On Saturday, November 19, parishioners will celebrate the 200th Anniversary of St. Anthony’s shrine. Bishop Malooly will celebrate Mass at St. Anthony’s at 4:00 p.m., assisted by former pastors and priests from the area. A reception at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish Center, Thurmont, will continue the celebration.

The church known as St. Anthony Shrine dates from 1897, but the roots of the parish go much further back in time. The records of the Baltimore Archdiocese list St. Anthony Shrine as the oldest parish in central Maryland. The first Catholic families moved into the Emmitsburg area in the 1730s. By 1740, circuit-riding priests, usually Jesuits, came occasionally to say Mass and provide the sacraments to the growing community. They met in private homes or "house chapels". The leading Catholic family of the time was the Elder family whose descendants still live in the Emmitsburg area.

In 1793, Bishop John Carroll of Baltimore assigned Father John DuBois to the pastoral duties of much of central and western Maryland. In 1805 Father DuBois came to Emmitsburg and bought land from the Elder family to build a church on St. Mary’s Mountain. The church, called St. Mary’s Church or The Mountain Church or The Old Church on the Hill, was the forerunner of St. Anthony Shrine.

Church construction began in 1805, two hundred years ago, and was a truly ecumenical effort. Many Protestants, including a Mennonite preacher, took part in the groundbreaking ceremony on November 19. Father DuBois himself wielded an axe and helped to clear the land for the church. The first Mass was celebrated in the new church on August 15, 1806. Father DuBois remained as resident pastor for 21 years. During this time he founded Mount St. Mary’s Seminary in 1808. From 1808 until 1894 the local congregation and the seminary and college students worshipped together at St. Mary’s Church. In 1809 St. Elizabeth Ann Seton came to the area and became one of St. Mary’s early parishioners.

In 1894 the College Council met at Mount St. Mary’s and decided that the local parish would no longer be served by the priests at the college. One of the seminary teachers, Father John Manley, was appointed pastor of the newly independent parish. The Mountain Church needed major repairs, and the community decided to build both a rectory and a new church. To make clear its independent status, the parish was given a new name: St. Anthony Shrine.

The parishioners built the rectory first, beginning in 1895. This building still serves as the rectory 110 years later. Construction on the new church began later; the cornerstone was laid May 2, 1897 and the church was consecrated on October 26, 1897. Archbishop William Henry Elder of Cincinnati, the great-grandson of original settler William Elder, came to say the Mass of consecration. James Cardinal Gibbons came from Baltimore, and two other bishops also assisted at the Mass.

Some furnishings from St. Mary’s were transferred to the new St. Anthony Shrine church and are still in use. They include the six bronze candlesticks above the main altar and the statues of the Blessed Mother, St. Joseph, and the Sacred Heart. The large stained glass window in the choir loft was a gift from the St. Vincent branch of the Emerald Benevolent Association (EBA). This society provided insurance and other benefits to Catholic churches at that time.

As soon as the building of St. Anthony Shrine was complete, the old Church on the Hill was abandoned except for an occasional summer Mass. Even this limited use was stopped in 1900 because of the dangerous condition of the building. Despite its disuse, St. Mary’s Church celebrated its centenary on October 19, 1905. Cardinal Gibbons presided and Pope St. Pius X sent his blessing. Old St. Mary’s was destroyed by fire when its roof was ignited by a toy balloon from a fireworks display on July 4, 1913.

Meanwhile, St. Anthony’s school opened in September, 1903. It was staffed by Daughters of Charity from St. Joseph’s Provincial House in Emmitsburg and was housed in a two-story hall across the road from the church. The hall was donated to the parish by the Emerald Benevolent Association. This school served the Catholics of the area for 53 years until 1956, when Mother Seton School was opened by the Daughters of Charity. The parish school then became St. Anthony’s Hall, providing space for church dinners, meetings, and offices.

From 1987 to 2005, the pastor of St. Anthony Shrine also served as pastor of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish in Thurmont. In June of 2005, the Archdiocese of Baltimore transferred the pastor, Father James Hannon and Cardinal Keeler appointed Sister Joan Maenner as Pastoral Life Director of St. Anthony Shrine and Our Lady of Mt. Carmel. Priests from the Grotto of Lourdes and Mount St. Mary’s assume the liturgical and sacramental duties. The two parishes are also served by a deacon, a director of religious education, a secretary and a secretary bookkeeper. An elected pastoral council brings together lay leaders from both parishes and actively promotes the spiritual, material, and financial welfare of the parishes.

Although Sr. Joan arrived at St. Anthony’s this past July, it was on October 16, 2005, that she was officially installed as Pastoral Life Director by Bishop Mallory. She is responsible for the spiritual welfare of 703 families. About 650 people attend Mass each weekend. The majority of parishioners are under the age of fifty.

Sr. Joan previously served for 14 years at St. Joseph Parish, Midland. Of her new job, she says, "I find myself delighting in the great Faith I see among the parishioners and in their spirit of generosity in contributing time, talent and treasure." Her wishes for the future are first, that we all continue to grow in our Faith and to recognize Jesus in each other; and second, that we find the means to renovate St. Anthony’s sanctuary and to expand the parish center.

St. Anthony Shrine today is a rural Catholic parish in the Baltimore Archdiocese located near Mount St. Mary’s University, just off of Rt. 15 south. The parish buildings - church, rectory, hall, and "the little red schoolhouse" (used for parish meetings) are situated on 16 acres of land. Today, some of the same families whose names appear in the early parish records still serve as active members of St. Anthony Shrine, along with many others who have moved into the area over the years. In 2005, there are 356 families registered in the parish, 943 individual parishioners, and 115 persons actively involved in ministry at St. Anthony Shrine. The oldest Catholic community in central Maryland is facing the future with faith and hope.

To commemorate its 200th anniversary, St. Anthony’s has commissioned Cat’s Meow to make sill sitters of its buildings and has published a pictorial directory and a parish cookbook. It also offers for sale four varieties of wine from Adams County Winery. The wine bottles are labeled with a picture of the Church and the date of the celebration. Memorabilia will be available at the reception or may be ordered from the parish offices 301-447-2367.