St. Anthony of Padua was founded in 1895 to serve the needs of French Canadian Catholics who lived in the North End of New Bedford. The exterior is of red sandstone from East Longmeadow, Massachusetts. The spire is 256 feet high, the third tallest in New England. It seats 2,000 worshipers and several thousand more standing. The outline of the church can be seen for miles around and dominates the skyline of North New Bedford.
