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St. Anthony Parish History
1862 In 1862 Rev. F.X. Obermueller of old St. Peter Church, Norwalk, recognized the growing needs of the Catholics of Milan. The present north lot on Main Street, together with a small house which was used for a school and where services were held once a month, was purchased for $185.35. Three years later the adjoining lot on the south, which had served for public cemetery, was added at a cost of $100.00 During that year, one of the large frame warehouses standing near the canal was bought for $400.00 It was carefully taken apart and set up again on this lot. A solid stone foundation was placed under the building, a tower erected, and the whole edifice renovated to suit its future purpose at a total cost of almost $4,000.The church was dedicated to St. Anthony of Padua on November 16, 1866. In 1872 the old school house was torn down and a new school was built. 1875 brought about a new rectory and remodeling of the interior and exterior of the church. In 1922 St. Anthony Church was reassigned from the Cleveland Diocese to the newly created Toledo Diocese. In 1931 St. Anthony's school closed never to reopen. A complete renovation was completed in 1935. In 1978 a new rectory was built and in 1987 a new addition was added to the social hall. We became a parish of 360 families in 2002 and in 2004 we were twinned with St. Mary Church in Norwalk to form a new faith community. St. Anthony Catholic Church celebrated its 150th anniversary in 2016.Present St. Anthony Parish began a two-phase renovation in 2019. Phase one was the installation of the new windows. Plans for Phase II, though delayed in 2020 due to the pandemic, were resubmitted to the bishop to include the raising of the ceiling in the Nave and renovation of the sanctuary. The renovation was completed in 2022. In 2022, St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church became part of the tri-parish community with St. Mary, Mother of the Redeemer Parish and St. Paul the Apostle Parish in Norwalk, with Fr. Anthony Recker as pastor.
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St. Mary Parish History
The cornerstone for the present church for St. Mary, Mother of the Redeemer Parish was laid on September 22, 1889. However, this parish originally for Irish immigrants, began in the early 1850's, with Father Narcissus Ponchell as pastor. Learn more about the history of St. Mary, Mother of the Redeemer Parish by clicking on the link below:St. Mary Parish History
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St. Paul Parish History
Saint Paul the Apostle Parish has a rich history, dating back to 1868 when it was founded as the New Saint Peter Church on North Hester Street, a branch of the Old Saint Peter Church on West Main Street (1841).The present church site at 91 East Main Street was purchased in 1871, and shortly thereafter the church was renamed Saint Paul the Apostle. The cornerstone was laid in 1890, and the church was dedicated in January of 1893. True completion of the church came in 1907 when the present 10 bronze bells were placed in the tower. When completed, the church had a spire more than 170 feet tall, plus a 16-foot gilded cross on the top. This was removed in 1928, and the steeple was configured to look as it does now.Our parish continued to grow. The Fisher family donated many buildings, including the convent, rectory, school, and auditorium in the 1920s, as well as the Shrine of the Sorrowful Mother on West Main Street (the site of the original Saint Peter's), which was built in memory of Mrs. Fisher's parents. The Convocation Center was dedicated in 1994, and the new Parish Center and an addition to the school were blessed in 2006.
The interior of the church has since gone through several renovations, the most recent being in 2014 when the interior was repainted, the statues and Stations of the Cross were repaired and repainted, and the new Our Lady of Guadalupe Chapel was created. In 2016, the ramp and portico were added at the west entrance to enhance accessibility to the church. During the spring of 2025 the original crucifix was placed back in the sanctuary of the church.
Over the years, there has been tremendous ministry shared among the people of our parish and the Norwalk community. Originally, the majority of parishioners were German-speaking. Today, many parishioners are Spanish-speaking, due to the expansion of our Hispanic ministry.St. Paul Parish HistoryShrine of the Sorrowful MotherHistory of the Bells
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