SAINT ANTHONY, BISHOP OF CARPENTRAS - 13 SEPTEMBER

 

ALL SAINTS CELEBRATED IN SEPTEMBER

Saints celebrated on the 13th of September

SAINT ANTHONY, BISHOP OF CARPENTRAS

According to a tradition followed by the Bollandists, Anthony (Antonius, Antoninus), bishop of Carpentras (Carpentoracte, Carpentoractum) in Provence in France, died in A. D. 480. 

In the diocese of Carpentras there are two places which consider our Anthony their patron saint, namely Bedoin (Beduinum) and Malemort. In the first city, the mortal remains of the saint were kept and venerated - until the time of the Calvinists, who endeavoured to destroy all the sacred relics. An eyewitness, a 90-year-old old man, testified in 1624 that he had been present at the heretics' burning of the relics and saw how a Calvinist had thrown the head of the saint into the fire four or five times and each time the head had come out of the flames intact. The Bollandists* reckon that this our Saint Anthony is the same who was sent to Pope Hilary (Hilarius) in 463 to deliver to him the paperwork of the Synod of Arles.

(Information from Stadler's Complete Encyclopedia of Saints, Volume 1, Augsburg, 1858, p. 260)

*A hagiography source used by the authors 

Stadler's Complete Encyclopedia of Saints - Sources and Abbreviations

PRAYER:

Grant, we beseech you, almighty God, that the venerable feast of Saint Anthony may increase our devotion and promote our salvation. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen.