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| St. Anthony Interior, 1965 | St. Anthony Interior, 1990 |
St. Anthony, Bridgeville
St. Anthony in Bridgeville was founded in 1915 as a Lithuanian parish. The history of the church begins with the influx of Lithuanians to Bridgeville before World War I to work in heavy industry, particularly the coal mines. In 1913 a group gathered together to form St. Anthony's Lodge to provide material aid for the Lithuanian families. The Lithuanians soon requested and received permission from the bishop to form a parish. They purchased and renovated a building on Millers Run Road that had formerly served as a Methodist Episcopal Church and named it for St. Anthony.
The first Mass was celebrated there in 1915. The church prospered for the next forty years. In 1960, the existence of the church was threatened by the state's plans to build Interstate 79 through St. Anthony's property. Action by the diocese and parish eventually convinced the state to relocate the highway and saved the church. In the early 1970's, the church was enlarged and completely remodeled. The refurbished church was dedicated on June 20, 1972.
While St. Anthony could fend off highway development, the parish could not fight against the loss of heavy industry in the area and the subsequent loss of population. In 1994, St. Anthony and St. Agatha in Bridgeville were merged to form Holy Child parish. St. Anthony Church is still being used by the new parish as a worship site.
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| St. Anthony Interior, 1965 | St. Anthony Interior, 1990 |
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