St. Anne and St. Patrick

Our Story

St. Anne and St. Patrick Parish was formed in 1887 from two earlier missions of Notre Dame Parish in Southbridge: the Church of St. Anne, built in 1883 by Monsignor Elzear Brochu in fulfillment of a vow he made during an illness, and a simultaneous St. Patrick mission. The parish grew into a shrine after the documented healings of parishioner Mary Houde in 1887 and 1888, the gift of an authentic relic of St. Anne from the Quebec shrine of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré in 1893, and the construction of an outdoor pavilion and other devotional features. Bishop (later Cardinal) John J. Wright entrusted the parish and shrine to the Augustinians of the Assumption in December 1955, and the Assumptionists have tended it ever since. Today the combined parish and shrine minister to local Catholics and to pilgrims from across New England.

St. Anne Shrine

Centered on the 1883 St. Anne Church and roughly thirty-five acres of natural woodland, St. Anne Shrine has welcomed pilgrims for over a century seeking solace through the intercession of St. Anne, mother of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The shrine grounds include a Way of the Cross, grottos to Our Lady of Lourdes and Our Lady of Fatima, a statue of St. Augustine, an 'Angel of Hope' statue for grieving parents, an outdoor pavilion where summer Sunday Masses are celebrated, and the adjoining Icon Museum and gift shop. The parish and gift shop are open seven days a week, and the Icon Exhibit is free to visit daily from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM.

• First-class relics of St. Anne (third-class relics may be obtained by touching personal items to them)
• Way of the Cross
• Grottos of Our Lady of Lourdes and Our Lady of Fatima
• Angel of Hope statue (for parents who have lost children)
• Statue of St. Augustine
• Outdoor pavilion (summer Masses)
• Votive chapel
• Icon Museum and gift shop

Icon Museum & Gift Shop

In 1971 the Assumptionists brought their unique collection of Russian icons to the Shrine. Most were obtained by Assumptionist priests who served as chaplains to the foreign diplomatic corps in Moscow from 1934 to 1999 — home devotional icons that became dangerous to possess under the Soviet regime. On display alongside them are liturgical objects that belonged to Bishop Pie Neveu, a French Assumptionist missionary and pastor of the Church of Saint Louis of the French in Moscow. The Icon Exhibit is open daily Sunday through Saturday, 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM, with no charge for admission. The adjoining gift shop offers rosaries, crucifixes, statues, medals, prayer cards, devotional books, and other sacred items.

Annual Novena to Saint Anne

The highlight of the Shrine year is the nine-day Novena to Saint Anne, traditionally held in July in the days leading up to the Feast of Saints Anne and Joachim on July 26. Each evening includes 5:30 PM Reconciliation in the sacristy, a 6:30 PM Rosary Procession from the Generations Statue near the Gift Shop, and a 7:00 PM Novena Mass in the outdoor pavilion. Different nights are hosted by different cultural communities (Filipino, Vietnamese, Hispanic, Polish, African, Brazilian, Cursillo) with guest celebrants from across the region. The feast day itself features a 12:00 PM Healing Mass with Anointing of the Sick and a 7:00 PM closing liturgy with the Parish Choir.

• 139th Annual Novena: July 18–26, 2026
• Feast of Saints Anne and Joachim: Sunday, July 26

Parish Mission & Pastoral Vision

The parish states its mission as: 'As a parish family, through the power of the Holy Spirit, we will work to build God's Kingdom by creating opportunities for our parishioners, our community and our visitors, to encounter Jesus in a life-changing way, to set their hearts on fire with His love and to challenge them to become fully engaged disciples.' A 'Prayer for the Parish' invites parishioners to grow in faith through Baptism, Scripture, and the Eucharist.

Ministries & Outreach

Beyond its sacramental life, the parish hosts a number of active lay groups. The St. Anne–St. Patrick Conference of the St. Vincent de Paul Society is part of the South District of the Worcester Diocesan SVdP Council and serves brothers and sisters of all faiths through food, clothing, rent, and utility assistance (phone 508-347-6398). The Cursillo movement meets regularly via Zoom. A Faith Formation Committee coordinates religious education. The Parish Choir leads worship at major liturgies such as the Novena closing Mass.

• St. Vincent de Paul Society
• Cursillo Movement
• Faith Formation Committee
• Parish Choir
• Lay Assumptionist cohort

Clergy & Assumptionist Stewardship

The parish is staffed by the Augustinians of the Assumption (the A.A.), an international religious congregation founded in France in 1850 by Venerable Emmanuel d'Alzon. The Assumptionists have staffed the church and shrine since December 1955, when Bishop John J. Wright entrusted it to them. Today the local Assumptionist community is led by a Superior (Rev. Jerome Lively, A.A.) and includes the pastor (Rev. Salvator Musande, A.A.), Assumptionist John Franck, and visiting brother-priests including Rev. Alex Castro, A.A., Rev. Chi Ai Nguyen, A.A. (Provincial of the Assumptionist North American Province), Rev. Dennis Gallagher, A.A., Rev. Dominic Mbaeze, A.A., and a Deacon Keith named in the parish calendar. The founder of the American Assumptionists, Fr. Brun, was re-interred in 1987 in the cemetery of the parish.

Shrine Devotions & Memorials

Beyond the Sunday schedule, the Shrine offers devotional features that draw pilgrims year-round: the Way of the Cross, the Angel of Hope for parents who have lost children, the votive chapel, and the grottos of Our Lady of Lourdes and Our Lady of Fatima. Items touched to the first-class relics of St. Anne become third-class relics that visitors can take home from their pilgrimage. Fr. Brun, founder of the American Assumptionists, rests in the parish cemetery (re-interred May 15, 1987).

Visit & Contact

Visitors and pilgrims are welcome seven days a week. The parish office can be reached at (508) 347-7338 or [email protected], and the latest schedule, calendar, and announcements are published on the parish website. The Icon Museum and gift shop are open daily 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM.

• Address: 16 Church Street, Fiskdale (Sturbridge), MA 01518
• Phone: (508) 347-7338
• Email: [email protected]
• Website: stannestpatrickparish.com