Our History
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The Catholic Church has made great strides in Angola since its humble beginnings in 1924 when celebration of the Mass began in the high school gym. Following subsequent moves to Tri-State University and rented rooms over the Elston Shoe Store, the first Catholic Church building was dedicated in 1926 under the patronage of St. Rita. With the arrival of the Franciscan Fathers of the Order of Friars Minor Conventuals in 1931, the name was changed to St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church and in 1941 a new church building was built. By 1951, the space had been outgrown and a larger temporary church was built in 1959 to handle the overflow. Since that time it has been a dream of many of the parishioners of St. Anthony to build a permanent church. With constant reminders from Bishop D'Arcy that our "temporary church" was nearing fifty years old, in 2005 the parishioners of St. Anthony began a quest for a new church. |
Our new church construction broke ground on May 17, 2009 and was dedicated by Bishop Kevin Rhoades on July 10, 2010.
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St. Rita's
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St. Anthony of Padua
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St. Anthony of Padua
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