 |
|
|
Sterling parish to mark 100th anniversary
By Adrianne Carter
The Catholic Church has a long history in northeastern Colorado. However, it wasn’t until 1911 that the Catholics of Sterling found a permanent home in St. Anthony of Padua Church.
Since that time, St. Anthony’s has become a Sterling landmark and a tribute to the hard work and dedication of the people in northeastern Colorado. This year, that landmark turns 100 years old.
In 1887, Father William J. Howlett took the entire northeastern plains of Colorado under his wing as their pastor. A year later he built the small St. John the Baptist Church on Walnut Street.
In 1908, Sterling became an independent parish and Bishop Nicholas Matz appointed Father Peter U. Sasse to become Sterling’s first resident priest.
The 75 founding parishioners and Father Sasse, decided to name the new parish St. Anthony’s, in honor of the patron saint of Anthony Giacomini, one of the oldest settlers of the church. The next step for the pastor and founders was the building of a new church home to house their ever-growing parish.
The cornerstone of St. Anthony’s was placed at South Third and Cedar streets on April 2, 1911. On Nov. 5 of that year, the church was completed, a dedication ceremony was performed and the parishioners spent the day in celebration.
A century later the current parishioners of St. Anthony’s will spend the weekend of June 11-12 in celebration and in the rededication of their church and their faith.
Father Robert Wedow, current pastor at St. Anthony’s, reflected on this sacred time for the parish. “It’s a great opportunity to sit back and reflect on the people who came, and all the work that was done for the church, and the huge legacy of the families,” he said.
“All of that brings us to the 100-years celebration, to recognize that we are not the first ones to have an encounter with Jesus Christ. ... We have received something that has been handed on for thousands and thousands of years and this faith continues to have its effect in the church and the community.”
On the weekend of June 11-12 the parish will also be marking the feast of St. Anthony, the namesake of the parish. St. Anthony was a 13th-century Franciscan priest who was known for his simple and resounding instruction of the Catholic faith and his desire to do so for the glory of God alone. He is the patron saint of lost articles.
Father Wedow, who has been with St. Anthony’s since 2007, will be celebrating an anniversary of his own during the centennial celebration: he was ordained a priest for the Denver Archdiocese 10 years ago, on June 9, 2001. Reared in Littleton, after high school graduation he enlisted in the U.S. Navy. Upon completing boot camp and starting Nuclear Power School, he was selected to attend the Naval Academy Prep School, which gives sailors the academic background needed to enter the U.S. Naval Academy.
After graduation from the Naval Academy, he went on to serve on the USS Sterett and the USS Tarawa. After completing his service he resigned his commission and entered seminary, where he studied for six years before his ordination.
The centennial anniversary is set to be a celebration of faith and parish family. The weekend will begin with a special Mass of Rededication celebrated by Auxiliary Bishop James D. Conley at 3:30 p.m. Saturday, June 11. The evening will include a specially catered dinner, speakers Ed and Eddie Reinhardt and a Dutch Hop.
On Sunday afternoon, Mike McGlinn, of Catholic Athletes for Christ, will speak and put on a musical performance at 4 p.m. in the school gym. McGlinn’s presentation will be followed by a Founder’s Feast. The anniversary celebration will end after dinner with a special “Roast the Priest” that will include some of Father Wedow’s family and fellow priests.
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||