Old St. Anthony was a landmark in Riverside's Casablanca district. The Mexican parish was founded in 1923 and the old adobe church served the people from that time to the summer of 1975 when it was razed to make room for a new building. Of modern design, the new church features a high-pitched roof supported by wooden arches. But old St. Anthony's is more than a memory. The bells from the original church hang in the new church's bell tower designed especially to house them.
The dedication Mass on February 29, 1976, celebrated by Bishop Leo T. Maher, was a gala celebration joined by a procession of former pastors. The bishop counseled the congregation to make the new church the center of their lives and a spiritual focal point to be reflected in their lives and homes.