About St. Anthony · Camdenton, Missouri
St. Anthony Catholic Church is a parish of the Diocese of Jefferson City serving the Camdenton community in the Lake of the Ozarks region of central Missouri. It was founded in 1948 when the first chapel — an army chapel moved from Camp Crowder in Neosho — was dedicated by Bishop Joseph M. Marling. Over the decades the parish has grown alongside the tourism boom around the Lake of the Ozarks, with a second church built in the early 1970s and the present church dedicated by Bishop John R. Gaydos on June 13, 2000, on a 75-acre campus on the north side of Camdenton. Today the parish offers weekend and daily Mass, religious education for children and adults, a high school youth group, RCIA, and an active calendar of ministries and parish organizations.
- Established
- 1948
- Patron
- St. Anthony (of Padua)
- Rector
- Reverend Fr. Paulinus Aneke (Pastoral Administrator)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Jefferson City
Why belong here
St. Anthony offers a full sacramental life with multiple weekend Masses, daily Mass Tuesday through Friday, First Friday Eucharistic Adoration, and weekly Confession — a rhythm rare for a parish of its size. It also runs a robust Parish School of Religion for preschool through 8th grade, a Sunday-night High School Youth Group, a year-round RCIA process, Bible study, morning reflection, and outreach to the sick and incarcerated. A wide circle of lay organizations — Sisters in Christ, the Knights of Columbus, the Crafty Ladies, the Cemetery Board, Stewardship and Finance Committees — make the parish a true community hub for the Lake of the Ozarks region.
Mass times at St. Anthony
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- 30 minutes before all Weekend Masses
- 15 minutes before Daily Mass (Wednesday, Thursday, Friday)
- Or by appointment (call the parish office)
Adoration times
- First Friday of the month, 9:00 AM – 11:00 PM
About St. Anthony Parish
St. Anthony Catholic Church is a Catholic parish in Camdenton, Missouri, in the Lake of the Ozarks region of Camden County. The parish is led by Fr. Paulinus Aneke as Pastoral Administrator and is supported by two deacons, a parish secretary/bookkeeper, a director of religious education, a music director, and a facility manager. The parish office sits at 1874 N Business Rt 5 and can be reached at (573) 346-2716 or [email protected]. The parish belongs to the Diocese of Jefferson City, is part of the Southwest Deanery, and is associated with the mission parish at Climax Springs.
Parish History
The parish traces its roots to 1948, when an army chapel was purchased from Camp Crowder in Neosho, Missouri, moved to Camdenton, and dedicated on May 30, 1948, by Bishop Joseph M. Marling, Auxiliary Bishop of Kansas City. A second church building followed in the early 1970s as Lake of the Ozarks tourism grew; a new rectory completed in 1979 was destroyed by fire in 1987. In the 1990s the parish acquired 75 acres on the north side of Camdenton, where the present church was built and dedicated by Bishop John R. Gaydos on June 13, 2000. The parish's history was recorded by Sister Loretta Pastva, SND, in Proclaiming the Good News in the Heart of Missouri, and the parish celebrated its 75th anniversary in 2024.
Mass & Worship Schedule
St. Anthony celebrates a Vigil Mass on Saturday at 5:00 PM and two Sunday Masses at 7:30 AM and 10:00 AM. Daily Mass is offered Tuesday through Friday at 8:30 AM, with a Communion Service on Mondays at 8:30 AM. Confessions are heard 30 minutes before each weekend Mass and 15 minutes before daily Mass (except Tuesday), or by appointment.
- Saturday Vigil — 5:00 PM
- Sunday — 7:30 AM & 10:00 AM
- Mon 8:30 AM Communion Service
- Tues–Fri 8:30 AM Daily Mass
- Weekend Confessions: 30 minutes before Mass
- Weekday Confessions: 15 minutes before Mass (except Tuesday)
Faith Formation & Religious Education
St. Anthony runs a Parish School of Religion (PSR) that meets on Wednesday evenings during the school year. A free family-style dinner is served in the lower level of the church from 5:15 to 6:15 PM, and classes for preschool through 8th grade meet in the Education Center from 6:30 to 7:30 PM. The nursery serves preschool (ages 3–4); K–1 uses Gospel Weeklies – Promise; 2nd grade (First Reconciliation & First Communion year) uses Signs of Grace; 3rd grade uses Finding God; 4th–6th uses Gospel Weeklies – Venture; 7th grade (Confirmation year) uses Confirmed in the Spirit; and 8th grade uses Formed Y: Disciple.
- PSR for children — Wednesdays 5:15 PM dinner, 6:30–7:30 PM class
- Adult Faith Formation — Bible study, liturgical readings, movies, topical conversations
- Sacramental Preparation for Reconciliation, First Eucharist, and Confirmation — Wednesdays 6:15–7:30 PM
- Contact: Karri Brauman / Jan Martin, [email protected]
High School Youth Group
The High School Youth Group is open to all 9th through 12th graders and meets Sunday evenings from 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM in the parish Youth Room. The recently refreshed Youth Room now includes a snack bar where teens can grab snacks, coffee, or smoothies. Meetings aim to be both fun and challenging, leading teens deeper into their relationship with God and encouraging them to learn more about their Catholic faith through healthy and holy activities.
- Sundays 6:30–8:00 PM in the Youth Room
- For grades 9–12
- Contact: Karri Brauman / Jan Martin
Becoming Catholic — RCIA
The Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA) at St. Anthony walks inquirers through the Church's traditional stages — Period of Evangelization (Precatechumenate), the Catechumenate, Purification and Enlightenment during Lent, and the Celebration of the Sacraments of Initiation at the Easter Vigil. Meetings run on Thursdays from September through May. The parish emphasizes that RCIA is not just classroom instruction but the beginning of a lifelong journey of conversion, continuing into the Mystagogy period after Easter.
- RCIA Thursdays, September–May
- Contact: Jan Martin, (573) 280-7086
Sacraments
The parish prepares and celebrates all seven sacraments. Parents requesting Baptism for their children must be registered members and should contact the parish office to begin scheduling; baptism classes may be required. Couples preparing for Holy Matrimony meet with a priest at least six months before their desired wedding date and must establish freedom to marry; weddings of two Catholics are usually celebrated within a Nuptial Mass. Confirmation is prepared through a parish program coordinated by Jan Martin. Sacramental records (Baptism, Marriage, First Communion, Confirmation) can be obtained by written request to the parish office.
- Baptism — contact parish office, classes may be required
- Holy Matrimony — 6-month preparation, priest meeting required first
- Confirmation — parish preparation program
- First Reconciliation & First Holy Communion — through PSR
- Anointing of the Sick / Mass Intentions
- Sacramental records — written request to parish office
Parish Organizations
Lay organizations give parishioners many ways to serve and build community. The St. Anthony SISTERS in Christ promotes spiritual growth and service for all women of the parish, raising funds for community groups and scholarships through several events and meeting monthly on the third Tuesday morning. The Knights of Columbus Lake of the Ozarks Council 6365 meets on the first Monday of each month at Bauer Hall, 547 W Hwy 54, Camdenton, and hosts Thursday BINGO. Other parish groups include the Cemetery Board, Stewardship Committee, Crafty Ladies, Parish Council, and Finance Committee.
- SISTERS in Christ — women of the parish, 3rd Tuesday mornings
- Knights of Columbus Council 6365 — Bauer Hall, 547 W Hwy 54, Camdenton; 1st Monday meetings, Thursday BINGO
- Cemetery Board
- Stewardship Committee
- Crafty Ladies
- Parish Council
- Finance Committee
Parish Staff & Contacts
The parish is served by a small, dedicated staff. Fr. Paulinus Aneke serves as Pastoral Administrator and is assisted by Deacons Stan Buczko and Steve Lemons. Jan Martin serves as Director of Religious Education and Office Assistant. Rene Magelky is Parish Secretary/Bookkeeper and can be reached at [email protected] or (573) 280-8943 after hours. Barb Rogers is Music Director, and Mike Rucker is the Facility Manager.
- Fr. Paulinus Aneke — Pastoral Administrator
- Deacon Stan Buczko
- Deacon Steve Lemons
- Rene Magelky — Parish Secretary/Bookkeeper ([email protected])
- Jan Martin — Director of Religious Education ([email protected], 573-280-7086)
- Karri Brauman — PSR / Youth contact ([email protected])
- Barb Rogers — Music Director
- Mike Rucker — Facility Manager
Visit, Contact & Practical Info
Parishioners and visitors are warmly welcomed at St. Anthony's. The parish office is located at 1874 N Business Rt 5, Camdenton, MO 65020, and can be reached at (573) 346-2716 (fax 573-346-0625) or by email at [email protected]. Weekly bulletins are published on the parish website each Friday afternoon and contain the most up-to-date Mass intention list, schedule changes, and parish news. The parish also references the diocesan website at diojeffcity.org.
- Address: 1874 N Business Rt 5, Camdenton, MO 65020
- Phone: (573) 346-2716 — Fax: (573) 346-0625
- Parish email: [email protected]
- Finance email: [email protected]
- Religious Education email: [email protected]
- Diocesan Chancery: (573) 635-9127
- Website: camdenton.diojeffcity.org