By Staff
CASSOPOLIS - In honor of the 90th Anniversary of St. Ann Parish and the 45th Anniversary of the Ordination of Fr. Donald G. Potts, the people of St. Ann Parish Community have planned a day to celebrate.
Everyone is invited to participate in an Eucharistic Celebration on Sunday July 24, at 10 a.m., 421 N. Broadway, Cassopolis.
A potluck dinner will be held immediately following the Mass. RSVPs are needed. Call St. Ann Parish Office at (269) 445-3000
A memorial book will be available for sale through the parish office which contains 36 pages of history, both written and pictures.
An article which appeared in the Cassopolis Vigilant Newspaper on July 15, 1915, referred to "St. Anne's church, the new edifice just completed for the Catholics of this vicinity and those who make their summer homes at Diamond lake and other near-by resorts, was formally dedicated Sunday in the presence of a large congregation, among whom were many visitors from Dowagiac, Silver Creek, Howard, Notre Dame and elsewhere….
The new church is a frame construction 28×60 and presents a very neat appearance. Nice taste is manifested in the decorations. The ceiling is light, the walls soft brown and a suitable border blends the two colors. Communion rail, doors and window casings are spotless white, the floor is stained a dark chocolate. The altar of white and gold, standing against the brown background, is particularly attractive… The pews are of oak in the natural finish and admirably arranged."
Father Potts entered Our Lady of the Lake Seminary in Wawasee, Ind. and completed his novitiate at Immaculate Conception Monastery in Hastings, Neb. He then returned to Indiana's Scared Heart Seminary in Fort Wayne, Ind. and was ordained as a Roman Catholic Priest on May 28, 1960. He was the first black priest in his order. He took the position of Pastor to St. Ann Church in Cassopolis, in 1987.