facilities Manager
- Miguel Paiz — Maintenance
Religious Education & OCIA
Religious Education for children is directed by Tom Drury, while adults preparing for full initiation into the Catholic Church are welcomed through OCIA (the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults, formerly RCIA), coordinated by Sr. Margarita Gomez. The 'Questions About Sacraments?' page invites inquirers to call the parish office.
- Religious Education (Tom Drury, [email protected] / 973-216-1650)
- OCIA / RCIA for adults (Sr. Margarita Gomez, [email protected])
- Youth Formation program
- Liturgy and Music Ministry
St. Ann School
St. Ann School has been rooted in downtown West Palm Beach since 1925 and grew directly out of the parish's original 1896 church building. Bishop Barbarito, at Father Delvard's 2023 installation, singled out principal Susan Demes, the school's teachers, and staff as vital to parish life.
- Founded 1925
- Principal: Susan Demes
- Long-running parish-affiliated Catholic elementary school
Community Services & Outreach
St. Ann's outreach is coordinated through the parish's Community Services office under Director John Pescosolido (561-805-7708). Volunteers can reach the parish Monday–Friday, 8:00 AM–1:00 PM at 561-832-3757. The flagship ministry is the St. Ann Place Outreach Center, which runs both a Food Pantry for downtown neighbors in need and a Homeless Outreach program. Bishop Barbarito specifically praised St. Ann Place and the Our Lady of Faith Haitian Center as beacons of the parish's mission beyond its walls.
- St. Ann Place Food Pantry — 561-805-7708
- St. Ann Place Homeless Outreach — John Pescosolido, 561-805-7708
- Hospital Ministry — Melissa Tyner, 561-533-7223
- Biblical Justice (PEACE) — Mary MacFarland, [email protected]
- Family Life ministry
- Our Lady of Faith Haitian Center
Parish Organizations
Two well-known Catholic lay organizations have active chapters at St. Ann: the Knights of Columbus and the Society of St. Vincent de Paul. Both are listed under 'Organizations' on the parish ministries page.
- Knights of Columbus — Contact: Angeles Lista, 561-704-1650
- St. Vincent de Paul — Contact: Doug Knedgen, 561-727-7260
Music Ministry
The Music Ministry at St. Ann is led by Director of Music Ministries Yasa Polataeva ([email protected], 561-832-3757 ext. 306). The parish also recognized a youth choir at the 2023 installation Mass.
- Director: Yasa Polataeva
- [email protected] / 561-832-3757 ext. 306
- Youth choir participates in major liturgies
Visit & Contact
St. Ann Catholic Church is at 310 North Olive Avenue, West Palm Beach, FL, and can be reached at (561) 832-3757 or [email protected]. Parish Secretary Saida Lopez and the clergy handle inquiries about the sacraments through the office.
- Address: 310 North Olive Avenue, West Palm Beach, FL
- Phone: (561) 832-3757
- Email: [email protected]
- Parish Secretary: Saida Lopez (ext. 301)