About St Anthony Of Padua · Saint Cloud, Minnesota
St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Parish is a historic Roman Catholic parish located at 2405 1st Street North in Saint Cloud, Minnesota, within the Diocese of Saint Cloud. Founded in 1920 and now more than a century old, the parish belongs to an Area Catholic Community cluster that also includes Holy Spirit Parish and Christ Church Newman Center at St. Cloud State University. The parish operates under the pastoral banner 'Spirit and Saints' alongside its sister parishes, and is led (as of its centennial era) by a pastor with assistance from a pastoral associate, music director, faith formation coordinators, and a finance manager. Its mission is to 'nourish our love of God through Jesus Christ under the guidance of the Holy Spirit,' centered on the Eucharist, prayer, education, worship, and Christian fellowship.
- Established
- 1920
- Patron
- St. Anthony of Padua
- Rector
- Fr. Derek Wiechmann
- Diocese
- Diocese of Saint Cloud
Why belong here
St. Anthony of Padua offers a small, walkable north-side Saint Cloud parish where the Eucharist is at the center of community life, with daily Mass, a robust Eucharistic Adoration schedule in the side chapel, First Friday and First Saturday devotions, and an active quilting and homebound ministry tradition. The parish partners with Holy Spirit and Christ Church Newman Center in the 'Spirit and Saints' Area Catholic Community, giving families access to a regional 'All Called to Christ' faith formation program for K-10, sacramental preparation for Reconciliation, First Eucharist, and Confirmation, RCIA, and a wide range of liturgical ministries (music, lectors, extraordinary ministers, ushers, servers). With plentiful parking, welcoming office hours Monday through Friday, and over a century of Catholic identity, it is a parish where parishioners are invited to grow as 'stewards of God's love' in prayer, education, worship, and fellowship.
Mass times at St Anthony Of Padua
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:00–4:15 PM
- Sunday 7:30 AM
- 1st Friday 6:00 PM
- 1st Saturday 8:30 AM
Adoration times
- Eucharistic Adoration: 6:00 AM–6:00 PM in the Side Chapel (open access)
- Eucharistic Adoration: 6:00 PM–6:00 AM (with key access)
About St. Anthony of Padua Parish
The Church of St. Anthony of Padua in Saint Cloud, Minnesota, is part of the Saint Cloud Diocese and belongs to a cluster of parishes (the 'Spirit and Saints' Area Catholic Community) which includes Holy Spirit and Christ Church Newman Center. Its published mission is to 'nourish our love of God through Jesus Christ under the guidance of the Holy Spirit,' centered in the Eucharist and developed through prayer, education, worship, and Christian fellowship. As the parish's own mission statement puts it, members strive — as stewards of God's love — to share their gifts and talents for the service of God and all God's people.
- Diocese of Saint Cloud
- Spirit and Saints Area Catholic Community
- Sister parishes: Holy Spirit and Christ Church Newman Center
- Located on the north side of Saint Cloud
Parish History & Centennial
St. Anthony of Padua was founded in 1920 and grew through the twentieth century as a north-side Saint Cloud parish, anchored by its church, parish school, and active lay ministries. Bishop Donald Kettler presided at the centennial Mass on December 13, 2020, although most other planned events were curtailed by the COVID-19 pandemic. The centennial committee — Gary Stroeing, Brian Marek, Nancy Zaczkowski, Ida Burt, and Sharon Asselin — used the pandemic period to compile a parish centennial history book. On June 12–13, 2021, parishioners blessed a time capsule and installed it in a column of the gathering space, together with a framed scroll of congratulations from Pope Francis, capping a 100th anniversary celebration marked by both perseverance and gratitude.
- Founded: 1920
- Centennial Mass: December 13, 2020 (presided by Bishop Donald Kettler)
- Time capsule blessed and installed: June 12–13, 2021
- Centennial committee: Gary Stroeing, Brian Marek, Nancy Zaczkowski, Ida Burt, Sharon Asselin
Parish Staff & Clergy
The parish is led by a pastor with support from a parish secretary, pastoral associate, music director, faith formation coordinators, finance manager, and a visitation ministry coordinator. Father Joe Herzing, who grew up on a dairy farm in Milaca, holds a History degree from Metro State University and attended seminary at St. John's University and the University of St. Thomas; he was previously assigned to parishes in the Little Falls area and enjoys stargazing and motorcycle riding.
- Gail Drinkwine — Parish Secretary ([email protected])
- Candace Hostetter — Pastoral Associate ([email protected])
- Janice Wuebkers — Finance Manager ([email protected])
- Linda Paulson — Music Director and K-6 Faith Formation Co-Coordinator
- Jessie Johnson — Visitation Ministry
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Religious education at St. Anthony's is delivered through the 'All Called to Christ' Area Catholic Community-wide Faith Formation Program, which serves public-school children in Grades K-10 from the parishes of Newman Center, Holy Spirit, Saint Anthony, Saint Augustine, Saint John Cantius, and Saint Mary's Cathedral. The program also provides sacramental preparation for all children in the parishes, with hundreds of children and youth taking part each year with the help of parents, clergy, and volunteers. Sacramental preparation for First Reconciliation and First Eucharist takes place in the second grade year, with First Reconciliation usually in December and First Eucharist in April or May. Confirmation preparation begins in 10th grade and allows a flexible timeline; once requirements are completed, students are included in the next Confirmation group. The parish also offers RCIA for adults.
- All Called to Christ Faith Formation (K-10)
- First Reconciliation (Grade 2, December)
- First Eucharist (Grade 2, April/May)
- Confirmation (begins Grade 10)
- RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults)
Sacraments
St. Anthony's prepares children and adults for the sacraments of the Church. First Reconciliation and First Eucharist are celebrated in the second grade year after parish- and cluster-based preparation; Confirmation is prepared for beginning in 10th grade. Adults seeking full initiation are welcomed through RCIA. Families seeking Baptism, Marriage, or other sacraments are invited to contact the parish office at (320) 251-5966.
- Baptism — contact parish office
- First Reconciliation — Grade 2, usually December
- First Eucharist — Grade 2, April or May
- Confirmation — beginning in Grade 10
- RCIA for adults
- Marriage preparation — contact parish office
Parish Ministries
A wide range of lay ministries keep the parish's liturgical and pastoral life running, including liturgical roles at Mass (music, lectors, extraordinary ministers, ushers, and servers) and pastoral outreach such as homebound visitation and the long-running parish quilting group. These ministries give parishioners of all ages a way to put their faith into practice.
- Music Ministry
- Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion
- Lectors
- Ushers
- Mass Servers
- Homebound Visitation Ministry
- Quilting Ministry
Area Catholic Community: Spirit and Saints
St. Anthony of Padua shares pastoral planning and faith formation with two sister parishes — Holy Spirit and Christ Church Newman Center — under the joint brand 'Spirit and Saints.' Faith formation events, sacramental preparation, and other programming are organized across these parishes so that families across the cluster can participate together. The combined office email domain (spiritandsaints.org) reflects this shared identity.
- Sister parish: Holy Spirit
- Sister parish: Christ Church Newman Center (St. Cloud State University)
- Shared faith formation: All Called to Christ
- Shared branding: Spirit and Saints
Notable Facts & Distinctives
A few things make St. Anthony's distinctive in central Minnesota: more than a century of continuous Catholic presence since 1920, a centennial book and time capsule sealed in the gathering-space column in 2021, an active and visible quilting group, and a partnership with the diocesan Newman Center that brings university-age Catholics into the parish's ministry orbit.
- Centennial marked in 2020; closing events and time capsule in June 2021
- Scroll of congratulations from Pope Francis received for the centennial
- Active parish quilting ministry
- Homebound Visitation Ministry under Jessie Johnson
- Historic parish school (adjacent to church), once home to a 1940s bowling alley