St. Anthony, Patron of Tuesdays
Sunrise at St. Anthony Shrine and Friary
Just why is Tuesday designated as St. Anthony’s day? It was on the Tuesday after his death that his body was transferred from Arcella to Padua and buried there in the chapel of Our Lady. On this Tuesday, innumerable miracles were wrought at his tomb, as though God Almighty wanted to open the floodgates of His graces. And those gates have not been closed to the present time. This is no exaggeration. For on Tuesday, June 17, 1231, the day of St. Anthony’s burial at Santa Maria Mater Domini in Padua, all the sick who gathered about his tomb and implored his intercession, were healed and made whole. At once, the people of Padua began to dedicate Tuesday to St. Anthony, and this practice quickly spread throughout the whole Catholic world. St. Anthony, by lending his ear to countless petitions, has shown his pleasure in this devotion and the Holy Father has given full approbation to it.
Many loyal devotees make a novena petitioning a request; and after receiving the favor, another novena in thanksgiving. Some of the more pious perform a special act of penance or charity on Tuesday.
'St. Anthony Resurrects a Child' by Piero della Francesca (1460) Public domain
According to an old legend, there lived in Bologna, about the year 1617, a noble and pious couple who after 22 years of married life, were childless. One day, the lonely and disappointed wife took her troubles to St. Anthony and asked him to intercede for her with God. Some time later St. Anthony appeared to her in her sleep and told her to visit his picture in the Franciscan Church for nine straight Tuesdays and to receive the sacraments, after which time her prayers would be heard. The lady did as told indeed, in due time, bore a child into this world. But the child far from being beautiful, was badly deformed – a further test of the faith of the parents. The sorrowing mother took her baby to St. Anthony’s alter and begged him to complete her happiness by curing her child. Touching the baby to the alter stone, all trace of the deformity immediately disappeared.
These favors and countless others like them account for the crowds who throughout the year faithfully attend the Tuesday St. Anthony Novena at our Shrine and every Franciscan Church.
Whether you live in the area or are passing through Cincinnati, please join us on Tuesdays at 2:30 pm for the Novena and 7:00 pm for the Novena Mass. Map & directions
Posted in: Prayer, Saint Anthony
