The Wonder Worker - 1874
Anthony of Padua represented as a wonder-worker.
Introduction
At Brive, France, Anthony of Padua founded a Franciscan monastery. After the church declared Anthony a saint, this became a focus of pilgrimages. Visits by the pious were interrupted in 1565 when the Huguenots controlled the area and again following the Revolution of 1792, when the place became public property. Pilgrims continued to come and in 1874 the church purchased the site. Monsignor Berteaux reestablished the cult of Anthony there. On this day, August 3, 1874, when the Franciscans reinstated their control over the site, the Bishop of Tulle made the following remarks:
Quote
“To-day I, the Bishop of this diocese, in the name of the Church, take possession again of this venerable sanctuary, this celestial hill … This spot has heard the ardent sighs of an impassioned lover of Christ, the mighty orator who drew his mystic lore from the Sacred Scriptures and deserved to be styled by Gregory IX ‘the Ark of the Testament.’ His commentaries on the divine pages may be likened to a golden harp sending forth magnificent harmonies to the glory of the Word Incarnate. The Child Jesus Himself touched his lips and his fingers, that they might pour forth golden words. This inspired preacher of the word of God, whom we call Anthony of Padua, has trodden these valleys and plains, has prayed and watched in this lonely cave, has slaked his thirst in this clear water which is a reflection of the purity of his soul. To-day I bid you welcome, sons of St. Francis, to this spot, once inhabited by your brother, the great wonder-worker. Proclaim Christ wheresoever you go … and in all your strivings imitate your holy brother in St. Francis, the great St. Anthony of Padua.”
The Wonder-Worker of Padua, 1896