The Roman Catholic Diocese of Fresno
Saint Anne's Chapel
1550 North Fresno Street
Fresno
Saint Anne’s Chapel was originally the chapel for Ryan Preparatory Seminary. Ryan Prep was named for Dennis Ryan, a parishioner of St. Therese’s in Fresno, and a bachelor farmer in Taft, who created a fund for the education of priests in the Diocese of Fresno. Dennis Ryan died at the age of 80 on April 18, 1952, just three weeks before ground was broken for the first buildings at Ryan Prep.
Ryan Prep opened on September 6, 1952. The first students lived in the new buildings and took some of their classes at San Joaquin Memorial High School. The curriculum started as a four-year program. Very Reverend John Galvin, V. U., was Rector, and Reverend Andrew Carriban, S. T. D., J. C. D., was Moderator of Studies and Prefect of Discipline.
The building program, which continued for several years with the addition of the convent in 1950, the chapel in 1952, additional classrooms, a library, recreation room and faculty room and dormitories were completed between 1953 and 1957. The Spanish Colonial style buildings were arranged in a quadrangle.
In 1952, the curriculum of Ryan Prep was expanded to a six-year program to include junior college level education for the minor seminary. Jesuits assumed the responsibility for the educational program, and Reverend Louis C. Rudolph, S. J., was named Rector.
Construction of St. Anne’s Chapel began in 1952. Vincent Buckley, San Francisco, was the architect, and Midstate Construction of Fresno was the general contractor. Students at Ryan Prep documented the progress of construction by taking photographs for their student scrapbook. The chapel was completed by February 1953.
The beautiful stained glass windows were created and installed by Carl Huneke, Century Stained Glass Studio, San Francisco. The themes for the windows include the Apostles, the Evangelists, historical figures in the Diocese, and saints whose lives had importance to the donors of the windows. The soft, serene faces, graceful hands and long flowing garments are signatures of Carl Huneke’s art. The chapel is unique because of its three “rose windows,” which show Saint Joseph, Our Lady of Providence, and Saint Therese (the Patroness of the Fresno Diocese).
Many other artistic elements of the chapel are described in an article in the Central California Register dated February 23, 1953.
The chapel was named by Mrs. Anna T. Kilgallen of Chicago who made a significant contribution to the building fund through the Catholic Church Extension Society of the United States of America.
The Chapel was dedicated on March 4, 1956 by the Auxiliary Bishop of Chicago, Most Reverend William D. O’Brien, D. D., President of the Extension Society.
The first student from Ryan Prep to be ordained was (now) Reverend Monsignor J. Wayne Hayes, P. A., who graduated from North American College in Rome and was ordained on December 20, 1959.
The minor seminary operated until May 30, 1969. The last graduating class received A. A. and A. S. degrees for the six-year program or high school diplomas for four years of study. In the fall of 1969, the school was reorganized to a 4-year curriculum and became a Residence Home for Formation. By 1972, Ryan closed due to declining enrollment and escalating costs of operation.
The buildings are currently used for Diocesan offices and residences for clergy.
The impressive pipe organ from the transept choir loft of St. Anne’s Chapel was moved to St. John’s Cathedral in about 1975 so that it would be used more often and be heard by more people.
St. Anne’s Chapel is now the site for weekly masses in English and Portuguese which are produced by Channel 49 and supplied to Mother Angelica’s Eternal Word Television Network for satellite broadcast to Pacific Rim countries, Western Europe, and parts of Africa. That network covers about two-thirds of the world. Monthly Spanish masses are rebroadcast to North and South America via Univision TV. Modifications to the chapel have been made over the last decade to provide the lighting and cabling necessary for the Channel 49 productions.
In addition, St. Anne’s Chapel is used for Diocesan conferences, as a retreat center, and for masses for local ethnic groups not served by parish churches, including Hmong and Lao Com.