Pope urges new Philippine shrine
be center of missionary outreach
 |
| National Shrine of San Antonio de Padua of the Philippines |
The San Antonio de Padua Church in Pila, Laguna, was
declared a national shrine during a Mass on April 23. Pope Francis sent a
message for the occasion.
By Robin Gomes
As the new National Shrine of San Antonio de Padua
of the Philippines was inaugurated this week, Pope Francis sent his
greetings to the faithful hoping it will continue to be ‘a centre of constant
missionary outreach’.
As San Pablo Diocese welcomed its first national shrine in
the heritage town of Pila, in the Province of Laguna, the Holy Father said he
was praying that devotees may all be renewed in the love of Christ”.
Archbishop Romulo Valles of Davao, the
president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), presided
over the Mass for the declaration of the National Shrine of San Antonio de
Padua on April 23.
“May the shrine truly be a sanctuary where the thirsty come
to drink in the midst of their journey and the centre of constant missionary
outreach,” said the message of Pope Francis, read out during the Mass by
Apostolic Nuncio to the Philippines, Archbishop Gabriele Caccia.
The CBCP had approved the petition to elevate the church’s
status during its plenary assembly last January.
The declaration came 17 years after St. Anthony’s Church was
declared a diocesan shrine in 2002.
Popular saint
St. Anthony of Padua is one of the most popular saints in
the Catholic Church with novenas celebrations organized in numerous parishes
across the world ahead of and on his June 13 feast.
Traditionally, bread is blessed and distributed among the faithful on
this day.
However, few know that St. Anthony was a native of Lisbon,
Portugal, and not of the Italian city of Padua, where he died on June 13,
1231, and by which name he is known.
One of the best-known disciples of the great St. Francis of
Assisi, Anthony was born on August 15, 1195, and baptized Fernando Martins de
Bulhoes. His parents apparently belonged to one of the prominent
families of the city.
Renowned for his powerful preaching, knowledge of scripture
and love for the poor and the sick, the Franciscan priest and friar was one of
the most quickly canonized saints in church history. He was proclaimed a Doctor
of the Church and is regarded as the patron saint of lost
things. (Source: CBCPNews)
Không có nhận xét nào:
Đăng nhận xét