Rev. James D. Conley, D.D., S.T.L. | Diocese of Lincoln website

Members of St. Anthony de Padua Parish in Bruno marked the parish's 125th anniversary on June 29. Bishop James Conley led the Mass and installed Father Caleb Hile as pastor of both St. Anthony Parish in Bruno and Ss. Peter and Paul Parish in Abie.

Following the Mass, attendees gathered for a group photo outside the church. Several family members of Father Hile attended, including his maternal grandmother Nadine Rerucha, who was married at St. Anthony Church in 1957.

The celebration continued with a dinner at the parish hall, where Tom Pohl acted as master of ceremonies. The event featured a video presentation about the parish's history by Mathew Ostry, followed by a dance with music from the Kenny Janak Orchestra held in the parish pavilion. The planning committee included Tom Pohl, Donna Chmelka, Helena Ostry, and Mikayla and Mathew Ostry.

St. Anthony Church was originally built in 1899 with a $1,000 donation from the Anthony A. Hirst family through the Church Extension Society—the first such church built in the United States. Additional funds were raised by a building committee to complete it under Father Thomas Cullen V.F., appointed by Bishop Thomas Bonacum.

Named after St. Anthony of Padua—a Franciscan priest known as "Hammer of Heretics"—the original church was destroyed by a tornado on June 29, 1903. A second church was constructed by 1905 using insurance money and donations collected by Father Francis Zalud and Joseph Yindrick; it cost $15,000 to build.

The third church structure was dedicated on September 7, 1975 during its Diamond Jubilee with Father Stanley Schieffer serving as pastor at that time.

In preparation for its centennial year in 1999, renovations were made including redecorating interiors along with erecting signs displaying mass schedules outside while adding brick mosaics onto front walks too!

Currently serving around fifty families within Butler County today...