About St. Anthony · Temperance, Michigan
St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church is a Roman Catholic parish in Temperance, Michigan, located at 4605 St. Anthony Road in Monroe County's Bedford Township. The parish was founded in 1907 by Fr. Denis Needham and 87 founding families, with the cornerstone laid on July 4, 1907 and the first Mass celebrated in the basement on November 24 of that year. It belongs to the Archdiocese of Detroit and today offers Mass in both the Ordinary and the Extraordinary (Traditional Latin Mass / NLM) forms, along with Perpetual Adoration, a Christian Service commission, a homeschool co-op, a young adult group, the Knights of Columbus, and an active cemetery ministry. The current administrator is Rev. Robert Slaton, with Theresa Holup serving as Parish Secretary and Grace Ledbetter as Business Manager.
- Established
- 1907
- Patron
- St. Anthony of Padua
- Rector
- Rev. Robert Slaton (Administrator)
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Detroit
Why belong here
St. Anthony of Padua offers a rare combination of the Ordinary Form and the Traditional Latin Mass (NLM) every weekend and on holy days, plus Perpetual Adoration in a chapel built in 1989. The parish is small enough to know your neighbors but active enough to support a Christian Service commission with a food closet, coat drive, holiday food baskets and an Advent Giving Tree, alongside a Knights of Columbus council, a homeschool group, a young adult group, Perpetual Help Devotions on Wednesdays, and a parish-managed cemetery. It's a faithful Temperance community with deep roots going back to 1907 and a long tradition of both devotional and corporal works of mercy.
Mass times at St. Anthony
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Thursday 5:00–6:00pm
- First Saturday 10:00–11:00am (following 9:00am Mass)
- By appointment
Adoration times
- First Friday – 7:00pm Mass followed by Exposition & Benediction
- Perpetual Adoration Chapel (built 1989) – open for ongoing Adoration
Parish History
St. Anthony of Padua Parish was founded in 1907 by Fr. Denis Needham with 87 founding families. The cornerstone was laid on July 4, 1907, but construction was delayed three times before finally beginning; the building was completed in only seven months. The first Mass was offered in the basement on November 24, 1907, with the first Mass in the sanctuary that Christmas. Over more than a century the parish grew to include a school, a separate cemetery, and a 1989 Perpetual Adoration chapel, and marked its centennial with a large stained-glass window in the vestibule.
- 1907 — cornerstone laid July 4; first Mass in basement November 24
- 1907 — first Mass in sanctuary on Christmas
- 1989 — Perpetual Adoration chapel built
- 2006 — Fr. Brian Hurley installed as pastor
- c.2018 — Fr. Robert Slaton becomes administrator/pastor
- Centennial — large stained-glass window installed in vestibule
Parish Staff & Office
The parish is led by Administrator Rev. Robert Slaton and supported by a parish secretary and business manager. Office hours are published on the parish website and contact is by phone or email.
- Rev. Robert Slaton — Administrator / Pastor
- Theresa Holup — Parish Secretary
- Grace Ledbetter — Business Manager (by appointment)
- Office hours: Mon–Thu 10:00am–3:30pm (lunch 12:30–1:30); Fri 10:00am–1:00pm
- Phone: 734-854-1143
- Email: [email protected]
Christian Service & Outreach
The Christian Service Commission is dedicated to meeting the temporal needs of the parish family and surrounding community. Programs include a parish Food Closet, an annual Coat Collection benefiting the Toledo Rescue Mission, a Homebound Service that brings Communion and runs errands, Pro-Life activities in support of Heartbeat of Monroe, Thanksgiving and Christmas Food Baskets, and the Advent Giving Tree. Helping Hands provides funeral luncheons for grieving families.
- Food Closet — restocked on the second Sunday of each month
- Coat Collection — every October (coats, jackets, sweaters, blankets, gloves)
- Homebound Service — visits, Communion calls, errands, transportation to Mass
- Pro-Life Activities — Baby Showers, Mother-Daughter Breakfast, support of Heartbeat of Monroe
- Thanksgiving & Christmas Food Baskets
- Advent Giving Tree
- Helping Hands (Funeral Luncheons) — Coordinator Mary Peterson, 734-279-5372
- Christian Service Coordinator — Linda Sloan, 734-856-5991
Prayer & Devotions
Alongside daily and weekly Mass, the parish hosts several regular devotional gatherings. Perpetual Help Devotions are held every Wednesday evening, with Intercessory Prayer on the first Wednesday of the month. The parish also celebrates a St. Anthony Novena and offers First Friday Mass with Exposition & Benediction.
- Perpetual Help Devotions — every Wednesday 6:15–7:00pm
- Intercessory Prayer — first Wednesday 7:00–8:00pm
- St. Anthony Novena
- First Friday Exposition & Benediction
- Contact — Paul Bazydlo (Prayer Ministry Team)
- Perpetual Adoration Chapel (built 1989)
Faith Formation & Religious Education
St. Anthony provides Religious Education classes for the parish's children. Registration and information for the current program year is posted on the parish website.
- Religious Ed Registration and Information for 2025-2026 — see parish website
- Preparation for First Holy Communion and Confirmation
- Homeschool Group — parish-based homeschool co-op
Parish Groups & Organizations
A number of parish organizations support fellowship, faith, and service. The Knights of Columbus council is active in the parish; a Young Adult Group gathers parishioners in their 20s and 30s; and the Homeschool Group brings together parish families educating at home.
- Knights of Columbus
- Young Adult Group
- Homeschool Group
- Christian Service Commission
- Prayer Ministry Team / Perpetual Help Devotions
- Helping Hands (Funeral Luncheons)
- Cemetery Committee
St. Anthony Cemetery
The parish manages St. Anthony Cemetery, located three miles east of the church on Erie Road between Secor and Douglas. A Cemetery Committee oversees its upkeep and maintenance, and published rules and regulations, lot pricing, and perpetual-care policies are available from the parish office.
- Location: Erie Road between Secor and Douglas (Temperance)
- Operated by St. Anthony Parish
- Cemetery Committee meets as needed
- Lot pricing and rules available from the parish office
- Perpetual care included in lot price
Architecture & Sacred Art
The church building reflects a traditional Catholic interior with a vaulted ceiling and many arches. Painted Stations of the Cross line the nave, and the main altar is crowned by a Deposition of Christ and sheltered by a baldachin bearing the Descent of the Holy Spirit. Side altars depict the Immaculate Conception and St. Anthony with the Child Jesus, while niches hold Our Lady of Guadalupe, St. Thérèse of Lisieux, Our Lady Help of Christians, the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and St. Joseph.
- Vaulted ceiling with arches throughout
- Painted Stations of the Cross (showing age)
- Deposition of Christ above the main altar
- Baldachin with Descent of the Holy Spirit over the main altar
- Side altars — Immaculate Conception; St. Anthony with Child Jesus
- Niches — Our Lady of Guadalupe, St. Thérèse, Our Lady Help of Christians, Sacred Heart of Jesus, St. Joseph
- Stained-glass windows (matching those at St. Joseph, Ida)
- Centennial stained-glass window in the vestibule
- 1989 Perpetual Adoration chapel between vestibule and main church
Funerals & Sacramental Information
Funeral Masses are scheduled with the parish office, and published fees for organist and customary offerings are listed on the cemetery page. Helping Hands, the parish funeral luncheon ministry, provides hospitality to mourners after the funeral of a registered family.
- Organist fee: $150.00 (payable to Eric Hite)
- Offering to the priest: at the family's discretion (payable to Fr. Robert Slaton)
- Offering to the church: at the family's discretion
- Altar Servers — gratis (arranged through the parish office)
- Helping Hands provides funeral luncheons
Contact & Visit
Parishioners and visitors can reach St. Anthony by phone, email, or in person during office hours. The parish is located on St. Anthony Road in Temperance, Michigan, in Monroe County, and serves the surrounding Bedford Township community and beyond.
- Address — 4605 St. Anthony Road, Temperance, MI 48182
- Phone — 734-854-1143
- Fax — 734-854-4622
- Email — [email protected] (also [email protected])
- Website — https://www.stanthonytemperance.org/
- Office hours — Mon–Thu 10:00am–3:30pm; Fri 10:00am–1:00pm
- Part of the Archdiocese of Detroit (parish #164)
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Denis Needham1907 (founding)
Founding pastor; led 87 founding families. Directed construction of the church which was finished in seven months.
- Fr. Brian Hurley2006–c.2018
Installed as pastor in 2006; served two terms before being installed as pastor of Immaculate Conception in Lapeer.
- Fr. Robert Slatonc.2018–present
Succeeded Fr. Hurley as administrator/pastor of St. Anthony.