Pontifical Mass at St. Anthony of Padua Oratory

A Solemn Potifical mass was celebratedby Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone of San Francisco at St. Anthony of Padua Oratory (ICRSS) in West Orange, NJ. The Mass was organized by the American Delegation of the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of St. George.

The Mass commemorated the external solemnity of St Anthony Abbot, the principal minor patron of the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of St. George. Archbishop Cordileone referred in his sermon to this saint, one of the earliest Christian monks, and to the relevance for the present age of his search for spiritual perfection.

I should mention that St. Anthony the Abbot is the subject of the most famous German painting, the Isenheim Altar by Matthias Grunewald, located in Colmar. (Above) St Anthony ignoring the assault of the devil. (below) St Anthony conversing with St Paul, regarded as the first Christian hermit.

(Below) The famous Temptation of St Anthony from the Isenheim Altar. A parable for today: just as things appear hopeless, divine assistance appears (upper left hand corner of the picture)