Members of the Piarist Order arrived in Vác in 1714. They started building their church in 1725 and finished it in 1745. Its original, Baroque style twin onion domes were finished by 1753. In 1785, the Piarists were sent away from their church, and the building's furniture was removed and the upper levels of the steeples were deconstructed. The order was allowed to use the church again in 1796 but they could regain only a few altarpieces from the former interior. Its ruined steeples were rebuilt by József Filzer in 1886.

Above the balcony on the facade, there is a statue of Saint Joseph of Calasanz, who founded the order. A unique detail of the church is its Venetian mirror main altar. The altarpiece was pained in 1796 and it depicts Saint Anna and the child Virgin Mary.

The monastery built next to the church is used today as a noviciate and high school. It was built using a previous building which was the home of Provost András Berkes. The richly decorated gate of this former building can be seen nearby the church.