Precious relics of St. Anthony of Padua, the much loved 13th century friar who was one of the earliest members of the Franciscan Order, will visit St. Anne Catholic Church, located at 2000 Kay Circle in Columbus, Ga., on Saturday, March 2, 2019. The relics will be coming from the Basilica in Padua, Italy, where St. Anthony is buried. They will be accompanied by Friar Bortolino Maistrello, one of the 54 OFM Conventual Franciscan Friars who minister there. This visit will be part of the first North American holy relics tour of 2019 to prepare us for the Season of Lent which begins on March 6, 2019, Ash Wednesday.

Pope Francis shares, “The saints give us a message. They tell us: be faithful to the Lord, because the Lord does not disappoint! He does not disappoint ever, and he is a good friend always at our side.”

In this spirit, the Pastor at St. Anne’s Parish, Friar Robert Schlageter, has extended the invitation to the Franciscan Friars in Padua to allow his parishioners to venerate the relics of St. Anthony. Veneration will begin at 1 p.m. on Saturday, March 2, and the relics will be present at the parish’s Vigil Mass at 5:30 p.m.

Prayer petitions with holy cards will be distributed in each participating parish to allow parishioners to write their prayer petition and intentions to the saint. The writing of a prayer petition and intention is a worldwide tradition when venerating a relic of a saint. Father Bortolino will bring the petitions back to the Pontifical Basilica in Padua and place them at the tomb of Saint Anthony. The tour officially ends back at the Tomb of Saint Anthony where the Friars will gather to pray for the saint’s intercession upon our intentions and petitions.