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St. Anthony Catholic Church In San Antonio Marks 125th Year

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: June 11, 2008

SAN ANTONIO - It has been a community meeting place and a voting precinct.

Its school has educated generations of children.

Without St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church, which turns 125 this week, there might not be a San Antonio.

"I don't think it's an overstatement to say that the church is the community," said Will Plazewski, a lifelong San Antonio resident and member of the city commission. "The community was founded by Judge Edmund Dunne as a Catholic colony, so Catholics could have a place to live without persecution."

The downtown institution celebrated its birthday with a weekend of festivities attended by hundreds of people. There were skits about local history Saturday and a barbecue picnic Sunday afternoon.

In the past decade, membership at St. Anthony of Padua has grown from about 250 to 600 families, as more people have moved to the area, said the Rev. Henry Riffle, the pastor.

The current church, parish center, a three-modular-classroom school and office building are on 3 1/2 acres on St. Anthony Way, formerly Massachusetts Avenue, just north of State Road 52.

Geoff Fox

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