About Our Church

1909: A house on what is today Thirteenth Avenue in Elmwood Park belonging to Angelina and Juan Ramirez was donated by them to become the first building used for Mass by the Catholics of the Warren Point section of what is today Fair lawn and Elmwood Park.

Fr. Peter Kramer, Order of the Carmelites, celebrated the first Mass in the Chapel of St. Anne.

 

1910: Bishop John O’Connor appointed Fr. Hyacinth Reuberg, O.F.M., the first pastor of the Mission of St. Anne.

 

1926: Fr. Justin Walsh, O.F.M., had a new church built on the present site of St. Anne Parish.

 

1930 – 1942: Fr. Camillus Lillis, O.F.M., purchased a house and used it as a rectory and friary. St. Anne status changed from a “mission” to a parish.

 

1949: Fr. Anthony O’Driscoll, O.F.M., had a school built. The old rectory was renovated to become a convent for the sisters teaching in the school and another home was purchased to become a friary and rectory.

 

1952: Fr. Capistran Petrie, O.F.M., had a second addition built to the school with a gym doubling as a church.

 

1953: Fr. Petrie had a convent built on Broadway, between Summit and Lyncrest Avenues, for the sisters serving St. Anne School.

 

1957: Fr. Petrie began the campaign to have the present church built and it was completed in 1958, under the direction of the new pastor, Fr. Harold Blake, O.F.M. 

Fr. Petrie began the campaign to have the present church built and it was completed in 1958, under the direction of the new pastor, Fr. Harold Blake, O.F.M.

 

Fr. Paul Sinnema, O.F.M., celebrated the first Mass in the present church.

 

1966: A new rectory, including an office complex, meeting rooms and friary for the priests was built.

 

1984: Fr. Bernadine had the convent and school annex sold to help pay the parish’s debt and a smaller house was purchased for the sisters on Morlot Avenue.

 

2002: Fr. Ron Pecci organized a group of parishioners to conduct a capital campaign for needed repairs on all parish buildings. A master plan was developed to give direction to these repairs.

 

2003: With the retirement of the last Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace, Fr. Ron sold the convent residence.

 

2004: Major repairs were begun on the church, school and rectory.

 

2005: The Holy Name Province formally ended its staffing of the Parish of St. Anne. The Archdiocese of Newark assumed the responsibility of pasturing the parish with the appointments of Fr. Joseph Doyle, Fr. Fernando Costa and Fr. Colin Kay to serve its people.

 

2007: An elevator was installed in the church and renovations to the rectory were completed. The second phase of the Plan was completed with the repairs of the school parking lot and playground.

 

2009: The memorial garden was planted on the grounds of the church and rectory. Memorial paver stones purchased by parishioners were laid in honor of loved ones.

 

2020: St. Anne School was officially closed by the Archdiocese of Newark after serving the community for 70 years. The Noble Leadership Academy, a pre-k through high school Muslim religious school, leased the school building in 2021.