About St. Anne · Columbus, Georgia
St. Anne Catholic Church is a Roman Catholic parish in Columbus, Georgia, in the Diocese of Savannah, established on September 1, 1961 by Bishop Thomas J. McDonough as the fourth Catholic parish in the Columbus area. The parish was carved out of the Holy Family community and originally encompassed north Columbus and Harris County, today serving more than 1,200 registered families. The parish runs the city's only Catholic school, St. Anne-Pacelli Catholic School, and operates the St. Anne Outreach ministry serving neighbors in crisis.
- Established
- 1961
- Patron
- St. Anne (mother of the Virgin Mary)
- Rector
- Rev. Chris Hassel
- Diocese
- Diocese of Savannah
Why belong here
St. Anne is a large, multigenerational Catholic community of more than 1,200 families in north Columbus, with a strong stewardship tradition recognized by the International Catholic Stewardship Council. The parish hosts multiple Sunday Masses, daily Mass Monday through Friday, Saturday confessions, Eucharistic Adoration, and a wide network of small groups for men, women, and adults. It also runs St. Anne-Pacelli Catholic School (the city's only Catholic school, ages 1-12) and the St. Anne Outreach ministry with its Twice Blessed Thrift Store, so belonging here means joining a parish that is both a worshipping community and a force for service in the Muscogee County area.
Mass times at St. Anne
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday: 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM
- By appointment
Adoration times
- Monday: 8:00 AM - 8:00 PM
- Friday: 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM
History of St. Anne Parish
St. Anne was founded September 1, 1961 by Bishop Thomas J. McDonough of the Diocese of Savannah, with Msgr. Herman J. Deimel as the founding pastor. Its roots go back to the late 1940s, when land was bought for a new school to replace Holy Family School downtown; Mass was already being celebrated in the new Holy Family School cafeteria from 1952. St. Anne was carved out as the parish for north Columbus and Harris County, initially serving 400 families as the fourth Catholic church in the area. The parish grew to roughly 930 families by 1981, when Bishop Raymond W. Lessard dedicated the present church. In 1995 Bishop J. Kevin Boland transferred Pacelli High School to the parish, and in 2008 St. Anne School and Pacelli merged into today's St. Anne-Pacelli Catholic School.
- Founded: September 1, 1961
- Founding pastor: Msgr. Herman J. Deimel (1961-1966)
- Present church dedicated: August 23, 1981 by Bishop Lessard
- 1992: Our Lady of Mercy Chapel, Youth Room, Visitation Hall added
- 2003: Archbishop Thomas J. Murphy Stewardship Award
Clergy & Parish Staff
The lay staff handles parish administration, faith formation, music, stewardship, outreach, and campus maintenance.
- Fr. Kevin Braski - Parochial Vicar
- Fr. Will Cook - Associate
- Kimberly Kaup - Parish Secretary / Director of Stewardship
- Dolly Vail - Parish Secretary
- Beth Campbell - Director of Children's Religious Education
- Travis Harris - Music Director
- Kelly Tolman - Campus Maintenance Director
- Claire Fairchild - St. Anne Outreach Director
- Autumn Miller - Parish Accountant
- Donna Tomayko - Parish Hostess
- Cindi Dammann - Parish Secretary
Faith Formation & Small Groups
Adult faith formation classes meet Sunday mornings from 9-10 AM at the main entrance of the high school, with no homework and no written assignments - explicitly welcoming adults who feel 'overdue' since Confirmation. A Lectionary Bible Study meets Wednesdays at noon in the church Meeting Room, exploring the upcoming Sunday readings. Parishioners can also join a Women's Small Group (with a current book study of 'Sincerely, Stoneheart' by Emily Wilson Hussem), a Men's Small Group meeting Tuesdays at 7:45 PM, and other book-study or discussion groups.
- Adult faith formation: Sundays 9-10 AM
- Lectionary Bible Study: Wednesdays at noon, church Meeting Room
- Women's Small Group
- Men's Small Group (Tuesdays 7:45 PM, church Meeting Room)
- Children's Religious Education (Director: Beth Campbell)
St. Anne-Pacelli Catholic School
St. Anne-Pacelli Catholic School, located at 2020 Kay Circle next to the parish, is Columbus's only Catholic school, serving students ages 1 through 12th grade in a college-preparatory setting. It was formed in late summer 2008 by combining the parish's St. Anne School with Pacelli High School (itself founded in 1958 as Holy Family High School and renamed for Pope Pius XII in 1958). The Viking mascot and the red, white, and navy colors of the merged schools carry the combined identity forward. A Catholic Preschool for ages 1-3 opened on the campus in August 2015, extending Catholic education into early childhood.
- Address: 2020 Kay Circle, Columbus, GA 31907
- Phone: (706) 561-8232
- Grades: ages 1 through 12
- Mascot: Vikings
- Preschool opened August 2015
St. Anne Outreach & Twice Blessed Thrift Store
St. Anne Outreach is a ministry of the parish that provides emergency groceries, rental and utility assistance, and employment-readiness support to neighbors in crisis in the Columbus community. Its vision is that 'every person feels seen, known, and loved by God.' Twice Blessed Thrift Store is the Outreach's retail arm, offering clothing and household goods at accessible prices to help fund the ministry and serve those on tight budgets.
- Emergency groceries
- Rental and utility assistance
- Employment readiness
- Twice Blessed Thrift Store (clothing and household goods)
- Website: stanneoutreach.com
Stewardship at St. Anne
St. Anne organized its first stewardship committee in 1986 and has grown into a full stewardship parish, with parishioners contributing time, talent, and treasure. In 2003 the parish was honored with the Archbishop Thomas J. Murphy Award given by the International Catholic Stewardship Council to the parish that best exemplifies stewardship in action. Pastoral Assistant Kimberly Kaup also serves as Director of Stewardship.
- First stewardship committee organized in 1986
- 2003 Archbishop Thomas J. Murphy Award (ICSC)
- Director of Stewardship: Kimberly Kaup
Visiting & Parish Registration
Parish office hours are Monday through Friday 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM. New parishioners are invited to register by downloading a parish registration form and emailing it to [email protected], mailing it, or dropping it in the offertory basket. Current parishioners can manage their own family records (addresses, contact info, giving history, photos) through an online login. In emergencies after hours, callers are connected to the priest on call.
- Office hours: Mon-Fri 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM
- Phone: (706) 561-8678
- Fax: (706) 565-4845
- Email: [email protected]
- Registration form available on the parish website
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Msgr. Herman J. Deimel1961-1966
Founding pastor; also Pastor of Holy Family 1943-61; established St. Francis Hospital, the new Holy Family School, and Pacelli High School.
- Msgr. Marvin J. LeFrois1966-1970
- Rev. J.L. Stranc1970-1972
- Rev. Roy L. Cox1972-1975
- Rev. Timothy O'Mahony1975-1976
- Rev. Patrick Shinnick1976-1983
Led the building of the present church, dedicated by Bishop Lessard on August 23, 1981.
- Rev. J. Kevin Boland1983-1995
Later Bishop Boland; in 1995 transferred ownership of Pacelli High School to the parish.
- Rev. J. Gerard Schreck1995-2013
- Rev. Jeremiah McCarthy2013-2018
- Rev. Robert Schlageter, OFM Conv.2018-2022
- Very Rev. Scott Winchel2022-present
Current pastor.