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Malleus Haereticorum - St. Anthony of Padua
My blog ^ | 6/13/2006 | Pyro7480

Posted on 06/13/2006 8:30:25 PM PDT by Pyro7480

The great Anthony of Padua has a universal appeal in the Catholic Church (he is truly a "catholic" saint). His statue can be found in churches the world over. He is most famous as the patron of lost articles. God knows how many times I've invoked his intercession in that area. But he has earned another title for his gift of converting the "sheep who had wandered" with his preaching - malleus haereticorum - or "the hammer of heretics."

While he is known for being a saint of the Italian city of Padua, St. Anthony was actually from Portugal, and spent much of his priestly ministry traveling across France and Italy, offering Masses and preaching. He was literally a one-man crusade against the prevailing heresy in those countries at the time, which was Catharism (also known as Albigensianism). He was so effective in converting people back to the Church that in response, the Cathars of the town of Rimini tried to poison him. Though he knew their treachery, he nevertheless ate at the feast they had prepared for him, and was unharmed.

St. Anthony continued to preach in Rimini, but some of the Cathars still did not heed his words. He demonstrated their hardness of heart when he preached on the shore of a river there, and in response, fish in the water sticked their heads out and turned to attentively hear his words. At this miraculous sight, people fell at the saint's feet and listened. Many returned to the Church.

Due to this reputation, Dom Gueranger invoked St. Anthony's intercession in the struggle against the heresies of modern times, which often have many similiarites to the heresy of Catharism. He wrote, "O thou who dost daily fly to the aid of thy devoted clients in their private necessities, thou whose power is the same in heaven as heretofore upon earth, succour the Church, aid God's people have pity upon society, now more universally and deeply menaced than ever. O thou ark of the covenant, bring back our generation, so terribly devoid of love and faith, to the serious study of sacred letters, wherein is so energizing a power. O thou hammer of heretics, strike once more such blows as will make hell tremble and the heavenly powers thrill with joy" (The Liturgical Year, Vol. XII, June 13).

St. Anthony of Padua, Hammer of Heretics, pray for us!


TOPICS: Catholic; General Discusssion; History; Ministry/Outreach; Prayer; Theology; Worship
KEYWORDS: anthony; anthonyofpadua; catholic; franciscan; hammer; padua; saint
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1 posted on 06/13/2006 8:30:31 PM PDT by Pyro7480
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To: Siobhan; Canticle_of_Deborah; broadsword; NYer; Salvation; sandyeggo; american colleen; ...
Catholic ping!

St. Anthony of Padua, pray for us!

2 posted on 06/13/2006 8:32:10 PM PDT by Pyro7480 ("If you wish to go to extremes, let it be in... patience, humility, & charity." -St. Philip Neri)
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To: Pyro7480
St. Anthony is a great saint, if he didn't have divine assistance he would have a full time job keeping up with my heartfelt petitions to (1) find whatever it is I lost this time; (2) intercede on behalf of myself or my friends in worry or trouble; (3) pray for the conversion of acquaintances, coworkers, fallen away teenagers, and heathen; (4) enlist the aid of his good friend St. Francis on behalf of the various livestock in the house; etc. etc.

Seriously, he has come through for me many and many a time.


3 posted on 06/13/2006 8:41:59 PM PDT by AnAmericanMother ((Ministrix of Ye Chase, TTGC Ladies' Auxiliary (recess appointment)))
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To: Pyro7480

Saint Anthony of Padua is the saint I consider myself named after, even though my father may beg to differ (being he's the 1st and I'm the 2nd)! :)

Also, I've been praying for his intercession most every night for around a month. After my first night of asking for his intercession for a troubled friend of mine, I found out that my friend finally decided to seek help for his dilemma. I was both surprised, and thankful. I'm sure of St. Anthony's (and others) help while in grad school, and recently, a turn towards being more true to the faith has been happening to my girlfriend. Pretty cool!!!

Pray for us please, Saint Anthony of Padua, in whose arms the Infant Jesus loved to be held.

God Bless,
ARAD (Anthony)


4 posted on 06/13/2006 8:44:38 PM PDT by ARAD ((the beep from the oven means my frozen pizza is ready))
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To: AnAmericanMother
That last painting with the Blessed Mother and St. Francis is a favorite of mine. I did a blog entry on it here (I even mention you, AAM, in it). ;-)
5 posted on 06/13/2006 8:54:34 PM PDT by Pyro7480 ("If you wish to go to extremes, let it be in... patience, humility, & charity." -St. Philip Neri)
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To: Pyro7480

He's the only saint that can be accused of extortion =). Every time I lose something, I have to promise Him that if he helps me find it I'll give a monetary contribution to the poor. I swear, sometimes find things in places I know I've looked in beforehand without finding anything. Only when I promise him that I will help a good cause will the object resurface again :).


6 posted on 06/13/2006 11:50:48 PM PDT by lost-and-found
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To: Pyro7480
Maybe my memory truly is going, but I didn't realize that Dignare Me Laudare Te, Virgo Sacrata is your blog. It is one I've subscribed to (via RSS) for a while now.

I have an image of the high altar at Jersey City, NJ's St Anthony of Padua parish (mother church of Polonia in New Jersey) on inillotempore.com:


St Anthony Church, Jersey City, New Jersey, U.S.A., as it appears today.

Fr Paul Spilsbury, O.F.M., translated all of St Anthony's extant sermons from the Critical Latin Edition of the Centro Studi Antoniani in Padua.
7 posted on 06/14/2006 3:42:30 AM PDT by Mike Fieschko
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To: Pyro7480

8 posted on 06/14/2006 4:34:59 AM PDT by bornacatholic (Pope Paul VI. "Use of the old Ordo Missae is in no way left to the choice of priests or people.")
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To: bornacatholic
Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting">

This was an altar at the Franciscan Monastery in Kennebunk, Maine. The kind Monastery priests heard many of my confessions.

9 posted on 06/14/2006 5:21:34 AM PDT by bornacatholic (Pope Paul VI. "Use of the old Ordo Missae is in no way left to the choice of priests or people.")
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To: Mike Fieschko

Thanks for the pic. Now THAT is what I call a church!


10 posted on 06/14/2006 6:06:25 AM PDT by Pyro7480 ("If you wish to go to extremes, let it be in... patience, humility, & charity." -St. Philip Neri)
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To: Pyro7480; Mike Fieschko
Now THAT is what I call a church!

As is often the case, the picture doesn't do the beauty of the church justice. It is an exquisite high altar and the NO table can be moved out of the way. The Communion rail is still completely intact.

As Mike knows, this church is literally around the corner from the Italian parish, Holy Rosary Church, where the indult Mass is located.

11 posted on 06/14/2006 6:34:37 AM PDT by ELS (Vivat Benedictus XVI!)
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To: Mike Fieschko

Wow! Now THAT is a high altar! What a work of art!


12 posted on 06/14/2006 6:37:11 AM PDT by AnAmericanMother ((Ministrix of Ye Chase, TTGC Ladies' Auxiliary (recess appointment)))
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To: stand watie

More info on St. Anthony.


13 posted on 06/14/2006 9:43:00 AM PDT by ELS (Vivat Benedictus XVI!)
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To: ELS
THANKS!

free dixie,sw

14 posted on 06/14/2006 9:54:38 AM PDT by stand watie ( Resistance to tyrants is OBEDIENCE to God. -----T.Jefferson)
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To: Pyro7480

St. Anthony is one of my favorite saints.


15 posted on 06/14/2006 12:24:48 PM PDT by Bigg Red (Never trust Democrats with national security.)
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To: stand watie

Are you Catholic sw?


16 posted on 06/14/2006 12:57:34 PM PDT by Pyro7480 ("If you wish to go to extremes, let it be in... patience, humility, & charity." -St. Philip Neri)
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To: Pyro7480
NOPE! Southern Baptist.

i have a REALLY good FRiend who IS though. (the older i get the more "ecumenical" i get. i can WORSHIP at ANY church or any other place as well.)

free dixie,sw

17 posted on 06/14/2006 2:21:57 PM PDT by stand watie ( Resistance to tyrants is OBEDIENCE to God. -----T.Jefferson)
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To: stand watie

I have an interesting tidbit for you. I know a Greek and Latin teacher at a local high school. He graduated from Georgetown University in 1961, which the centennial year of the start of War Between the States. Apparently, most of the students at Georgetown in 1861 who decided to fight in the war fought for the Confederacy.


18 posted on 06/14/2006 2:24:12 PM PDT by Pyro7480 ("If you wish to go to extremes, let it be in... patience, humility, & charity." -St. Philip Neri)
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To: Pyro7480
YEP. in those days, DC was a dixie city!

free dixie,sw

19 posted on 06/14/2006 2:38:10 PM PDT by stand watie ( Resistance to tyrants is OBEDIENCE to God. -----T.Jefferson)
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To: ELS
As Mike knows, this church is literally around the corner from the Italian parish, Holy Rosary Church, where the indult Mass is located.

Absolutely gorgeous!


Holy Rosary in the 1960s

Does it still look like this?

20 posted on 06/14/2006 2:47:45 PM PDT by Pyro7480 ("If you wish to go to extremes, let it be in... patience, humility, & charity." -St. Philip Neri)
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