About St. Anthony · Wichita, Kansas
St. Anthony Catholic Church in Wichita, Kansas is one of the oldest Catholic parishes in the city, established in 1886 to serve immigrant German Catholic families. Originally named St. Boniface Parish, it became St. Anthony in 1905 when the current German Romanesque church at the corner of Ohio and Second Street was completed and dedicated. The parish is a bilingual, multicultural community with strong Vietnamese and English-speaking congregations, served today by Father Benjamin N. Nguyen, a 'priest-son' of the parish. Designated a Wichita Historic Landmark in 1988 and recognized by the Kansas Preservation Alliance for its meticulous restoration, St. Anthony's continues a 140-year-old immigrant-rooted Catholic tradition in downtown Wichita.
- Established
- 1886
- Patron
- St. Anthony of Padua
- Rector
- Rev. Benjamin N. Nguyen
- Diocese
- Diocese of Wichita
Why belong here
St. Anthony's is a bilingual, multicultural Catholic community rooted in 140 years of Wichita history — one of the city's oldest parishes — and home to both English-speaking and Vietnamese Catholic congregations worshipping side by side. The parish nurtures community through Vietnamese-language classes, choirs, youth groups, the Legion of Mary, the Eucharistic Youth Movement, altar societies, and the famous St. Anthony Dragon Dance team. Worshippers can attend Mass in English, Vietnamese, or (historically) Latin, in a beautifully restored 1905 German Romanesque landmark church at the heart of downtown Wichita.
Mass times at St. Anthony
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:00 PM – 3:45 PM
- Saturday after the 5:30 PM Mass (English or Vietnamese)
Adoration times
- Tuesday through Friday, 12:05 PM (Adoration)
- First Wednesday of the month: 8:00 AM Vietnamese Mass, followed by Adoration until 6:00 PM
Parish History
St. Anthony Parish was established in 1886 to serve the immigrant German Catholic families in the Wichita area. Originally named St. Boniface Parish, the first church was built on the northeast corner of Ohio and Second with $2,000 collected from the German parishioners. In 1890, German-speaking Franciscan priests assumed care of the parish. The current German Romanesque church was completed and dedicated on September 17, 1905, and the parish was renamed St. Anthony after a 13th Century Franciscan saint.
The 1905 Church and Its Restoration
Construction began in 1902 on the present church at the southeast corner of Ohio and Second. Its architectural spirit is German Romanesque, a fusion of Gothicism and Romanesque forms peculiar to Northern Europe. After years of deferred maintenance, the parish began a major restoration in 1999; the interior phase beginning in 2005 reproduced the original 1905 stenciling and artwork based on a black-and-white photograph, with new ceiling lunettes depicting two Vietnamese martyrs. The restored church reopened for First Mass on December 14, 2005.
- Designated a Wichita Historic Landmark in 1988
- Golden Medallion Award, Kansas Preservation Alliance, 2007
- Special Project Award, Arts Council of Wichita/Sedgwick County, 2007
- Restoration artwork led by Robert Elliott of Art Effects, L.L.C. and muralist Karl-Heinz Meschbach
The Vietnamese Catholic Community
After 1975, Vietnamese immigrants fleeing the fall of South Vietnam came to Wichita and, like the Germans a century before, wanted their own facility and liturgy in their own language. In 1991, the Vietnamese Catholic Community moved from St. Patrick Parish to St. Anthony under their priest Fr. Hung Quoc Pham, transforming the long-vacant former parish school into the Vietnamese Activity Center. Over 44 years the community has contributed eight priests and four Dominican sisters to the wider Church.
- Vietnamese Community at St. Anthony since 1991
- Eight Vietnamese priests ordained from the community (1989–2013)
- Four Dominican sisters from the community (2002–2014)
Parish Ministries and Groups
St. Anthony's parish life is shaped by Vietnamese and English-speaking ministries working together, including youth, music, prayer, and Marian groups. The parish also runs a Vietnamese language school that has been in continuous operation since 1992.
- St. Theresa Choir
- St. Anthony Dragon Dance Team (founded 1993)
- Vietnamese Teaching Program
- Eucharistic Youth Group (since 1986)
- Catholic Youth Group (CYG) St. Peter
- Legion of Mary
- Hội Liên Minh Thánh Tâm (Sacred Heart Society)
- Hội Các Bà Mẹ Công Giáo (Catholic Mothers' Society)
- Praying of the Holy Rosary groups
Visiting and Contact
St. Anthony Catholic Church is located at 1214 E. 2nd St., Wichita, KS 67214. The parish office can be reached at 316-269-4101 or by email at [email protected]. The historic 1905 church sits at the southeast corner of Ohio and 2nd Street, with the former 1915 parish school (now the Vietnamese Activity Center) across the street.
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Franciscan Priests (German-speaking)1890–1988
Order withdrew from Kansas parishes in 1988 due to priest shortage; diocesan priests took over.
- Fr. Hung Quoc Pham1989–2015
Vietnamese priest who led the Vietnamese Catholic Community's move from St. Patrick to St. Anthony in 1991; beloved pastor for over 26 years; reassigned by Bishop Carl Kemme in 2015.
- Rev. Benjamin Nhat Nguyen2015–present
Ordained October 22, 2005; priest-son of St. Anthony parish.