Fr Ancy Cruz D’Cunha
St Anthony of Padua is one of the Catholic Church’s popular saints. A powerful preacher of the Gospel and Doctor of the Church, he is a saint of lost or stolen articles and a Wonder Worker.
Every Tuesday, hundreds of devotees gather at this chapel at Deussua, Chinchinim, with petitions, with great faith in St Anthony. Many devotees come with a grateful heart to thank the saint with favours received through his intercession throughout the year.
St Anthony was born on August 15, 1195, at Lisbon in Portugal. His parents, Cavalier Don Martino and Dona Maria Bulhom, belonged to one of the most prominent families in Lisbon. He was baptised Fernando. On that day his mother Dona Maria knelt down before the altar dedicated to Mother Mary and uttered these words “Oh, Holy Mother, receive my son under your heavenly protection. Amen.”
The story and tradition of devotion to St Anthony of Padua began almost immediately after his death at the age of 35 years on June 13, 1231. Thousands came to view the body of Anthony and attend his burial. His grave at once became a place of extraordinary devotion and numerous miracles.
The following year, his friend, Pope Gregory IX, moved by the many miracles attributed to him during his life and that occurred at his tomb, he was canonised on May 30, 1232, at Spoleto, Italy, less than one year after his death
The richness of spiritual teaching contained in the Sermons was so great that in 1946 Venerable Pope Pius XII proclaimed Saint Anthony a Doctor of the Church, attributing to him the title Doctor Evangelicus, since the freshness and beauty of the Gospel emerge from his writings.
When the body of St Anthony was exhumed 32 years after his death on February 15, 1263, it was found that his body had totally decomposed, but his tongue was reportedly just as wet and incorrupt as it had been in his life, when he was celebrated for his oratory skills. Now, the tongue as well as his jaw bone, are both displayed in the Basilica of Saint Anthony of Padua in elaborate gold reliquaries. This year the feast is celebrated by Jeston and Ronil Mendes and family, Deussua. The Chapel Committee have conveyed their best wishes to parishioners and devotees.