St. Anthony Catholic Church

1900 Huntsville Highway
Fayetteville, Tennessee 37334
Telephone 931-433-6525

Pastors at St. Anthony

Pre-1967 Paulist Fathers

1967-1970 Fr. John Carrigan

1970-1972 Fr. John Otterbacher

1972-1973 Fr. Kent Lewis

1973-1979 Fr. Dennis Holly

1979-1983 Fr. George Mathis

1983-1991 Fr. Tom Field

1991-2001 Fr. Tom McElhinney

2001-2003 Fr. Francois Pellissier

2003-2013 Fr. Jose Kariamadam

2013 - Fr. George Panthananickal

 

(CLICK LINK to open .pdf)  History of St. Anthony Catholic Church

(CLICK LINK to open .pdf)  St. Anthony of Padua

 

Diocese of Nashville Mission Statement

We, the people of the Roman Catholic Church of Middle Tennessee, as stewards of faith, are called to live and proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ by:

Worshipping God in prayer and sacraments, Teaching and preaching the Word of God,
Loving and serving our neighbors.

 

Values

As a community of faith we commit ourselves to the following shared responsibilities:

Fidelity to God and the Church.
Solidarity and unity of purpose.
Sharing our faith, hope, and love.
Welcoming and outreach.
Witness through charity, service, and stewardship.
Respect for freedom, truth, and life.

 

St. Anthony Catholic Church Vision

Guided by the statements from the Diocese of Nashville on Mission and Values, the Parish Pastoral Council has adopted the following vision statement for St. Anthony Parish:

 

· We recommit ourselves to the teaching, the values, and the ministry of Jesus Christ, as Roman Catholics of St. Anthony Parish.

· We welcome young, old, and ethnically diverse families, and seek to be a community of hospitality and solidarity.

· We reach out to those suffering from poverty, bigotry, and injustice, in Lincoln County and northern Alabama.

· We empower our laity to exercise their rightful roles of leadership and ministry as baptized and confirmed Catholics.

· We affirm our youth by providing faith formation and vocational discernment, locally, and through gatherings beyond our Parish.

· We collaborate with our brothers and sisters of other faith traditions in fellowship, service to all ages and needs, with mutual understanding of our Christian call.

· We renew our commitment to rightful stewardship of time, financial resources, and our God-given talents.

 

 

Patron of Lost Articles

St. Anthony and the Lost Manuscript

For a time in his life Brother Anthony lived in a friary in Montpellier, France, where he was a novice instructor.  One of the novices was a restless and unhappy brother named Louis.  Every hour away from teaching and prayer Anthony spent in his cell working on a book of the Psalms.  It was a labor of love that had gone on for years.  One afternoon he took a much needed respite from his work, but returned to find the manuscript gone.  After a diligent search, it was left only for Anthony to pray.
At the same time it came to the attention of all in the friary that Brother Louis was gone too.  What's more, an area farmer had seen him walking away from the Monastery with a bundle under his arm.  Anthony's prayer thus became more that Louis would find his vocation than that he, Anthony, would find his parchments.  When he did pray that the book would be found and his life work salvaged, he compared his situation to a child losing a toy.
Meanwhile, Louis was making his way to Paris to sell the work in his own name and thus gain fame and fortune he felt had eluded him in life.  As he rested on the way on the bank of the river, a wild wind rose, churning the river into a frenzy.  From it's depths a monster came, advancing on Louis with a frightening aspect and warning for him to restore the manuscript, lest he be destroyed.  Frightened and repentant, Louis returned the work to Anthony, who counseled and tutored Louis in his vocation.
Anthony's intercession was credited with the find, and his prayer was requested throughout the monastery whenever anything was lost.  His reputation spread through the area, especially later as he fulfilled a preaching vocation.  He was a preacher of power, whose petition was heard.  Always it was said, "This is the friar who finds lost objects."

Novena Prayer to St. Anthony of Padua

(Repeat this prayer each day for nine consecutive days.)

O Holy St. Anthony, gentlest of Saints, your love for God and Charity for His creatures made you worthy, when on earth, to possess miraculous powers. Miracles waited on your word, which you were ever ready to speak for those in trouble or anxiety. Encouraged by this thought, I implore of you to obtain for me (mention your request). The answer to my prayer may require a miracle, even so, you are the Saint of Miracles. O gentle and loving St. Anthony, whose heart was ever full of human sympathy, whisper my petition into the ears of the Sweet Infant Jesus, who loved to be folded in your arms, and the gratitude of my heart will ever be yours. Amen.