PARISH MISSION STATEMENT

We, the members of St. Anthony of Padua Parish, strive to live out our faith as Christians in the Roman Catholic Church. Influenced by Franciscan spirituality, we see ourselves as a caring community, drawing from the strength and tradition of those who have gone before us, the wisdom of our senior members and the energy of our younger members. We see St. Anthony's Church and its merged school as a cornerstone in our changing neighborhood in South St. Louis.

We believe that our faith is our common bond; that all of us are made in the image and likeness of God; and, as such, possess a dignity and potential that is to be respected. We are called to be signs of God's love to each other and to all we meet. We believe our strength and nourishment come from the Church's ministry of Word and Sacrament.

Having experienced God's grace, we commit ourselves to announcing to others God's love for them. We will face the future by reaching out and serving the needy, by fostering spiritual growth in our families, by educating our children in Christian values, by welcoming visitors and strangers into our community, and by joyfully facing the challenges of our neighborhood. We value openness rather than negative criticism and reconciliation rather than materialism, selfishness and prejudice. We want to become a parish family with a care and concern that is characteristic of family members.