ALWAYS AND EVERYWHERE

Fr. Livio Tonello, director

There is a beautiful prayer attributed to saint Francis that says: “Our Lord Jesus Christ, we adore you here and in all the churches of the world” (F.S.110-111). If we transpose this invocation we can refer it to Saint Anthony because probably his image is in all the churches and because worshippers invoke him everywhere. Many statues, frescoes, paintings represent him and they recall his life and his works. It is really amazing to note how much his fame has spread all over and how much his devotees invoke him everywhere. For this reason our 2024 calendar recalls this devotion spread across the world. So we have chosen some statues placed in different places of worship in the five continents. There are so many works of art representing him to be spoiled by choice! But apart from the aesthetic we want to underline how the devotion to the Thaumaturgist has no borders. This is maybe his greater miracle: to be invoked always and everywhere by Christians. On the Youth Day in Lisbon to a roar of laughter the Pope said that St. Anthony was born in Lisbon but “was stolen by those of Padua”. In reality Saint Anthony let his…