The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-10-18
MINNEAPOLIS.
OFFICE o5 SOUTH FOURTH STREET.
Ut LOOKS LIKE NEW.
st. Anthony OF Padua Church Is
Reconstructed.


Rev. Father O'Reilly conducted SER
vices in the reconstructed Church OF
ST. Anthony of Padua, yesterday morn
ing and evening. In the morning he
spoke upon the topic, 1.-The Church"
and in the evening conducted vesper
services. These services were the first
held in the church for two months.
During this time great alterations have
been made, and those who attended the
services yesterday hardly recognized
the edifice in which they had been Wor-
Shipping for many years.
The Church of ST. Anthony of Pa
Qua, is the oldest church in Mime
apolis, and was organized at the time
when the settlement at the falls was
known at st. Anthony, and the name
Minneapolis was still unknown. Up to
two months ago the church presented
practically the same appearance as
when it was built forty years ago. The
history of the church is an interesting
one.
In 1926, when this region was includ-
ed in the diocese of Archbishop Henry,
of Milwaukee, Father Gaultier was sent
here as a missionary priest, and tWo
years later Father RavouX, then sta
toned at Mendoza, the oldest towE in
the state, was, by a Frenchman named
Bottineau, given the site upon which
the church and other parochial build
ings now stand. This is two and Il nalf
acres, and embraces the entire block
bounded by Eighth aud Ninth avenues
north, Main and Second streets. In
1849 a small frame church was built
and named in honor of st. Anthony,
the patron saint of the expedition led
by Father Louis Hennepin in 1889,
when the great fails known the world
over as the Falls Of st. Anthony were
named.
The first resident pastor was Father
LedOn, who assumed charge in 1861. He
was a Frenchman, and came to The
upper Mississippi at the inyi alton Ct
Bishop Loras of Dubuque. lie was
succeeded four years later by Father
Fayolle. Father Fayolle commenced
the erection of the old stone church.
which, until two months ago, served
the congregation. The dimensions
were 65 by 40 feet, which remain I'M
changed by the Improvement The
next pastor was Father John McT>, =
mott, who arrived IN 1850 and remained
until 1866. He completed the building
and erected the parochtal school, also
the first in the city.
He was succeeded by Father TisSot lie
erected the parochial residence, now occu-
pied by the present pastor and ENLARGED III,
school that it could accommodate $50 chill
dren. For twenty-five years Father Ttssot
served the congregation, from 1866 to 1883,
AFTER Whlcn time ne retired TO the Dominl
can convent in South MINNEAPOLIS, where he
remained until his death. Father OReily
the present pastor came 10 the church in
1885 as assistant to Father Tissot, and sue
cceeded him in 1888. His twelve years pas
torate have been successful, and valuable i'm
provements, other than the recent one, have
been the result of his energies. In 1890,
through his eXertions. st. Anthony hall was
erected at a cost of $4,000. The schools at
present are attended by 425 children, and
they under the care of eight teachers
nj sic
tiers. Father OReily is a promoter and
champion of total abstinence and many So
cieties have been organized through his Of
fortss
His last work will stand as monument to
his memory. The material used in the new
construction is Menominee red pressed bIlck.
Two towers have been built. each 100 feet
high surmounted by plain gold crosses over
the entrance will be a Iifa-siAe statue Of St
Anthony. All the ir+acor work, including
pews, is antique oak finish.