Name of Church St. Anne

Location Kennebec Hill in Columbia, California. It is located just outside of Columbia State Historic Park, east of Stockton and a few miles north of Sonora. During the summer, volunteers offer tours of the church on weekends, noon to 2 p.m. School groups are especially welcome. The church is normally locked, so make an appointment to see it. Email the volunteers through the website. It is a church of the Diocese of Stockton, and is cared for by Save Our St. Anne’s Church, a group of volunteers .

Website https://stannescolumbia.org/

Mass times St. Anne’s is a parish mission of St. Patrick Church in Sonora. One of the St. Patrick’s priests celebrates Mass at St. Anne’s four times per year: Christmas, Easter, the 4th of July and the Feast of St. Anne (July 26). There’s also an occasional wedding or funeral.

Special events There is a picnic after Mass on the Feast of St. Anne’s.

Additional observations St. Anne’s is a historic church, built by gold miners in 1856. It originally had a school. It was the first church in California made of brick, and was constructed in California’s Gold Rush era. Interior features include a traditional altar and altar rail, original pews, a confessional and baptismal font. Behind the altar are celestial angels painted by James Fallon, who was from a prominent 19th century family in the area. It has arched windows on all four sides with a three-story tall belfry. Its bell was cast in New York, brought around Cape Horn and delivered by wagon. In front is the church cemetery, which is older than the church itself. St. Anne’s has been closed and stripped twice, but dedicated preservationists in the era have re-opened it. It has undergone major restorations in 1926 and 1979-82.