St. Anthony Catholic Church

In the middle 1840s several families left Ireland. Most arrived in Massachusetts, some stayed, but others moved on. Traveling by boat, railroad, and wagon train, horseback and on foot, they moved westward. Several settled along the way but others continued west.

Between 1845 and 1850 Irish immigrants arrived in Marion County to homestead northwest of Knoxville, Iowa along Whitebreast Creek in areas sheltered from cold, wintry prairie winds. Here they built their homes, planted their crops and prayed to their God. The spiritual needs of these early settlers were met through early horseback riding circuit priests. Mass was celebrated in homes as no church had been built.

The Catholic Community continued to grow and by 1875 Knoxville had its first church, St. Michael's, located on West Marion & Fremont Street. St. Michael's was a mission of What Cheer.

By the late 1800s St. Michael's was razed and St. Anthony's was constructed and dedicated in October of 1908. Fr. Courtney continued to serve as regular mission priest until a rectory was built in 1914. At this time Fr. Martin O’Connell was appointed pastor-thus St. Anthony's passed from a mission church to a parish in its own right.