By Gill Vowels
Tasmanians are being given the rare opportunity to see the 800-year old Relic of St Anthony of Padua, reports The Hobart Mercury.
The relic, a bust that contains St Anthony’s tongue, saw pilgrims queue for hours outside Westminster Cathedral when it toured the United Kingdom in 2013.
Convenor of the Tasmanian tour, Des Mortimer, said when he read about that tour he wondered why the relic had never been brought to Tasmania.
“About 18 months ago, I asked that question and, on 16 June, the relic will arrive in Hobart,” he said. The relic will also visit Launceston on 17 June and ¬Devonport on 18 June.
Mr Mortimer said the visit would be a grand moment in the life of the Tasmanian Church.
“St Anthony is the saint you pray to if you have lost something and he was also a great orator and a worker of many miracles,” Mr Mortimer said.
“While the relic is in Tasmania, people will able to touch it, which is akin to shaking hands with St Anthony, so this tour is very important to Catholics.”
Australian tour co-ordinator, Father Angelo Fantasia, said the love Catholics had for St Anthony was unique.
Courtesy CathNews and The Hobart Mercury.