St Anthony of Padua

My wife and I don’t really understand the concerns over parking. We were overwhelmed by the beauty of St Anthony of Padua. Come early so you have time to explore the church. The choir loft gives an incredible view of the sanctuary. Pay attention to the stained glass windows. The priest for our mass was very personable, walking down the isle conversing with patrons before Mass began. We are touring the historic churches of St. Louis and we highly recommend visiting here if you have any interest in seeing a beautiful and historic church stop here and enjoy a Mass.

As the first poster pointed out the beauty of this chuch, and yes i may be a bit biased because i went to school here as a child. I always found this church to be one of the most notable here in st. louis (sure there are more grand and well funded) but not many are visable from different parts of the city like St. A’s. Sure, the neighborhood isn’t what it used to be but many aren’t that does not detract from the beauty of this gothic church. Sadly, both schools have closed and opened in some other fashion but for me the memories of the school, skating rink and the church remain forever.

This has to be one of the most beautiful churches in all of St. Louis. The aisle is loooong (and therefore, perfect for weddings and brides that want to have a nice looong entrance), the stained glass is breathtaking, and the old style alter and pulpit (ok, I’m Catholic, I am not sure if it’s called a pulpit in our church, but you get what I’m talking about, the place where people read from) is carved white wood with a spiral staircase leading up to it. It’s simply a gorgeous church. There’s even an upstairs. This used to be one of the hugest parishes in the city, but over the years, the neighborhood as well as Catholic «participation» diminished, so most masses are fairly empty. Regardless of that fact, the parish has kept this church in impeccable condition.
I almost hate to bring down a star for this, but you have to consider it, the neighborhood is not so stellar. It does make it a slightly less desirable location when you aren’t too thrilled with the prospect of having to leave your car in the parking lot. I have hope this neighborhood will turn around someday because between the architecture and the plain old lay out of the neighborhood, there’s a lot that can be done. Until then, though, I have to keep these factors in mind.