Relic of St. Anthony of Padua

Large crowds at diocesan parishes welcome relics of St. Anthony of Padua

PASSAIC  As Mila Burdeos, a parishioner of St. Paul’s, Prospect Park, drove to see the holy relics of St. Anthony of Padua, she had no idea what to expect. When she was finally in the presence of the relics, it was an unforgettable spiritual experience in St. Anthony Church here June 12. “I felt St. Anthony was truly here. In my lifetime because of him, I’ve received many, many blessings and graces for my family here and in the Philippines so I felt honored to be in his presence. He has been one of my patron saints,” she said.

Throughout the Diocese, witnesses who venerated the relic, which are of the Portuguese saint’s skin and a piece of bone, have had the same experience. St. Anthony’s relic visited six parishes — Our Lady of the Lake, Sparta; St. Anthony, Paterson; St. Mary, Dover; St. Anthony, Passaic; St. Margaret of Scotland, Morristown; and St. Anthony, Hawthorne.

At its first stop in Sparta, Johanna Mattos, parish secretary, said, “Because the parking lot was full, it looked like Sunday Mass could have been happening even though it was Wednesday morning” because so many people came to visit the relic.

“We’ve had so many calls from people wanting to see St. Anthony’s relic including a call from Staten Island. The people were so happy about it. For me, this was the first time I’ve ever seen a saint’s relics, it was such a special experience,” said Mattos.

The visit of the relic in the Diocese from June 10 to 14 was especially profound since it happened during the saint’s feast day, which is on June 13. Conventual Franciscan Father Paolo Floretta brought the relics of St. Anthony from the saint’s Basilica in Padua, Italy and it toured three other dioceses — the Archdiocese of New York, the Diocese of Brooklyn and the Diocese of Bridgeport, Conn.

Father Floretta blessed each of the visitors and celebrated Masses at those parishes giving the homily. He said he was impressed by the number of visitors.

In his homily, the Italian priest talked about St. Anthony’s message, which was often about God’s mercy. Father Floretta said, “St. Anthony believed in whatever situation we may be in, each of us is eligible to receive God’s tenderness and compassion. Those doors are always open to us. Just start where you are and go to God. The greater the distance, the greater the mercy with the Father who welcomes us.”

Father Hernan Arias, pastor of St. Margaret of Scotland in Morristown, welcomed the relics on Sunday. “Father Floretta explained how special relics are. He told the people ‘if you touch the relic of a saint, it is like shaking hands with a saint,’ ” said Father Arias. “For many people, who will never be able to make a trip to Padua, this allowed them to be so close to this great saint.”

At St. Margaret’s, Father Arias was especially touched to see an elderly man, with limited mobility, wanting to venerate the relics. Father Arias said, “He was from Assumption Parish in Morristown and even though he couldn’t walk, he told his children that he needed to touch the relics of a saint. You can see how much St. Anthony’s has touched so many lives.”

St. Anthony, who was born in 1195 and died in 1231, was a Portuguese Franciscan friar belonging to the Franciscan Order. He was born and raised in a wealthy family in Lisbon. Noted by his contemporaries for his forceful preaching and expert knowledge of Scripture, he was proclaimed a Doctor of the Church in 1946.

St. Anthony is also associated as being the finder of things that are lost. Joseph Hagen, a Fourth Degree Color Corp Knight of Columbus, who is a parishioner of Notre Dame Parish in Cedar Knolls, always prays to St. Anthony when something is lost and has had a devotion to the saint. Hagen, who served as an honor guard during the relics’ visit to St. Anthony Parish in Passaic, said, “My uncle was my godfather and he was named Anthony. When I saw the relics, I was speechless. I took my cross around my neck off and touched it next to the relics. I also prayed he would help me find another cross I lost from Rome given to me by my niece. I’m sure I will find it now.”