Amanda Vessel, “The Making of a Landmark: St. Anthony’s Cathedral, Beaumont, Texas”, Touchstone, Flight. XIX (2000), 48-58.
This article explores the history and symbolic and cultural significance of the Cathedral of Saint Anthony in Beaumont, Texas. Amanda Vessel affirms that this Catholic Church has a special meaning for its parishioners. The physical appearance of Saint Anthony is very symbolic. The plant is in the shape of a cross and the statues and other works of art represent many principles of the Catholic faith.
Before 1897, and the arrival of Father William Lee, the Catholic Church in Beaumont, St. Louis, was very small and spartan. In 1901, the discovery of oil caused an influx of people and businesses related to oil. As a result, St. Louis became too small to accommodate the growing Catholic population, and Father Lee proposed building a new church. This church was built to Father Lee’s design and was dedicated in January 1907 in honor of Saint Anthony of Padua. Next, Father Lee opened a new elementary school and the old school was moved to a convent for the nuns who taught in the schools. Father Lee did not live to see the completion of elementary school in September 1918; he died in July of that year and was buried in San Antonio at the foot of the altar.
Father EA Kelly, successor to Father Lee, came to Beaumont while the city was still experiencing economic prosperity from the oil boom. He decided to build a new convent for the nuns at a cost of $ 25,000. More construction projects included a brick rectory in 1922, a high school in 1926, and an outdoor recreation area in 1928. In 1937, Father Kelly began restoring and decorating the interior of St. Anthony. Father Kelly added oil paintings and stained glass at a cost of $ 32,000. In 1953, a new elementary school was built to accommodate a growing enrollment of students. This school cost $ 400,000 and is still in use today.
Monsignor Kelly retired from his position as pastor of San Antonio in August 1954 and passed away six months later. His successor, Reverend George Black, built a new high school and convent in 1961. In 1972, Father Marvin Enderle began restoring the interior of the church and added a parking lot for the church in 1979. In 1995, under the Under Father Beenie Patillo, St. Anthony’s had developed a parish center.
The evolution of Saint Anthony from a Spartan church to the beautiful structure that is a historical landmark in Beaumont involved many different pastors and generations of Catholic parishioners. San Antonio is more than a place of worship; the church is involved in numerous aspects of the lives of its parishioners. Therefore, Saint Anthony is very important to the Catholics of Beaumont.