Just beyond the votive lights stand is a statue of Saint Anthony. Saint Anthony is often depicted as a young Franciscan priest with the Child Jesus in his arms, but not many know the story behind the artwork.
Once he was preaching at Rimini, a seacoast town in which there was a group of heretics who did not believe in the true Presence of Christ in the Eucharist. These heretics laughed and turned their backs when Anthony began to speak. The saint turned to the sea and called out, "Since heretics do not wish to listen to me, do you come and listen."
Amazingly, the fish came swimming toward the shore and lifting their heads out of the water, listened to Anthony to preach. they left only when Anthony finished and gave them his blessing. Many of the heretics were then converted.
One heretic, Bonvillo, told Anthony that he wasn't impressed. He challenged Anthony to convert his mule. The mule was starved for three days. Anthony fasted and prayed for three days. He then celebrated Mass and took a consecrated Host with him into the town's square. Bonvillo and his heretical friends were gathered on one side while faithful Catholics were on the other. Bonvillo had with him a bucket of feed.
Saint Anthony spoke softly to the mule. "Creature of God, in His Name, I command you to come here to adore Him, so that it will give truth to all the Real Presence of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament of the Eucharist."
Ignoring his owner and the bucket of feed, the hungry mule walked to St. Anthony, knelt down on his forelegs and bowed his head to the consecrated Host. Seeing this, the heretic also fell down on his knees and bowed in reverence before the Eucharist.
So why is Anthony most often shown with the Christ Child? Once he was visting a friend in Padua. It was late at night, but the friend was awakened by a brilliant light. Frightened of fire, the man arose and ran toward Anthony's room, from which the bright light seemed to be coming. Through the slightly opened door the man was awed to see a beautiful Child standing upon a book and clinging to Anthony with both arms around his neck. An awesome sweetness filled that man's heart as he realized he was seeing the Child Jesus.
Saint Anthony died when he was only thirty-six years old. So many miracles have been attributed to his intercession that he is known as the Wonder Worker. He is also know as the restorer of lost articles and was declared a Doctor of the Church.
Thirty-some years after his burial, Anthony's body was exhumed so that it could be moved to a side of a newly built church in Padua. It was discovered that his body had decomposed but that the tongue of this great preacher remained as whole and intact as it had been in life.
