Tony’s Tidbits

St. Anthony's will be closed from Friday, Aug. 29 through Monday, Sept. 1 for the Labor Day weekend. We wish everyone a safe and enjoyable rest from their labors.

Today is St. Anthony's 106th birthday! This old house first opened its doors on August 15, 1919 and welcomed four professors, six priests, four lay brothers and twenty-two clerics (students). It served as a Capuchin seminary until 1970, then became a retreat center under Capuchin leadership. In 2014, ownership transferred to a lay-led non-profit corporation to continue St. Anthony's retreat ministry in the Franciscan spirit. As we celebrate our birthday, we are grateful for all the men and women - staff and volunteer, lay and religious - who have kept this holy place going as a place of welcome for all. Ad multos annos!

Today is the feast of the first woman Franciscan, St. Clare of Assisi. Clare was only 18 when she was moved by the dynamic preaching of Francis. He became her lifelong friend and spiritual guide. She founded the first women's order of Franciscans, now known as the Poor Clares. She was a model of prayer and trust in God's providence. Clare’s religious life was marked by an indomitable resolve to lead the simple, literal gospel life as Francis taught her; courageous resistance to the ever-present pressure to dilute the ideal; a passion for poverty and humility; an ardent life of prayer; and a generous concern for her sisters. Happy Feast Day to all our Franciscan brothers and sisters!

We wish everyone a Happy Independence Day! Our office will be closed Friday, July 4 through Sunday, July 6 for the holiday. * * * * “For to be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.” - Nelson Mandela

Forecast is for hot and humid which can only mean one thing: it must be Volunteer Week!! We are expecting more than 40 hardy (and hearty) souls coming to help us over the next six days. Check our Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/SaintAnthonySpiritualityCenter) each evening for photos!

Today is the feast of our patron, St. Anthony of Padua. In addition to being the patron saint of lost and stolen articles, St. Anthony was a powerful Franciscan preacher and teacher. He’s typically portrayed holding the child Jesus, a lily, a bible, or all three, in his arms. He was ordained a priest in the Order of St. Augustine (same order as Pope Leo XIV) but later left to join the relatively new order of Franciscan Friars. Once St. Francis learned of Anthony's gifts as a preacher, Francis appointed Anthony to teach theology to the friars in a manner consistent with their Rule.

Memorial Day is a federal holiday dating back to the post-Civil War years. The day is set aside to remember all those who died in the service of our country. Memorial Day should be more about commemoration than celebration. In the midst of the long holiday weekend, the camping, boating, picnicking, fireworks and other plans, stop to say a prayer of thanksgiving for all those who gave their lives for the freedoms we enjoy. We can honor their sacrifice all year long by not taking our freedoms for granted.

All of us at St. Anthony's wish a Happy Mother’s Day to all mothers, step-mothers, grandmothers, godmothers and mother-figures. God bless you for all you do!

On this day in 1918, the Capuchins began construction of what would become St. Anthony's. Townspeople had been working on the needed excavations throughout the winter. Farmers brought stones, sand and gravel to the site. It was wartime, so banks were reluctant to give loans. Structural steel was difficult to purchase. All freight, except for military purposes, was embargoed or delayed. Despite all these challenges, the Capuchins moved ahead with construction. This photo was taken two months later during the celebration of the laying of the cornerstone.

"Therefore, let us celebrate the feast, not with the old yeast, the yeast of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth." - 1 Cor. 5:8 + + + All of us at St. Anthony’s wish you a very blessed Easter season! + + +

Palm Sunday marks the beginning of the holiest week of the year for all Christians. Over the course of the next eight days, we commemorate the events Jesus experienced in the last days of his life, from his triumphant entry into Jerusalem, to Holy Thursday and the Last Supper and great mandate, to his trial and crucifixion on Good Friday, and culminating with the Resurrection on Easter Sunday. St. Anthony's will be closed from Thursday, April 17 through Sunday, April 20 so our staff and volunteers may focus on celebrating these holy days with their families.

April is Global Volunteer Month, an annual opportunity to honor and celebrate volunteers worldwide. Here at St. Anthony's, our volunteers are truly the heart of all we do. A heartfelt THANK YOU to all our volunteers, past, present and future! “No one is more cherished in this world than someone who lightens the burden of another. Thank you”. - Joseph Addison

Yes, today is the Spring Equinox, but you couldn't tell it by looking out the window. On Wednesday, Mother Nature sent Sister Snow to visit St. Anthony's (and many areas in Wisconsin). So Spring dawned this morning with a fresh blanket of white covering the grounds. The next several days should be warm enough to melt some if not all of the snow, but weather (see what we did there?) or not this was Winter's last hurrah, we will have to wait to see. For now, we wish you a Happy Spring Equinox!