He is one of the great saints of the Catholic Church, and one of the beloved--even far beyond Catholics themselves. Untold numbers of people turn to him, still, when there is loss. And strangely--at least strangely in the usual ways of the world--those things often quickly turn up. And often they turn up in the most unexpected--even seemingly miraculous ways. Let the stories begin.
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
About the "loss" of the relic...
This blog was launched on June 13, the feast of our patron, St. Anthony. That
same day, an event drew widespread attention to the saint.
It turns out a 780-year old relic of St. Anthony was stolen from a
church bearing his name in Southern California. According to reports, “the
relic is housed in a 16-inch reliquary case with angel-shaped handles made of
gold and silver on either side.” The parish priest called the relic invaluable.
At the same time, wire service reports predictably enough evoked the
supposed irony: A relic of a saint known for helping find that which is lost is
now lost itself.
It is indeed something painful for the church, the parishioners and
really all of us who love the saint. But let's be clear: St. Anthony is not "lost."
And the disappearance of the relic--almost certainly temporary--may well be
just another part of the saint's mysterious work. Whoever took the object
needs prayer and the help of this saint of the lost. And it sets up a situation
for another one of his little miracles--and for recognizing further who this
saint is and what special corner of God's Kingdom he inhabits.
One of our esteemed fellow bloggers, Fr. John Zuhlsdorf, ran a
piece on the disappearance, and immediately started collecting the miracle
reports. One person reported that St. Anthony Church in Long Beach is his
"home church," where he became a Catholic in 1986. He adds that just the
other day, his daughter dropped her Miraculous Medal at Disneyland, only to
have it "reappear" at her feet at a restaurant a few hours later--this, after his
wife had been praying continuously to St. Anthony. Another mentions that it
was at St. Anthony Parish in Calgary, Canada where "I found my Catholic faith
after it was lost for over a decade."
It's not just a theft then. Something else is afoot. Because this
saint--like all of God's saints--has a knack for facilitating great good out of
distress. Pray, then, if you would, for the return of the relic--and that
whatever deep loss lies behind the theft, might lead to some rediscovery that
is deeper still.
