Feast Day Celebrations: St. Anthony of Padua Church in Kailua, 6/13/2012

"... The prayer of a righteous man availeth much."

James 5:16
 

  

The Day Chapel at St. Anthony's Church

in Kailua was full to overflowing with people

who participated in the morning services

in honor of St. Anthony of Padua.

(click on all photos to view larger images)

 

Once again, my home parish of St. Anthony of Padua Church in Kailua (Oahu, Hawaii) celebrated the annual Feast Day of our dear Patron Saint.  We actually had two celebratory events planned - one for the morning and another in the evening - but I was only able to attend the morning festivities due to my work schedule.  Still, I thought the earlier event was a great start to what turned out to be a meaningful day for me...
 

  

Fr. Clarence Zamora praying before

the reliquary of St. Anthony, after which

those present were given the opportunity

to approach the Holy Relic to pay their

respects to our Saint.

 

The morning event began with Holy Mass being celebrated in our Day Chapel in honor of St. Anthony, which included the public veneration of his 1st Class (bone) Relic that is normally enshrined in our main church.  The service was then followed by a social gathering in our parish hall where the large group of our participating parishioners and guests enjoyed some breakfast and fellowship.

After the Mass and the relic-veneration

service, we celebrated our Saint's memory

with a wonderful breakfast.

 

Personally, I am very, very happy with how my parish has started to celebrate the Feast of St. Anthony in this special manner.  I see it as a start of a wonderful tradition that our spiritual community can begin to look forward to every year in June!  Our Patron Saint is indeed an awesome one, and his life and rich legacy leave us much to celebrate...

 

Holy Relics of St. Anthony that I personally

photographed in the Basilica of Padua... his

incorrupt tongue (left photo-bottom reliquary),

his jaw bone (top reliquary)... and remnants

of the brown habit he wore.

 

I recall that when I traveled on pilgrimage to Italy back in 1985, I visited St. Anthony's Basilica and tomb in Padua - what impressed me deeply was seeing the piles of crutches, walking canes, and various medical braces left at the shrine by grateful pilgrims who were cured through the Saint's powerful intercession.  It was then I fully realized the unique greatness of St. Anthony and how truly loved he is by people throughout the world.

I came away from the Padua Basilica a life-long "fan" of their compassionate wonder-worker and I consider my parish very fortunate to have the Saint spiritually and physically present with us through his bodily relic; we don't have to go all the way to Italy to "connect" with St. Anthony, but we have a tiny bit of him and the city of Padua here in Hawaii... in our beautiful Kailua church.

I've seen first hand that the prayers of this righteous man really do "...availeth much".  So may St. Anthony continue to pray and intercede for all people who turn to him with devotion and confidence.

 

St. Anthony's Prayer to the Holy Spirit

Holy Spirit, Fire of Love, come rest

over each of us.  Make our tongues ready

to confess our sins, that in revealing

everything and concealing nothing, we

may attain heavenly life to sing eternal

praise with the angels.  With Your help,

O holy and life-giving Spirit, You who live

and reign through all ages.  Amen.