SINCE the publication of the first issue of our magazine in 1898, compassion for the poor has been our mainstay.
The unknown author of the first editorial wrote, “In this bulletin we will keep readers informed of those works of charity which are so dear to our hearts and are generally expressed by the term Saint Anthony’s Bread; if we did not do this, our periodical would fail in one of its main purposes…”
The author invited readers to send offerings to “alleviate the sufferings of those who, through no fault of their own, are compelled to live in conditions of squalor and poverty”.
Since the Middle Ages, and for the following centuries, the solidarity expressed through Saint Anthony’s Bread took the form of real loaves of bread which the friars distributed in the cloisters of the Basilica in compliance with a tradition derived from one of the Saint’s miracles.
A little boy in Padua had fallen into a barrel of water and was drowned. In her grief, his mother called on St. Anthony for help, and promised she would donate the child’s weight in grain for the poor if he was restored to life. While the mother was still praying, the child arose as if from sleep. This miracle gave rise to the tradition of giving alms to the poor, particularly in the form of bread, as a petition or in thanks to God for blessings received through prayers to the Saint.
When our magazine first appeared in 1898 many destitute people were still knocking at the door of our Basilica in search of assistance. In those days a kilo of bread was sufficient to meet the basic daily need of these people, many of whom were still living in abject poverty. Of course, the friars never turned any of them away empty handed.
As time went by, however, bread became symbolic of material aid in general: firewood and blankets for the bitterly cold nights, clothing and shoes to keep bodies warm and feet protected... These different ways of providing assistance alleviated various critical situations, and the range of this outreach gradually widened as our solidarity became more articulate. Soon more specific projects were drawn up to meet specific needs in countries outside of Italy, and the Messenger, which was now being printed in several languages, established itself as the mouthpiece for works of charity in St Anthony’s name throughout the world.
Today, this entails an increasing number of challenges and ever-changing perspectives. The Saint Anthony’s Bread initiative is now supported by St. Anthony’s Charities, whose purpose is to intervene in situation of extreme poverty and suffering, especially in developing nations.
Although some of these projects are directed at alleviating the immediate needs of people in critical situations, the main bulk of our charitable initiatives strive to render deprived people economically independent while endeavouring to preserve their culture and traditions. This contributes a long way to helping these people to mature and to maintain their sense of dignity and worth.
This is the spirit that has animated all the June 13 projects which the Messenger has invited you to sustain for the past 25 years, and you have always responded to our appeals, dear readers, with great generosity.
Through your support thousands of our brothers and sisters in Africa, Latin America, Asia and Eastern Europe, and to a lesser extent in North America, Australia and Western Europe, now enjoy a more dignified existence.
This year we have invited you to contribute to a project in Peru which is striving to build an educational centre for a community of deprived children high up in the Andes, and if you wish to give these people a hand turn to the back cover of this issue.
As you can see, Saint Anthony’s Bread has gone a long way since the Middle Ages, but all this has been possible only because our Christian faith is simply inconceivable without compassion, which alone can free us from the vicious cycle of selfishness and discord.
May Saint Anthony, whose love for God and charity for His creatures made him worthy, while still on earth, to possess miraculous powers, protect you, dear readers, who believe in the value of compassion and have dedicated an important place for it in your hearts.
Updated on October 06 2016