Lithuanians in Ansonia sought to establish an ethnic parish when they incorporated a lodge of the Lithuanian Society of St. Anthony in 1907. Bishop John J. Nilan of the Diocese of Hartford rebuffed their request, insisting that the Lithuanians remain within Assumption parish. The Lithuanians began to build a church in 1912 without episcopal approval, hoping that the bishop would reverse his decision, but he maintained his previous position. In 1915, an appeal directly to Rome succeeded and St. Anthony parish was given sanction by the Pope to operate as an independent parish. St. Anthony’s Church was dedicated on Thanksgiving Day 1915 by Father Matthew Pankus of Bridgeport.
Update: In 2015, the church celebrated its 100th anniversary and then closed.
Celebrating St. Anthony’s 100th Anniversary Mass at 12:00 Noon
on Sunday, November 22, 2015.
St. Anthony Church will be closed after 100 years.
It’s 2001 revised Vision Statement stated:
St. Anthony is a Catholic Parish of Sons and Daughters of the one True God, united by one Baptism, committed to the Spiritual Leadership of our Community as the Living Body of Christ.
The closing Celebration of the Eucharist will be on Sunday,
November 29, 2015.