After the founding of the township of Kingfisher in 1889, Father Felix De Grasse of Sacred Heart Abbey in Konawa and pastor of Guthrie, came to celebrate Mass in the homes of the people of the community.
By 1892, a wooden structure became the first church dedicated to Saint Anne on the corner of Eighth and Wyatt under the care of the first resident pastor, Father Joseph Beck.
As the community began to expand, the need for a permanent structure became paramount and the process began in 1903. The pastor, Father Felix Vander Aa (himself a colorful character whose run-ins with Bishop Meerschaert were the stuff of legend) was the driving force of the new location of Main and Euclid. While the cornerstone reads “1903,” it was not finished until 1909 due to numerous construction delays and severe storm damage. This edifice was dedicated to the patronage of Saints Peter and Paul. When completed, this architectural gem remains a landmark that still stands on Highway 81.
The first parish school was constructed in 1910 and was later replaced by the current school building in 1929. The Benedictine Sisters were the first order to provide teachers. The Carmelites ran the operation for a year and later Dominicans first from Springfield, Ill., and then of Sinsinawa, Wis. continued the work.
In 1928, the enrollment began to shrink as the non-Catholics were afraid to send their children due to fears of the Ku Klux Klan (enjoying a post-World War I resurgence) retaliating. The high school portion ceased to operate but the school continued until closure a few years ago due high costs and dwindling enrollment.
The priest who led the community for 30 years with care and love was the youngest of the brothers Van Hulse, three priests who arrived from Belgium in the 1890s. From 1928 until his retirement in 1958, Theophile Van Hulse saw to the growth and maintenance of Saints Peter and Paul.
This small Catholic community continues serving the people of central Oklahoma and maintains a separate identity despite being 13 miles from Okarche and 50 miles from Oklahoma City.