About St. Anne · Naytahwaush, Minnesota
St. Anne is a small Roman Catholic mission parish in the village of Naytahwaush on the White Earth Reservation in northwestern Minnesota. It is one of six parishes in the White Earth Catholic Community, all served by the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate (OMI) in the Diocese of Crookston. The church is a mission of St. Ann Parish in nearby Waubun, and Sunday Mass is celebrated at 9:00 AM. The parish serves the Ojibwe (Anishinaabe) community and honors both St. Anne (its patron) and St. Kateri Tekakwitha, patroness of these White Earth missions.
- Established
- circa 1911
- Patron
- St. Anne (mother of the Blessed Virgin Mary, grandmother of Jesus)
- Rector
- Fr. John Cox, OMI
- Diocese
- Diocese of Crookston
Why belong here
St. Anne offers a quiet, prayerful Sunday worship home for Catholic families in the Naytahwaush area on the White Earth Reservation. As one of six linked parishes served by the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate, it provides Sunday Mass, Reconciliation before Mass, Catholic funerals and Memorial Day ceremonies at St. Anne's Cemetery, and access to RCIA and religious education for both adults and youth through the Tekakwitha Center. Visitors and parishioners are welcomed into a community that honors Anishinaabe culture alongside Catholic faith, with St. Kateri Tekakwitha as patroness of these missions.
Mass times at St. Anne
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday 8:30–9:00 AM (30 minutes before Mass)
- By appointment
St. Anne Parish, Naytahwaush
St. Anne is a Catholic mission parish serving the village of Naytahwaush on the White Earth Reservation in Mahnomen County, northwestern Minnesota. It belongs to the White Earth Catholic Community, a grouping of six parishes all served by the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate (OMI) under the Diocese of Crookston. The parish is administered as a mission of St. Ann, Waubun, and shares its parish office, staff, and sacramental records with that parish. Sunday Mass is celebrated at the church on County Road 4 at 9:00 AM.
- Address: 204 County Road 4, Naytahwaush, MN 56566
- Sunday Mass: 9:00 AM
- Parish office: 1112 3rd Street, Waubun, MN 56589
- Phone: 218-473-2101
- Diocese of Crookston
History
Catholic life on the White Earth Reservation was established in the late 1800s and early 1900s by the Benedictine monks of St. John's Abbey and the sisters of St. Benedict's Monastery. Mission records for St. Anne, Naytahwaush exist from approximately 1911 onward. The mission was served by Benedictine priests and sisters through the early 20th century before being transferred to the Diocese of Crookston, which had been erected in 1909. In later decades, pastoral care of the White Earth missions was entrusted to the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate, who continue to serve there today.
- Late 1800s–early 1900s: parishes founded by Benedictines from St. John's Abbey
- Mission records for St. Anne date from circa 1911
- Pastoral care later transferred to the Oblates of Mary Immaculate (OMI)
- Today: served by Fr. John Cox, OMI, under Bishop Andrew Cozzens, Diocese of Crookston
Parish Staff
St. Anne shares its pastoral team with St. Ann, Waubun. The parish office is staffed by Janet Lhotka, who serves as both Secretary/Bookkeeper and Director of the Tekakwitha Center (religious education).
- Fr. John Cox, OMI — Pastor (also Pastor of St. Ann, Waubun)
- Fr. Solomon Gaja, OMI
- Janet Lhotka — Secretary / Bookkeeper
- Janet Lhotka — Tekakwitha Center Director
Sacramental & Faith Formation
The parish celebrates the standard Catholic sacraments and supports faith formation through the Tekakwitha Center. Couples are asked to meet with the pastor twelve months before their intended wedding date. Adults seeking Baptism, Confirmation, or full communion with the Catholic Church are served through the RCIA program coordinated with the Ogema parish office. Religious education for children is offered on-site when catechists are available, and registrations for the school year are taken through Janet Lhotka at the Tekakwitha Center.
- Baptism — contact the parish office
- Marriage — schedule with the pastor at least 12 months in advance
- Reconciliation — before Sunday Mass or by appointment
- RCIA — contact Ogema parish office at 218-983-3261
- Religious Education (children & youth) — Tekakwitha Center, Director Janet Lhotka, 218-473-2101
Cemeteries
St. Anne maintains a parish cemetery in Naytahwaush and is also responsible for St. Agnes Cemetery in Lengby. Each spring the parishes conduct cemetery clean-up in anticipation of Memorial Day, and the White Earth Catholic Community welcomes donations marked 'Cemetery' to support perpetual care. Annual Memorial Day ceremonies at St. Anne's Cemetery, Naytahwaush, are held at 11:45 AM with the Mahnomen American Legion & Auxiliary Post #31, the Bejou VFW Post #1226, and the White Earth Honor Guard.
- St. Anne's Cemetery, Naytahwaush
- St. Agnes Cemetery, Lengby (also maintained by St. Anne parish)
- Memorial Day ceremonies: 11:45 AM at St. Anne's Cemetery
- Donations: payable to St. Anne Church (NTW), earmarked 'Cemetery'
Devotions & Community Life
The White Earth Catholic Community gathers regularly for devotions such as the Rosary for Life, which is hosted at St. Ann Church, Waubun. The community holds St. Kateri Tekakwitha — the first Native American Catholic saint — in special honor as patroness of these White Earth missions, alongside the Virgin Mary and the patron saints of each parish.
- Rosary for Life (held periodically at St. Ann, Waubun)
- St. Kateri Tekakwitha, patroness of the White Earth missions
- Sunday Mass livestream via Facebook from Most Holy Redeemer, Ogema, 9:00 AM
Visiting & Contact
The parish office is located in Waubun (about 15 minutes from the church) and is the main point of contact for all sacramental arrangements and pastoral needs. The church itself sits on County Road 4, five miles south of Highway 200 and two miles north of County Road 6, in the village of Naytahwaush on the shore of North Twin Lake.
- Parish Office: 1112 3rd Street, Waubun, MN 56589
- Office Phone: 218-473-2101
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: whiteearthcatholiccommunity.com