The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1914-06-13
Italians Celebrate Festival Of St. Anthony. the Miracle Worker.

Catholics in general. and Italian Catholics in particular, will celebrate to-day the festival of St. Anthony of Padua, the worker of miracles the sshammer of heretics,' . the lark of the testAment, and the eldest son of St. Francis Thousands of ItaI- ians in every large American city, as we'll as in Italy, will devote the day to parades and religious services, and the shrines of St. Anthony of Padua will be visited by the crippled and sick wlros viii neek the intercession of the saint in the hope of being made whole again.
 A One of the features of the festival will be the investiture of small roys with the monkish garb of the Fran ciscan Order. These are lads who have recovered from Injuries or se-1 were illness, and who have been saw ed, their mothers fondIy believe, through their prayers and VOWS to youngsters will wear their vestments for only a month or twos others for a year or more, and few will be ded- icated to the order for the remainder Of their lives Tn the latter eases. the lads will not wear the regular monkish robes oiItside their own clothing, but will wear next to their bodies a garment cut something like 9. chest protector and tied with a knotted cord. The knots pressing constantly against the tender flesh will serve as continuous reminders to the lads of their mothers, vows and of how they were saved by the holy saint of Padua. The ceremony of investiture is very solemn. First the
 little brown robe is draped about the lad, then the knotted white cord is tied about his waist, and finally the. brown cowl is placed over each boy's head.
 While the festival of St. Anthony of. Padua is most generally observedl by Italians, the saint was Italian only by adoption. and was Portuguese by birth. He was companion of St. Francis. who founded one of the greatest religious orders in Christen- dom. St. Anthony's worldly name was Ferdinand de BulIoens. Begin ming his religious career as poor Franciscan friar, he was eventually called from obscnrity and for many years he preached and, it is alleged. performed miracles in France, Italy and Sicily. It was while staying with a friend in the city of Padua, with which the saints name is insepa- rab1ye connected that This host saw brilliant rays streaming under the door of the saints room. and on look ing through the keyhole he beheld "a little child of marvellous beauty standing upon a book which lay open upon the table, and cHnging with both arms round gAnthony's neck. z
 That circumstance gave rise to St. Anthony's fame as the protector of children and the worker of miracles in their behalf When her children are threatened with any danger. the first thought of any devout Italian Catholic mother is of St. Anthony of Padua. Many are the remarkable tales of miraculous cures wrought by St. .Anthony's fintercession told by Italian parents. A recent instance of this kind was recorded in the New York newspapers. Philip Vaccio. nine-year-old Italian boy, fell from a third story window. AS he. lost his balance his mother murmured a prayer .sSt. Anthony, save my lit tie boy and vow to you that he shall wear your habit as long as he lives. The lad suffered only slight bruises from his fall. and a little later he was invested with the habit of the Third Order of St. Francis. and ded- icated for life to the service of the church.