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 "We the vibrant, faith-filled, loving, and caring
community of culturally diverse, predominately African-American families of
Saint Anthony of Padua Catholic Church, the only Catholic Church in the
historic West End community of Atlanta, GA (established September, 1903),
respond to the call for stewardship by giving our gifts of time, talent, and
treasure to build up God's church and his people. Guided and inspired by the
Holy Spirit, we seek to be a beacon of hope in the community through
outreach, volunteerism, and spreading the Good News of Jesus to all. As a
Church family, we strive to collectively share the responsibility of
continuing the mission of Jesus to heal, to reconcile, and to serve. We
welcome all people and invite others to understand, appreciate, and enjoy
our traditions of faith and worship as we grow in unity, walk in faith
toward the future, and celebrate Christ as our Lord and Savior." (Saint
Anthony of Padua Catholic Church Mission, Atlanta, GA).
 Saint Anthony of Padua Catholic Church has a
rich history of faith, service, and Christian witness in the West End of
Atlanta, GA spanning over the past 100 years. The idea of building a
Catholic church in the West End was conceived in 1902 by Mrs. Esther LaRose
Harris, wife of Joel Chandler Harris, the famous author of the Uncle Remus
stories. Mrs. Harris and a group of her Catholic women friends met at her
home (The Wren's Nest) to discuss the lack of satisfactory transportation to
a Catholic Church and schools to meet the needs of Catholic families in the
West End community (Atlanta, GA). As a result of their meeting, the women
organized the Catholic Ladies Aid Society and were able to convince church
leaders to establish a church in the West End.
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