Saint Anne Parish And Shrine

History:
The lower church is known as St. Anne Shrine. A shrine is a place where people come to pray and ask for the help of a special saint. In the early church, the tombs of martyrs attracted the faithful. Sometimes churches or chapels were built over the tombs of martyrs. Later relics, that are remains from the body of a saint, were unearthed and reverently placed in an ornamented box or shrine and taken to various places for special respect. Sometimes a special church or shrine was built to 'enshrine' the relics of saints.

When this parish was founded in 1869 for the French Canadians who had come to Fall River, it was placed under the patronage of St. Anne, a popular saint among French-speaking people. The first parish church for the French-speaking people of Fall River was a small wooden building on Hope Street - now a Portuguese ethnic center. In 1892, the Dominican Fathers who had come from France and Canada decided to build a larger and more beautiful church for the growing French-speaking population, for pilgrims who would come in increasing numbers and also to show some of their ethnic pride.

The lower church was built in 1894-1895. For seven years the construction was suspended to collect sufficient funds. Then the upper church was built from 1902 to 1906. But the focus of pilgrims remained on the lower church.