On June 13, 2020, the feast of St. Anthony of Padua, the adoration chapel in the Church of Our Lady of the Angels in Grodno, Belarus, was inaugurated and blessed. The chapel preserves the mortal remains of the Venerable Servant of God, Friar Melchior FORDON, OFM Conv.
The Most Reverend Aleksander KASZKIEWICZ, Bishop of Grodno, presided over a solemn Mass attended by many parishioners and faithful. They honored St. Anthony, giving him thanks and entrusting their prayers to his intercession.
At the end of the celebration, Bishop KASZKIEWICZ blessed the adoration chapel which contains the mortal remains of the Servant of God.
Finally, Friar Antoni POŻECKI, Guardian of the friary in Grodno, thanked all those who contributed spiritually and materially to the creation of the new chapel.
The Venerable Friar Melchior FORDON was born on August 5, 1862, in Grodno. A former diocesan priest, he entered the Order of Friars Minor Conventual out of his desire to get closer to God and to the people, especially those who are abandoned. Friar Melchior was Guardian of the friaries in Grodno and Vilnius. He was a collaborator with St. Massimiliano M. KOLBE and served as his confessor. Even during his life, many already considered him to be a saint. He died on February 27, 1929, in Grodno.
His cause for beatification was started in 1997, in Warsaw. In 2018, Pope Francis promulgated the decree recognizing the heroic virtues of the Servant of God.
The friars of the friary in Grodno
