About St. Anthony of Padua · Wells, Michigan
St. Anthony of Padua is a small Roman Catholic parish serving the community of Wells, a village in Delta County in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. It is part of the Diocese of Marquette and is administered in partnership with St. Thomas the Apostle Parish in neighboring Escanaba, sharing the same pastor, office phone, parish secretary, and Facebook page. The parish was established in 1949, carved out of the territory of the historic St. Joseph Parish in Escanaba, and today offers a weekly Sunday Mass along with Saturday confessions. St. Anthony is one of the four parishes that together support Holy Name Catholic School in Escanaba.
- Established
- 1949
- Patron
- St. Anthony of Padua
- Rector
- Rev. Joseph Boakye Yiadom
- Diocese
- Diocese of Marquette
Why belong here
St. Anthony of Padua offers the people of Wells a Catholic home of their own — a parish with a Sunday Mass, regular Saturday confessions, and a direct link into the wider life of the Diocese of Marquette through its partnership with St. Thomas the Apostle in Escanaba. Parishioners are also part of the four-parish coalition that sustains Holy Name Catholic School in Escanaba, helping pass on the faith to the next generation of Upper Peninsula Catholic kids. For Catholics in the Wells area, St. Anthony is a small but historically rooted community where faith, family, and the rhythm of weekly Sunday Mass are woven together.
Mass times at St. Anthony of Padua
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday: 10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
History of St. Anthony of Padua, Wells
The parish grew directly out of a post-WWII housing boom in Wells, Michigan. As the Escanaba Paper Company expanded and employees bought homes and lots in the village, Bishop Francis J. Magner recognized that many Catholics were missing Sunday Mass because they had no easy way to reach the parishes of Escanaba three miles away. Local families — especially Mr. Hubert Shepeck, John Greis, and Louis Dufour — donated a building, materials, and labor to create a chapel of convenience. The little mission chapel was dedicated June 16, 1946, and on February 13, 1949, Father Ralph Sterbentz announced that St. Anthony Church had been formally established as an official parish of the Diocese of Marquette. The parish shortly afterward bought about 9.3 acres from Frank Wawirka with 350 feet of frontage on County Road 42 in preparation for a larger church.
- Chapel dedicated June 16, 1946, named for St. Anthony of Padua
- Named because 1946 was the year St. Anthony of Padua was proclaimed Doctor of the Church (Doctor Ecclesiae)
- Original worship space: a converted garage of the old bunk house donated by Mr. Hubert Shepeck
- Altar and pews built by John Greis and Louis Dufour; lumber also donated by Shepeck
- Elevated to official parish on February 13, 1949, under Fr. Ralph Sterbentz
- Original parish grounds: ~9.3 acres on County Road 42, purchased from Frank Wawirka
- Planning Committee included Gilbert Pilon, Joseph Berube, Joseph Bussineau, Adolph LeHouillier, William Casey, and Lester Noel
St. Anthony and the Catholic Church in Delta County
St. Anthony of Padua belongs to the long Catholic story of Delta County. The whole region was originally evangelized from St. Joseph Parish in Escanaba, founded in 1865 by Father Sebastian Duroc on the orders of Bishop Frederic Baraga — the mother parish of every Catholic church in the county. As Escanaba grew, Bishop Thomas Noa decided that more parishes were needed on the north side of town and beyond, and in 1948 he established St. Thomas the Apostle in Escanaba, with St. Anthony of Padua in Wells following a year later in 1949, both carved out of St. Joseph's territory.
- Mother parish of Delta County: St. Joseph, Escanaba, founded 1865 by Fr. Sebastian Duroc
- Sister parish: St. Thomas the Apostle, Escanaba, established 1948
- St. Anthony of Padua, Wells, established 1949
Pastor and Parish Leadership
St. Anthony of Padua is currently administered by Rev. Joseph Boakye Yiadom as Pastor/Administrator, in tandem with St. Thomas the Apostle Parish in Escanaba. The two parishes share parish office staff — Beth Sviland serves as the parish secretary reachable at [email protected] — and share the phone line at (906) 786-4627. The parish's founding pastor, Father Ralph Sterbentz, oversaw St. Anthony's transition from mission chapel to official parish in 1949; Fr. Rick Courier was pastor of the linked St. Thomas / St. Anthony parishes as of 2015.
- Current Pastor/Administrator: Rev. Joseph Boakye Yiadom
- Parish Secretary: Beth Sviland
- Phone (shared with St. Thomas the Apostle): (906) 786-4627
- Founding Pastor (1949): Fr. Ralph Sterbentz
- Pastor as of 2015 (linked with St. Thomas): Fr. Rick Courier
Faith Formation & Holy Name Catholic School
Although St. Anthony of Padua itself is a small mission-style parish, it is one of the four parishes that together support Holy Name Catholic School in Escanaba. The other supporting parishes are St. Anne Parish, St. Joseph & St. Patrick Parish, and St. Thomas the Apostle Parish. Holy Name Catholic School, located at 409 South 22nd Street in Escanaba, provides Catholic elementary education to children from across the greater Escanaba/Wells area.
- Holy Name Catholic School, 409 South 22nd Street, Escanaba
- Phone: (906) 786-7550
- Website: www.holynamecrusaders.com
- Four supporting parishes: St. Anne, St. Joseph & St. Patrick, St. Thomas the Apostle, and St. Anthony of Padua
Visiting, Contact, and Location
St. Anthony of Padua sits in the small village of Wells in Delta County in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Its street address is on North 3rd Street in Wells, while parish mail, the bulletin, and most administrative work are handled through its sister parish, St. Thomas the Apostle, in Escanaba. A shared Facebook page — "St. Thomas the Apostle – St. Anthony of Padua Churches" — is the place to follow news, schedules, and bulletins for both parishes together.
- Street Address: 6596 N. 3rd St., Wells, MI 49894
- Mailing Address: c/o St. Thomas the Apostle, 1820 Ninth Ave. N, Escanaba, MI 49829
- Phone: (906) 786-4627
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: dioceseofmarquette.org/st-anthony-of-padua-wells
- Bulletin link: St. Anthony Bulletins (via Diocese of Marquette)
- Facebook: facebook.com/St-Thomas-the-Apostle-St-Anthony-of-Padua-Churches
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Ralph Sterbentz1949–
Announced the formal establishment of St. Anthony Church as an official parish on February 13, 1949.
- Fr. Rick Courier
Pastor of St. Thomas the Apostle, Escanaba and St. Anthony of Padua, Wells as of 2015.