Saint Anne School, established in 1924, has two parent churches: Saint John Neumann and St. Anne. St. Anne Church was founded in 1923 by the fourth bishop of Harrisburg, Philip R. McDevitt. A year later, a school was opened with the help of three Sisters of Mercy, who came to teach 72 children. Though financially challenging, the debt was alleviated within five years, and plans to build a new church and auditorium were announced. The economic downturn of the Great Depression brought financial hardship; the debt for the new buildings proved so onerous that the pastor and parishioners thought the parish could not continue. However, the Mission Board of the Diocese instituted a plan for meeting its debt—and succeeded.

When St. Anne’s parish exceeded its capacity, St. John Neumann was founded in 1978. Today, Monsignor Richard A. Youtz, J.C.L., V.F., pastor of St. John Neumann and administrator of  St. Anne, is assisted by Fr. Paul Oye, O.P. Father Norm Hohenwarter serves as the vicar for St. Anne’s parish and also assists with the religious education program and says Mass at the school. St. Anne’s is now a thriving church of more than 1,400 parishioners. It runs a unique brown-bag lunch program out of the rectory that daily feeds sixty to seventy people who come to the door hungry.

The parishes have always shared the same school, located at St. Anne’s, with approximately 50% of students coming from St. John’s, where the 3 and 4 year old preschools are held. St. Anne School completely surrounds St. Anne’s Church, which is fitting because God is at the center of everything we do at St. Anne School.