St. Anthony will ring in centennial with refurbished bell

As midnight strikes on Dec. 31, parishioners at St. Anthony of Padua in Robstown will literally ring in the New Year—and the start of their Centennial Celebration. They will do so with their newly refurbished church bell that has not chimed in a generation.

Centenarian Maria Quintana Silguero, a lifelong parishioner, will have the honor to take the first ring and she will be followed by 99 other parishioners to mark the 100 years of the parish’s existence as a faith community. The ringing of the bell was not an easy task, since contractors had to remove a ton of pigeon droppings before they could repair the bell that was first installed in 1953 as part of a new church dedicated and blessed by Bishop Mariano Garriga.

The restoration of the bell is only one aspect of an ambitious program developed by Father Tony Blount, SOLT, pastor at St. Anthony’s, to celebrate the parish’s first 100 years and launch its second 100 years. The Centennial Committee composed of Mary Espinoza, Johnny Guerra, Eddie Mireles, Mary Ramón, Marcos Ybarra, Carla García and Elva Ybarra is leading the effort.

Today, St. Anthony’s is a vibrant faith community of 800 families but it was not always so. In the early years of the Diocese of Corpus Christi, Bishop Paul Nussbaum, CP sent Passionist missionaries to grow the faith in his new diocese and they were met with resistance. The bishop sent Father Camillus Hollobough, CP to conduct missions in the eastern part of the diocese. When he arrived in Robstown he found only one “American” Catholic and was met with threats. Even after, St. Anthony’s had been organized and was growing, Bishop Nussbaum observed that “Fr. [Leonard Cunningham] has persevered in that little mission right through some most trying years…the sisters too have endured great hardship.”

Despite these hardships, the “little mission” grew and became established quickly.This growth was actively supported financially by The Catholic Church Extension Society, which was headed by Msgr. Emmanuel Ledvina who would become the diocese’s second bishop. In July 1915, the society approved a request from Father Cunningham, St. Anthony’s first pastor, for $1,000—twice the amount the society usually awarded. The gift was made possible by a donation from a retired Illinois priest.

By 1918, St. Anthony’s had a school with an enrollment of 45 run by the Sisters of the Institute of the Purity of the Immaculate Virgin. It also had three missions: Most Precious Blood at Calallen; St. Gregory at Gregory; and Our Lady of Mount Carmel at Portland. With continued support from the Extension Society for the school and teacher salaries, St. Anthony’s had become an anchor in the Robstown community. The school closed in 1920 but reopened in 1924 with the Sisters of the Incarnate Word now in charge. It continues today under the guidance of the Religious Missionaries of St. Dominic.
In 1925, the original church that had also doubled as a school was replaced with a new sanctuary. That church was replaced 28 years later in 1953 with the current structure under the direction of Father Kevin Dunne. The street in front of St. Anthony’s is now named after Father Dunne.

“The purpose of our centennial is to give glory to God for all He’s done for us during the last 100 years in this parish. That’s the first point. The second is to draw everyone closer to Him,” Father Blount said. 

Everything that is being done for the centennial is aimed toward giving thanks and bringing people closer to God. The restoration and ringing of the bell is a reminder to the church of God’s presence. The same is true of all the other centennial activities, Father Blount said.

Another project that will draw people close to God is “The Book.” This is a combination parish directory and history of the parish. Already, 340 families have signed up to be included in the pictorial directory.

On Feb. 22, 2014, St. Anthony’s will host a Centennial Banquet where all previous pastors and Bishop Wm. Michael Mulvey will be in attendance. Photos of all deceased pastors will also be featured.

This year’s Lenten Mission will also be dedicated to the Centennial. Father Blount’s brother, Father Jim Blount, SOLT will present the mission from March 31, through April 4, 2014. The following day, April 5, 2014, acclaimed Christian singer Matt Maher will perform a Lenten concert at the Richard M. Borchard Regional Fairgrounds. Yet other spiritual events include 100 hours of adoration for 100 years as a faith community; restarting Tuesday devotions to St. Anthony; and reciting the prayer to St. Anthony at every Mass.

Bishop Mulvey will return on June 15, 2014 for the “official celebration” for the Feast of St. Anthony. The bishop will celebrate the noon Mass.

The parish will undertake a number of other projects during the centennial year. Its social service organization will reach out to everyone with “good news.” The group’s Main Street storefront provides food to the needy as well as diabetic assistance. The parish also operates the St. Anthony Thrift Store that provides clothing to the poor.

Providing programs for the parish youth is also on the agenda. Among the projects intended to “build up” the youth is hosting a Mini Youth Spectacular in 2014.

Taking care of deceased parishioners is also on the Centennial program agenda. Both the old and new St. Anthony’s Cemeteries are full and plans are underway to open another cemetery area with as many as 400 burial plots. Father Blount hopes to sell 100 plots in 2014 that will help finance the remainder of the development.

Entreating St. Anthony, parishioners pray, “I implore of you to obtain for me the favor that I seek, the complete spiritual renewal of St. Anthony Parish.  The answer to my prayer may require a miracle; even so, you are the Saint of Miracles.”