Founded in 1941, St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church was originally a mission of the Franciscan Order from the St. Louis Province of the Sacred Heart.

Two years after it was built, a fire destroyed much of the interior of the church. Despite this setback, Mass was still held in the church.

In 1952, a group of Franciscan sisters from New York opened St. Anthony of Padua Catholic School with grades first through eighth. The school struggled and closed in 1984.

In December of 1980, St. Anthony was declared a personal parish for African Americans. In 2011, the parish celebrated seventy years of service.

Written by Tyler Backus and Cristov Dosev, Students, Pensacola Catholic High School, 2011.

Copyright Diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee, 2011.