About St. Anne · Isle la Motte, Vermont
Saint Anne's Shrine is a Roman Catholic shrine and year-round retreat center on the shores of Lake Champlain in Isle La Motte, Vermont, occupying roughly thirty-two acres of waterfront grounds. Developed and maintained for more than a century by the Society of Saint Edmund (the Edmundite Fathers) in cooperation with the Roman Catholic Diocese of Burlington, the Shrine marks the site of Fort Sainte Anne, the first permanent European settlement in what is now Vermont. Each summer thousands of pilgrims, vacationers and tourists come for outdoor Masses, the Way of the Cross among the pines, rustic saint-grottos, retreats, and panoramic views across the lake toward the Adirondacks.
- Established
- 1892 (land acquired); chapel blessed 1893; entrusted to Edmundites 1904; new chapel dedicated July 4, 1909
- Patron
- Saint Anne (Anne, mother of the Blessed Virgin Mary)
- Rector
- Rev. Brian Cummings, S.S.E. (Director)
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Burlington
Why belong here
St. Anne's Shrine offers something rare in New England: an outdoor summer Mass celebrated just a few yards from the waters of Lake Champlain, on the very ground where the first Catholic Mass in what is now Vermont was offered in 1666. Pilgrims come for daily and Sunday Mass in the lakeside chapel, the solemn Feast of St. Anne on July 26 with candlelight procession, the Assumption and Family Day Masses, 5-day Ignatian directed retreats, and centuries-old devotions like the Way of the Cross and pilgrimages from New York and Vermont Knights of Columbus councils — all in a peaceful 32-acre setting steeped in French, Jesuit, and Indigenous history that is hard to find anywhere else on the continent.
Mass times at St. Anne
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Before all Masses (Saturday Vigil and Sundays)
- By appointment — contact Fr. Brian Cummings, S.S.E. at 802-928-3362 or [email protected]
Adoration times
- Adoration listed as a regular devotion on the official Diocese parish page (specific hours not posted publicly)
History
From the 1666 French Fort Sainte Anne to today's year-round retreat Shrine — how devotion to 'la bonne Sainte Anne' was kept alive for two centuries by the ruins, revived in 1893 by Bishop de Goesbriand, and entrusted in 1904 to the Edmundite Fathers who have cared for it ever since.
- 1666: Carignan-Salières soldiers under Capt. Pierre de St. Paul, Sieur de la Motte build Fort Sainte Anne and a chapel on Sandy Point; first Mass in Vermont.
- 1668: François de Laval, Bishop of Quebec, canoes in to confirm Indian converts — first episcopal visit in the region.
- 1853: Louis de Goesbriand, a Breton, becomes first Bishop of Vermont.
- 1859: Cornerstone of the Church of St. Anne in Milton blessed, exactly 200 years after the French fort.
- 1886: New parish formed of Alburg, Isle La Motte and North Hero.
- 1892: First parcel of fort land acquired.
- July 26, 1893: Small chapel erected and blessed; large statue of St. Anne (still in the present Chapel) donated by Breton clergy of the Diocese; first organized pilgrimage draws nearly 2,000.
- 1890s: Rev. Joseph Kerlidou excavates site, recovers French and Native American artifacts now on display.
- 1904: Direction entrusted to the Society of Saint Edmund.
- 1909: New Chapel and pavilion erected; dedicated July 4, Champlain tercentenary, with New York and Vermont governors.
- 1921: Edmundites purchase the Shrine outright from the Diocese.
- 1945: Bishop Edward F. Ryan consecrates revival of devotional life and annual pilgrimages.
- 1976: Diocesan Bicentennial — estimated 7,000 at three-day observance.
- Sept. 11, 2016: 350th anniversary of first Mass celebrated with Bishop Christopher Coyne and Fr. Michael Knox, S.J.
Pilgrimages & Annual Celebrations
The Shrine's identity is built around its calendar of large outdoor liturgical gatherings: the Feast of St. Anne (its title feast), the Assumption with candlelight procession, the Diocesan Family Day Mass, and Knights of Columbus pilgrimages from both New York and Vermont.
- Feast of Saint Anne — July 26, 2026 (Masses 9:00, 10:30 & 7:00 p.m. candlelight procession; traditional pancake breakfast)
- Feast of the Assumption — August 14 (7:00 p.m. with candlelight procession) & August 15 (11:15 a.m.)
- Annual Diocesan Family Day Mass — Sunday August 19, 2026 at 12:15 p.m. with Bishop John McDermott, free-will BBQ
- NY Knights of Columbus Pilgrimage — August 12 with Bishop Terry LaValley of Ogdensburg
- VT Knights of Columbus Pilgrimage — August 23 with Bishop John McDermott
- Blessing of Autos & Travelers — May 31, 2026
- Closing Mass and Harvest Dinner — October 11, 2026
Summer Reflection Series (2026)
Every Wednesday from July 1 through September 2, 2026, the Society of Saint Edmund hosts an 11:15 a.m. Mass followed by a presentation on Catholic themes. Lunch is available for purchase in the café; bring a picnic to enjoy outdoors.
- July 1 — Most Rev. John McDermott: Petrine Ministry in the Life of the Church
- July 8 — Fr. Michael Carter, S.S.E.: Catholicism in America from the Revolution to Roosevelt
- July 15 — Fr. David Cray, S.S.E.: Kateri Tekakwitha: A Saint For Our Region
- July 22 — Fr. Brian Cummings, S.S.E.: Ignatian Contemplation of Scripture
- July 29 — Fr. David Theroux, S.S.E.: Connecting with Jesus in All the Dimensions of Life
- Aug. 5 — Fr. Michael Carter, S.S.E.: The Basilica of St. Mary Major; Tomb of Pope Francis
- Aug. 12 — Fr. Lance Harlow (St. John the Evangelist, St. Johnsbury): The Assumption of Mary and Our Pilgrimage to Heaven
- Aug. 19 — Msgr. Peter Routhier (Propagation of the Faith): The Jubilee Year of St. Francis of Assisi / Cathedral of St. Joseph / Pope Leo the Augustinian
- Aug. 26 — John Kenney (Prof. Emeritus, St. Michael's College): The Cathedral of St. Joseph / Pope Leo
- Sept. 2 — Fr. Brian Cummings, S.S.E.: Praying with the Post-Resurrection Appearances
Retreats & Spiritual Direction
The Shrine operates as a year-round retreat center with six modern cottages, a meeting and dining wing, and six private spiritual-direction rooms. Retreats are run in the Ignatian tradition of the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius, with trained Spiritual Directors meeting daily with each retreatant.
- Two annual 5-Day Directed/Silent Retreats in 2026: June 14-19 and August 20-25
- Cost $625 includes lodging and all meals; $300 nonrefundable deposit
- Each retreatant has a private room in one of six cottages
- Cottages: four bedrooms (two bunk beds each), three bathrooms, full kitchen, screened porch, Wi-Fi, A/C, TV
- 86-guest overnight capacity; conference center and dining room capacity 150
- Other hosted retreats: marriage-preparation, Marriage Encounter, parish retreats, St. Michael's College programs
Grounds & Devotional Walk
The 32-acre lakeside grounds blend outdoor worship, historical memorials and natural beauty. Walking paths thread through pine trees past saint-grottos, the large wooden cross marking the 1666 fort chapel, and the statue of Samuel de Champlain.
- Way of the Cross / Way of Calvary among the pines — marks the location of the 1666 fort chapel
- Outdoor Chapel and open-sided pavilion for liturgical celebrations
- Rustic saint-grottos dedicated to various saints
- Reflection gardens and candle-lighting stations
- Bronze and stone memorial to Fort Sainte Anne
- Statue of Samuel de Champlain (tercentenary installation)
- Private beach on Lake Champlain with view of the Adirondacks
Welcome Center, Café & Gift Shop
The Boucher multi-purpose Welcome Center is the visitor hub. It includes the gift shop, the History Room displaying Father Kerlidou's excavated French and Native American artifacts, the café, and conference spaces.
- Welcome Center / Gift Shop / History Room hours (May 23 – Oct. 11): Wed–Sat 11 a.m.–3 p.m., Sun 10 a.m.–2 p.m.; closed Mon-Tue
- Traditional Pancake Breakfast on the second Sunday of June, July, August & September (9 a.m.–Noon) — pancakes with VT maple syrup, eggs, sausage, juice, coffee
- Wednesday Lunch — 11:30 a.m.–1:00 p.m., July 1 – August 26
- Group/organization meals by reservation
- Gift Shop: books, religious articles, souvenirs, t-shirts, Vermont products
- History Room: artifacts from Fort Sainte Anne and earlier Native American occupation
Overnight Stays & Camping
Onsite accommodations include six modern retreat cottages and limited RV camping for the pilgrimage season. The retreat cottages are also available to other Christian denominations.
- RV camping — electric, picnic table, fire ring; RVs must have onboard restrooms (no water or firewood provided); reserve by calling 802-928-3362 and register at the office on arrival
- Cottages — four bedrooms of bunk beds, three bathrooms, full kitchen, screened porch, Wi-Fi, A/C, TV; full 86-guest capacity
History Room & Fort Sainte Anne Archaeology
The Shrine is built on the site of Fort Sainte Anne, the first European settlement in what is now Vermont. Archaeological work has documented both a Middle Woodland Native American presence and the 1666 French fort; excavated artifacts are displayed on-site.
- French Carignan-Salières Regiment artifacts (knives, buttons, pottery) recovered by Father Joseph Kerlidou
- Native American artifacts from the pre-contact period (documented in 2010s Hartgen Archeological Associates survey)
- Memorials to the 1666 fort and chapel footprint
- Tribute marker for the 350th anniversary Mass (Sept. 11, 2016)
Getting Involved
Though primarily a Shrine rather than a parish, visitors and donors support ongoing pilgrimage, retreat and historic-preservation work through donations left at the Welcome Center and through retreat attendance.
- Welcome Center donations (no entry fee; donations appreciated)
- Retreat applications via the Retreats tab on the website
- Group meal and event reservations by calling 802-928-3362
- Volunteer opportunities available by contacting the Director
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Joseph Kerlidou1893–c.1904
First director of St. Anne's Shrine; scholarly priest appointed by Bishop de Goesbriand to research the nearly obliterated fort and raise funds to buy the land; directed early excavations that uncovered knives, buttons, pottery and Native American artifacts still displayed in the History Room.
- Society of Saint Edmund (Edmundite Fathers)1904–present
Direction of the Shrine was entrusted to the Society of St. Edmund in 1904; the order purchased the Shrine outright from the Diocese in 1921 and has maintained and expanded it ever since; Edmundite priests serve as resident directors.
- Rev. Paul Pinard, S.S.E.1964–1968
Director of St. Anne's Shrine (ordained 1959, Bishop Joyce ordaining him); simultaneously Administrator of St. Amadeus Parish in Alburgh, VT, from 1967–1969; later Procurator of the Edmundite Generalate and treasurer of Saint Edmund's Retreat in Mystic, CT; died June 12, 2017.
- Rev. Brian Cummings, S.S.E.present (mid-1990s onward)
Current Director; in recent years he led the Society of St. Edmund's effort to adapt Shrine ministry to contemporary needs, overseeing construction of six retreat cottages, the conference-room extension to the Boucher multi-purpose building with six private spiritual-direction rooms, the new Edmundite residence, and the year-round retreat program of marriage-preparation retreats, Marriage Encounter weekends and parish retreats.