SAINT ANTHONY OF PADUA

Doctor of the Church

1195 – 1231

Feast Day: June 13

Patronage: Portugal, Padua, Lisbon, amputees, barren women, domestic animals, draftees, oppressed people, orphans, paupers, the poor, pregnant women, prisoners, sailors, strawberry sellers

Invoked: to find lost articles, to find a husband, against shipwreck, against debt, against starvation

 “But the apostles “spoke as the Spirit gave them the gift of speech.” Happy the man whose words issue from the Holy Spirit and not from himself.”

            It is hard to find a Catholic Church that does not have a statue of Saint Anthony of Padua.   Also known as “The Wonder Worker”, he is the most popular saint in the world.  It was said that Saint Anthony was so infused with the holy spirit that he could stop the rain, raise the dead, reattach severed limbs and have fish lift themselves from the water to listen to him By repeating the words, “Tony, Tony, look around, something’s lost that must be found,” any lost article will resurface. Like other saints known for their ability to control nature, he would be seen preaching in two different places at the same time. Greatly beloved in his own lifetime, he was canonized within a year of his death, the second quickest canonization in Church history. Though he has been dead for over 750 years, his cathedral in Padua attracts millions of pilgrims every year who feel such an affinity for him that they invoke him for help in both ordinary and extraordinary matters.

            A contemporary of Saint Francis of Assisi, Anthony was born Ferdinando de Bulhes in Lisbon, Portugal to a noble family. Raised in the heart of Lisbon, he was educated at the Cathedral school. Against his family’s wishes he joined the Augustinian religious order where he immersed himself in intensive study. Finding life at the Abbey in Lisbon too social and luxurious, he requested a transfer to the city of Coimbra, then the capitol of the newly found country of Portugal. For the next eight years he read every book in the monastery’s library and devoted himself to contemplative prayer.

            While serving as the doorkeeper in his monastery he befriended a group of monks who used to beg at his door. Fascinated with their dedication to simplicity and poverty, he learned that they were from the newly formed Order of Franciscans.  When the remains of five Franciscan martyrs were brought back from Morocco and installed in his monastery to great public acclaim, he was inspired to become a missionary and possible martyr himself. He got permission to join the little band of Franciscans and changed his name from Ferdinando to Anthony in honor of the great fourth century monastic, Saint Anthony of the Desert, the patron of the little church where the friars lived.  Intent on preaching the gospel in Morocco, Anthony arrived there with one other friar. His plans were dashed when he was stricken with malaria.           

            After spending the winter in bed, he attempted to return home to Portugal but his ship was blown off course and he found himself in Messina, Sicily. While there, Anthony met a group of Franciscan friars who were heading north for a gathering of all Franciscans with their founder, Francis. Anthony accompanied them to Assisi where he attended the famous 1221 gathering of over 2,000 Franciscans to celebrate Pentecost. This brand new religious order was fast sweeping Europe by inspiring Catholics to return to the original words of Christ. When the meeting ended and the friars were disbursing, Anthony was assigned to the hermitage of Montepaolo in Forli, Italy. Many Franciscans came from the ranks of the uneducated and Anthony never mentioned his noble background or his years of learning, he only requested to study more.

            While at Forli, Anthony attended an ordination along with other Franciscans and several Dominican friars. It was discovered that no one had been appointed to preach. As his Superior’s

polite request for a speaker were repeatedly turned down, he turned to Anthony and ordered him to say whatever the Holy Spirit infused into him. At first shaky and shy, Anthony’s speech became strong and intense. In simple words he was able to explain the most complicated scriptural matters. His audience was astonished not only at his incredible speaking ability but also at the depth of his knowledge. This began his public career as one of the most charismatic preachers of all time.

            He was sent throughout northern Italy and southern France on spiritual preaching missions. Vast crowds soon gathered to hear him. He was known as “The Hammer of the Heretics” for his success in winning over converts. In 1224 he received a letter from Saint Francis himself requesting that he teach theology to his fellow friars. His tenure in the college of Bologna in 1225 was followed by a move to Padua. Anthony is credited with realizing the Franciscan school of theology.

            At Padua, he did much to work on alleviating the debt that the common people were getting into due to the change in the social economy from an agrarian one to a cash based one. At Anthony’s insistence, the Municipality of Padua passed a law which still stand today, in favor of debtors who could not pay their debts. Debt relief and the plight of the poor in the face of increasing wealth were major topics of Anthony’s speeches. It was difficult for the city of Padua to control the crowds of over 30,000 who would come to hear him and he would frequently preach out in the piazzas and open fields. Luxury, avarice and tyranny were the three vices that most troubled him. When he was asked to speak at the funeral of a moneylender he quoted the words of the Gospel, “Where thy treasure is, there is also thy heart.” He then told the mourners, “That rich man is dead and buried in hell; but go to his treasures and you will find his heart.”  When his friends and relatives did as they were told, they found the man’s still warm heart among his coins.

            Though only 36 years old,  Anthony’s health was faltering. An asthmatic, he found great relief in rural settings among nature and he made frequent trips to meditate at Francis’s hermitage at La Verna. A local count donated a woodland retreat for his use. One morning the count heard a child giggling and looked out to find Anthony surrounded in light playing with the baby Jesus. That Christ would choose this most vulnerable state to visit one of His saints is considered further proof of the goodness and kindness of Saint Anthony.

            His death was the cause of intense public mourning and his swift canonization is a testament to the fact he reached the very top church hierarchy as well as the common people with his great gifts. He was declared a Doctor of the Church because of his deep knowledge and ability to share it with others. The construction of his cathedral began immediately after death, the people of Padua insisting that it be in the combined styles of Romanesque, Byzantine and Arabic because Anthony is “everybody’s saint.” When his relics were translated 32 years later, his tongue was found in perfect condition, not decomposed at all. It is currently on display in a reliquery at his cathedral in Padua.

            Though there are many older paintings depicting the many miracles of Saint Anthony, since the 17^th Century he has traditionally been depicted holding a lily and the baby Jesus. Usually there is a psalter, or book of psalms in the picture that the baby’s foot rests on. This is to show that Christ comes directly out of these writings. It is also the root of Anthony’s patronage of finding lost things. While at Bologna, when a departing novice borrowed this psalter and attempted to leave the monastery with it, he was confronted by a terrifying devil brandishing an axe who chased him back to the saint. Draftees invoke him for a good number on the list and since he did so much for the poor and those in debt he is their patron. Because he holds the baby Jesus, women having trouble conceiving request his aid. In Portugal and Brazil, his feast day is auspicious for marriages and women seeking husbands will bury a statue of Saint Anthony until he finds one for them. They later free the saint when this is accomplished.

                                                      Novena Prayer to Saint Anthony of Padua

                                       Holy Saint Anthony, gentle and powerful in your help,

                                          Your love for God and charity for His creatures,

                             Made you worthy, when on earth, to possess miraculous powers.

                                                       Miracles waited on your word,

                        Which you were always ready to request for those in trouble or anxiety.

                          Encouraged by this thought, I implore you to obtain for me (request).

                                          The answer to my prayer may require a miracle.

                                                  Even so, you are the saint of miracles.

                    Gentle and loving Saint Anthony, whose heart is ever full of human sympathy,

                      Take my petition to the Infant Savior for whom you have such a great love,

                                          and the gratitude of my heart will be ever yours.

                                                                          Amen

To be said nine times in a row for nine days in a row.

(Excerpted from the book “Saints:Ancient and Modern” by Barbara Calamari and Sandra DiPasqua

OUR LADY OF FATIMA

The twentieth century has been the bloodiest and most violent in the history . During Mary’s visits to Fatima, Portugal, in 1917, she foretold not only the terrors of the Russian Revolution and World War II, but also made a third prediction, never released, as it was judged far too terrifying.  In her visits she stressed the recitation of the rosary and taking fifteen minutes to meditate on her Immaculate Heart each week. Expressing the feeling that humanity had drifted away from God, she wanted the world to offer up reparations for the disastrous state of the earth. Our Lady of Fatima is an angry and pained mother, demanding that the world come to its senses and honor its Creator. Her rules are strict. This novena is said to honor Mary and to atone for the blasphemies and ingratitude that are heaped upon God and his creations. Coming in the midst of the first World War, her warnings were pointedly political. She predicted the suffering imposed by the Communist states as well as the incredible carnage of the next world war. She strongly commanded all of humanity to pray the rosary, insisting this is the only road to peace.

Novena Prayer to Our Lady of Fatima

Most holy Virgin, who came to Fatima to reveal to the

Three shepherd children the treasures of graces hidden

in the recitation of the rosary, inspire our hearts with

a sincere love of this devotion, so that by meditating

on the mysteries of our redemption that are recalled in it,

we may gather their fruits and obtain the conversion

of sinners, the conversion of Russia, and

(Mention your requests)

Which we ask of you in this novena,

for the greater glory of God, for your own honor,

and for the good of people. Amen

(Recite one Our Father, one Hail Mary, one Glory Be).

Our Lady of the Rosary of Fatima, pray for us!

Recite this novena nine times in a row for nine days in a row.

Pray to Our Lady of Fatima for Forgiveness and Reparations

 Feast Day: May 13

SAINT DYMPHNA

605-620

Because of her personal knowledge of the terror and misery caused by madness, Saint Dymphna offers great comfort and consolation to those afflicted with mental disorders and also to their families. Her burial site continues to be a place of miraculous healing, and Gheel, in Belgium, the town where it is located, leads the world as a center for the treatment of the mentally ill. Saint Dymphna lived for such a short time, so long ago, there is little to prove that she ever really existed.  Born the daughter of an Irish pagan King and Christian mother, Dymphna fled her home after her mother died to avoid the sexual advances of her grief mad father.

Novena Prayer to Saint Dymphna

O God, we humbly beseech you through your servant Saint Dymphna,

Who sealed with her blood the love she bore you, to grant relief to those who suffer from mental afflictions and nervous disorders, especially

(Name the afflicted person)

Saint Dymphna, helper of the mentally afflicted, pray for us.

Saint Dymphna, comforter of the despondent, pray for us.

Saint Dymphna, renowned for many miracles, please hear my plea. Amen.

(Recite one Glory Be).

Say this novena nine times in a row for nine days in a row.

Saint Dymphna is the Patron Saint of Victims of Mental Illness, Victims of Epilepsy,

Victims of Incest and because she had to flee her insane and abusive father, she is the Patron of Runaways

Feast Day: May 15

SAINT PEREGRINE

1265 – 1345

 Saint Peregrine experienced firsthand the despair of the incurably ill. Stricken with a gangrenous cancer, he came to accept not only the severity of his illness, but also the miracle of his healing at the hands of Christ. As a result of Saint Peregrine’s example of acceptance and faith, he has many followers the world over, particularly among those who are seriously ill. He is invoked for medical breakthroughs, for those stricken with serious ailments, and for protection against diseases. He is the patron of those suffering from cancer, running sores, or any incurable disease.

Saint Peregrine Novena

 O great Saint Peregrine, you who have been called “the Mighty” and

“the Wonder Worker” because of the numerous miracles you have had

recourse to, for so many years you bore in your own flesh this cancerous

disease that destroys the very fiber of our being, and you had recourse

to the source of all grace when the power of man could do no more.

You were favored with the vision of Jesus coming down from his cross

To heal your afflictions. Ask of God and our Lady the cure of these

sick persons whom we entrust to you. Aided in this way by your

Powerful intercession, we shall sing to God, now and for all

eternity, a song of gratitude for his great goodness and mercy.

(Mention your request).

Saint Peregrine, pray for me and for all who invoke your aid. Amen

Say this novena nine times in a row for nine days in a row.

Saint Peregrine is invoked against Cancer, Incurable Illnesses, Running Sores

Feast Day: May 2

Saint Peregrine is particularly popular in Spain and Austria 

Above novenas excerpted from the book “Novena:The Power of Prayer” by Barbara Calamari and Sandra DiPasqua

Saint Catherine of Siena

1347 – 1380

Action and activism are the essence of Saint Catherine of Siena. Passionately devoted to the salvation of mankind, she left an astounding legacy of four hundred written letters and a devotional Dialogue that are considered great classics in literature. She is credited with influencing the return of the papacy to Rome from Avignon, and for this reason she is the patroness of Italy. Known for her incredible charm, she horrified her wealthy parents by her willingness to express her devotion to Christ through corporal humiliations and long periods of fasting. Counselor and advisor to those in power, it was said that she perfected the art of kissing the Pope’s feet while simultaneously twisting his arm. Saint Catherine struggled against great odds to keep the Catholic Church united. Her novena is a call to faith in troubled times. She is invoked to engender the strength and faith for action in times when action is needed, both political and spiritual.

Novena to Saint Catherine of Siena

Heavenly Father, your glory is in your saints.

We praise your glory in the life of the admirable Saint Catherine of Siena, virgin and doctor of the church.

Her whole life was a noble sacrifice inspired by an ardent love of Jesus, your unblemished lamb.

In troubled times she strenuously upheld the rights of his beloved spouse, the church.

Father, honor her merits and hear her prayers for each of us.

Help us to pass unscathed through the corruption of this world.

Help us always to see in the Vicar of Christ an anchor in the storms of life and a beacon of light to the harbor of your love,

in this dark night of your times and men’s souls.

Grant also to each of us our special petiton.

We ask this through Jesus, your Son, in the bond of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

(Pause to pray for your intentions).

Saint Catherine of Siena, pray for us.

Say this novena nine times in a row for nine days in a row.

Saint Catherine of Siena is the patron saint of: Fire Protection, italy, Nursing Services, Activism

Her Feast Day is April 29

Excerpted from the book ‘Novena’ by Barbara Calamari and Sandra DiPasqua

Saint Agatha

Feast Day: February 5

So Fierce are the powers attributed to Saint Agatha, it is said that even pagans and Jews flocked to pay homage to her soon after her death. Martyred in AD 251, Saint Agatha is credited with keeping the fires of Mount Etna from erupting and engulfing her home city of Catania in Italy. Millions of people still parade in her honor on her feast day. God’s reaction to her martyrdom was great and instantaneous: as she was being tortured a major earthquake erupted. Her crypt bears the inscription: “Do not offend Agatha’s nation, because she will avenge all offenses.”

Saint Agatha’s Novena Prayer

O Saint Agatha, who withstood the unwelcome advances from unwanted suitors, and suffered pain and torture for your devotion to Our Lord, we celebrate your faith, dignity, and martyrdom.

Protect us against rape and other violations, Guard us against breast cancer and other afflictions of women, and inspire us to over come adversity.

O Saint Agatha, virgin and martyr, mercifully grant that we who venerate your sacrifice may receive your intercession. Amen

(Mention your request)

Say this novena nine times in a row for nine days in a row.

Saint Agatha is invoked against: Breast Disease, Volcanic Eruptions

She is the patron saint of Bell Founders
 

Edited excerpt from “Novena: The Power of Prayer”
by Barbara Calamari and Sandra DiPasqua