Saint Ann Catholic Church (Naples, FL)

About Saint Ann Catholic Church

Saint Ann Church is administered by the Oblates of Saint Francis de Sales, a congregation of priests and brothers dedicated to the spirit of Saint Francis de Sales and their founder Blessed Louis Brisson.

Vision Statement

To be a spirit-filled people who Live Jesus, in a community of stewardship, welcoming all to the presence of God.

Mission Statement

As the wellspring of Catholic faith in Collier County, our Parish family continues to offer welcome and living water by sharing the Word of God, celebrating Christ in the Eucharist, serving others with the gifts of the Spirit, and practicing faithful stewardship.


Parish History

The beginning of the Catholic Community in Naples can be traced back to 1939 when visiting priests would celebrate Mass in the Solarium of the Naples Beach Hotel, located then on Gulf Shore Boulevard at 12th Avenue South. During those early years it is estimated that there were about nine resident Catholic families in this little sleepy, fishing village of Naples. This number would swell during the winter season with visitors from the north.

By 1942, during the war years, the number of the faithful attending Sunday Mass grew so large that the Naples Theatre had to be used to accommodate the increase. Father Charles Curran traveled from Ft. Myers weekly to celebrate the Liturgy.

In that same year a Church Building Fund Committee was established and land was purchased at the corner of 3rd Street South and 9th Avenue South, in the heart of what would later be known as "Old Naples". Father O'Reardon was delegated by Archbishop Joseph Hurley of St. Augustine to make this purchase. There were approximately 100 families who worshiped each week.

At this time it should be noted that the town of Naples was the southern boundary for the Diocese of St. Augustine, established in 1870. No other diocese in Florida had yet been established.

Mr. and Mrs. Alvin Griesedieck of St. Louis and their daughter Ann were among the early parishioners. Ann was a student at Barry (College) University in Miami Shores. She was tragically killed in an automobile accident. As contributors to the building fund her parents respectfully requested that Saint Ann, the grandmother of Jesus, be considered as the parish name.

In August 1950 permission was granted by Archbishop Hurley to develop plans for a church building. In November of that year, plans were completed and permission was given to name the parish in honor of Saint Ann. It was the first Catholic Church in Naples. This building now serves as our Parish Hall.

Archbishop Hurley dedicated the building on Palm Sunday, 1950 and the parish was established as a mission of Saint Francis Xavier in Ft. Myers. Father Michael Fogarty celebrated the Palm Sunday Liturgy.

Until 1954 Saint Ann remained a mission of Saint Francis Xavier. On January 30, 1955, Saint Ann was officially established and its boundaries set by the Vatican as a parish. It was the first and only parish in Collier County.

Archbishop Hurley appointed Father Timothy Geary as its first pastor. Father Geary came to Naples from Immaculate Conception Parish in Jacksonville.

Everything at Saint Ann grew, including the city of Naples. By 1968 it was apparent that the church building could no longer contain the number of weekly worshipers, thus, plans were drawn for a new church building.

The concept of a worship space that placed the altar, the focal point of the building in the center, was not in itself new but was very much in line with the revised liturgical instructions of Vatican II (1962-1964). The complete attention of the worshiping congregation should be an unobstructed view of the altar. The new plans met this objective well.

The cornerstone for the new church building was blessed and ground was broken on March 22, 1968. Father Laurence Conway had been appointed the Parish Administrator. The completed Saint Ann Church was dedicated by the Archbishop of Miami, Coleman Carroll on March 14, 1970.

By 1990 the church building was in need of repair and expansion. Andrea Clark Brown, architect, is responsible for the renovation and remodeling of the present building. Chris Scala, sculptor, based in Orlando, created the "Corpus" and the Stations of the Cross. The present church was dedicated on January 22, 1995 by the Bishop of Venice, John J. Nevins.

Pastors of Saint Ann Parish

1954 – 1959 Rev. Timothy Geary
1959 – 1961 Rev. Bernard McGrenehan
1961 – 1963 Rev. Gerard J. Manning
1963 – 1965 Rev. Bernard L. Hickey
1965 – 1967 Rev. Rene H. Gracida (Administrator)
1967 – 1971 Rev. Laurence C. Conway (Administrator)
1971 – 1990 Rev. Thomas Goggin
1990 – 1992 Rev. Charles K. Sullivan
1992 – 1993 Rev. Arthur Hannaway (Administrator)
1993 – 1996 Rev. Arthur Hannaway
1996 - 2007 Rev. Robert D. Tabbert
2007 - 2008 Rev. Barry R. Strong, O.S.F.S.
2008 - 2009 Rev. John O’Neill, O.S.F.S.
2009 - 2010 Rev. Michael Christopher Vannicola, O.S.F.S. (Administrator)
2010 - Present Rev. Michael Christopher Vannicola, O.S.F.S.

Saint Ann Catholic School

Serving children from age three in our pre-kindergarten program through eighth grade, Saint Ann Catholic School inspires each child to achieve beyond their expectations; to grow and develop as a student and as a member of the greater community. Saint Ann School provides a unique setting where spiritual, academic, emotional, social, and physical growth is strengthened and nourished.

While developing Catholic values within its students, faculty, and staff, Saint Ann School promotes the teaching of the Catholic Church and instills in its students a profound and personal spirituality. Academically, students are afforded the opportunity to advance their individual abilities and to realize their unique talents.

The Saint Ann School community is a reflection of the families who have made a commitment to the Catholic education and development of their child. Family support and involvement is very important at Saint Ann and is encouraged. There is truly something for everyone at Saint Ann School. For more information, please go to www.stann.net.

Oblates of Saint Francis de Sales

Who was Saint Francis de Sales?

Francis de Sales was born in 1567 to a noble family in the Kingdom of Savoy, near Geneva (which is today in Switzerland). At the age of 13, he became a student of the Jesuits at the College of Clermont at the University of Paris where he studied the humanities and developed an interest in theology. He then attended the University of Padua (also run by the Jesuits) where he obtained degrees in both church and civil law. He studied theology there as well. He was only 24 when he earned his law degrees. While his father desired for Francis a place in the Court of the King and a high ranking political positio, Francis felt that God had something else in mind for him, namely the priesthood. In 1593, he was ordained by the Bishop of Geneva. Francis had a tough first assignment, to enter an area where there was much tension between Catholics and Calvinists. Many who had left the Catholic religion (almost 70,000) reconverted after they heard Francis preach about the Love of God. In 1602, he was ordained the Bishop of Geneva. As a Bishop he was highly regarded for his gentleness and his leadership. He continually traveled throughout his mountainous diocese to visit parishes at the farthest distances and the highest elevations. He is also famous for the writing of several works including the Introduction to a Devout Life and the Treatise on the Love of God. In 1610, he and his dear friend and spiritual companion, Saint Jane de Chantal, founded the Visitation Sisters who to this day devote their lives to prayer and the service of the Church. Francis is best respected for teaching that all people are called to holiness, regardless of wealth and occupation, and that God’s love for us allows us to enter into a deep friendship with the Lord. He died surrounded by the Sisters on December 28, 1622.

How did the Oblates come to be?

Both Francis de Sales and Jane De Chantal attempted to organize a group of men who would embrace the same values as the Sisters of the Visitation. St. Jane succeeded but the order only lasted for around 70 years. Years later, a very busy French diocesan priest by the name of Fr. Louis Brisson found himself assigned to be the chaplain for the Sisters of the Visitation in Troyes, France. It soon became his most favorite of all assignments. He loved the Sisters there and the spirituality of Saint Francis de Sales with which he was becoming more familiar. He befriended the Superior there, Mother Mary de Sales Chappuis. She encouraged Fr. Brisson to carry on the dream of Saint Francis de Sales and form a group of men. He did not want to do it. He liked his life as it was… working with the Sisters, running homes for unmarried women and community centers for children, not to mention all of his other priestly duties. Mother Mary kept pushing him and Fr. Brisson became more and more annoyed. Mother believed it was God’s will that the community of men be established. Fr. Brisson did not believe until he received several signs, including apparitions by Jesus himself and St. Jane de Chantal. In 1875, he petitioned the Vatican for approval to form a religious community. It was granted. As the rules of the Oblates of Saint Francis de Sales were formed, they were designed around the spirituality of Saint Francis de Sales. As ministers, Oblates were to teach about an intimate relationship with God, a loving Father, by modeling Christ to the world and “living in the present moment”. The Oblate was to take to heart the simple, yet powerful motto of Saint Francis de Sales: “Live Jesus!”

Fr. Brisson and his first five Oblate companions took over a failing school, Saint Bernard’s. They turned it around with much hard work and dedication. As the Oblates grew, so did their reputation as great educators. With a firm commitment to education in place, they extended themselves to other ministries. They were called to found schools throughout Europe and in the eastern part of the United States. Fr. Brisson also watched several of his fellow Oblates go off to the missions, beginning in South Africa. Soon Oblate missionaries would be found throughout Africa, South America, and in parts of Asia. The Oblates have faced several struggles in their existence. They were driven out of France by an anti-religious government in 1902 only to return and rebuild. During World War I and World War II, the Oblates were separated from each other and in Germany and Austria, Oblates were forced into military service. During World War II, one of the Oblate Schools in Germany was destroyed by the S.S., only to be rebuilt by the Oblate priests and brothers brick by brick. These and other struggles were overcome because of the incredible faith and fortitude of the Oblates.

How did the Oblates end up in the United States?

The Sisters of the Visitation in Riverdale, New York and Wilmington, Delaware asked Fr. Brisson if he would send Oblates to serve as their chaplains. In 1903, the Bishop of Wilmington asked them to form a permanent foundation in America and start a school for boys. The Salesianum School, still in existence today, is one of the most highly regarded Catholic High Schools in America. The first graduate of Salesianum to become an Oblate was J. Francis Tucker who went on to serve as the Chaplain to the Prince and Princess of Monaco. An Oblate still serves the Prince and Princess in this capacity to this day. As the Salesianum grew stronger, the Oblates spread their wings and staffed several other Catholic high schools including North Catholic High School in Philadelphia, which at its zenith was the largest Catholic High School in North America.

In 1924, the Oblates founded the now thriving Italian parish in Wilmington, St. Anthony’s. They have gone on to staff several parishes and schools. In Southwest Florida, these parishes include Saint Cecilia Parish, Our Lady of Light Parish, Jesus the Worker Mission and San Jose Mission all in Fort Myers in addition to Saint Ann Parish in Naples.

The Oblates remain committed today to spreading the teachings of Saint Francis de Sales through various ministry placements with more than 500 Oblate priests and brothers worldwide.

Salesian Direction of Intention

My God, give me the grace to perform this action with you and through love for you. In advance, I offer to you all the good that I will do and accept all the difficulty I may meet therein. St. Francis de Sales, pray for us.