In the small city of Padua (Padova) Italy, St. Anthony's Basilica attracts several pilgrims each year who seek the intercession of the Catholic saint. Canonized one year after his death, a rarity in the Church's tradition, people pray to St.Anthony when they have lost something or when they are seeking guidance. Born in Lisbon, Portugal in 1195, St. Anthony not only helps Catholics find lost items, but he is the patron saint of the poor, sailors, expectant mothers, the oppressed, the elderly, and orphaned children. Locally known as “Il Santo” in Padua, the Basilica began to be built in 1232.
The Chapel of St. Anthony (which includes his tomb) is located in the Basilica. Many people from all over the world travel to touch the back of his tomb for intercession. The Basilica of St. Anthony includes several relics, including St. Anthony’s jawbone, tongue, and thorns from Christ’s crown, and chips of wood from the cross. Catholics believe that by touching the tomb of St. Anthony and praying at the site of his tomb, they can be healed of physical and spiritual distress/illness. St. Anthony's Feast Day, which is June 13, attracts many Catholics to this pilgrimage site, where they pray to his stature, attend Mass, and touch his tomb for intercession. The photos featured below are from St. Anthony's feast day in 2024 in Padua, Italy.
