WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Historic St. Ann Catholic Church has been a beacon for Catholics in South Florida since 1896.
Nestled in the heart of downtown West Palm Beach, the oldest Catholic Church in the Diocese of Palm Beach was previously located at the corner of Rosemary and Datura streets before moving to its current location on Olive Avenue in 1902.
St. Ann has welcomed plenty of faithful Catholics through the years, though arguably none as famous as President John F. Kennedy, who celebrated his final Sunday Mass here before his assassination.
A picture in the vestibule shows Kennedy, whose family had a home just across the Intracoastal Waterway on Palm Beach, leaving Mass at the church on Nov. 17, 1963.
The rectory, which was built with materials donated by railroad magnate Henry Flagler, contains a peep hole that was used by the Secret Service to keep watch while the president prayed among St. Ann parishioners.
St. Ann Catholic Church
310 N. Olive Ave.
West Palm Beach, FL 33401
