St. Anthony, Superior | '07 | '11 | Pres. |
Adult Envelopes | 212 | 150 | xx |
Mass Attendance | 427 | 274 | xx |
Religious Ed Students | 52 | 47 | xx |
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.
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)
In 1913, Bishop Joseph M. Koudelka asked Franciscan, Fr. Rudolph Hanssens, to establish a new parish in the Allouez-Itasca area of Superior. In August 1914, St. Anthony Church was incorporated. While the congregation, consisting of 39 families, waited for their new church to be built, they met in what was known as “Woodsmen Hall.” That fall the church was completed at a cost of $4,200. On Oct. 18, 1914, Francis Joseph Janssens was the first person to be baptized in the new church.
In the 1920’s, the church interior and exterior were painted and new lights installed. Parishioners raised $8,000 to build a rectory, and $4,500 to build a new school. The school opened on Sept. 14, 1925, and enrolled 98 Students in four grades. Three Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration taught them.
In 1928, the church was renovated and a pipe organ was installed in 1936. By 1950, 275 families were registered in the parish. In September 1957, construction began on a new $350,000 church-rectory complex. The congregation observed the dedication of its new church on Oct. 30, 1958. The sanctuary was remodeled in 2000. The parish is well known for its Lenten fish dinners, which originated back in the 1970’s.
REFERENCE: Our Journey through Faith: A History of the Diocese of Superior,
by Sam Lucero, 2005.