About St. Anne · Paris, Michigan
St. Anne Catholic Church is a small mission parish serving the rural Paris, Michigan community in Mecosta County. Founded in 1888 by roughly 30 Irish Catholic families, it is one of the missions planted between 1880 and 1888 by the mother parish of St. Mary's in Big Rapids. Today St. Anne is linked with St. Philip Neri Church in nearby Reed City and is administered by Fr. David Jameson as Canonical Administrator; St. Anne itself no longer holds regular weekly Masses, instead hosting only weddings and funerals, with Sunday Masses and confession offered at St. Philip Neri. The parish belongs to the Diocese of Grand Rapids and continues a deep faith tradition that traces back to its 19th-century Irish settler roots.
- Established
- 1888
- Patron
- St. Anne (mother of the Blessed Virgin Mary)
- Rector
- Fr. David Jameson (Canonical Administrator)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Grand Rapids (North Deanery, Mecosta County)
Why belong here
St. Anne is a small, devout mission parish with roots stretching back more than 135 years to Irish Catholic settlers who built the original church in 1893 and passed their faith from generation to generation. Although Mass today is celebrated primarily at the partner parish of St. Philip Neri in Reed City, St. Anne remains a beloved community of memory and pilgrimage, anchored by its 1967 outdoor shrine. Families join or visit to be part of that continuing legacy of faith in rural Mecosta County, to worship with fellow Catholics who know each other by name, and to share in the sacraments, faith formation, and stewardship of a tightly-knit two-church family.
Mass times at St. Anne
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:00 PM (at St. Philip Neri Church, Reed City)
- Saturday 4:00 PM (at St. Philip Neri Church, Reed City)
Adoration times
- Friday 8:00 AM (at St. Philip Neri Church, Reed City)
Parish History
St. Anne Parish was founded in 1888 in Paris, Michigan, when roughly 30 Irish Catholic families in the settlement wanted their own church. It was one of twelve to eighteen missions founded between 1880 and 1888 by the mother parish of St. Mary's Catholic Church of Big Rapids. Before the church was built, Mass was offered in a small log house over the hill, south of the present church site. Father Thomas Dalton, the priest from Big Rapids, came once a month by train, took supper with different families on Saturday, heard confessions, slept in the sacristy, and celebrated Sunday Mass. The first church was blessed by Bishop Richter on August 24, 1893. The early 1900s brought Rev. Anthony Schumacher as the first resident pastor of St. Philip Neri in Reed City, after which St. Anne became that parish's mission church — the arrangement that continues today.
- Founded 1888 by ~30 Irish Catholic families
- Mission plant of St. Mary's, Big Rapids (1880–1888)
- First priest: Fr. Thomas Dalton (monthly visits)
- First church blessed by Bishop Richter on August 24, 1893
- 1920: church lengthened 18 ft; basement, belfry, steeple, vestibule added
- 1967: outdoor shrine built overlooking the church
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Faith Formation is coordinated jointly by the St. Philip Neri / St. Anne parish family under the direction of Beth Dake, Director of Faith Formation. Beth holds a Master Degree from Loyola University and undergraduate degrees from Aquinas College in Grand Rapids, and has served parishes in the Diocese of Grand Rapids for over 20 years, including Sacred Heart in Evart, St. Thomas the Apostle in Grand Rapids, St. Mary's in Big Rapids, and St. Francis de Sales in Muskegon. The program follows the spiral catechetical approach of the General Directory for Catechesis.
- Elementary Faith Formation (Grades 1–6): Wednesday evenings 6:00–7:30 PM, September–April, at St. Philip Neri; uses 'Be My Disciples' (RCL Benziger).
- Middle School & High School Faith Formation (Grades 7–12): bi-weekly Sundays September–April with team-building, service projects, retreats and fun events; uses a discussion/topic format similar to Group Workcamp mission trips.
- Adult Faith Formation opportunities (see home page for current events).
- Director: Beth Dake, M.A. (Loyola)
Our Parish Staff
The parish family is led by Fr. David Jameson, Canonical Administrator of St. Philip Neri and St. Anne. Beth Dake serves as Director of Faith Formation for both churches. The parish business office is at 831 S. Chestnut St., Reed City, MI 49677.
- Fr. David Jameson — Canonical Administrator
- Beth Dake — Director of Faith Formation
Contact & Location
St. Anne Catholic Church sits at 23949 22 Mile Rd. in Paris, Michigan 49338, about three miles west of Old US-131. The parish office (shared with St. Philip Neri) is at 831 S. Chestnut St., Reed City, MI 49677. The parish phone line is (231) 832-5544; in an emergency requiring a priest, callers are directed to (231) 287-0972 (the home page also lists (231) 287-2841).
- St. Anne address: 23949 22 Mile Rd., Paris, MI 49338
- Parish office: 831 S. Chestnut St., Reed City, MI 49677
- Phone: (231) 832-5544
- Emergency priest line: (231) 287-0972
The Shrine at St. Anne
In 1967 parishioners built a beautiful outdoor shrine overlooking St. Anne Church, adding a distinctive devotional landmark to the rural Paris property and a visible expression of the parish's Marian devotion and gratitude for more than a century of continuous Catholic worship on the site.
- Built 1967 by parishioners
- Sited overlooking the church
Diocese & Canonical Standing
St. Anne is officially listed by the Diocese of Grand Rapids as 'Saint Anne Mission, Paris,' in the North Deanery of Mecosta County, with an official establishment date of 1889. The parish is canonically administered together with St. Philip Neri Church in Reed City.
- Diocese of Grand Rapids
- North Deanery, Mecosta County
- Listed as a Mission (not a parish)
- Canonical Administrator: Fr. David Jameson
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Thomas Dalton1888 – early 1900s
Priest from Big Rapids who came monthly to celebrate Mass at St. Anne; came by train, stayed overnight, heard confessions.
- Rev. Anthony Schumacherearly 1900s onward
Became the first resident pastor of St. Philip Neri in Reed City; from that point St. Anne became the mission church of St. Philip Neri.