100 years and still going strong

On a cold winter’s morning, way back in January 1898, when the horse was still the principal mode of transport and newspapers were still typeset by hand, there appeared in Padua the first edition of the Messenger of Saint Anthony of Padua, a magazine whose aim was to spread devotion to Saint Anthony and to promote works of charity in favour of the poor. It was a simple bulletin with just 24 pages, produced in a small format and sent out to a rather modest number of readers: at that time, it reached just six thousand Italian families.

A hundred years have passed since then, a whole century (see the cover feature on the history of the Messenger on page 16-17) and our magazine has undergone many significant changes; the number of pages, its physical appearance, the quality and orientation of the articles published... Today, the Messenger of Saint Anthony is a reality in the world of modern publishing, using all the latest technology at its disposal. Every opportunity is taken, every channel of communication used, to proclaim the message of the Gospel, which is every bit as relevant today as it was 100 years ago. The circulation of the Messenger has likewise flourished: today, the magazine reaches 1,500,000 families in 160 countries around the world. It appears in 13 editions, and in eight different languages (English, Italian, French, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Polish and Rumanian). Each edition is different with regards to both its contents and its principal themes, given the different ethnicities and cultures present in the various countries to which the magazine is sent. What all editions have in common is their positive message and their dedication to the truth. All editions have always been open to the needs and requests of their readers, ever disposed to a continuing dialogue with their respective subscribers.

Although it has grown significantly over the years, the Messenger of Saint Anthony has never lost sight of the objectives which led to its creation. Even today, although it is a modern and accomplished publication, its principal aim is to be the mouthpiece of Saint Anthony, whose doctrine was so firmly based on the Gospel and so concerned with the needs of every human being. For Anthony, every man and woman must grow in faith, and make spiritual values the anchor of their lives. They have to experience their own spirituality with spontaneity, but always in accordance with the teachings of the Church. At the same time, they should never forget to maintain a healthy respect for the unalienable rights of other human beings: the right to work, to education, to dignity and peace, and the right to assistance when the ‘slings and arrows of outrageous fortune’ drag them into conditions of poverty or illness...

From this issue of the Messenger, the magazine is increasing from 40 to 48 pages, plus the cover. This is further proof of the efforts that our magazine has made over its lifetime to carry the message of Saint Anthony as far and as wide as possible, and to do everything in its power to be at the service of those who are devoted to the figure and the message of this wonder-worker. We do not consider this an end in itself, but rather, a starting point for a further and increased effort to scrutinise ‘the signs of the times’ and to interpret them in the light of the Gospel, together with our readers, old and new, who want to walk together with us.