Presided by the Custos of the Holy Land, Fr. Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Sunday Mass was also that of the feast day of St. Anthony of Padua, the special patron saint and protector of the Custody. Today, Sunday 13th June, it brought together many friars from the fraternities of Jerusalem and its surroundings as well as many parishioners.
The figure of St. Anthony is very popular in the Holy Land and this year again some children, wearing the Franciscan habit during the celebration, were consecrated to him. However, as this year the saint’s day fell on a Sunday and a day of fasting for the Orthodox, there were fewer representatives of the different Orthodox communities traditionally invited to join the celebration, before sharing the meal of the Franciscan community of St. Saviour.
Nevertheless, Reverend Father Goosan Aljanian, for the Armenian Orthodox, Reverend Father Chrysostomos for the Greek Orthodox community of the Holy Sepulchre and the Reverend Archimandrite Ieronim Cretzu for the Romanian Orthodox community honoured us with their presence as did Mons. Paolo Borgia, secretary of the Nuncio and Apostolic Delegate.
In the afternoon, it was in front of the altar consecrated to St. Anthony that the community came together for the second vespers of the feast-day and to pray together for the consecration of the Custos to its patron saint.
In his sermon, the Custody Vicar, Fr. Artemio Vitores, recalled that the Custos, following the example of its patron saint, had always entrusted itself to Divine Providence and this is the path that the prayer of consecration should help it follow.
Mab
The figure of St. Anthony is very popular in the Holy Land and this year again some children, wearing the Franciscan habit during the celebration, were consecrated to him. However, as this year the saint’s day fell on a Sunday and a day of fasting for the Orthodox, there were fewer representatives of the different Orthodox communities traditionally invited to join the celebration, before sharing the meal of the Franciscan community of St. Saviour.
Nevertheless, Reverend Father Goosan Aljanian, for the Armenian Orthodox, Reverend Father Chrysostomos for the Greek Orthodox community of the Holy Sepulchre and the Reverend Archimandrite Ieronim Cretzu for the Romanian Orthodox community honoured us with their presence as did Mons. Paolo Borgia, secretary of the Nuncio and Apostolic Delegate.
In the afternoon, it was in front of the altar consecrated to St. Anthony that the community came together for the second vespers of the feast-day and to pray together for the consecration of the Custos to its patron saint.
In his sermon, the Custody Vicar, Fr. Artemio Vitores, recalled that the Custos, following the example of its patron saint, had always entrusted itself to Divine Providence and this is the path that the prayer of consecration should help it follow.
Mab