Good Day!

 

I’ve always been intrigued by rituals and ceremonies. I love the mysticism of the Catholic mass, the sacredness of chanting monks in a Buddist temple, the solemnity of Hindi fire ceremonies, and the spiritual connection evident in Native American sweat lodges.  I celebrate the solstices, and the equinonx, with drummings in the woods. I smudge my home and surroundings to eliminate low energy and welcome in new.  I enjoy meditating and live gratefully with the benefits it brings to my life.  I celebrate the divine among us and in each of us.  And I believe in the power of myths and legends and the human spirit in manifesting things in our lives.

I manage the gift shop in a wonderful coffee house in my home town. When a friend of mine returned from Machu Pichu in Peru, she told me of a shrine, dedicated to St. Anthony that she had come upon at the base of the mountain.  She explained that pilgrims visiting this sacred place stopped at this shrine to ask St. Anthony to intercede for them in helping them find “true love” in their life.  She asked me to order a statue of St. Anthony for her daughter, and she added that I might want to order one for myself!

And so began the quest of researching the legend behind the man, St. Anthony of Padua.  St. Anthony, the finder.  

Throughout the centuries people have prayed to St. Anthony to help find lost objects, lost persons, lost loves.  The miraculous answers to prayers offered, merited Anthony the banner “saint of miracles” the “saint who is the finder”.

For my friend’s daughter and for myself, I had a statue of St. Anthony, finder of love sculpted, depicting 

St. Anthony holding a heart in his hands – my heart, friend’s daughters  heart, and now anyone who is searching for true love’s heart, embraced by the “saint of miracles” the “finder”.

Artists and creatives function as the mythologist of our times.   They keep alive myths and legends

through paintings, sculptures, poems, stories and songs.  By creating this statue of St. Anthony, finder of love, we hope to perpetuate the beautiful legend of St. Antony, finder of love. We hope that the “saint of miracles” will continue to change lives and his answered prayers will be celebrated for centuries to come.

Pax et bonum,

Julie