The Wonder Worker in the Highlands

IN JUNE 2004 there will be an event taking place in Scotland that should rival that of Pope John Paul II’s visit in 1982. The relics of Saint Anthony of Padua will be visiting nine towns and cities in Scotland. There is already a buzz of excitement within the Catholic population particularly amongst the devotees of the Wonder Worker. Some had experienced the visit that the relics made to Ireland last year and wonder at what kind of reception the relics will receive in modern day Scotland.
Unlike Ireland, which has a Catholic majority, Scotland’s Catholic population is about 10 percent of its overall population. So it will be interesting to see what sort of reception the relics will get from the secular press in Scotland. There is no doubting that the faithful will welcome Saint Anthony and the Friars from Padua.

A modern devotion

Some may say devotion to Saint Anthony, or any other saint for that matter, means dwelling on the past; particularly with all that is going on in the world. Wars, famine, refugees, asylum seekers, unemployment, poor housing, abuse of water are all issues that need our attention on the local as well as the global level. There may be some who would consider the veneration of the relics of Saint Anthony as something that should be left in the past. I would have to strongly disagree with that view. I personally have ‘relics’ of my father who died in 1962 – books and items like his old army beret – these remind me of the man and what he did. The relics of Saint Anthony remind me of what he did to alleviate the suffering of the poor in his time and inspire me to try and do the same. After all, Saint Anthony was spurred on to become a missionary when he witnessed the return to Portugal of the relics of the Franciscan Friars who were martyred in North Africa.
Maybe the visit of Saint Anthony’s relics is long overdue in my country; mainly for the reason stated above – to inspire us and urge us on to imitate his actions. Anthony was a reformer; he persuaded the local authorities of Padua not to imprison debtors. If they were imprisoned, how could they repay the debt?
That was back in the 13th century whilst we still had debtors’ prisons 150 years ago. Our local authorities still have difficulty in understanding ‘ability to pay’ amongst the low-income earners paying local tax. So, Saint Anthony is very relevant for today.
Nearly every church has a statue of Saint Anthony or a moneybox marked ‘Saint Anthony’s bread’. It is clear that this saint from the 13th century has a special place in the hearts of the people and has occupied that place for many years. When did this devotion begin? It is hard to know for sure. It is true, however, to say that devotion to Padua’s wonder worker followed where the Franciscans went and the friars have left their mark all over Scotland. Many friaries were established the length and breadth of the country. In the main cities of Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Dundee and major towns like Perth, Ayr, Inverness, Lanark, Dumfries and Elgin. After the Reformation in the 16th century, Irish Franciscan friars found ‘new’ missionary territory in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland, where they were most welcome because of their knowledge of Gaelic when ministers of the new Presbyterian Church only spoke English.

Wonder worker

The Franciscan church in Glasgow, Blessed John Duns Scotus, is famous for the Nine Tuesdays Novena to Saint Anthony where you will find a packed church – unusual nowadays – with a congregation representing all ages and backgrounds. Although he is favoured as the patron saint of finding lost objects, those attending the Novenas in Glasgow will discover a wide range of petitions from finding houses for members of the family to safety on journeys.
The Franciscans have had an unbroken existence in Glasgow since 1868, but it is difficult to find out when the Tuesday night Novenas started. Pope Leo XIII granted a plenary indulgence to those spending time in devout piety in honour of Saint Anthony on Tuesday or Sunday of any week back in 1898. However, it safe to say that devotion to the finder of lost objects predates this proclamation.
Another devotion that is popular in Scotland is the Saint Anthony’s Bread. This is when a promise of feeding the poor for a grace granted through the intercession of Saint Anthony is honoured. Nowadays it takes the form of alms giving and one can often see a moneybox at the back of the church just for this purpose. The efficacy of the intercession of Saint Anthony can be seen in this short story. A local priest had lost his breviary and when a parishioner suggested that he pray to Saint Anthony, the reply from the priest astounded his listener “Saint Anthony! He’s too expensive; I already owe him too much!”
The Franciscan Missionary Union has a base in Glasgow and the patron of the Union is Saint Anthony. His patronage stems from an episode in his life when he desperately wanted to become a martyr in North Africa. However, illness and a storm at sea put paid to his plans to be a martyred missionary. Hundreds of blue boxes leave the friary every year to be returned full of coins for the missions. The monies collected go to the British Province of OFM’s missions in South Africa and India. Quite often the blue boxes are referred to as Saint Anthony’s boxes. We have one in our home all the time. My eldest son lost a £20 note that he had received for his 10th birthday and after a prayer to our favourite Saint the money was found on an isolated windswept beach that we had been walking along. He was duly informed that he would have to give some money to Saint Anthony’s poor and decided to put his change every Friday into the blue Saint Anthony box. He is now 23 and still continues to give his change to Saint Anthony every week.

Lily of purity

On the feast day of Saint Anthony, the Blessed John Duns Scotus Church in Glasgow has to put on extra Masses for the annual blessing of the lilies. The lily is a constant reminder of the purity of Saint Anthony. Many people take the blessed lilies home and dry them or display them in their little shrines to the saint in their own homes. This custom’s origin is lost in antiquity but we can look to Pope Leo XIII once again who approved the ritual and blessing prayer, which asks for the grace to preserve chastity, peace and protection against the evil one.
I can say, with hand on my ‘brave’ heart, that Saint Anthony will be made most welcome when he comes to Scotland, the land of Wallace and Burns, of Saint Margaret and Blessed John Duns Scotus. When the relics cross north of the border we will say “Ceud mile failte dh’ Alba, Anthony!” – “A hundred thousand welcomes to Scotland, Anthony!”