Relic of Saint Anthony of Padua

Relic of Saint Anthony of Padua

Rome, 1859
Silver theca with episcopal wax seal and original authentication document

A precious 19th-century silver reliquary theca containing a first-class relic (ex ossibus) of Saint Anthony of Padua, one of the most beloved and venerated saints of the Catholic Church. The relic, a small fragment of bone, is affixed to red silk and identified by an original handwritten label reading:
“S. Antonii P. ad.” (Sancti Antonii Paduani).

The theca is sealed on the reverse with red episcopal wax, impressed with the arms of Cardinal Constantino Patrizi Naro, Vicar General of His Holiness Pope Pius IX and Cardinal Bishop of Albano. The red threads securing the seal are perfectly intact, confirming the relic has remained unopened and canonically valid.

Accompanying the reliquary is its original episcopal authentica, a Latin document certifying the relic’s authenticity, dated 1859 (Anno MDCCCLIX). The certificate confirms that the relic of Saint Anthony of Padua, Confessor and Doctor of the Church, was extracted from authentic sources and enclosed with proper seals for veneration. It bears the printed and handwritten signature of Cardinal Patrizi’s office and the embossed episcopal seal of the Vicariate of Rome.

Saint Anthony of Padua (1195–1231), born in Lisbon as Fernando Martins de Bulhões, was a Franciscan friar and renowned preacher, theologian, and miracle worker. A disciple of St. Francis of Assisi, he became famous for his profound scriptural knowledge and his powerful sermons that drew vast crowds throughout Italy and France. His miracles — especially those concerning the recovery of lost objects — earned him the title “Wonder-Worker.” Canonized in 1232, only one year after his death, he was later proclaimed a Doctor of the Church by Pope Pius XII in 1946. His feast day is celebrated on June 13.

  Dimensions:

• Height: 3 cm
• Width: 2.5 cm

  Materials:

Silver, glass, silk, bone relic, episcopal wax seal with red threads.

  Provenance:

Rome, from the office of Cardinal Constantino Patrizi Naro, Vicar General to Pope Pius IX, 1859.

------ Ask for authenticity documents in private messages at info@saintsrelics.com ------