Welcome to St. Anthony
Since 1858 our Parish has been the worshipping Catholic Community on the north end of Effingham.
We are a vibrant parish of 1300 families, blessed with many spirit-filled “intentional disciples” committed to their personal journey with Jesus.
We are guided by our Parish Mission, Vision, and Values as we work together to become more intentional in our Faith.
Come be our guest, better yet – come join our family. Encounter Christ with us and then Joyfully tell the Good News with us, as well.
Peace,
Fr. Peter Harman, Pastor
Our Mission
Forming lifelong intentional disciples of Jesus Christ within His Church.
Our Vision
Becoming fully alive for the glory of God, leading all to heaven
Our Core Values
- We believe in the One True God, the Holy Trinity, as proclaimed in the Nicene Creed.
- We worship our Father Almighty in spirit and truth to show honor and reverence to Him.
- We offer prayer, adoration and awe pleasing to God especially through the sacraments.
- We acknowledge the Eucharist as the source and summit of our Catholic faith.
- We reject Satan and all his works that appear as distracting false gods of our secular culture.
- We center our formation on Jesus Christ and the Catholic Church.
- We believe in the holistic development of the mind, body, and soul through the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
- We look at the world through the lens of our Catholic faith.
- We believe in active formation through our schools, equipping students for their life journey as Catholics and their role in evangelization.
- We believe in ongoing formation for adults, fostering them for evangelization.
- We experience true joy in humble gratitude of God’s mercy and secure peace from our relationship with Jesus.
- We are alive in the Holy Spirit and align our life with God’s will.
- We live a life of significance to gain ultimate joy in heaven.
- We do not grow tired of doing good, working hard every day for what we love.
- We recognize that if we endure to the end, we will be saved.
- We use our gifts to give glory and honor to God as we long and prepare for eternal life in Heaven.
- We stand firm knowing the Lord is with us.
- We model the love and mercy of Christ in our words, actions, intentions, and relationships.
- We act with honesty, integrity, and honor in all that we do.
- We demonstrate humility in our daily work and interactions.
- We use the gifts God has given us and multiply them for His glory.
- We look for opportunities to actively serve our parish and those in need.
- We believe the use of time, talent and treasure is our way of being.
- Through our personal relationship with Jesus Christ, we strengthen our parish family.
- We come together to celebrate and support our parish family and schools.
- We follow the teachings of the Gospel and the foundations put before us by the universal Catholic Church.
- We honor the customs and beliefs of our previous generations.
- We continue the commitment to Catholic education and formation as established by our founding families.
History
Established in 1858, St. Anthony is the oldest church in Effingham, with a story rich in tradition. Take a walk through our highlights below.
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