About Northeastern Junior College (St. Anthony Church) · Sterling, Colorado
St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church is a historic parish in Sterling, Colorado, serving the Catholic faithful of Logan County and the surrounding northeastern plains since 1888. The present Romanesque church at 326 S. 3rd Street was dedicated in 1911, was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982, and was remodeled in 2016. Today the parish offers Mass in English and Spanish, a religious education program from preschool through 12th grade, a wide array of liturgical and outreach ministries, and worship linked with its sister mission churches of St. Catherine of Siena in Iliff and Sacred Heart in Peetz. As the parish's website declares, 'St. Anthony of Padua, Pray for Us!'
- Established
- 1888 (first mission); 1908 (parish); 1911 (current church)
- Patron
- St. Anthony of Padua
- Rector
- Rev. Joseph Onyango Oiye, I.M.C. (Pastor)
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Denver
Why belong here
St. Anthony's welcomes worshippers of all backgrounds to a historic Romanesque church in the heart of Sterling, with weekly Mass in both English and Spanish (the noon Sunday Mass is celebrated in Spanish). The parish combines the beauty of a National Register-listed sanctuary with active ministries for every age — from the long-running Altar & Rosary Society (founded 1911) and Knights of Columbus to religious education for preschool through 12th grade, choirs, lectors, ushers, the Legion of Mary, Catholic Daughters, and outreach to the homebound through Habitat for Humanity and the Grief Recovery Outreach Program. Whether you are drawn by the liturgies, the schools of formation, or the outreach to neighbors in need, St. Anthony's offers many ways to belong and to serve.
Mass times at Northeastern Junior College (St. Anthony Church)
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday: 3:30 p.m.
- 30 minutes before each scheduled Mass
- By appointment — call (970) 522-6422
Adoration times
- First Friday of every month — Eucharistic Exposition
- Currently no weekly adoration times scheduled (per parish website notice: 'No Adoration Times Currently')
Our History
Catholic life in Sterling began in May 1888, when Father William Howlett celebrated Mass on the first Sunday of each month in the home of Patrick Fleming. He built and dedicated St. John the Baptist Church on Walnut Street on June 24, 1888; that church was destroyed by a tornado in 1896. After worshipping in a building at North 5th and Chestnut, the mission was elevated to a parish by Bishop Matz in 1908 and Father P.U. Sasse was appointed the first pastor on September 9, 1908. The present church at South 3rd and Cedar was begun on April 2, 1911 and dedicated on November 5, 1911. Named in honor of St. Anthony of Padua — patron of Anthony Giacomini, one of Sterling's oldest settlers — the parish grew to include a school (1918), a high school (1921), a remodeled sanctuary (1973), and National Register listing (1982). The sanctuary was again remodeled in 2012 and the full church interior was refreshed in 2016. After 97 years of operation, St. Anthony School closed in 2015; the school building now serves as the Parish Center.
- 1888 — First Catholic Mission in Sterling, celebrated by Father William Howlett
- 1896 — Original St. John the Baptist Church destroyed by tornado
- 1908 — Mission elevated to parish; Father P.U. Sasse named first pastor (September 9)
- 1911 — Current church dedicated November 5
- 1918 — St. Anthony School opens for 150 students in grades 1–8
- 1921 — Old convent converted into a high school
- 1950 — New grade school and gymnasium added
- 1970 — High school grades closed; school continues K–6
- 1973 — Sanctuary remodeled; crucifix corpus re-finished
- 1982 — Church added to the National Register of Historic Places (June 3)
- 2008 — 100th anniversary of parish / 75th anniversary of school celebrated
- 2012 — Sanctuary remodeled
- 2015 — St. Anthony School closes after 97 years; building becomes Parish Center
- 2016 — Full church remodel led by Fr. Michael Bodzioch and Fr. Herman Nsubuga
Mass & Liturgy
St. Anthony's offers a full week of Masses in English, with a weekly Spanish Mass on Sundays. The Sunday 9:00 a.m. and noon (Spanish) Masses are livestreamed from the parish website. The Sanctuary was remodeled in 2012 and again in 2016, and the church's original crucifix corpus — preserved from the early church — is retained in the sanctuary.
- Saturday Vigil: 5:00 p.m. (English)
- Sunday: 7:00 a.m., 9:00 a.m. (English); 12:00 p.m. (Spanish)
- Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday: 12:00 p.m.
- Tuesday: 5:30 p.m.
- Saturday: 8:00 a.m.
- Livestream of 9:00 a.m. and noon (Spanish) Sunday Masses
Sacramental Preparation — Restored Order
St. Anthony's practices the Restored Order of the Sacraments of Initiation, in keeping with the Archdiocese of Denver's initiative. Children typically prepare for and receive First Reconciliation in second grade, and then are prepared for both Confirmation and First Holy Communion together in third grade.
- First Reconciliation — second grade
- Confirmation & First Holy Communion — third grade
- Baptism, Matrimony, Anointing of the Sick — contact the parish office
Religious Education
St. Anthony's parish Religious Education Program serves children from Preschool through 12th grade, with a strong sacramental focus and a goal of creating lifelong learners with a hunger to seek the Lord. Faith formation classes meet in the Parish Center (the former St. Anthony School building).
- Preschool through 12th grade
- Emphasis on the Sacraments
- Classes meet in the Parish Center
- Contact: Director of Religious Education, (970) 522-6422 ext. 234
Parish Ministries
The parish offers a wide range of liturgical and organizational ministries, calling parishioners to use their gifts in service of the Church and the wider community.
- Liturgical: Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, Music Ministry, Lectors, Sacristan, Ushers
- Organizations: Altar & Rosary Society (founded 1911 at St. Anthony's), Woman's Ministry, Associates of St. Francis, Legion of Mary, Knights of Columbus, Catholic Daughters, Knights of Columbus Auxiliary
- Service: Bulletin Folders
Community Outreach
Outreach ministries at St. Anthony's take the parish beyond the church walls — visiting the sick and homebound, building affordable housing through Habitat for Humanity, and accompanying the bereaved through the Grief Recovery Outreach Program. The parish also hosts a Hispanic Prayer Group.
- Communion to the Sick and Homebound — trained volunteers visit parishioners
- Habitat for Humanity — monthly work parties at building sites
- Grief Recovery Outreach Program — 9-week program offered 4 times a year (one-on-one sessions available)
- Hispanic Prayer Group — Spanish-language prayer community
- Knights of Columbus — active in parish events, Lenten Fish Fry Dinners, Rummage Sale, Spaghetti Dinner
Altar & Rosary Society
The Altar & Rosary Society is open to every woman of the parish and is one of St. Anthony's oldest organizations — formed at the parish in 1911, the same year the church was dedicated, and reorganized into circles in 1948. The Society is affiliated with the Eastern Division of the Greeley Deanery and focuses on the spiritual and material welfare of the parish, providing funeral meals and twice-yearly salad luncheons for the parish and Sterling community.
- Founded at St. Anthony's in 1911
- Reorganized into circles in 1948
- Affiliated with Eastern Division of the Greeley Deanery
- Contact: Marlene Masin, 970-520-6274, [email protected]
Our Staff
St. Anthony's is served by clergy and lay staff at the parish office in the Parish Center.
- Rev. Joseph Onyango Oiye, I.M.C. — Pastor ([email protected])
- Rev. Martin Frias-Guardado — Parochial Vicar
- Deacon Bernie Schwartze
- Jennifer Rodine — Director of Religious Education ([email protected], ext. 234)
- Dorcas Brekel — Religious Education Assistant ([email protected], ext. 256)
- Juli Schneider — Parish Secretary ([email protected])
- Carole Quint — Business Manager ([email protected], ext. 223)
- Tom Sewald — Maintenance ([email protected], ext. 241)
Sister Mission Churches
The priests of St. Anthony's traditionally serve a cluster of rural mission churches across Logan and Phillips Counties — today St. Catherine of Siena in Iliff and Sacred Heart in Peetz are linked with St. Anthony's under the same priests.
- St. Catherine of Siena — 111 S. 5th, Iliff, CO
- Sacred Heart — Peetz, CO
- Historical missions also included St. Peter (Fleming), St. Patrick (Holyoke), St. Mary (Messex), St. John (Stoneham), and St. Peter (Crook)
Visit & Contact
St. Anthony's Catholic Church is located in the heart of Sterling at 326 S. 3rd Street. The parish office is open by phone and email, and the parish offers a sacramental emergency line for after-hours pastoral needs.
- Address: 326 S. 3rd St., Sterling, CO 80751
- Phone: (970) 522-6422
- Email: [email protected]
- Sacramental Emergencies: (970) 520-3628
- Website: https://www.saintanthonyssterling.org
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father William Howlett1888
Established the first Catholic Mission in Sterling; celebrated Mass in Patrick Fleming's home.
- Father P.U. Sasse1908
Appointed first pastor on September 9, 1908 by Bishop Matz; oversaw building of the 1911 church and founding of St. Anthony School in 1918.
- Father Michael Bodzioch
Led the 2016 church remodel; also served St. Catherine in Iliff and Sacred Heart in Peetz.
- Father Herman Nsubuga
Served as parochial vicar alongside Fr. Bodzioch; also served St. Catherine in Iliff and Sacred Heart in Peetz.