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The parish church of St. Antonius is a Roman Catholic church in Kevelaer. It is under the patronage of Anthony the Great. Until September 6, 2014, it was the parish church of a parish of the same name; since September 7, 2014, it has been the parish church of the newly founded parish community of St. Antonius Abt Kevelaer with the filial churches of St. Antonius Abt Kervenheim, St. Quirinus Twisteden, St. Petrus Wetten, and St. Urbanus Winnekendonk. The church is listed as a cultural monument A 153 in the monument list of the pilgrimage town of Kevelaer.

The pilgrimage town of Kevelaer (Pronunciation: [ˈkeːvəlaːɐ̯], with a long vowel 'e'; in the local dialect Kääwel or Kääweler) is located on the lower left Rhine in the northwest of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. It is a medium-sized town belonging to the district of Kleve in the administrative region of Düsseldorf. Kevelaer is a member of the Euregio Rhein-Waal. The town is particularly known as one of Germany's most important Marian pilgrimage sites. Since July 4, 2024, Kevelaer has officially been allowed to call itself a "State-recognized spa town with healing springs."

... The parish of Kevelaer was founded in 1472 by separating from the parish of Weeze. The small, eastward-facing Gothic village church, built around 1450, remained unchanged until the 19th century. The reconstructed remains of this structure are integrated into the present-day modern church interior and are used as a chapel. A larger, magnificently designed Neo-Gothic church with the approximate floor plan of the current main building was erected only after the construction of the Marienbasilika and was consecrated in 1904. The church was largely destroyed in World War II and rebuilt in 1952. In order to meet the requirements of the 2nd Vatican Council, an extensive redesign, especially of the chancel, took place in 1972 (on the occasion of the 500th anniversary of the parish's founding). On January 13, 1982, the church burned down to its foundations; only the outer walls of the chapel, the baptismal font, the sacristy, the chancel, and the tower remained. The modern new building on the historic floor plan was designed by Dieter Georg Baumewerd. Renowned artists such as Theo Heiermann, Bert Gerresheim, and Joachim Klos created the furnishings. On January 17, 1987, the rebuilt church was consecrated by Bishop Reinhard Lettmann. In addition to its normal use as a parish church, St. Antonius is often chosen as a place for final devotions by pilgrim groups from outside the area due to its favorable location at the end of the park-like open-air Stations of the Cross...

"The current church building dates back to the early 15th century. The core has a late Gothic appearance, while the church tower is unmistakably Neo-Gothic. The church building originates from an early 15th-century church. The core has a late Gothic appearance, while the church tower is unmistakably Neo-Gothic. The parish church of St. Peter and Paul immediately captivates its visitors and is of historical significance for the entire Lower Rhine region. Interesting guided tours, filled with stories, reveal beautiful, sometimes hidden, details." https://www.niederrhein-tourismus.de/attraktion/st.-peter-und-paul-a7d292c910

In 1890, the tower was built in its current form; it is 63 meters high. The parish church is open to visitors before and after services. Tours can be booked through the local history society or the parish office.

Around 1300, he became very fashionable as a patron in the Lower Rhine region. Farmers in particular hoped for his assistance, as they had seen ancient depictions of the saint on which he is shown with a pig on a rope, which is meant to signify that he held evil firmly in check and could master it. Farmers therefore invoked Saint Anthony for help when their pigs became ill. In the Middle Ages and even afterwards, there was often no more than one pig in the stable, and its illness was an economic disaster for the farmer. Even in the first third of the last century, there was a custom where the farmers of a parish chose a piglet as an 'Anthony's pig', and this was then fattened by all the villagers. When it was ready for slaughter, the poorest families received the meat free of charge. Source: https://www.antonius-kevelaer.de/unsere-kirchen-und-kapellen/unser-pfarrpatron/

Already on the way to the main portal, "Ferke(l) s Tön", the patron of the parish, greets churchgoers high up on a stele. Saint Anthony (the Great) is the father of monks. His feast day is January 17th. He was born in 251 or 252 in Kome in Middle Egypt. His parents were quite wealthy Christians. After their death, he gave away all his possessions and lived very ascetically in various places in the desert. He quickly became well-known. Disciples gathered around him because they wanted to live like him, other people sought his advice or prayer so that they would be healed. Even Emperor Constantine and his sons exchanged letters with Anthony. He died at the age of 105. What is his significance? He brought together individual hermits into communities of hermits and gave them a guideline on how they should live. So, he was actually the "inventor" of monasticism.