Just About Everywhere!

I went to Mass this weekend at the Santa Cruz Mission in Santa Cruz California, actually at Holy Cross Catholic Church. It is an impressive building. Painted on the ceiling are icons or images of the Holy Apostles. The Apostles are gazing down on us and their faces do not really show a smile in the whole group. I went into a small dark side chapel and there was a beautiful old image of St. Anthony of Padua. It is kind of a hobby of mine to see if there is some representation of St. Anthony in each Church I enter. Rarely will you find a Catholic Church without an image of the Saint in some form. 

People will not leave this wonderful Saint alone. He is such a wonderful and powerful intercessor before the throne of God that we need to see and feel that he is with us and the statues or stained glass or images are just reminders. They are an outward sign that reminds us of the reality of the Communion of Saints.

The Saints are not under the Earth. They do not rest in graves with no ability to pray for us. The Saints are united to God and these reminders help us to keep before our eyes what we love within our hearts.

This Mission was destroyed by an earthquake and is now rebuilt through the prayers gifts and sacrifices of the people of the parish. The parish is rather large and the collection (published each week in the bulletin) is over one hundred thousand dollars. The people of this parish are a reminder that if we want we can come together to make "something beautiful for God" as Blessed Teresa of Calcutta used to say.

The Mission of San Antonio in Jolon California  has about thirty-five families and the collections I don't think are in the same range. I am sure of the generosity of the people of the San Antonio Mission in Jolon California but the repair work needed to keep the Mission going will cost in the millions to be completed. 


Please join me in asking St. Anthony, the Saint who is known for finding things, to intercede for the parish at the Mission to find a way to make the necessary changes and improvements and keep St. Anthony's Shrine open.

Maybe you are the one to help financially. Think about it. Pray about it and please send all donations to:


St. Anthony's Bread
c/o Mission San Antonio de Padua
Box 803
(end of the Mission road) 
Jolon CA 93928


St. Anthony of Padua, pray for us!
Mark