St. Anthony of Padua Parish was founded on June 3, 1997. Archbishop Joseph Fiorenza issued the challenge of establishing a new church community and school to serve the needs of Catholic families in The Woodlands, Texas.
Under the leadership of Msgr. George Sheltz, Pastor, the parish took seriously the challenge to open a Catholic school and work began to complete a feasibility study, seek approval from the Archdiocesan Board of Education and write the school’s mission statement.
In September 2000, Renee’ Nunez was hired as the school’s founding principal. She along with the Education Council worked to develop the school’s philosophy, and governing polices. A staff was hired in the spring of 2001 and the doors opened for students on August 16, 2001. Enrollment has grown from 138 in 2001 to over 400.
In August 2005, the school’s operations moved into a permanent home. A gymnasium, stage, specialty classrooms, computer lab, library/media center, clinic, classroom projection systems, enrich programs, services, and activities for students. New athletic fields were constructed in the fall of 2006 and dedicated during National Catholic Schools Week 2007.
Our parish and school are named after St. Anthony of Padua. He is one of the most loved and admired saints in the Catholic Church. He was made a Doctor of the Church by Pope Pius XII in 1946. He first joined the Augustinian Order and then left it and joined the Franciscan Order. He became a Franciscan because of the death of five Franciscans in Morocco, in North Africa. St. Anthony wanted to profess the Catholic Faith with his mind and his heart, at every moment. He is known as the patron saint of lost articles. St. Anthony of Padua was canonized less than one year after his death.