Saints are close friends who speak to God on your behalf, says Padua friar
The B.C. Catholic
Coquitlam
Relics of a 13th-century friar drew many people to the doors of a Coquitlam church.
“Before we even opened the doors to the relics, there were people waiting to see them!” recalled Tom Muscatello, the American representative of the Franciscan friars of Padua, Italy.
Muscatello and Father Mario Conte, one of the 52 friars from the basilica in Padua, brought two first-class relics of St. Anthony of Padua to Vancouver: a floating rib (lower rib not attached to the sternum) and some of the saint’s skin.
“Venerating the holy relics of St. Anthony is like extending your hand in friendship and faith,” Muscatello said. “A saint is mortal like you and I, but has been touched with the living hand of God. By venerating his remains, you’re extending your hand in friendship to him.”
Father Conte agreed, noting that everywhere he’s taken the relics, there have been encounters with the faithful who consider St. Anthony a close friend. He encouraged attendees to touch the reliquary, saying doing so was like giving a friend a hug.
“People often come to Padua to visit a saint who died years ago, yet still has such a strong appeal for people. Why? The answer is: the people who come to the basilica say St. Anthony is their friend!”
“Everywhere I go, there are thousands of stories from people who want to tell how they met St. Anthony and what he has done for them,” said Father Conte. He recalled one of these stories. “A woman, with her little child of about 3 or 4 years old, began telling me her husband had had cancer.”
“I immediately assumed she was telling me her husband had somehow recovered, as this is something that often happens,” Father Conte smiled sadly, “but the lady told me that, unfortunately, her husband had died.”
However, there was a silver lining to the tale. They had been married for 20 years, but had been unable to conceive. “She told me after he was diagnosed with cancer, ‘We had such a loving life, full of tenderness, that I was able to conceive,'” said Father Conte.
“This woman prayed to St. Anthony for her husband’s health, but received a different gift from the Lord. She regarded it as a miracle.”
The relics, displayed at several churches in the Lower Mainland Oct. 5-12, inspired many people to come and learn about the saint. “I think it was a really great idea to have the relics come to Vancouver,” said Eliza Chang, who venerated the relics in Our Lady of the Assumption Church. “To come in contact with actual parts of St. Anthony’s body is really awe-inspiring.”
