Survivors

St. Anne, Edenton

In 1897, the 40-year-old church of St. Ann in Edenton was in bad shape. The roof leaked, the bricks were crumbling, and the floor and several windows needed to be replaced. There were only 20 Catholics in Edenton then, and they could not afford the $600 needed for the repairs. So Father Edward, the Benedictine monk who served the mission church, appealed to Mother Katharine Drexel (now a saint). He told her that when he had preached a mission at St. Ann for ten days, the services were well attended:

“The colored people especially seemed greatly interested. On two evenings we could not let all enter who came, for fear the floor of the church would give way… Many called on me and asked me if I would not give another series of lectures on the Cath. Ch. and give it only for the colored people, saying that the church would not accomodate [sic] all that would attend. I promised to do so as soon as I could have the church improved.”

Father Edward’s appeal was shrewd. He no doubt knew that Mother Drexel, who had inherited millions from her father, was devoted to the cause of improving the lot of “colored people.” His appeal succeeded, as Mother Drexel sent the necessary funds for the repairs.

This month St. Anne (The spelling was changed around 1970.) celebrates 150 years of continuous service. It is one of only two surviving pre-Civil War Catholic churches in North Carolina and the only one still celebrating weekend Masses. The survival of the church for a century and a half is little short of amazing, and a testament to the indomitability of its flock. From its construction in 1857, thanks to the fundraising zeal of three young women; to its purported desecration by occupying Union troops during the War; to the neglect that led to the crisis of 1897; through repeated restorations in the 20^th century (the most extensive in 1983) and the devastation wrought by Hurricane Isabel in 2003, the church of St. Anne and its Catholic community have established their credentials as survivors.

Today, pastor Fr. Doug Reed describes his parishioners in a way that seems to have been true throughout St. Anne’s long history: “They love their church.” And while the building is a historical treasure, the parish community is very much up to the minute: spiritually vital and actively involved in charitable outreach and ecumenical cooperation. Fr. Doug speaks with enthusiasm about Generations of Faith, a “total parish formation” experience, and the Girls and Boys Club, which has been a magnet for local youth. St. Anne participates in summer school and Holy Week services with four other Christian churches in Edenton, and lends its parish hall to a Russian Orthodox congregation for weekly prayer services. The parish has expanded its Mass schedule to accommodate a growing Hispanic membership.

Right now a justifiable anticipation can be felt at St. Anne. On July 29, with Bishop Burbidge officiating, the parish, along with the entire diocese, will proudly celebrate the commitment and involvement of generations of its people, without which this grand old church would never have survived.

- Rich Reece