St. Anthony de Padua

The history of the Diocese of Superior dates back to the 17th century. Our Journey Through Faith offers a glimpse into the historic events that played a role in the growth of Catholicism in Northern Wisconsin. Diocese of Superior - Statistics

Our Journey through Faith: A History of the Diocese of Superior,

View the summary from the last Parish self-assessment questionnaire conducted in 2012.

Read the 98-page Executive Report 2013 (PDF

Missionary priests who celebrated Mass in private homes originally served Catholics in Rusk County. The parish was established in 1901 and a church was erected on the south edge of the village of Tony in 1902. In 1910 the Servite Fathers were given charge of the Ladysmith and Tony parishes.

Fr. Ludwig Jaerre was the first priest listed as pastor. Fr. Anton Wuchter was the first resident priest. Our Lady of Sorrows Church in Ladysmith was made a mission of St. Anthony at that time. In 1906, Ladysmith was established a parish in the Superior Diocese and St. Anthony’s in Tony became the mission. It served as a mission of OLS until 1953.

About 1920, a basement church was built on the site of the present church. Services were held there until 1939 when the new church was built. Servite Fr. Phillip Kuczek, OSM, was pastor at that time. He served the parish from 1927 to 1953. In 1953, Bishop Joseph J. Annabring appointed Fr. Henry Gozanski, a diocesan priest, as pastor of St. Anthony. The home of John and Celia Christman, just north of the church, was purchased for a rectory. In 1967, a hall was built south of the church. Today it is used for religious education classes and parish and social events.

In 1992, St. Anthony was clustered with Our Lady of Sorrows of Ladysmith and St. Mary of Hawkins.

REFERENCE: Our Journey through Faith: A History of the Diocese of Superior,
by Sam Lucero, 2005.