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Published on 12 February 2018

“Feast of the Tongue of the Saint” Sunday 18 February in the Basilica of St Anthony

The great participation of devotees in the procession that has been marking, for the past 750 years, the discovery of St Anthony’s Incorrupt tongue is taking place again.

The Feast of the Translation of the Saint’s Relics, commonly called the Feast of the Tongue, will be held on Sunday 18 February. This is the second, most important feast celebrating St Anthony after the June 13 feast, and marks the discovery of his uncorrupt tongue over 750 years ago, more than 30 years after his death. This scientifically inexplicable phenomenon is what faith calls a miracle, seeing that the relic of the tongue, the instruments used by St Anthony for preaching, is still visible and uncorrupt after many centuries. The relic may be venerated in the Chapel of the Treasury in the Basilica, which is visited each year by millions of pilgrims.

It was 8 April 1263 when the then-Minister General of the Franciscans, Saint Bonaventure of Bagnoregio, while inspecting the Saint’s mortal remains before their translation in the new funerary chapel, found, to the amazement of all those present, the tongue of our beloved Anthony, Doctor of the Church, perfectly preserved.

The following Holy Masses below will be streamed live on this page:

  • The 10:00am Holy Mass for the subscribers of the Messenger of Saint Anthony, celebrated by Fr. Fabio Scarsato, Publishing Director of the Messaggero di sant’Antonio.
     
  • The 11:00am Holy Mass with music by the Basilica’s orchestra, celebrated by Archbishop Fabio Dal Cin, Pontifical Delegate to the Basilica.
     
  • The 5:00pm Holy Mass, sung with music from the Basilica’s orchestra and presided over by Fr. Giovanni Voltan, Minister Provincial of the Friars Minor Conventual. The Mass will be followed by the Procession of the relics of St Anthony inside the Basilica.