Celebrating St. Anthony of Padua
Fr. Colin King holds high the 1st class relic of St. Anthony of Padua to bless the crowds visiting from Michigan. Photo by Fr. Frank Jasper (2018)
How do you celebrate St. Anthony’s Feast Day? For many of us here in Cincinnati, it means a trip to our National Shrine of St. Anthony on Colerain Avenue to attend Mass or a novena service, or to just pray and walk the grounds. People come from all over the city and beyond to celebrate this beloved Franciscan saint. This year, Br. Vince Delorenzo, Shrine Guardian, is preparing to welcome four buses of pilgrims from Detroit, Mich., filled with devotees of St. Anthony!
Walk the beautiful grounds of the St. Anthony Shrine.
For others around the world, celebrations might include a procession, a street fair, or huge crowds gathering in open spaces such as the piazzas in Italy.
In Lisbon, Anthony’s hometown, the celebration on June 12 begins with walking groups of singers and musicians who parade along the Avenida da Liberdade (a famous boulevard in Portugal). The celebration continues the next day with more processions and traditional dancing.
Many will light a candle or submit a prayer request on StAnthony.org to thank St. Anthony for his intercession with the Lord.
We would love to hear how you celebrate the Feast of St. Anthony. Send us an email at Shrine@Franciscan.org to let us know.
No matter how you celebrate on June 13, let us rejoice on this day in which St. Anthony died and was born into eternal life with Christ.
May the Lord, through the intercession of St. Anthony, look upon you kindly.
Fr. John
For directions to the St. Anthony Shrine, click here.
Pilgrims travelled from Detroit to participate in the Feast of St. Anthony.
Posted in: Prayer, Saint Anthony
