Monday, June 8
St. Hedwig Catholic Church
Veneration: 4:30 PM – 5:30 PM
Mass: 5:30 PM – 6:00 PM
Veneration: 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM
St. Anthony of Padua (1195 -1231) – patron saint of lost and stolen possessions – was a Franciscan friar known for his eloquent preaching, profound knowledge of Scripture and unwavering commitment to help the poor and the sick.
We invite you to come and venerate two first-class relics of St. Anthony, including fragments of skin from his cheek and his floating rib, at our parish on Monday, June 8! The visit is part of a tour of his relics taking place throughout the Diocese of Orange from Saturday, June 6 to Saturday, June 13 (St. Anthony’s Feast Day). The relic visitation will be accompanied by Frs. Fabio Turrisendo and Matteo Martinelli, Franciscan friars from the Pontifical Basilica of St. Anthony in Padua, Italy.
You may ask for his intercession for any intention, including loss of faith, family, harmony, health, hope, peace of mind and trust in others – all intentions and petitions are welcome!
To help ensure a smooth and prayerful experience for everyone, we kindly ask all attendees to follow the schedule and instructions below:
- 4:00 PM – Line begins outside the church
- 4:30 PM – Veneration begins
- 5:30 PM – Daily Mass celebrated by Fr. Fabio and Fr. Matteo
- 6:00 PM – Veneration resumes (the line will continue outside the church)
- 7:00 PM – Church doors close; those already inside may complete their veneration
While in line, attendees will receive a St. Anthony holy card and a prayer intention card to allow the faithful to write their prayer requests to the saint. Completed prayer intentions may be placed in a basket beside the relics after venerating. We kindly ask that veneration be kept brief (3 – 5 seconds per person is recommended) so that all may have an opportunity to participate.
At the conclusion of the relic tour, Fr. Fabio and Fr. Matteo will collect and bring the petitions back to the Basilica in Padua and place them at the tomb of Saint Anthony, where the friars will gather to pray for the saint’s intercession upon intentions and petitions.
Optional donations to assist the friars cover the expense of their visit are welcome – any amount is appreciated! Envelopes will be available in the church; please make checks payable to the Anthonian Association.
The two first-class relics, including fragments of skin from St. Anthony’s cheek and his floating rib, were venerated by Pope Francis, Saint Mother Teresa, Saint John Paul II, Pope Benedict, and Servant of God, Sister Lucia of Fatima. The latter relic (his rib) has special significance because it was venerated by Lucy of Fatima in her convent in Coimbra in 1995, and by then-Archbishop Jorge Mario Bergoglio (Pope Francis) in the Cathedral of Buenos Aires in 2000.
Volunteers are welcome!
Volunteers to assist the friars with set up and distribution of petition and prayer cards are encouraged to sign up (youth and young adults volunteers are especially encouraged)! To sign, please email [email protected].
See below for the relic tour schedule taking place Saturday, June 6 to Saturday, June 13 throughout the Diocese of Orange. We look forward to welcoming you to venerate St. Anthony!
