HISTORY

Early in the 20th Century, Klagetoh was served by priests from missions in St. Michaels and Keams Canyon. The Franciscan mission in Klagetoh was begun in 1924, with a church dedicated to St. Anne, the mother of Mary and Jesus' grandmother, on June 5, 1927.

In 1961, the area served from Klagetoh was made a parish. Fr. Francis Borgman, OFM, was named pastor and he set about building a rectory. At that time, Ganado and Greasewood became missions of Klagetoh.

Also in the 1960s, two hogans were added to the mission structure on the south side of the church proper. These hogans initially served as the site for a local clinic staffed by Medical Mission Sisters. At the time, the road to the hospital in Ganado was unpaved and twice as long as the modern Highway 191, which was completed in 1968.

The community hogan was constructed in the late 1960s-early 1970s for social events and other gatherings. In 1983, a kitchen was added to better serve the community needs.

In 1986 the seat of the mission parish was moved from Klagetoh to All Saints Church in Ganado.

In 1974 three Dominican Sisters arrived to assist the Franciscan priests and brothers at St. Anne. Sr. Maria Sarto Moreau became mission administrator when the parish seat was moved to Ganado and remained in Klagetoh until her death in 1997. She is buried in the mission cemetery.

In the late 1980s, Sister Maria met Brother Canisius Schell, a Brother of the Sacred Heart, while both were riding on a train in New England. She invited Brother Canisius, then in his 70s, to visit the mission and assist with home blessing and summer programs.

Brother Canisius recruited several other members of his religious community to accompany him on these expeditions, eventually leading to the assignment of Brother John Hotstream to the mission staff in 1994

Brother John became administrator of the mission upon Sister Maria's death in December, 1997. He continued in that role until his retirement in June, 2012, when Brother Charles Schilling was named to take his place.


Saint Anne Mission • PO Box 366 • Chambers, Arizona 86502 • 928-652-3264 • 928-652-3236