On Friday 13 June, the feast-day of St Anthony of Padua, the Custody of the Holy Land in Jerusalem solemnly celebrates its patron saint and protector.
From Thursday afternoon, the Franciscan friars of the Custody gathered in prayer at St Saviour’s church for the recital of the first Vespers.
The decision of the friars to entrust themselves to the protection of the Saint from Padua dates back to a particular request for intercession addressed to him in 1917, thanks to which the Italian Franciscan friars received the grace to remain in Jerusalem. This is why on 13 June 1920, in front of his statue on the altar, St Anthony was officially proclaimed the patron saint of the Custody of the Holy Land.
Due to the heightened tension in the region, the feast-day of St Anthony is taking on even greater significance this year. As always in the face of the challenges and difficulties of the world, the Franciscan friars are putting their trust in the prayer to the patron saint.
During the recital of the first Vespers, the gesture of the distribution of “St Anthony’s bread” was remembered. This is a tradition in various parts of the world where the Saint is venerated. On this occasion, the Custos of the Holy Land, Fra Francesco Patton, emphasized: “Sharing the bread of charity really heals us from the harshness of the heart, from indifference to the suffering of our brothers. It makes us pilgrims on the path of conversion, aware of our fragility and our needs and from this also merciful towards the fragility and the needs of others” 
On the morning of 13 June, the Custos of the Holy Land celebrated a Solemn Mass in St Saviour’s church in Jerusalem. The Patriarch of the Latins in Jerusalem, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa was present at the celebration and, following the tradition, the representatives of the other Churches of the Holy land also took part in the celebration. At this time of uncertainty and fear, in his homily the Custos invited all the faithful to look towards the Franciscan saint: “In this context we still trust in the efficacy of prayer, in the merciful goodness of God who created us for life, fraternal communion and beatitude. This is why, once again we renew our vow to St Anthony, so that he protects us as he has already protected us in the past and so that he can protect the people of this land and so that he gives us the grace, when this hour of darkness has also passed, to carry on our mission”
During the celebration, the Custos of the Holy Land recited the prayer of consecration of the Custody to St Anthony of Padua in front of the altar prepared especially for the feast-day.
Lastly, in the afternoon, the Franciscan friars gathered once again in St Saviour’s church for the recital of the Second Solemn Vespers, presided over by Fra Piermarco Luciano, vicar of the Fraternity of St Saviour.
Lucia Borgato
