The annual celebration honoring St. Anthony of Padua is always solemn and well attended at the Church of Santa Dorotea. The church is located in Rome’s Trastevere district.
In 2024, there were two rounds of celebrations. The first took place on June 13, the liturgical feast day of St. Anthony of Padua. It was attended by many faithful and devotees, and was preceded by the pious exercise of the Tredicina devotion and the Triduum of St. Anthony, which was preached by Friar Aurelio ERCOLI of the community of the Twelve Holy Apostles in Rome. At 6:00 p.m., Friar Francesco LENTI, the Minister Provincial of the Italian Province of St. Francis of Assisi (Central Italy), presided over the solemn Mass. Friar Umberto FANFARILLO, the Pastor of Santa Dorotea and some friars from the San Giacomo Friary were present as well. Earlier that morning, the pastor had blessed baskets of “St. Anthony’s Bread” and distributed them to the local faithful.
The second round took place on Saturday, June 15, at 6:00 p.m. with a solemn Mass presided over by the Most Reverend Flavio PACE, the young Archbishop of Dolia and Secretary of the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity. Some friars were also present and the church was packed with faithful. All of the brothers and sisters of the Confraternity of St. Anthony of Padua were present as well. During the Mass, the main celebrant blessed the insignia of five new brothers and welcomed them into the historic Confraternity.
After Mass, a procession was conducted through the streets of Trastevere with a statue of St. Anthony carried on the shoulders of the Confraternity members. Archbishop PACE led the procession carrying a relic of St. Anthony. Those present at the procession included the Most Reverend Vittorio VIOLA, OFM, Secretary of the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments; Friar Umberto FANFARILLO, Pastor of Santa Dorotea; Friar Sergio COGNIGNI, the Associate Pastor; representatives of other Confraternities in Rome’s historic city center, and the Lazio Region Band. The songs and prayers along the route were led by the Master of Ceremonies, Ezio FALINI. The statue of St. Anthony made three stops along the processional route. The first was in front of the San Giacomo alla Lungara Church, where the Guardian, Friar Renzo DEGNI, read the prayer. The inmates of the Regina Coeli prison were blessed with the relic as well. The second was in front of the Peter Pan Center to bless the sick children being treated at the Bambin Gesù Hospital. The third stop was in front of the Institute of the Sacramentine Sisters to bless the elderly living in the retirement home.
The procession returned to the parish late in the evening where it was welcomed by hundreds of devotees and many tourists from the populous Trastevere district.
Friar Paolo FIASCONARO
