Tradition continues with St. Anthony feast day celebrations

Parishes in the Diocese of Columbus celebrated the feast of St. Anthony of Padua in with Masses, food and festivities. The faithful honored the beloved saint, who was born in Lisbon, Portugal, later became a Franciscan friar and is a Doctor of the Church.

Columbus St. Anthony Circle No. 1 honored St. Anthony with a Mass on June 13 at Columbus St. Christopher Church celebrated by Fathers William Metzger and Andrzej Koźmiński, SAC (Society of the Catholic Apostolate), the church’s pastor. After Mass, refreshments were offered in Columbus Trinity School cafeteria, located next to St. Christopher.

Pat Brown, a member of the circle, has been heading the St. Anthony feast day celebration for decades. It was a tradition started by her grandmother, who emigrated to the United States from Italy.

“I’m very happy to say I’m 88 years old, and I’m still here today honoring our great feast of St. Anthony of Padua and with my family by my side,” Brown said.

St. Anthony Circle No. 1 first celebrated the feast at Columbus St. John the Baptist Church after its members arrived in the United States from Italy, Brown said. The annual celebration was then moved to Columbus St. Francis of Assisi Church and eventually to St. Christopher, where it remains today.

“All the families – there were generations from Italy that came and we had our celebration every June the 13th on his feast day,” Brown said.

Her mother, Lucy Petrella Nance, headed the feast day celebration for years, and Brown has carried on the tradition. Brown’s children, grandchildren, siblings and nieces and nephews continue to be active in the celebration as well.

“St. Anthony was actually born on August the 15th, which is the feast of the Assumption,” she said. “I have two daughters and a granddaughter born that day also, so he looked on me with favor. I know he did.”

One of Brown’s daughters, DeeDee Perez, will succeed her mother in coordinating the feast day celebration next year. Perez recalled memories of feast day festivities throughout the years, including meals of homemade spaghetti sauce and meatballs, prepared by her grandmother, mother and aunts, and pizzelles, an Italian cookie. 

While the annual celebration continues, the dynamic has changed over the years.

“The crowd is dwindling, as expected. It gets a little smaller each year, I think, but we’re going to keep it going because it’s just what our family does,” Perez said.

She described St. Anthony as the patron saint of the family. The saint, who her son, Anthony, shares a name with, evokes fond memories.

“I think of my grandmother, and since she’s no longer here with us – she died at 100 years old – every time I hear ‘St. Anthony’ it goes straight to my grandmother, always, so it’s just a smile on my face, and it’s just a good feeling,” she said.

Each year during the feast day Mass, the St. Anthony Circle No. 1 presents a statue of the saint to an individual who is recognized for their involvement. The award honors someone dedicated and generous with their time and commitment to the annual celebration, Perez said.

This year’s award was presented to Christopher Smith.

Smith’s mother, Freda, is Brown’s sister. He has been active in the celebration since he was a boy. He recalled dressing as St. Anthony for the feast day Mass and noted the importance of the feast.

“It’s always been a great tradition to come here. No matter what, June 13th, no matter if I had a baseball game or whatever it was – in college or anything – I always came,” said Smith, who is now 44 years old. “It’s always great to see family and friends.”

Smith said he was honored to receive the St. Anthony statue this year.

“To be that person, it means a lot. It’s special, and God works in mysterious ways,” he said. “It will be forever memorable.”

Members of St. Anthony Circle No. 1 were part of the entrance procession during Mass. They processed with red and white flowers, which they placed before a statue of St. Anthony near the altar. 

As part of an annual tradition, bread was blessed during Mass and distributed afterward. St. Anthony is often associated with loaves of bread as an allusion to the saint’s charity to the poor. 

In his homily, Father Metzger reflected on the life of St. Anthony. He described the saint, who, he said, was Italian by adoption, as being holy, well known and respected.

He noted that St. Anthony, who died at age 35, was known for preaching with zeal and boldness in Italy.

Father Metzger marveled how – not only in Lisbon, Portugal and Italy – people in Columbus are “singing his praises” hundreds of years after the saint’s death. He said it is because St. Anthony was a great person.

He also noted that St. Anthony is remembered for saying, “Let your words teach and your actions speak.”

Father Metzger encouraged the congregation to emulate St. Anthony by bearing witness through their actions.

The St. Anthony Circle No. 1 awarded $500 scholarships to two members of the Trinity School eighth-grade graduating class who will continue their Catholic education in high school. 

This year’s recipients were Juan Porcayo, who will attend Columbus Bishop Watterson High School, and Lincoln Wolfe, who will attend Columbus St. Charles Preparatory School. Father Koźmiński presented the scholarships during Mass.

About 10 minutes away in the Italian Village neighborhood, parishioners at St. John the Baptist Church celebrated the saint’s feast day on Sunday, June 9. The celebration is organized by the Solazzo family.

“The feast day celebration has become an annual event that we look forward to every year,” lifelong parishioner Tina Solazzo said.

Members of the Solazzo family – Joe, Tony and many cousins – carried a St. Anthony statue and processed around the church. The tradition resembles processions that take place in various towns in Italy on the feast day.

“The planning and reception are a gift from the Solazzo family, and we are grateful to them for helping us celebrate the feast of St. Anthony,” said Msgr. Frank Lane, the parish’s administrator.

The church’s clergy, staff, choir and parishioners gathered at St. John the Baptist to take part in the celebration. The Knights of Columbus were also present for the event.

After Mass, there was the blessing and distribution of “St. Anthony bread,” Solazzo said. A cookie reception was also held in the church’s Sala Hall.