Shrine of St. Anthony, Pune

Shrine of St. Anthony, Pune Camp

 -Brian Mendonca

St. Anthony on a cart.

Whenever we lose anything we remember St. Anthony.  Countless times the article has been restored. But who is St. Anthony?

The Shrine

During my years in Pune in the early '90's, my sister Vanessa and her husband Felix used to faithfully go to the cross of St. Anthony - a stone's throw away from the imposing Gothic church of St. Francis Xavier in Pune Camp. At that time it was a simple cross where many devotees would gather.

On a recent trip to Pune, Felix said the usual words, 'We will go to the cross of St. Anthony.' Imagine my surprise when instead of a cross I see an imposing shrine. Felix had mentioned in the earlier years that funds were being put together for an edifice for St. Anthony. 

What struck me were the stained-glass paintings of the life of St. Anthony arranged around the walls of the chapel. They vividly presented moments from the life of the saint from birth to death. This included his meeting St. Francis of Assisi (1181-1226).

Life

St. Anthony of Padua (1195-1231) was a Portuguese priest known for his preaching. Though he died at 36, he travelled widely doing the Lord's work. When he took ill he told the friars that he would like to die in Padua. So they put him on a cart and made their way. But his condition deteriorated. He was taken to a Poor Clare monastery at Arcella, near Padua, where he passed on. This is depicted in the stained glass panel above. 

Origins

The story goes that on the site of the shrine a statue of St. Anthony was found when digging was going on. This was way back in 1930. As a result, devotion to St. Anthony started growing. Henry and Constance Williams - the owners of the land -  built a place of devotion at the spot in 1938. 

The spot, which transitioned into a chapel, was bequeathed to the diocese of Pune before Constance passed on in 1970. Bishop Thomas Dabre elevated the chapel to a shrine in 2011. The new premises were dedicated in 2016. Total cost to build: more than two crores.

Feast Day

13 June is the feast day of St. Anthony as it is his death anniversary. Tuesday is the day of devotion for St. Anthony as he died on a Tuesday.

Relic of St. Anthony with Bible.

Legend

The mosaic which rises above the shrine (above) depicts St. Anthony preaching to the fish at Rimini, Italy. Since the people of Rimini refused to listen to him St. Anthony beckoned to the fish who raised their heads above the water and listened to him. Seeing this the people of Rimini were converted.

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All pix taken by Brian Mendonca on 26 February 2022. Research, Dean Lobo, Times of India, Pune, 17 June, 2016. Also see santantonio(dot)org. Updated 13/6/26.