Before the establishment of St. Ann Parish in Sebring in 1908, Catholics in the area rode street cars to Alliance to attend Mass.
The community’s first Catholic Mass—a Catholic priest frequently came to town to offer services to all residents—was on March 18, 1908, in the Knights of Pythias Hall, but they later moved in to a butcher shop, where they worshipped for two years. On July 31, 1910, the final Mass was offered in the butcher shop and the first Mass was offered in the newly constructed St. Ann church.
Throughout the 1930s, the parish continued to grow, with renovations to the property. During that time, the parish also had a baseball team that won Tri-State championships but also worked tirelessly on the church and its grounds. In the 1960s, the parish built a new church—the first in the diocese to have air conditioning—and launched its parish festival, which ran for many decades and helped to fund parish improvements and programs.
The parish built a pavilion to support the festival and other outdoor activities, and the parish hall received renovations as recently as 2014.
Today, St. Ann Parish collaborates with Regina Coeli and St. Joseph parishes in Alliance, as well as St. Joseph Parish in Maximo. Together, they share formation programs for children and adults, as well as various events and fundraisers. Year-round, St. Ann parishioners make homemade pierogies and donuts, which help support parish projects. The parish’s dedication to Saint Ann— the mother to the Virgin Mary—reflects their deep faith and trust in God, as well as a desire to lead by example through faith.
Description from The March of the Eucharist, 2nd edition (2025) published by The Catholic Echo
