Catholics from around Sydney packed into St Mary’s Cathedral on Friday 5 June as the relics of St Anthony of Padua visited Australia, offering the faithful a rare opportunity to pray in the presence of the Franciscan saint.
Travelling from Padua, Italy, Fr Bortolino Maistrello OFM Conv from the Pontifical Basilica of Saint Anthony in Padua, described the tour as a mission to bring the renowned preacher, miracle-worker and patron saint of lost things closer to those who are unable to visit his tomb in person.
“I brought here a relic which is part of the skin of St Anthony, taken from the grave in 1981,” Fr Bortolino said.
“When they opened the grave, they found the whole body of St Anthony. As friars, we decided to give people around the world the opportunity to be in touch with the relics of Saint Anthony.”
The relics arrived in Sydney for the first time this tour, before heading to Adelaide.
Seeing people wait in long lines for a second glance at the relics, Fr Bortolino said the strong turnout in Sydney revealed a deep spiritual hunger among the faithful.
“We didn’t expect so many people,” he said. “When you go around with the relics, you see that people are really in need of this kind of witness.”
Among those attending was one parishioner who said her devotion to St Anthony has remained strong throughout her life.
“I have a great devotion for him,” she said. “He always seems to answer me, please God he still does. I just love being a Catholic. I love God.”
For many in Sydney’s Italian Catholic community, the visit also carried deep cultural and family significance.
One woman attending the veneration explained that her family has been connected to the St Anthony Association in Sydney for more than 55 years.
“We used to have Italian festas in Leichhardt and they would carry the statue of the saint through the streets,” she said.
“Every town in Italy has its churches and saints, and St Anthony has always been very important for us.”
Anna Amiano, from the same village, described the atmosphere inside the church as deeply moving.
“It’s just beautiful here,” she said. “Look at all the people. Look at how much love there is.”
Addressing common misconceptions surrounding the veneration of relics, Fr Bortolino explained that relics help people remember the saints and draw closer to God.
“When we are touching the relics, we are reminding and calling to heart somebody who can help us,” he said. “It is not Anthony performing the miracle – it is God performing the miracles.
“When a person comes to confession after 20 or 40 years, after visiting the tomb of St Anthony, for me that is a miracle,” he said.
The visit also coincides with the Franciscan Jubilee Year, highlighting the enduring legacy of both St Anthony and St Francis of Assisi, the order’s founder.
“Nowadays we have the need to look at heaven,” Fr Bortolino said.
“Our eyes are too fixed on earth. The saints inspire us to live differently and not lose our direction.”
