St Anthony's relics in East London draw crowds

The Church of St Antony in Forest Gate was packed at noon on Sunday when a procession made its way up the aisle carrying relics of St Anthony of Padua. After they were placed in a 70 cm high golden statue of St Anthony and reliquary at the front, Mass began. The congregation was multicultural and all ages, and uplifting music was led by the parish youth choir, directed by composer Edwin Fawcett. Afterwards, people queued to venerate the relics and receive an extraordinary blessing.

The sermon was given by Fr Mario Conte, who accompanies the relics - a small piece of rib bone and a layer of cheek skin - when they leave Padua. He is also editor of the Messenger of St Anthony, the magazine published by the Conventual Franciscan Friars of Saint Anthony's Basilica in Padua, Italy, where the Saint's tomb is located. He reported that St Anthony's shrine in Padua is visited by 4-5 million people a year "because St Anthony has lots of friends and clearly many here in Forest Gate". The congregation cheered. Fr Mario told them that, "the real meaning of a relic is love - they are a link of love between the person who venerates and the saint". When he hoped that the congregation have "a wonderful meeting with your friend" clapping rang out around the church. Fr Mario reported that "everywhere people want to tell me their stories about how Anthony found a lost item or helped them in a specific way". He stills finds it extraordinary that so many still feel such a close connection with a saint who died 800 years ago,in the thirteenth century.

Parish priest Fr John Maloney described the occasion as "beautiful and there is great devotion here". He reported that hundreds attend St Anthony's Novena in the Forest Gate parish on Tuesday evenings, some travelling considerable distances. "We have many parishioners here at this Mass, but there are also people from the deanery and the Brentwood and Westminster dioceses plus some from other parts of the country". He felt it was a good experience for the young to see the devotion and learn the story of St Anthony, who had such concern for the vulnerable and people at the margins of society. "Local schools will be coming in over the next few days" he said.

Other locations visited by the relics since 19 June have been Paisley, Middlesbrough, Salford, Sheffield, Shrewsbury, Birmingham before Forest Gate in London. Bishop Alan Williams celebrated Mass last night at St Antony's and Tuesday is the final day of the current tour of the relics to Britain.

The relics of St Anthony last came to Britain in 2013, when a 17-venue tour drew more than 350,000 people.

Read more about the Messenger of St Anthony here: www.santantonio.org/en

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