Wednesday 13 June 2007

St Anthony's Shrine

On the Feast of St Anthony of Padua (or, as our Portuguese sisters know him, St Anthony of Lisbon), a view of his shrine in the Cathedral. Deservedly one of the most popular places in the Cathedral, prayer petitions and gifts are regularly left for him. Today, I see, someone has taken the pious custom of 'St Anthony's bread' rather literally and generously donated a loaf of bread!

The statue is the only baroque thing in the Cathedral, and was purchased by Mgr Bartlett, the Administrator who did so much to embellish the Cathedral interior. In the next few months, work will start on the mosaic of St Anthony, which will be installed above the statue, and echo the mosaic of St Francis on the other side of the nave. The designs for both mosaics can be seen here.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

A comment from Lisbon

Dear Mgr,
I'm a regular visitor of your blog and I must say that I totally agree with the Portuguese sisters!

In Lisbon, the evening of the 12th June is the most important popular festivity and today in the afternoon, there is a huge procession in the old city with the image of Saint Anthony, ending precisely in the church built in the place where the saint was born (just close to Lisbon's old cathedral).
I'm sure he is one of the most important, and perhaps renowned, Lisbon-born "celebrities"!

Anonymous said...

argh! the horror!

Anonymous said...

We often get loaves of bread left by St Anthony's statue in our church!

John the organist said...

My first name is Anthony so it's my name day - although I prefer John the Evangelist!