Annual Feast of St Anthony Draws Massive Crowds; Bishop Calls for Healing and Christ-Centred Homes
Mangaluru: The world-renowned annual feast of the miracle-worker, St. Anthony of Padua, was celebrated with immense devotion, spiritual fervour, and grandeur at St. Anthony Ashram, Jeppu, and St. Anthony’s Shrine, Milagres, on Saturday, June 13, 2026. Thousands of faithful from across the region gathered to seek the saint’s intercession and participate in the sacred celebrations.
The grand culmination of the feast was the Main Solemn Festal Mass at 6:00 PM at Milagres Church, presided over by Most Rev. Dr Peter Paul Saldanha, Bishop of Mangalore, along with several concelebrating priests. In a deeply inspiring homily, the Bishop expounded on the feast’s core theme, reminding the congregation that the family is the cradle of faith and love.
“The family is a domestic church where we first experience the love of God. If a family is Christ-centered, it brings forth blessings, hope, and healing,” Bishop Saldanha stated. Reflecting on the miracles of St. Anthony, he noted that the saint is celebrated not only for physical cures but for healing broken hearts and minds through the profound power of prayer and a Christ-centred life. St Anthony, the Bishop explained, calls believers to mend brokenness in their own lives through faith. Drawing a powerful analogy to St Anthony’s renowned title as the patron of lost things, the Bishop posed a reflective challenge to the faithful: “Have we lost God in our families? If God is lost in our family, then we have lost everything. Let St Anthony guide us to find God again in our homes.”
Earlier in the day, the celebrations commenced at the St. Anthony Ashram Chapel, Jeppu, with a 6:00 AM Holy Mass celebrated by Rev. Fr Paul Melwyn D’Souza, Capuchin. At 10:30 AM, Very Rev. Fr John Sequeira, OCD, Provincial of the Karnataka Province, presided over the solemn festal Mass at the Ashram, offering special prayers for the sick, the elderly, and the marginalised residents of the institution.
Simultaneously, at St Anthony Shrine, Milagres, the morning festive Mass at 8:00 AM was offered by Very Rev. Fr Valerian D’Souza, Rector of Rosario Cathedral. Embracing the linguistic diversity of the visiting devotees, a special Holy Mass in Malayalam was also held at 4:30 PM.
Following the Masses, the traditional blessing of the Bread and the veneration of St Anthony’s holy relic were held, allowing devotees to experience a powerful moment of grace. The administration of St. Anthony’s Charitable Institutions, led by Director Rev. Fr. J. B. Crasta and Fr Praveen Amrith Martis, Administrator, expressed deep gratitude to all the volunteers, choir members, and faithful who contributed to the seamless success of the three-day Triduum and the grand Feast Day.