HISTORY OF ST. ANTHONY'S
The first Church Community was founded in 1909 by the Claretians. The Most Rev.
Bishop William J. Shaw, of San Antonio, dedicated the original wooden structure
on November 1, 1909. The Church was named Immaculate Heart of Mary.
Immaculate Heart of Mary:It was toppled by hurricanes as many as three
times and as many times the devout parishioners built it up again. That
church was finally destroyed by a cyclone in 1925.
St. Joseph's Mission Church:St. Joseph's was built and dedicated in October of 1926. The church of St.
Joseph's was torn down in July of 1959 to make way for the construction of Highway 81.
The old church, was built and dedicated to St. Anthony
Marie de Claret on December 18, 1960. The
Parish Hall and Catechetical Center were dedicated on December 5, 1984.
Our new church was dedicated on March 28, 2004 by Most Reverend Gregory M.
Aymond, Archbishop of New Orleans.
OUR PATRON SAINT
ST. ANTHONY MARIE DE CLARET, MISSIONARY PREACHER, FOUNDER OF THE CLARETIANS
On October 24th, every year, the Church celebrates the life and works of St.
Anthony Marie de Claret, a Spanish priest, and later Archbishop of Cuba, who
spread the Word of God among the people during troubled times by his teaching,
preaching and organizational ability. He sought to imitate Jesus in every way
possible and thus, by his example, led everyone to know and love God more
deeply.
In 1849, responding to a special call from God, he founded a group of men to
collaborate in his missionary labors. Convinced that Mary, the Mother of God,
was inspiring his new community in the church, Claret named them The
Congregation of Missionaries, Sons of the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
Claret died in exile from his native Spain in Fontfroide, France, on October 24,
1870, but his congregation of Missionaries lives on. Properly known as Claretian
Missionaries, this community of Priests and Brothers serves in 45 countries
worldwide. Its distinguishing ministry to which it is called in today's church
continues to be the proclamation of God's word by which the total mystery of
Christ is communicated to all humanity.
At the present time, devotion to St. Anthony Marie Claret is rapidly spreading
throughout the world, and especially here in America. Reports from all over the
United States, Canada and Mexico attribute very recent and wonderful graces
received through the intercessions of our great Saint. Many of them have to do
with sudden and unexplained recovery from cancer. Twice during his own lifetime,
St. Anthony was personally afflicted with malignancies and miraculously cured
from them through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
