| Amanda Vessel, "The Making of a Landmark: | | | | $25,000. More building projects included a |
| St. Anthony's Cathedral, Beaumont, Texas," | | | | brick rectory in 1922, a high school in 1926, |
| Touchstone, vol. XIX (2000), 48-58.This | | | | and an outdoor recreation area in 1928. In |
| article explores the history and symbolic and | | | | 1937, Father Kelly began restoring and |
| cultural significance of St. Anthony's | | | | decorating the interior of St. Anthony's. |
| Cathedral in Beaumont, Texas. Amanda Vessel | | | | Father Kelly added oil paintings and stained |
| asserts that this Catholic Church has special | | | | glass windows at a cost of $32,000. In 1953, |
| meanings for their parishioners. St. | | | | a new grammar school was constructed to |
| Anthony's physical appearance is very | | | | accommodate an increasing student enrollment. |
| symbolic. The floor plan is shaped like a | | | | This school cost $400,000 and is still in use |
| cross and the statues and other works of art | | | | today.Monsignor Kelly retired from his |
| represent many tenets of the Catholic | | | | position as pastor of St. Anthony's in August |
| faith.Before 1897, and the coming of Father | | | | 1954, and he passed away six months later. |
| William Lee, the Catholic Church in Beaumont, | | | | His successor, Reverend George Black, |
| St. Louis, was very small and Spartan. In | | | | constructed a new high school and a new |
| 1901, the discovery of oil led to an influx | | | | convent in 1961. In 1972, Father Marvin |
| of people and oil-related businesses. As a | | | | Enderle began restoration of the church's |
| result, St. Louis became too small to | | | | interior, and he added a parking lot for the |
| accommodate the increasing Catholic | | | | church in 1979. In 1995, under Father Beenie |
| population, and Father Lee proposed building | | | | Patillo, St. Anthony's had developed a parish |
| a new church. This church was built according | | | | center.The evolution of St. Anthony's from a |
| to Father Lee's design, and it was dedicated | | | | Spartan church to the beautiful structure |
| in January 1907, in honor of St. Anthony of | | | | that is an historical landmark in Beaumont |
| Padua. Next Father Lee started a new grammar | | | | involved many different pastors and |
| school and the former school was moved to be | | | | generations of the Catholic parishioners. St. |
| a convent for the nuns who taught at the | | | | Anthony's is more than a place of worship; |
| schools. Father Lee did not live to see the | | | | the church is involved in numerous aspects of |
| completion of the grammar school in September | | | | its parishioners' lives. Thus, St. Anthony's |
| 1918; he died in July of that year and was | | | | is very important to the Catholics in |
| buried in St. Anthony's at the foot of the | | | | Beaumont.Mary Arnold graduated from |
| altar.Father E. A. Kelly, Father Lee's | | | | University of Houston - Clear Lake with a |
| successor, arrived in Beaumont while the city | | | | B.A. in literature and history.She is an |
| was still experiencing the economic | | | | author on which is a site for Creative |
| prosperity from the oil boom. He decided to | | | | Writing. |
| build a new convent for the nuns at a cost of | | | | |