Transit of Saint Anthony 2023

The Transit of Saint Anthony 2023 will take place on Monday, June 12, 2023, in the beautiful city of Padua.

The Transit of Saint Anthony (Transito di Sant’Antonio) is both a religious ceremony and a historical reenactment dedicated to Saint Anthony of Padua, held every year on June 12, in Padua, on the eve of the Feast of Saint Anthony, recalling his last moments on earth.

SHORT HISTORY

Born in 1195 in Lisbon, Saint Anthony was a Portuguese Catholic priest and friar of the Franciscan Order. He is known for his powerful preaching and for his devotion to the poor and sick.

In 1231, at the age of 35, sick and aware of his approaching death, Saint Anthony asked to be taken from Camposampiero, a town located about 20 kilometers north of Padua, to his beloved city, where he wanted to be buried.

He was taken to Padua in an ox-drawn cart, and once he arrived on the outskirts of the city, in a place called Arcella, his condition deteriorated and he was hospitalized at the Franciscan convent of Santa Maria de’ Cella. He died there peacefully on Friday, June 13, comforted by a vision of Jesus.

Saint Anthony of Padua was one of the most quickly canonized saints in the history of the Catholic Church. He was canonized by Pope Gregory IX on May 30, 1232, in Spoleto, less than one year after his death.

The reenactment of the Transit of Saint Anthony was held for the first time in 1931, on the occasion of the 7th centenary of the Saint’s death.

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

On June 12, around 8.30 am, a procession of about 150 costumed people will start from Piazzale Azzurri d’Italia, in Arcella, a district of Padua, and will wind along the streets of the city.

Around 9.30 am, the procession will reach Sanctuary dell’Arcella, a church that preserves the room in which Saint Anthony of Padua died, and the concert of the bells will begin in the city.