The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1898-10-17
STATUE IN MEMORY
OF SAINT ANTHONY
UNVEILED WITH SoLEMNITY AT
THE FRENCH CHURCH.
The History of the Universal and
General Custom of Extending
Special Patronage to This
Saint.

Immediately before the high mass at
the French Church on Bush street yester-
day morning the magnificent new statue
of st. Anthony, lately erected in the sane
tuary, was solemnly unveiled and conse-
Grated. The service of blessing consisted
in sprinkling with holy water. The re-
sponses to the prayers were chanted by a
specially augmented choir, which gave to
the entire ceremony a fuller sense of sa-
cred impressiveness.
The statue, which is about five feet in
height, was made in Paris. 1t is the gift
of Mrs. de Gugne, the daughter of Mrs.
John PARROT.
Statues in honor of St. Anthony have
been erecetd lately in several Catholic
churches throughout the city. One SINH
lar to that erected yesterday in the
French Church will shortly arrive from
the East for erection in the. Paulist
Church (St Marys) on California street.
The object of this special devotion to
ward st. Anthony is interesting. The
statue is so built as to contain a recep-
tacle for the presentation OF aims, called
'St. Anthony's Bread"
The devotee at the shrine asks that a
certain favor be granted, and if done de-
posts coin, which is given to the poor.
The origin of this charity, the Tame OF
which is spreading rapidly throughout all
the world, is thus described:
One morning in November. 1892. Mile.
Boufher a storekeeper OF Toulon. France,
found 1t impossible to open her shop door. The
lock seemed broken, she called in a lock-
smith. After trying all his keys he gave up
in despair, saying there was no resource but
TO break open the door. While the locksmith
went for some other TOOLS the shop keeper
prayed fervently to st. Anthony that the door
might be opened without violence, promising,
II her request should be granted, to distribute
in his honor a certain number of loaves to the
Door She then begged the lOcksmith to make
another trial with his keys, and taking one
at random. the door flew open without further
difficulty.
After this simple evidence of St Anthony
power his clients increased rapidly In Tou-
Ion that Mile. Bouffler, with the assistance OF
her friends, founded work of charity called
the Bread of St Anthony. In a room be-
hind the shop they placed statue of the
saint, with lamp burning before it, and I'M
der the lamp two boxes-one to receive the
written requests and promises made to St.
Anthony. and the other money to buy bread for
the poor.
In time rumors of the wonders wrought by
St Anthony at Toulon reached Paris Lyons,
Bordeaux Marseilles and other large towns,
and many chapels in those cities very soon
contained the two boxes for the offerings.
St Anthony's bread is obtained in a simple
way All a. member of a congregation has to
adding q promise If, by the expiration of a
given time, the saint secures the fulhllment of
such request, a certain sum of money viii be
placed in the collection box to buy bread for
either of a spiritual or temporal character.
The request may have reference to the writer
only or to relatives, friends or even strangers.
When the favor is obtained the sum of money
promised is to be deposited in the box. This
money is devoted to purchasing and distrib-
uting st Anthony Bread.
st Anthony's Bread comprises not only
food but also clothing and medical attendance
1T includes, in fact, everything necessary for
the relief of the poor in general and of the
sick and afflicted poor in particular.