A short while before the beginning of this century, a small group of Catholics in this area of Wayland gathered for the first celebration of Mass at Lovell's Hall - located upstairs over Lovell's Store - later "Collin's Market" in the center of town. Within a short time this gathering was officially established as a "mission of St. Zepherin Parish". In 1905, on the feast of St. Ann, the community of St Ann's had it's own church - located where the Post Office now stands. Years passed; the community grew and encompassed, as well, the Catholics of Sudbury; until in 1945 it was formally established as the "Parish of St Ann". In 1963, the white church on Boston Post Road gave way to our present beautiful Colonial style church on Cochituate Road (the town of Sudbury now having it's own Parishes).

July 26, 1905 St. Ann's church given its name. Nov. 21, 1945 St. Ann's becomes a parish.

Through all these years, St Ann's (and indeed the Town of Wayland) has been blessed with so many wonderful Catholics - dedicated to the love of God and neighbor.

We have been continually blessed with new and dedicated families. Our Parish today is as vibrant as it was in the earlier days of the "old-timers".

THE WINDOWS OF ST. ANN’S

Former parishioner,, Joe Browning, did some ‘homework’ by contacting the glass company that installed the windows. The company provided details about the chapel window and the beautiful circular window (rose window) behind the main altar. Symbols are powerful vehicles for awakening and stirring our faith; children may be especially intrigued by the visual images. Take some time before or after Mass to look closely at the windows and follow up at home with the Scripture passages from which some of the imagery comes.

The figure of the Good Shepherd in the chapel window is based upon an illustration in Year of Grace by Parsch and designed by a Spanish artist named Simon Berasaluce from the Basque region. The panel to the left depicts the Burning Bush and the Ark of the Covenant, images that represent the revelation of God’s Word to us. To the right are symbols of the Multiplication of the Loaves and Fish and the Pelican which represent God’s care for us and have connections to the Eucharist. While the multiplication of the loaves and fish physically fed the faithful, the pelican gives its own blood to feed its young.

The circle (rose) window was designed by an artist trained in Munich named Jacob Renner. It depicts the Holy Spirit with 12 rays emanating from the dove to a flame at each point. This represents at once the 12 Fruits of the Holy Spirit and the 12 Apostles who accepted this grace. Looking more closely at each flame, seven rays will be noted — representing the Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit.

Beyond the sheer aesthetic beauty of forms and colors which shift as the sunlight moves, these windows offer us another invitation into the holy if we stop and look.