In the summer of 1887, a deadly disease plagued the city of Messina in Southern Italy. A lot of people fled the city while others opted to remain praying for deliverance. Among those who remained was a widow named Susana Consiglio Miceli. She too prayed for deliverance from the deadly cholera. Having a special devotion to St. Anthony of Padua, she pleaded to the great saint to intercede for her and her whole family to be spared from sickness while promising to give bread to the children of the nearby orphanage run by a saintly priest called Fr. Hannibal Maria Di Francia.


The Great Miracle worker of Padua heard her pleas and granted her request. Her whole family was spared from sickness and they all survived the epidemic in perfect health. Grateful to St. Anthony’s intercession, she anonymously sent 60 Liras (around A$ 0.017 today) to the orphanage of Fr. Hannibal with instructions to buy bread for the orphans. This was repeated on several occasions until she finally revealed herself to the Padre and recounted her story.



Fr. Hannibal took the story as a sign from heaven that St. Anthony has decided to care for the poor children of the orphanage by granting people’s prayers in favor of helping the poor kids. From this, the devotion to the Bread of St. Anthony of Padua was born. From that time on, the institutes of the Rogationist Fathers and Daughters of Divine Zeal were named after St. Anthony in gratitude for the Saint’s powerful intercession to the patrons of the orphanage.  In Cavite, St. Anthony’s Boys Village is a living extension of this tradition and a concrete sign of St. Anthony’s benevolence.

PRAYER TO ST ANTHONY
 

O dear Saint Anthony, protect and watch over all children and young people worldwide, guiding them to grow in age, wisdom, and grace. Help them to preserve their innocence and pure hearts, while receiving the loving care and wise guidance of their parents and educators. Provide them with your constant protection as they mature and become strong witnesses of the Christian faith.

We also ask your intercession for ourselves, to help us realize that in giving, we will receive, and in loving, we will reap the fruits of promised gifts from the Lord. May we grow in altruism and care for our neighbors as we strive to please the Holy Child Jesus through your intercession.

Finally, Saint Anthony, watch over our families from your place in heaven. Help us to grow together in faith and in a loving concern for each other, practicing forgiveness, selfless service, and putting the love of God and the needs of others first in our lives. Guide us to express our affection and respect for all in our family, and help us to work through and resolve all our misunderstandings and disagreements. Amen.