Church being demolished in Casa Grande

By Caitlin Burm

St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church's demolition is formally underway following October's fire. Bishop Gerald Kicanas celebrated the Mass on Sunday, July 27, concelebrants included the pastor Rev. Ariel Lustan, Rev. Jesus Gomez, and other priests from the diocese. Hundreds of parishioners attended the Mass, and many returned throughout the week to witness the demolition.
 
St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church is located on a multi-building facility on Picacho Street in Casa Grande. The buildings were erected between 1935-1960. The original church and rectory were constructed in 1935 and 1936 respectively, in a Spanish Colonial Revival-style, and are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The most recent church had been built to accommodate a growing Catholic community in Casa Grande in 1960, and was in use until October 2024, when the parish was heavily damaged in a suspected arson fire.
 
Longtime parishioners at St. Anthony of Padua, mother and daughter, Mary and Jennifer Kortsen, say generations of their family have attended the parish. Both Kortsens spoke to the New Outlook and expressed sorrow about the demolition. Mary said, "So many of the Catholic community in Casa Grande have been here for a great many years. Our parents and now our children and grandchildren are a part of this parish. The destruction of the church is so devastating to all of us." Jennifer stated,
 

“It is so tragic that this horrific act of arson has taken away our beloved church. The loss is heartbreaking. The smells, the sounds, the pews, the sanctuary—brought comfort and peace. To know the room where I got dressed in my wedding dress is now gone and the aisle where my children walked to receive their first Holy Communion, and the baptismal font all gone is devastating. It makes me angry that someone could destroy something so sacred to so many. That said, I am deeply grateful and optimistic that they are rebuilding in the same location. That decision helps preserve the heart of the church. I hope that as they rebuild, they can carry forward as many of the elements and spirit of the original building as possible. Our memories can’t be burned down, and I have faith that the new church will honor our past while guiding the future of our parish.”

 
According to Jesse Gladman, Facilities Manager at St. Anthony of Padua, the demolition will occur in stages and should be completed within the next three weeks. Fr. Ariel Lustan, the longtime pastor said, 

“I believe all of us who are deeply associated with St. Anthony’s know that only the blocks and bricks were taken down—our beautiful memories, devotion and love for the parish remain standing. And yes, we are steadily rising from the ashes, and we are standing taller than the rubbles. We have God and one another.”

 
Items from the church, including its cornerstone, crucifix, some stained glass, statues of saints, the tabernacle, a time capsule, and other religious artifacts, are being preserved, with plans to relocate them to the new parish when it is built.
 
Fr. Lustan said, “The prospective architecture of the new church will speak of its connectivity to the old one: we will reuse the big crucifix in the sanctuary, the altar and the ambo. We also saved some marble panels to be used in building a baptismal font that will symbolize our past and present, death and rebirth. Hopefully, within two years, we will be able to celebrate the dedication of the new St. Anthony of Padua Parish Church. Con el favor de Dios!”
 
The New Outlook photographed inside St. Anthony of Padua before it was demolished, and you can view those photos below: