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Our Parish HistoryIn June of 1948, The Most Reverend John Francis Noll, Bishop of the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend, entrusted Father Jerome Bonk with the work of starting a new parish and appointed him as its first pastor. The new parish was to have a church and a grade school. It was dedicated under the patronage of St. Anthony of Padua. Not quite a year later, May of 1949, ground was broken for a four-room school and lower level which would serve as a temporary church. In 1950, a school was opened with an enrollment of 96 in the first three grades. The teaching staff consisted of the Sisters of St. Joseph of the Third Order of St. Francis. Sister M. Albina was the first principal. For the next building project, the western half of the school was constructed to make room for the remaining grades and to accommodate the growing parish community. In 1953, the next phase of building was about to begin. Groundbreaking ceremonies began for De Padua Hall, a multi-functional space consisting of an auditorium, meeting room, and space for parish social activities. The project was completed in 1956. The church was relocated from the school to the auditorium until a separate building could be constructed as the permanent church. That dream became a reality in April 1960. Today, St. Anthony de Padua Church, which seats more than 700, remains one of the most beautiful and contemporary worship spaces in South Bend. Designed by architect Anthony J. Panzica, the church reflects the brick and mortar construction of the school. The sloping interior pine ceiling crackles in the silence of an empty building. Most of the original architectural elements remain unchanged. For instance, the large redwood crucifix mounted on a religious Venetian glass mosaic has withstood the test of time. The original stained glass windows, depicting the life of Jesus and the mysteries of the Rosary, are colorful memories that were donated by parish families. The Italian Botticino marble in two colors make up the front altar. Finally, the Italian wood-carved statues of Mary, St. Joseph, the Sacred Heart, and St. Anthony remain intact. One other notable feature is the exterior emerald granite crucifix with a 2500-pound Carrara marble figure of Christ. The most recent addition was to the north side of the school in February of 1982. The building project expanded for six new classrooms. Today our enrollment stands at approximately 300 students from Pre-School to Grade 8. Our parish serves approximately 1400 families for a total of more than 3500 souls. Over the years, several dedicated priests served the community as pastors: following Msgr. Bonk (1950-1971) was Fr. Robert Yast (1972-1988), then Fr. Barry England (1988-2000), Fr. Terry Fisher (2000-2006), Fr. Derrick Sneyd (2006-2009), Fr. Mark Gurtner (2009-2011) and presently, Fr. Dave Ruppert. Each succeeding pastor, with his own leadership gifts, has added to the flavor of our parish life. Also, over the years, several priests have served the community as Parochial Vicars (Assistants) en route to Pastorates of their own. We look forward to much progress and new challenges as demographics shift and neighborhoods change. Visit us often. We'll keep you informed! |
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St. Anthony de Padua Catholic Church |