Sts. Anne and Joachim Catholic Church
46°48′9″N 96°49′3″W / 46.80250°N 96.81750°W / 46.80250; -96.81750
Location	Fargo, North Dakota
Country	United States of America
Language(s)	English,
Denomination	Roman Catholic
Website	stsaaj.org
History
Status	Open
Founded	1995
Founder(s)	Monsignor Valentine G. Gross
Dedicated	February 11, 2010.
Relics held	Bone fragments of Sts. Anne and Joachim Bone fragment of St. Thomas Aquinas Bone fragment of St. Josephine Bakhita St. Anthony of Padua Bone fragment of St. Gemma Galgani Bone fragment of St. Maria Goretti Bone fragment of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton[1]
Past bishop(s)	James Stephen Sullivan Samuel J. Aquila
Associated people	James Stephen Sullivan Fr. Brian Bachmeier Fr. Paul Duchschere
Architecture
Functional status	Open
Architect(s)	Zerr Berg Architects
Style	neo-Gothic
Years built	1995-2010
Completed	2010
Specifications
Capacity	1,200
Length	212ft
Width	120ft
Height	130ft
Number of floors	3
Number of towers	1
Number of spires	1
Spire height	130ft
Materials	Steel, Concrete, Plaster, Brick
Bells	3
Administration
Province	Saint Paul and Minneapolis
Archdiocese	Saint Paul and Minneapolis
Diocese	Roman Catholic Diocese of Fargo (since November 10, 1889)
Deanery	Deanery 2: Fargo
Parish	Sts. Anne and Joachim Catholic Church in Fargo
Clergy
Archbishop	Bernard Hebda
Bishop(s)	John Folda
Vicar(s)	Fr. Robert Foertsch
Dean	Rev. Gerard Braun
Pastor(s)	Fr. Luke Meyer
Deacon(s)	Michael Dodge Pat Breen Ben Seitz
Laity
Treasurer	Wade Sandy
Business manager	Rob Asheim
Religious education coordinator	Olivia Salonek
Youth ministry coordinator	Susan Ripplinger
Music group(s)	Patrick McGuire
Parish administrator	Karla Schell

Sts. Anne and Joachim is a Roman Catholic church located in Fargo, North Dakota. Planning for the church began in 1995 and was completed in 2010. The rites of dedication were on February 11, 2010, by Samuel J. Aquila.^[2][3] The church was named after Saint Anne and Saint Joachim, the parents of Mary, mother of Jesus.^[4] Sts. Anne and Joachim parish was founded by Monsignor Valentine Gross after Bishop James Stephen Sullivan asked him to start a new parish in South Fargo.^[5]

Sts. Anne and Joachim church was built in a two phase construction. Phase 1 included a gathering space and a social hall and was completed in 2001. Phase 2 included a permanent worship area, costing the church $9–10 Million.^[5] In addition to the phase 2 primary worship area, the phase 2 structure is home to an adoration and daily chapels. The church houses numerous shrines and confessionals.

• Knights of Columbus (The Sts. Anne & Joachim Council #11930 of the Knights of Columbus )
• Essentia (EMHC)
• Social Concerns
• St. Bakhata's Community
• Respect Life
• Parish Nursing
• MACH 1
• Prayer Quilt Ministry

^[6]

In the marble altar at Sts. Anne and Joachim Church is a small area containing numerous bone fragments of saints behind grate-like doors. Each tiny fragment is housed in its own casing, with a window so that the object can be seen.^[1]

Relic: bone fragments of Saint Anne and Joachim. The altar of the church houses what is believed to be bone fragments of the church's patron saints.

Relic: bone fragment of St. Thomas Aquinas.

Relic: bone fragment of St. Josephine Bakhita. This Sudanese saint is the patron saint of the Sudanese community that meets at the church.

Relic: St. Anthony of Padua. He is often invoked for help in finding lost articles, St. Anthony of Padua was canonized a year after his death in 1231.

Relic: bone fragment of St. Gemma Galgani. This Catholic mystic born in Italy in 1878 is said to have received the stigmata, or the wounds of Jesus, on her own body.

Relic: bone fragment of St. Maria Goretti. She is reputed to have been killed by a would-be rapist to whom she refused to submit. As she laid dying, tradition holds that she forgave her attacker.

Relic: bone fragment of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton. She is the first native-born American to be canonized by the Catholic Church.

• Sts Anne & Joachim Catholic Church official website