On the Workers Day, 1st of May 2010, the Basilica of St. Anthony and the surroundings were filled with thousands of Sri Lankans coming from all parts of Italy and the neighbouring European countries.

The first of May has been, for the last 13 years, a special day for all the Sri Lankan migrants working in Italy to come together as one family, to meet friends and relatives who are working in other parts of the country and to go in pilgrimage to the Sacred Basilica where the remains of the body and the incorruptible tongue of St. Anthony is preserved even after more than 700 years after his death as a sign from God for the purity of his words.

This year too, around 12,000 Sri Lankans gathered to celebrate the feast of St. Anthony of Padua.

He is one of the most popular saints in the whole Catholic Church, venerated not only in Padua, where a splendid basilica was built, which houses his mortal remains, but in the whole world.

Dear to the faithful are images and statues that represent him with the lily, symbol of purity, or with the Child Jesus in his arms, in memory of a miraculous apparition mentioned in some literary sources.

He, St. Anthony, was born in Lisbon in 1195 and died on the 13th of June 1231 in Padua, Italy. The entire world calls St. Anthony its own, but his home city of Lisbon, Portugal, delights to name him its most saintly native son. St. Anthony is considered to be the protector of souls in purgatory, propitiator of happy marriages, defender of animals, defender of lost property, and many other miraculous configurations of popular imagination.

Pope Gregory IX himself, after hearing him preach, described him as the "Arc of the Testament," and canonized him on May 30th in 1232, also as a result of the miracles that happened through his intercession. The Venerable Pope Pius XII proclaimed Anthony a doctor of the Church, attributing to him the title of "Evangelic Doctor," because from these writings arises the freshness and beauty of the Gospel; even today we can read them with great spiritual profit.

The celebration on the 1st of May was organized by Rev. Fr. Neville Joe Perera, the National Coordinator of the Italian Bishops’ Conference for the Sri Lankan migrants.

Organizing such a feast is not an easy task since it is now considered the biggest and the grandest Sri Lankan gathering of any nature outside Sri Lanka.

The main event was the Eucharistic celebration held in the main Basilica, built in the form of a Latin cross and immersed in semi-darkness, giving a harmonious blend of the imposing power of Romanesque architecture and soaring Gothic style.

One of the most treasured relics of the Basilica is the incorruptible tongue of the Saint (the instrument with which he had glorified God and sanctified His people), which is preserved in a splendid reliquary made by the goldsmith Giuliano of Firenze.

The Most Rev. Bishop Valence Mendis, the Chairman of the Commission for Migrants of the Catholic Bishop Conference of Sri Lanka, was the main celebrant, while Most Rev. Dr. Cletus Perera OSB, the Bishop of Ratnapura concelebrated together with nearly 20 priests from Sri Lanka and Italy.

The Mass was celebrated in both languages, Sinhala and Tamil, giving a national flavour to the whole service.

In his homily, preached in Sinhala, Tamil and Italian, His Lordship highlighted the person of St. Joseph, as it happened to be the Feast of St. Joseph the Worker.

The Bishop started his homily by recalling the great events and miracles that accompanied the historical visit of the sacred relics of St. Anthony to Sri Lanka and said that it was a moment to experience the simple faith of our people. He also thanked the Rector-Administrator and the Franciscan Community for their good will towards Sri Lankan. “By this simple gesture” the Bishop said “ the friendship which exists between the people of Italy and Sri Lanka was further strengthened”.

The Bishop also reflected on the life and the vocation of St. Joseph, the worker as it happened to be ‘the Workers Day’. He said that St. Joseph himself was a migrant as he had to leave his native land and go to Egypt in obedience to God’s word and protect the Blessed Virgin and the Child Jesus. “His faith and obedience to God’s Word” the Bishop said “must be the foundation on which we should built our Christian lives”.

He further elaborated the importance of building our lives, specially as migrants, on God and His Word and called all the Sri Lankan migrant families in Italy to commit themselves to inculcate the Christian virtues within their families. At the end of the Mass, the Rector Administrator of the Basilica Rev. Fr. Enzo Poiana recalled his memorable visit to Sri Lanka during the month of March with the Sacred Relics of St. Anthony. He was full of praise to the Catholic Bishops conference, the Government and the people for making this visit possible and praised Sri Lanka as a mini-paradise.

After mass, the relic of the Saint was taken in procession to the building outside of the Basilica by the Sri Lankans.

This was a traditional Sri Lankan procession which included Kandyan dancers. His Lordship Bishop Cletus Perera blessed the congregation with the sacred relic of the Saint bringing this memorable event to a close. After this, everyone enjoyed the rest of the day in the company of friends and relatives as it was a welcome break from the tight schedule of work and labour. It was with one wish and prayer that all Sri Lankans left the sacred place and that too, to come again next year.

 

Celebrazione In processione la reliquia portata un mese fa nello Sri Lanka

Folla di Sri Lankese al Santo

Alla Messa di Primo Maggio oltre dodicimila Sri Lankese residenti in Italia

E stato un primo maggio di fede, quello dei Sri lankese di religione cattolica che lavorano in Italia.Da tutte le parti della Penisola sono convenuti al Santo in oltre dodicimila, sulla scia , per cosi dire, dell’evento avvenuto nella loro terra: il pellegrinaggio del rettore del santuario Padre Enzo Poiana e le confratello Alessandro Ratti, con Don Neville Joe Perera, Coordinatore Nazionale per Immigrati Sri Lankese in Italia con due reliquie del Taumaturgo.In Sri Lanka tre millioni e mezzo di devoti anche non cattolici avevano reso omaggio a quelle reliquie.

Il Primo Maggio, dunque, grande afflusso a Padova.Gia mercoledi scorso, il convento antoniano aveva accolto il convengno dei venti due capellani srilankese che hanno cura dei loro connazionali in Italia. A loro si erano quindi uniti, due vescovi provenienti dallo Sri lanka : Mons Valence Mendis e Mons. Cletus Perera, delegato della Conferenza Episcopale di Sri Lanka. E sabato mattina alle 7.30 si e iniziato l’arrivo dei Sri lankese con i loro mazzi di fiori e le candele da portare all’arca del Santo.

“ Il pienone – ha osservato padre Poiana- lo si è avuto alla messa delle 11, con non meno diseimila presenze in basilica e di altrettante all’esterno. La concelebrazione è stata presieduta dal Vescovo Mendis, con Monsignor Perera, i dirttori degli uffici diocesani “Migrantes” di Padova, Verona, Bergamo e i trenta sacerdoti Sri lankese.”

Il busto dorato del Santo con la reliquia ( lo stesso andato in Sri lanka) è stato alla fine portato in processione. Migliaia di mani alzate nel desiderio di toccarlo hanno allungato di molto i tempi del percorso lungo la navata centrale del tempio e in piazza.Una preghiera e una benedizione dalla loggetta della Scoletta hanno, alla fine, dato gioia anche a quelli che non erano potuti entrare.

Don.Neville Joe Perera. Coordinatore Nazionale Migrantes CEI