With the close of WWII, Eastern Catholics whose ancestors had settled and helped to establish parishes in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Ohio and the Northeast were now migrating to the Western States. By the mid 1980s, former parishioners of the Cathedral of Saint Mary in Sherman Oaks and the Church of the Annunciation in Anaheim who had relocated to the Central Coast of California requested a priest from the Eparchy of Van Nuys to serve their spiritual needs. In 1986 the Most Reverend Thomas Dolinay, the first Bishop of Van Nuys sent his secretary the Reverend Father Edmund M. Idranyi to ascertain the feasibility of beginning a new mission on the Central Coast.

San Luis Obispo was chosen as the perfect location given its central location within the region. Through the good graces of the Reverend Father James Nisbet, pastor of Old Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa, and with the approval of the Most Reverend Thaddeus Shubsda, the Bishop of Monterey, the new San Luis Obispo/Santa Maria Byzantine Catholic Mission was given the use of the Old Mission's former convent chapel for Sunday Divine Liturgies. The first Divine Liturgy was celebrated on Sunday, June 26, 1986 with about 25 of the faithful in attendance. Father Idranyi was assigned to care for the new mission community while continuing his duties at the Eparchy's Chancery Office in Northridge, about 200 miles to the south of San Luis Obispo in the San Fernando Valley.

In the beginning monthly and major holy day liturgies were celebrated for the growing community. Soon bi-weekly liturgies were the norm and by September of 1986 it was decided that the Divine Liturgy would be celebrated every Sunday and all major holy days. Bishop Dolinay visited the growing community two times, each time celebrating the Divine Liturgy in the main church of the Old Mission. On January 17, 1989, Bishop Dolinay raised the San Luis Obispo/Santa Maria Byzantine Catholic Mission to the canonical status of a parish under the patronage of Saint Anne, the Mother of Mary. Saint Anne was chosen as the patroness largely due to Father Idranyi's long-held devotion to her.

The growing parish was quickly outgrowing the Old Mission chapel. In 1990 the opportunity to secure a permanent facility arose. The former Disciples of Christ Church facility at 222 E. Foothill Boulevard was for sale. After protracted negotiations the Most Reverend George Kuzma, the second Bishop of Van Nuys gave permission to purchase the land and structure in 1991 for $500,000. Bishop Kuzma was concerned that the young parish did not have a pastor. He was also concerned that Father Idranyi was wearing himself out after nearly five years of weekly round-trip commutes between Northridge and San Luis Obispo. In response Bishop Kuzma assigned Father Idranyi to be the administrator and resident priest of Saint Anne Byzantine Catholic Church.

Before the newly-acquired facility was made ready, the Christian Brothers offered the use of the chapel of the local Catholic Newman Center. Saint Anne's new home was ready for the celebration of the Divine Liturgy on Christmas Day of 1991. The Church was blessed on the following January 6th by Bishop Kuzma. The third Bishop of Van Nuys, the Most Reverend William C. Skurla visited the parish three times after being ordained as bishop of the eparchy on February 19, 2002. First as a general visit after being named the Bishop of Van Nuys, second to celebrate Father Idranyi's 50th Anniversary of Priestly Ordination and finally on July 29, 2007 to ordain Mr. John F. Bradley to the permanent diaconate.