In a city dominated by Calvinism, the Catholic cathedral feels almost like an oversight. St. Anne's was built between 1721 and 1746 by the Piarist order — a quiet baroque counterpoint to the assertive neoclassical Great Church around the corner. The white-and-gold interior has a fine pulpit by the Tyrolean sculptor Antal Hindelang and a respected pipe organ.
The cathedral became Debrecen's Catholic episcopal seat in 1993 when the diocese was reorganised, which has prompted some careful restoration. It is rarely crowded; ten minutes inside is a nice contrast to the more famous Protestant church a few hundred metres away.