Parish History
The Early Years
At the beginning of the Civil War there were some 60,000 German speaking people living in St. Louis, most of them Catholic. They attended St. Boniface Church,far to the South in Carondelet, and St. Peter and Paul Church, close to the center of the city. Not having adequate transportation, many lived too far from either of these churches and crowded into the Chapel for delinquent boys and girls called the House of Refuge. It stood on the site of what is now Marquette Park. During the Civil War, this institution was converted into a hospital.
Archbishop Richard Kenrick heard about the German-speaking Franciscans who had just arrived in Southern Illinois and requested them to establish a parish midway between St. Boniface and St. Peter and Paul. A large tract of land and one story frame house was donated on Meramec Street.
Fr. Servace Altmicks, OFM assigned to be the new pastor had arrived in Dec. 1862 to make the initial arrangements for the founding of the new parish. Fr. Nazarius Kommerscheid, OFM and Br. Marion Beile, OFM arrived in early 1863 to form the franciscan community.
The small house was converted into a temporary church and residence. On Feb. 5, 1863 the first Mass was celebrated. An initial registration of Catholics who lived in the neighborhood turned up the following statistics - 70 German speaking families and 25 English speaking families, 117 children of school age. It was anticipated, however that the number would rapidly increase since much of the undeveloped land in the area was being cleared for the building of homes.
From these humble beginnings the parish began to grow and the first church was built on the corner of Meramec and Kansas Street (now Compton) and consecrated on Oct. 10, 1869. The new church had a seating capacity of 700.
The value of education of the children of the parish was a priority from the very beginning of the parish. Already in 1863 classes were held in a frame house somewhere in the parish. After the church opened in 1869 the brothers used a room in the church basement under the Sanctuary to educate 117 youngsters. The parish took a big step forward with the building of the first parish school in 1870. Enrollment grew so rapidly, additions were added to the school in 1889 and 1894. A new "boy's school" was constructed in 1901. A girls school, including high school was opened in 1924.
In 1883, the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet joined the parish and have served it faithfully through their teaching ministry until 1996.
Recent Events
As the parish grew and prospered, a new church was begun in 1908 and completed in 1910. The church has a capacity of 1500. It was severely damaged by a fire caused by lightening on Apr. 28, 1994 and was restored for the celebration of Christmas 1995.
The convent on Compton was built in 1955 in appreciation for the ministry done by the Sisters; in 1982 it was sold and become Our Lady's Inn; an emergency shelter for pregnant women and their children in crisis.
In 1963 the grade school on Compton was finished and taught students kindergarten through eighth until 2005. Confluence Academy, a charter school purchased in building in 2007.
The former high school building which housed Marian Middle School closed in 2006, and is currently being leased by Confluence Academy.
The former Knights of Columbus Hall, directly across from the front doors of the church was renovated and opened as St. Anthony Parish Hall in Oct. 2007.
There are approximately 480 households registered currently in the Parish.
This photo is of the six living pastors of Saint Anthony of Padua, and was taken in June of 2008. From left to right: Fr. Sylvano Pera, OFM (1977-1981) Fr. Kurt Hartrich, OFM (1988-1990) Fr. Frank Coens, OFM (1990-1996) Fr. Benet Fonck, OFM (1996-2000) Fr. Robert Sieg, OFM (2000-2007) Fr. James Lause, OFM (2007-2011)