About All Saints Parish

Three years later, Bishop Francis S. Chatard received a petition from 150, mostly poor, German families from Holy Trinity Church requesting the organization of a new parish. Saint Antonius Kirche, or Saint Anthony Church, became the sixth Catholic parish in Evansville.

In 1888, Rev. Joseph Schuck, a 23 year-old native of Germany, became the first pastor and began plans for a school that would house a provisional church on the second floor. Within weeks, Father Schuck was forced to step down as pastor because of poor health and was replaced by Rev. Kasper Seiler.

While the church-school was being built, Mrs. Reis provided Father Seiler a temporary room in her home and offered the use of her attic for church services. On June 13, 1888, the Feast of Saint Anthony, the new parish celebrated its first Mass and continued to hold services in the attic for the next four months. On November 4, 1888, Mass was held for the first time in the new parish building.

The parish grew so rapidly that preparations soon began for the construction of a larger church, separate from the school. Brother Adrian O.S.F., a renowned architect from Saint Louis, was chosen to design the church.

On Pentecost Monday, May 25, 1896, the church was ready for its formal consecration. The ceremony began at 7 a.m. and was attended by more than 25 priests from Southern Indiana, Illinois and Kentucky. Members of Evansville’s Catholic parishes assembled at Holy Trinity Church and paraded to Saint Anthony to attend the Pontifical High Mass. The 290 families in the new parish pledged $17,000 for the new church, and donations from other parishes and pew rent (a payment for the right to sit in the same pew each Sunday) would help offset the remainder of the costs.

In 1888, the Sisters of St. Francis of Oldenburg, Indiana were called to conduct school. The Franciscans would represent the only religious order teaching at Saint Anthony until 1975. In 1927, enrollment at the school had grown to approximately 400 pupils and a new school and parish building was built and dedicated in June of 1932. Saint Anthony School continued to serve school families until 1987. That year due to declining enrollment, Saint Anthony School consolidated with St. Joseph School as Ascension Elementary School. One year later, Ascension School closed.

Today, Saint Anthony’s Church has been restored to its former splendor. The parishioners continue their mission to serve the poor in Evansville.  The former school is now known as the Center for Family Life, or CFL, and is home to the church cafeteria, gym, chapel, meeting rooms, and Parish Offices.