About St. Anne · Escanaba, Michigan
St. Anne Parish is a Roman Catholic parish in Escanaba, Michigan, in the Upper Peninsula, belonging to the Diocese of Marquette. The parish was founded in 1887 when French-Canadian members of St. Joseph Catholic Church broke away to form their own congregation, and the parish remains an active, family-centered faith community with multiple weekend Masses and a daily Mass schedule. Its current pastor, Rev. Fran J. DeGroot, has served St. Anne since 2008, and is assisted by Permanent Deacon Terry Saunders. The parish describes itself as 'a Catholic Family committed to proclaiming Jesus is Lord, celebrating His presence and serving others in His name.'
- Established
- 1887
- Patron
- St. Anne (mother of the Blessed Virgin Mary)
- Rector
- Rev. Fran J. DeGroot
- Diocese
- Diocese of Marquette
Why belong here
St. Anne is a daily-Mass parish in Escanaba's south side with a full schedule of weekend liturgies and a long tradition of lay involvement — from a trained altar-server program and religious education to a St. Vincent de Paul food pantry and the parish's annual fundraising picnic. The parish is a supporting parish of Holy Name Catholic School and is closely tied to the French-Canadian Catholic heritage of Delta County. Whether you are drawn by the rosary, the offertory counters, the funeral luncheon teams, or simply a daily 8 a.m. Mass in a small, family-sized community, St. Anne offers many ways to belong.
Mass times at St. Anne
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:00–4:00 PM
- Or by appointment
History of St. Anne Parish
St. Anne was founded in 1887 when the French-Canadian members of St. Joseph Catholic Church in Escanaba, the mother parish of all Catholic congregations in Delta County, had grown large enough to form their own congregation. According to the Delta County Historical Society, the parish was formally established the following year just three blocks from St. Joseph and observed its 75th anniversary in 1963 with a published commemorative booklet of photos and text. The new parish took the name of St. Anne, mother of the Blessed Virgin Mary, a devotion cherished in French-Canadian Catholic tradition.
- Founded 1887 by French-Canadian parishioners of St. Joseph, Escanaba
- 75th Anniversary commemorative booklet published 1963
- Feast day: July 26 — observed with cemetery Masses and the 'Grasshopper Parade' tradition at St. Nicholas Cemetery
Parish School (1901–1971)
St. Anne operated its own grade school beginning in 1901, one of four Catholic grade schools serving Escanaba along with those of St. Joseph, St. Patrick and St. Thomas the Apostle. After Holy Name High School closed in 1971, the four Escanaba grade schools consolidated, with the St. Anne school building continuing in use as part of the merged Catholic school system. Today the parish remains a supporting parish of Holy Name Catholic School, and pastor Fr. Fran DeGroot — a Holy Name student in the school's final year — celebrates weekly Mass for the students.
- Parish school opened 1901
- Used through 1971 Escanaba Catholic school consolidation
- Today St. Anne is a supporting parish of Holy Name Catholic School
Pastor and Staff
St. Anne is served by Rev. Fran J. DeGroot, pastor since 2008 and a priest of the Diocese of Marquette since his ordination in December 1993. Fr. Fran previously served as associate pastor at St. Michael Church in Marquette (with St. Mary Mission, Big Bay), then as pastor of St. Joseph in Rudyard and Resurrection in Menominee. He is assisted by Permanent Deacon Terry Saunders. Fr. Fran is a frequent visitor to Holy Name Catholic School and to local nursing homes, where he celebrates scheduled weekday Masses.
- Rev. Fran J. DeGroot — Pastor (since 2008)
- Deacon Terry Saunders — Permanent Deacon
- Fr. Fran celebrated his Silver Jubilee in December 2018
Parish Mission Statement
According to its listing in the Diocese of Marquette's Parish Finder, 'St. Anne Parish is a Catholic Family committed to proclaiming Jesus is Lord, celebrating His presence and serving others in His name.' This threefold commitment — proclamation, celebration (especially in the Eucharist), and service — is reflected in the parish's daily Mass schedule, its long-running lay ministries, and its outreach to those in need.
- Mission: proclaim Jesus is Lord
- Mission: celebrate His presence (especially in the Eucharist)
- Mission: serve others in His name
Ministries and Outreach
Lay ministry is a hallmark of St. Anne. The parish runs a long-established altar-server training program (led for 30 years by Barbara Van Ermen), a Parish Council, a Religious Education program, liturgical decoration teams for the seasons, and offertory counters. Outreach to those in need is organized through the parish's St. Vincent de Paul food pantry, also managed by Van Ermen, and through funeral luncheon teams that support grieving families. The Cursillo movement has a presence in the parish, with small faith-sharing groups meeting in parishioners' homes.
- Altar server training program
- Parish Council
- Religious Education
- St. Vincent de Paul food pantry
- Funeral luncheon team
- Liturgical seasonal decorations team
- Offertory counting team
- Cursillo small faith communities
Parish Picnic and Fundraising
St. Anne's annual parish picnic is a major community fundraiser that, under lay leadership, helped eliminate parish debt. It remains a signature event of the parish calendar.
- Annual parish picnic — major fundraiser
- Helped eliminate parish debt under long-term lay leadership
Holy Name Catholic School Connection
St. Anne is one of the supporting parishes of Holy Name Catholic School in Escanaba, and Fr. Fran DeGroot celebrates a weekly Mass there for the students. Several alumni of Holy Name's final class of 1971 — including Fr. Fran himself — have remained deeply involved in Catholic education in the U.P., and the school is currently working to restore programs like its band program with support from the supporting parishes.
- Supporting parish of Holy Name Catholic School, Escanaba
- Fr. Fran DeGroot celebrates weekly school Mass
- Pastor attended Holy Name High School during its final year (1971)
Diocese of Marquette
St. Anne Parish is one of more than 60 parishes in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Marquette, which covers the entire Upper Peninsula of Michigan. St. Anne is listed on the diocesan Parish Finder alongside its sister parishes in the Escanaba/Delta County area, including St. Joseph & St. Patrick, St. Thomas the Apostle, and parishes in Rapid River, Bark River, Wells, Trenary and Perkins.
- Diocese of Marquette
- Located in the Escanaba/Delta County grouping
- Bishop: Most Reverend John F. Doerfler (per diocesan announcements)
Feast of St. Anne
The feast of St. Anne, mother of the Blessed Virgin Mary, is celebrated on July 26 and is observed with special devotion across Michigan's Upper Peninsula, including at St. Nicholas Cemetery, where descendants of Belgian and French-Canadian settlers gather for an annual cemetery Mass and procession known as the 'Grasshopper Parade.' The tradition dates to the early 1930s and continues to honor the immigrant pioneers of the region.
- Feast day: July 26
- Traditional cemetery Mass and rosary procession at St. Nicholas Cemetery
- Honors French-Canadian and Belgian settler heritage of the U.P.
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Francis (Fran) J. DeGroot2008–present
Ordained December 1993 for the Diocese of Marquette; previously associate pastor at St. Michael, Marquette (with St. Mary Mission, Big Bay), then pastor of St. Joseph, Rudyard, and Resurrection, Menominee.