About St. Anne · Heart Butte, Montana
St. Anne is a small Roman Catholic parish on the Blackfeet (Siksika) Indian Reservation in the community of Heart Butte, Montana, one of the northern-most Catholic outposts in the Diocese of Helena. It is currently served as a mission station — a Sunday Communion Service is offered each week at 11:00 a.m., and Mass is celebrated about once a month. The parish belongs to the wider Little Flower Parish family in Browning and shares pastoral leadership with Holy Family Mission, Ascension (East Glacier), and St. Mary's (Babb). Father Roderick "Rod" Ermatinger is the current pastor.
- Established
- 1891
- Patron
- St. Anne (mother of the Blessed Virgin Mary)
- Rector
- Father Roderick (Rod) Ermatinger
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Helena
Why belong here
St. Anne is a small but deeply rooted parish where, for generations, the boundary between parish and community has been almost invisible — every funeral, feast, and family crisis is shared. Visitors and parishioners join a Sunday Communion Service (and a monthly Mass) celebrated against the wide-open landscape of the Blackfeet Reservation, with regular opportunities for faith formation through Search teen retreats, summer catechism taught by the Missionaries of Charity, the Cursillo movement, and the Justice Outreach Project. Anyone passing through — or putting down roots in — Heart Butte will find a parish that is small in number but long in memory, and a pastor and community that make themselves available day and night.
Mass times at St. Anne
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- By appointment
About St. Anne Parish
St. Anne is the Catholic parish of Heart Butte, Montana, situated in the heart of the Blackfeet (Siksika) Indian Reservation. It belongs to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Helena and is pastored as part of the Little Flower Parish cluster out of Browning. The parish shares pastoral care with the Holy Family Mission on the Blackfeet Reservation. Sunday worship is offered as a Communion Service at 11:00 a.m., with Mass celebrated approximately once a month. Reconciliation is available by appointment. The parish's official listing is maintained by the Diocese of Helena at diocesehelena.org.
- Pastor: Father Roderick (Rod) Ermatinger
- Sunday Communion Service: 11:00 a.m.
- Mass: once a month
- Reconciliation: by appointment
- Mailing: P.O. Box 529, Browning, MT 59417
History & Heritage
Catholic life on the Blackfeet Reservation at Heart Butte goes back more than 130 years. Sacramental registers held by the Diocese of Helena (now on deposit at Marquette University) list St. Anne / St. Peter Claver Church at Heart Butte (Little Badger) from 1891, with formal parish status from 1904, and the Jesuit mission was begun in 1898. The present church was built in 1998, replacing the earlier building; a new rectory was also constructed during the same period.
- Records at Heart Butte begin 1891; parish status from 1904
- Jesuit mission begun 1898
- Present church built 1998
- Only three priests served the parish across 93 years
- Jesuits withdrew in 2013; care transferred to Diocese of Helena
Father Dan Powers, SJ (1977–2013)
Father Dan Powers, a Jesuit for 70 years, served as the lone resident priest at St. Anne's for 36 years. Deeply committed to the Blackfeet community, he was involved in the Cursillo movement — bringing intensive retreats to Native communities across the West — and frequently celebrated funerals. During his tenure a new church and residence were built. He retired in 2013 and died on December 3, 2024; his inurnment took place at the St. Anne Catholic Cemetery in Heart Butte.
- 36 years as lone resident priest
- Active in Cursillo retreats
- Built the present church and rectory
- Inurned at St. Anne Catholic Cemetery, Heart Butte
Mass & Service Schedule
Because St. Anne is staffed as part of the Little Flower Parish cluster, weekly worship is offered as a Communion Service. Full Mass is celebrated approximately once a month. Reconciliation is available by appointment. Weekday and Holy Day services are announced.
- Sunday Communion Service: 11:00 a.m.
- Mass: once a month
- Weekdays & Holy Days: as announced
- Reconciliation: by appointment
- Phone: 406-338-2312
Ministries & Outreach
Together with Little Flower Parish, St. Anne's supports a wide range of formation and outreach efforts across the 1.5-million-acre reservation. Recent years have seen a teen Search Retreat with baptisms, confirmations, and First Communions; summer catechism taught by the Missionaries of Charity culminating in a Marian consecration; the Justice Outreach Project bringing young people for a week of service, cultural immersion, and solidarity; and community feeds that serve meals and pastoral conversation.
- Search teen retreat
- Missionaries of Charity summer catechism
- Cursillo movement
- Justice Outreach Project
- Community feeds (1,500+ meals served in one recent year)
- Funeral ministry
- Collaboration with the Black and Indian Mission Office
Sacraments
Sacramental preparation is offered through the parish cluster. Baptisms, First Communions, confirmations, marriages, and funeral ministry are all part of parish life, and Reconciliation is available by appointment.
- Baptism
- First Holy Communion
- Confirmation
- Marriage (by appointment)
- Reconciliation (by appointment)
- Funeral ministry
Cluster & Missions
St. Anne belongs to the Little Flower Parish family that ministers across the northern portion of the Blackfeet Reservation out of Browning, Montana. The cluster includes Little Flower (Browning), Ascension (East Glacier), St. Mary's (Babb), Holy Family Mission, and St. Anne (Heart Butte).
- Little Flower Parish, Browning (6:30 p.m. Sat; 10:30 a.m. Sun)
- Ascension, East Glacier (4:00 p.m. Sat)
- St. Mary's, Babb (Communion Service 11:00 a.m. Sun)
- Holy Family Mission (Communion Service 9:00 a.m. Sun)
- St. Anne, Heart Butte (Communion Service 11:00 a.m. Sun)
Visit & Contact
St. Anne is located at BIA Road #1 in Heart Butte, Montana, on the Blackfeet Reservation. The mailing address and parish office are in nearby Browning. Travelers through the area — including visitors to Glacier National Park, which borders the parish's territory to the west — are warmly welcomed to join the Sunday service.
- Physical address: BIA Road #1, Heart Butte, MT 59448
- Mailing: P.O. Box 529, Browning, MT 59417
- Phone: 406-338-2312
- Fax: 406-338-2362
- Diocesan listing: diocesehelena.org/parishes/st-anne-heart-butte
St. Anne Catholic Cemetery
The St. Anne Catholic Cemetery in Heart Butte is the historic burial ground of the parish community. It is the chosen inurnment site of Father J. Daniel (Dan) Powers, SJ, last Jesuit pastor of the parish, who died December 3, 2024.
- Located in Heart Butte, Montana
- Inurnment site of Father Dan Powers, SJ (d. 2024)
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Jesuit pastors (Society of Jesus)1898–2013
The mission was begun by the Jesuits in 1898. Only three priests served St. Anne's across 93 years, each for decades. In 2013 the parish was formally transferred to the Diocese of Helena.
- Father J. Daniel (Dan) Powers, SJ1977–2013
Last Jesuit pastor; served 36 years as the lone resident priest. Built the present church and rectory. Active in Cursillo and Native ministry. Died Dec. 3, 2024; inurned at St. Anne Catholic Cemetery, Heart Butte.
- Father Roderick (Rod) Ermatinger2013–present (current pastor)
Diocesan priest who assumed pastoral care after the Jesuits withdrew; leads the Little Flower Parish cluster of which St. Anne is part.