Devotion
in Honor of St. Anthony
TRADITIONAL
DEVOTIONS
The faith
of our founding parishioners was deeply rooted in
devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary and St.Anthony of
Padua. Their love for these special patron saints was
expressed in many ways, particularly by an annual NOVENA
(nine days of intense prayer, fasting, and intercession
to the patron saint).
Each year
a novena to St. Anthony's held from June 4 through June
12. A mass, which includes special prayers and hymns to
the saint, is celebrated each evening. The altar is
decorated with a small shrine featuring the statue of
St. Anthony surrounded by flowers, and standing before a
bank of vigil candles. On the actual feast of St.
Anthony,
June 13, the evening mass is held outdoors on the
grounds of the Croatian Franciscan Monastery in Hyde
Park. Immediately following the mass, the congregation is
invited to approach the altar to kiss a relic of the
saint. Then all of the children present are given a
special blessing in honor of St.Anthony who is often
pictured holding the Christ Child.
The feast day celebration culminates with refreshments
and socializing. The following prayers are those recited
each day of the novena:
1)
O Glorious St. Anthony, from early youth you always cherished a tender
devotion to our Blessed Mother, and you reminded us that Our Lady's
name is a strong tower where the sinner who has recourse to her finds
security and salvation. Help
us to pray often with you: Our Lady, Star of the Sea, shine upon our
distress on the sea of life, and lead us to the safe harbor and the
ineffable joys of eternity. Our Father..... Hail Mary..... Glory
Be.....
2)
O Glorious Saint, you escaped from the dangers and temptations of the
world by disdaining greatness, riches and comforts of life, and by
joining the Canons Regular of St. Augustine.
We beseech you to obtain for us a detachment of the heart and
true contempt for the world. Our Father..... Hail Mary..... Glory
Be.....
3)
O Glorious Saint, you felt a burning desire in your youthful heart to
suffer martyrdom for the Faith, and for this purpose you entered the
Order of the Seraphic St. Francis.
We beseech you, obtain for us the spirit of penance and
mortification. Our Father..... Hail Mary..... Glory Be.....
4)
O Glorious Saint, guided by sentiments of the most profound humility,
you did everything in your power to hide yourself from the eyes of the
world when God suddenly made you known as an ark of science and
sanctity. We beseech you,
obtain for us the grace of practicing humility and of loving a life
hidden in God. Our Father..... Hail Mary..... Glory Be.....
5)
O Glorious Saint, chosen by God to preach His work, by your eloquent
sermons you recalled the erring and the indifferent to works of faith
and charity, and inspired many
to enter upon a life of virtue. We
beseech you, obtain for us the grace to listen willingly to divine
inspirations, and to hear with fruitfulness the word of God. Our
Father..... Hail Mary..... Glory Be.....
6)
O Glorious Saint, your ardent love of God merited for you the happy
privilege of receiving and caressing in your arms the Divine Infant
Jesus. We beseech you,
obtain for us the grace of receiving Him in the Blessed Eucharist with
love and fervent devotion. Our
Father..... Hail Mary..... Glory Be.....
7)
O Glorious Saint, you assisted many poor sinners to rid themselves of
the heavy burden of their sins in the Sacrament of Penance. We beseech you, obtain for us the grace of going to
confession regularly with true contrition for our sins and a real
purpose of amendment. Our Father..... Hail Mary..... Glory Be.....
8)
O Glorious Saint, you acquired such a deep knowledge and understanding
of the Holy Scripture that you have been called Doctor of the Gospel.
We beseech you, obtain for us the grace of frequently reading
some pages of the Holy Bible in such a way that it will bring profit
to our souls. Our Father..... Hail Mary..... Glory Be.....
9)
O Glorious Saint, you preached to the people of France and Italy not
only by your soul stirring sermons, but even more by the example of
your holy life. We
beseech you, obtain for us the grace of never scandalizing others, but
always exercising upon them a wholesome influence by a blameless life.
Our Father..... Hail Mary..... Glory Be.....
10)
O Glorious Saint, appointed by your holy Father St. Francis to teach theology to your brethren, you carried out
your task in such a way that the spirit of devotion suffered no harm.
We beseech you, obtain for us the grace of cultivating the
spirit of prayer and performing our daily tasks in the spirit of
penance, and with pure intentions. Our Father..... Hail Mary.....
Glory Be.....
11)
O Glorious Saint, by your prayers, your zeal, and your heavenly
wisdom, you converted thousands of heretics and hardened sinners. We beseech you, obtain for us the grace of true conversion,
so that we may give ourselves entirely to God. Our Father..... Hail
Mary..... Glory Be.....
12)
O Glorious Saint, in imitation of our Divine Redeemer you spent your
life for the salvation of souls.
We beseech you, obtain for us the grace to become saints, to
die a happy death, and to praise God forever with you and all the
saints and angels in heaven. Our Father..... Hail Mary..... Glory
Be.....
13)
O Glorious Saint, God has given you the power of continually working
miracles, and the favor of answering the prayers of those who invoke
your assistance in misfortune, anxiety, and distress.
We beseech you, obtain for us from Jesus, through Mary His
Blessed Mother, what we beg of you so fervently and hopefully, if it
be for the glory of God and the good for our souls. Our Father.....
Hail Mary..... Glory Be.....
