About St. Anne · Monterey, Indiana
St. Anne is a small Roman Catholic parish in Monterey, Indiana, rooted in the rural Pulaski County countryside and part of the multi-parish Fulton Pulaski Pastorate in the Diocese of Lafayette in Indiana. Dedicated in 1884 as a Gothic brick church, it has served generations of farm families, once operated its own parish school, and today offers a weekly Mass on the third Tuesday of each month alongside prayerful open church hours on Wednesdays. Though Monterey itself had only about 228 residents in 2004, the parish counted 124 households — 285 souls — meaning Catholics in the parish actually outnumber the town's population.
- Established
- 1884 (church dedicated May 1884; parish mission roots 1852)
- Patron
- St. Anne (Saint Anne, mother of the Blessed Virgin Mary)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Lafayette in Indiana
Why belong here
St. Anne welcomes Catholics and visitors into a country parish with deep roots, a beautiful Gothic brick church, and a long tradition of faith-filled lay involvement — from hand-digging the church basement in the 1930s to the stained-glass windows donated in the 1990s. As a member of the Fulton Pulaski Pastorate, it connects parishioners to a wider network of Masses, devotions, Eucharistic Adoration, and sacraments across Pulaski and Fulton counties. It is also a uniquely prayerful rural setting where, mid-week, anyone can step into the church for an unhurried hour of quiet meditation.
Mass times at St. Anne
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Confessions at the Pastorate end 10 minutes before Mass; other times by appointment — call the Pastorate office at 574-946-4906.
Adoration times
- Wednesdays: open church hours for prayer, meditation, and reflection from 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM
- Perpetual Adoration during Mass the second weekend of every month at all pastorate locations
Parish Identity & Patron
St. Anne Catholic Church, Monterey, is one of the six member churches of the Fulton Pulaski Pastorate in Indiana's Pulaski County. Its patron is Saint Anne, traditionally venerated as the mother of the Blessed Virgin Mary and grandmother of Jesus, and patron of grandmothers, mothers, and childless couples. The parish celebrates her feast on July 26.
- Patron: Saint Anne
- Feast Day: July 26
- Diocese: Lafayette in Indiana
History
St. Anne's origins go back to 1852, when four wetland acres in the then-village of Buena Vista were deeded to Bishop Maurice de St. Palais for a Catholic cemetery. A frame mission church was built and served by priests from Plymouth and Winamac until Bishop Joseph Dwenger turned the mission over to the Precious Blood Missionaries from Winamac. In 1882 Father George Fleisch purchased the present lots, and on Pentecost 1884 Bishop Dwenger dedicated a Gothic brick church. Father Charles Thiele became the first resident pastor in 1888, a brick parsonage was built in 1889, and in 1895 Holy Family School opened its doors.
- 1852 — cemetery land deeded to Bishop de St. Palais
- 1882 — lots purchased by Father George Fleisch, C.P.P.S.
- May 1884 — Gothic brick church dedicated by Bishop Joseph Dwenger
- 1888 — Father Charles Thiele arrives as first resident pastor
- 1889 — brick parsonage built; new cemetery purchased west of town
Buildings, Cemetery & Campus
Through the twentieth century the parish continually invested in its property. The basement was hand-dug in the 1930s by parishioners under Father John Schall. Father Robert Sorg (1970–1973) installed new front doors and a shrine of St. Anne beside the rectory. Father Dominic Young (1992–2001) donated stained-glass windows for those doors. The steeple cross, set in memory of Robert and Helen (Sutter) Sell, was taken down in 1971 and re-erected on the churchyard side after being refinished in 1997–1998. A parish cemetery was laid out west of town in 1889 and remains an important part of the parish's footprint.
- 1889 parish cemetery, west of town
- Shrine of St. Anne beside the rectory
St. Anne Parish School
Catholic schooling was a cornerstone of parish life from the 1890s through the early 2000s. Holy Family School served the parish from 1895 to 1969. After more than a decade's gap, the school reopened as St. Anne's School and operated from 1980 until 2003, educating generations of Monterey-area children in the Catholic tradition.
- Holy Family School: 1895–1969
- St. Anne's School: 1980–2003
Mission Roots
St. Anne was itself a mission church in the 1800s and later became a mother parish, giving rise to Catholic communities at Rochester, Culver, and Kouts — each of which has grown into a flourishing parish of its own.
- Former missions now parishes: Rochester, Culver, Kouts
Parish Life, Outreach & Online Giving
Beyond worship, St. Anne shares in the life of the Fulton Pulaski Pastorate, including online giving, a parish bulletin, and a pastorate Vision Plan. The Good Samaritan Store in Winamac, founded around 1972 by parishioner Dolores Anna (grandmother of current Director of Operations Rachel Morris) and supported by the pastorate for 51+ years, continues providing clothing, household goods, and emergency assistance to neighbors in need — including paying for prescriptions and basic discharge needs from area hospitals.
- Online Giving via fultonpulaskipastorate.org
- Parish registration forms (English and Spanish)
- Good Samaritan Store — Winamac outreach
The Fulton Pulaski Pastorate
St. Anne is one of six churches sharing pastoral care and resources within the Fulton Pulaski Pastorate of the Diocese of Lafayette in Indiana. Together the pastorate offers 14 weekly Masses in English and Spanish, regular confession times, Eucharistic Adoration, and shared ministries such as the Good Samaritan Store and online giving.
- St. Anne, Monterey
- St. Peter, Winamac
- St. Joseph, Rochester
- St. Joseph, Pulaski
- St. Ann, Kewanna
- St. Francis Solano, Francesville (merged with St. Joseph, Pulaski, eff. 05-13-24)
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father George Fleisch (Precious Blood)1882
Missionary priest who purchased the lots in Monterey (then Buena Vista) on which the church was built.
- Father Charles Thiele1888
Sent by Bishop Joseph Dwenger as the parish's first resident pastor.
- Father John Schall1930s
Organized men of the parish to hand-dig the present church basement.
- Father Robert Sorg1970-1973
Purchased and installed a shrine of St. Anne next to the rectory; installed the present front doors.
- Father Dominic Young1992-2001
Donated the stained-glass windows for the church's front doors.