Saint Anthony of Lisbon
Doctor of the Church
Born
ca. 1195, Lisbon
Died
13 June 1231, Padua
Venerated in
Roman Catholic Church
Canonized
30 May 1232, Spoleto, Italy by Pope Gregory IX
Major shrine
Basilica of Saint Anthony of Padua in Padua, Italy
Feast
June 13
Attributes
book; bread; Infant Jesus; lily
Patronage
animals; barrenness; Brazil; Beaumont, Texas; elderly people; faith in the Blessed Sacrament; Ferrazzano, Italy; fishermen; Franciscan Custody of the Holy Land; harvests; horses; Lisbon; lost articles; lower animals; mail; mariners; American Indians; Masbate, Philippines; Cavite, Philippines; Sibulan, Negros Oriental, Philippines; oppressed people; Padua, Italy; poor people; Portugal; pregnant women; sailors; seekers of lost articles; shipwrecks; starvation; sterility; swineherds; Tigua Indians; travel hostesses; travellers; watermen
Saints Portal
My fathers Aunt, Zia Mariette celebrated St Anthony's Day every year on June 13th.....She had vowed that if he answered one of her prayers she would honor him each year. It was a full days event....When I was 3 or so, she dressed me as St Anthony and it was fun. She removed all the furniture from her living room and erected a huge altar with a 5 foot statue of the saint...she had rows and rows of flowers and the thing I remembered the most was the "Bread"..she had a local baker, bake 13 loaves of bread each weighing 13 pounds....and each year she would name 13 people to receive the bread. In the kitchen, she had tables of food and drink set up and we spent the entire day there. This was when I was very young...as the years went on, it did become a little political. She selected her favorites to be the "Devote". the term used for the recipients. If she was mad at you for what ever reason, you were out and she tried to select someone that would really tick you off to replace you....It was still fun, but the time spent at her house was less and less each year. When Carrie was pregnant with Michael, she was named "Devote" as soon as we walked in the door....I don't know who was kicked out that year but Carrie was in...I carried the loaf which was a large as a tire and had to hold in on my lap on the way home...ummm but that bread was delicious. Wish I had some today....Thanks for the memory's Zia....
5 comments:
I was fortunate enough to attend one of these as a child My recollections were a large room, painted in powder blue, mobbed with people, and lots of bread and a large statue, adorned with lights and other things.
I had no idea what it was, but everyone was having a good time and appeared to be enjoying the celebration.
I totally forgot about that, until I saw this post.
L- Ron
Bro
This is one of those areas where we have the same memories.
I loved when we went out the Seldon, Long Island. Zi' Marietta made orecchiette (little ears pasta), flinging them out like a machine gunner. They were so tender, I can still taste them.
The large bread you brought home really was like a big tire... we had it hanging in the "boiler room" for a long time and made bread crumbs with a hunk at at time. But I didn't like it... too white and super refined for the whole wheat queen. Interesting the beliefs people held... Dad didn't want to throw out the 3/4 that was left even though it was getting green molded because it was blessed (I think he actually burned it in the yard, which is what you do with a blessed item, never throwing it in the trash), and we never ate meat on Wed. but he'd eat it on Friday.
Interesting mix of Catholicism and paganism and family feuds. But only Zi' Marietta could pull it off. You failed to say why she promised St. Anthony to honor him. Any reason? You must remember.
Sis
No, she made the vow years before I was born....I don't know if anyone really ever knew....It was a plea between her and St Anthony...One other thing, her sister Zia Ellen did the same for St Joseph which was March 19th..her bread was 19 lbs. Only saw that once I was about One, think she stopped a few years later...Wish someone did it for All Hollows Eve..man 31 lb loaf....just give me a barrel of hot peppers and the loaf and let me at it...
You never heard why the promise to St. Anthony?
Thought you were trying to preserve a positive memory of Si' Min' (Zio Giacomino) and Zi' Marietta.
I was told by Moo(Mom) that Zi' Min' had contracted a STD, which in those days could be fatal or cause serious problems like blindness. So, Zi' Marietta promised that she would perpetually honor St. Anthony if he would deliver a cure. He delivered. Some members of the family suspected that while his life was spared, Zi' Min was rendered sterile by the infection.
Of course it could have been an urban legend.
Whatever the case they were fascinating people then... we're much too dull.
After hearing about the trials and tribulations of Zia Min, its clear that moldy bread wasn't the only thing hanging in the basement....
Of couse, Zia Min's affliction could not be burned in the yard.
Interesting bit of unverified family history
L- Ron
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