The Vision of St. Anthony of Padua Roman Catholic Church is to be the Light of Christ to all people by being of one mind and heart in Jesus Christ.
St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church, a faith community striving for a deepening experience in Jesus Christ, seeks to build up the Kingdom of God through its Catholic identity and sharing of love and generosity.
Worship
God initiates a relationship with us. In this relationship, we experience God in our lives and seek to put God first. We come to God as a person and as an assembly. We respond to God in our relationship with adoration, praise, petition, and thanksgiving. We do this as a person and as an assembly. We do this in sacraments and in personal devotion. [Confer: the Letter to the Hebrews, Sacrosanctum Concilium (Dogmatic Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy) of Vatican Council II]
Body of Christ
God has made us into a single people, a people who acknowledge God in truth and serves God in holiness. (Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, Vatican II) We are a community of faith participating in the community of Christ. Together we strive to be Christ to each other, and with each other we are Christ to the world. [Confer: Romans 12:3-8; 1 Corinthians 12:12-31; Ephesians 1:22-23, Lumen Gentium (Dogmatic Constitution of the Church) of Vatican Council II]
Faith Based Understanding
In the community of Christ, we strive to understand who God is. In the words of St. Anselm of Canterbury, our “faith seeks understanding.” Our understanding is more than intellectual. It is learning God’s ways and living God’s ways. It is being formed into a person and a people who show Jesus Christ in our head (intelligence), heart (emotions) and hands (actions). [Confer: Romans 12:2; 1 Corinthians 2:6-16, Dei Verbum (Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation) of Vatican Council II]
Love
Jesus says, “For I have given you a model to follow, so that as I have done for you, you should also do.” (John 13:15) “This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:35) Because of the love of Christ in us, we reach out to others in love. Together we serve by being courteous, respectful, humble, obedient, and loyal. We appreciate the value and worth of others. We strive to be forbearing, patient, and forgiving in the face of suffering, persecution, and misunderstanding. [Confer: Romans 12:9-21; 1 Corinthians 12:31b-13:13, Gaudium et Spes (Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World) of Vatican Council II]
1. To empower parishioners to be guided by strong Christian ethics and morals.
2. To reach out to each other in a spirit of hospitality and compassion as we would welcome Jesus.
3. To strengthen the vital role of St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church and Parishioners in building the Kingdom of God in the greater Eunice area.