St. Anthony Catholic Church, Padua

St. Anthony Catholic Church stands at the southwest corner of Rt. 49 and St. Anthony Road in the Mercer County settlement of St. Anthony, also called Padua. The rectangular building was constructed in 1869 of handmade brick laid in stretcher bond, on a foundation of stone from Bremen, with a slate gable roof. The sacristy was enlarged in 1899. Catholics here first travelled to Minster for mass until they built a log church in 1852, and this brick building is the second generation of church for the community. Inside, the walls are frescoed, with a ceiling painting at the center of the nave, a polished wood main altar dating from 1880, and a pipe organ installed about 1900. Stained glass windows carry donor names in German. Outside, the older brick can be told apart from later additions, and squared pilasters at the facade corners are topped with slate tables and finials. The village has not grown, and the church retains much of its original character.