About St. Anthony of Padua · Fargo, North Dakota
St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church is a Roman Catholic parish in the Diocese of Fargo, located at 710 10th Street South in Fargo, North Dakota. Founded in 1917 as the second Catholic parish in Fargo, it has served the south-side community for over a century and celebrated its centennial in 2017. The parish is bilingual, celebrating Mass in both English and Vietnamese, and is currently led by Very Rev. Gerard Braun (pastor) and Rev. Vincent Pham (parochial vicar), assisted by four permanent deacons. St. Anthony's is known for its blue-collar character, deep generosity toward the poor, and an active evangelization ministry.
- Established
- 1917
- Patron
- St. Anthony of Padua
- Rector
- Very Rev. Gerard Braun
- Diocese
- Diocese of Fargo
Why belong here
St. Anthony of Padua is a century-old, working-class Catholic community in south Fargo that pairs traditional liturgy with an unusually multicultural parish family. Visitors can worship at four Sunday Masses (including one in Vietnamese), attend daily Mass six days a week, sit in Eucharistic Adoration every Thursday from morning until 10:00 PM, and participate in faith formation for every age — from kindergarten through high school, including an adaptive-needs program called Amazing Grace and a strong youth ministry (EDGE and Life Teen). The parish is widely known for its generosity: a long-running food pantry and an outreach ministry reflect a culture in which no family in need is turned away.
Mass times at St. Anthony of Padua
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Monday–Thursday: 4:45 PM – 5:10 PM
- Tuesday–Friday: 6:25 AM – 6:40 AM
- Saturday: 7:40 AM – 7:55 AM
- Saturday: 4:00 PM – 4:45 PM
- Or by appointment
Adoration times
- Thursdays: 7:30 AM – 10:00 PM
History of St. Anthony of Padua Parish
St. Anthony of Padua began in 1917 as a 'chapel of ease' or mission church carved out of St. Mary's Cathedral Parish to serve Catholics on the growing south side of Fargo. It was formally incorporated on December 30, 1917, with Fr. Vincent J. Ryan as first pastor; the church itself was dedicated November 18, 1917, on the feast of the Basilicas of Sts. Peter and Paul. The parish was named for the patron of Bishop James O'Reilly's childhood parish in Minneapolis. After more than a century of continuous ministry, St. Anthony's remains a vibrant worship community, now bilingual in English and Vietnamese.
- Incorporated December 30, 1917
- First pastor: Fr. Vincent J. Ryan (later Bishop of Bismarck)
- Church dedicated November 18, 1917
- Named in honor of Bishop James O'Reilly's Minneapolis home parish
- Celebrated 100th anniversary in 2017
St. Anthony's School (1922–1998)
St. Anthony of Padua School opened on September 5, 1922 with 157 students in grades 1–8, staffed by the Sisters of the Presentation from Sacred Heart Academy. A 1928 addition expanded the building as enrollment grew. The school transitioned to a junior high (grades 6–8) within the Fargo Catholic Schools Network in 1988, while younger students moved to Nativity, and finally closed in 1998. From 1922 to 1988, more than 20,000 students passed through its classrooms. The former school building has been renovated into Religious Education classrooms and meeting spaces for the parish.
- Opened September 5, 1922 with 157 students
- Taught by the Sisters of the Presentation
- Addition added in 1928
- Became junior high (grades 6–8) of Fargo Catholic Schools Network in 1988
- Closed 1998; >20,000 students educated over 66 years
- Former classrooms now used for Religious Education and meetings
Mass & Worship Schedule
St. Anthony's offers a generous Mass schedule with multiple daily and weekend options in both English and Vietnamese. Four weekend Masses are celebrated on Sundays, plus a Saturday Vigil and an evening Vietnamese Mass. Daily Mass is offered Tuesday through Saturday mornings, Monday through Thursday evenings, and on additional days in Vietnamese. A Friday Mass is also celebrated at Bethany Homes, 201 S. University Drive, Fargo.
- Saturday Vigil: 5:00 PM (English)
- Sunday: 7:30, 9:00, 10:30 AM (English) and 6:30 PM (Vietnamese)
- Daily: Tue–Fri 6:45 AM, Mon–Thu 5:15 PM, Sat 8:00 AM (English)
- Vietnamese: Mon 8:00 AM, Wed 8:00 PM, Fri 8:00 AM, Sun 6:30 PM
- Friday 10:00 AM Mass at Bethany Homes, 201 S. University Dr.
Faith Formation & Religious Education (K–12)
St. Anthony's faith formation program serves children and teens from kindergarten through 12th grade. Programs are offered on Sundays, Mondays and Wednesdays for elementary students, with a homeschool option and parent-taught First Communion preparation. The parish uses the Church Center online platform for family registration each August.
- Elementary Faith Formation — Classroom (K–5) — Sundays, Mondays or Wednesdays — $80
- Elementary Faith Formation — Homeschool (1–8) — parent taught, online — $50
- First Communion & First Reconciliation (2nd–8th) — parent taught with monthly family sessions — $50
- Amazing Grace — Adaptive Needs Ministry (up to age 17)
- Becoming Catholic for Children — Baptism for youth/teens 7–17
Youth Ministry — EDGE & Life Teen
The parish runs a full middle- and high-school youth ministry track using the popular EDGE and Life Teen models, plus a two-year Confirmation preparation. Programs meet on weeknights and Sunday evenings throughout the school year.
- EDGE (6th–8th grade) — Tuesday evenings — $150
- Life Teen Year One (9th–11th) — Sunday evenings — $150
- Life Teen Discipleship (11th–12th) — Sunday evenings — $150
- Confirmation Year 2 (10th–12th) — Wednesday evenings — $375
Vietnamese Catholic Community
St. Anthony of Padua has become the spiritual home of a thriving Vietnamese Catholic community of approximately 300 faithful in the Fargo Diocese. Weekly Vietnamese-language Masses are offered Mondays at 8:00 AM, Wednesdays at 8:00 PM, Fridays at 8:00 AM, and Sundays at 6:30 PM. Parochial Vicar Rev. Vincent Pham, who speaks Vietnamese, was placed at the parish specifically to serve this community, and since his arrival attendance, altar serving, and music ministry have grown. The community also gathers for language and music lessons, dance groups, traditional cultural events, and devotions in their mother tongue.
- Rev. Vincent Pham serves as Vietnamese-language priest
- Four weekly Vietnamese Masses (Mon, Wed, Fri, Sun)
- Language and music lessons
- Dance groups and traditional cultural activities
- Devotions and Adoration in Vietnamese
- Approximately 300 Vietnamese Catholics served
Outreach & Food Pantry
Generosity to those in need is a defining mark of St. Anthony's. The parish food pantry, overseen by Deacon Stuart Longtin, supplies groceries to local families in need, and the parish prayer chain brings the Eucharist to the homebound. Longtime parishioners describe a culture in which no request for help is turned down.
- Parish food pantry led by Deacon Stuart Longtin
- Pastoral Ministry / Outreach to homebound
- Parish prayer chain
- Reputed 'never been turned down' generosity
Office of Evangelization
Created in the centennial era, the Office of Evangelization is a deliberate effort to help parishioners share their faith beyond the parish walls. Its aim, in the words of a former pastor, is to answer: 'You go to church, you love the Lord, but how do you share that with someone else?' It has been described as 'a template for the future' for parish outreach.
- Helps parishioners move from belief to witness
- Coordinates parish outreach initiatives
Clergy & Staff
St. Anthony's is currently served by a pastor, a parochial vicar, and four permanent deacons. Lay staff oversee Religious Education, Youth Ministry, Music/Liturgy, Communications, and the parish office.
- Very Rev. Gerard Braun — Pastor ([email protected])
- Rev. Vincent Pham — Parochial Vicar ([email protected])
- Deacon Stuart Longtin — Pastoral Ministry/Outreach
- Deacon Terry Fischer
- Deacon Brian Herding
- Deacon Tom O'Keefe
Sacraments & Becoming Catholic
The parish prepares members for all seven sacraments, with formal preparation tracks for Baptism (including during pregnancy), First Communion and Reconciliation, Confirmation, and Marriage. Adults seeking to become Catholic enter the parish through RCIA; children and teens aged 7–17 participate in a special 'Becoming Catholic for Children' track.
- Baptism: register during pregnancy for classes
- Marriage: contact parish office 6+ months in advance
- RCIA for adults; youth track for ages 7–17
- Anointing of the Sick and Communion to the Homebound via Outreach
Centennial Celebration & Sanctuary Renovation (2017)
The parish's 100th anniversary in 2017 was marked by a yearlong celebration that concluded with a closing Mass and dinner on November 18, 2017. Around the same time the sanctuary was renovated to restore original beauty, including reinstating the original baptismal font, and new artwork depicting St. Anthony preaching to the fish was added.
- Yearlong centennial celebration
- Closing Mass November 18, 2017
- Sanctuary restoration to 'original beauty and luster'
- Original baptismal font reinstated
- New artwork of St. Anthony preaching to the fish
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Vincent J. Ryan1917–
First pastor; later Bishop of Bismarck.
- Fr. James Ermer1997–2009
Served 12 years; described the parish as 'proud but not pretentious' and 'a fairly blue-collar parish.'
- Fr. Raymond Courtrightthrough c. 2017
Led the centennial celebration and sanctuary restoration; created the Office of Evangelization.
- Very Rev. Gerard Brauncurrent
Current pastor.