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The Jewel
of the Shrine
The jewel of the
Shrine, and its most important room, is the Chapel. Upon entering
the Chapel itself, one should pause, realizing that this is “sacred
space” and “holy ground” – where an atmosphere
of holy silence prevails, creating an oasis of peace for the Divine
Presence within. |
 With
its beautifully carved gumwood choir stalls, its mosaic Stations
of the Cross, and its coffered ceiling, the Chapel is a gem of the
early Renaissance.It
has four distinct areas: the interior narthex, the nave, the sanctuary,
and the apse.
|
 In
the narthex is the reliquary of St. Anthony. This gold-leafed
bust depicts the Portuguese Franciscan whom the whole world would
come to know as the “miracle-worker” and “finder
of lost things.”
In the middle
of the flame is a precious first-class relic of the saint –
a small piece of petrified flesh removed from his sarcophagus in
Padua, Italy, in 1995. The friars in Padua sent the relic to the
friars of Ellicott City in 1998. Catholics venerate, or pay
respect to, relics as remembrances of a
saint whose human body was once a “temple” of the Holy
Spirit. |
| Hundreds
of thousands of people each year send the friars petitions for the
heavenly intercession of St. Anthony – friend of God and friend
to humanity. |
 The
nave of the Chapel consists of the choir stalls facing each other.
Here the friars would recite or chant the Divine Office, back and
forth across the dark flagstone floor. The original choir stalls numbered
72, after the number of disciples sent out by Jesus in the Gospels.
With the additional pews in front, the choir now seats 150. |
| The
nave leads to the sanctuary, where Holy Mass is offered on the central
Altar. The Altar was designed to evoke the teaching of Jesus “I
am the vine; you are the branches”(John 15:1-8). The ambo (pulpit
lectern) in the nave has a matching design, linking the Liturgy of
the Word to the Liturgy of the Eucharist. |
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| These
chapel furnishings attempt to evoke the spirit
of St. Anthony, the friar and priest, who used every opportunity
to encourage people to hear the Word of God and to participate in
the Holy Eucharist.
The biblical
tree motif also reminds people of the fact that St. Anthony, towards
the end of his life, spent many hours of prayer in a walnut treehouse
which his friend Count Tiso had constructed for him at Camposampiero.
It was in that walnut tree that Anthony had his vision
of the Christ child. |
| To
the right of the altar is a large walnut Tau Cross. St. Francis of
Assisi adopted the Tau as his “signature,” after he heard
Pope Innocent III preach about it at the 4th Lateran Council. Depending
upon the liturgical season of the year, one of two carved images of
Christ hang on the Tau: Christ Crucified or the Resurrected Jesus.
The corpus of Christ Crucified was carved at Niepokalanow, Poland,
by an artist whose guardian and mentor was St. Maximilian Kolbe. The
Resurrected Jesus, like many other chapel furnishings, came to Ellicott
City from the former St. Hyacinth College and Seminary in Granby,
Massachusetts. |
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The
apse at the far end of the Chapel centers upon the Tabernacle–
designed with the biblical tree motif, and depicting the descent
of the Holy Spirit with its seven spiritual gifts: wisdom,
understanding, counsel, fortitude, piety, knowledge, and fear of
the Lord.
Persons are
welcome to enter the apse for silent prayer and adoration. The sanctuary
and apse together form the Shrine’s “oasis of peace,”
where Jesus Christ welcomes people of all faiths to experience themselves
as infinitely loved by God.
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| As
you leave the Shrine of St.Anthony, it is the prayer and hope of
the Franciscan Friars that each and all of you will have experienced
God’s love here.
Jesus said
“My peace I give to you”(John 14:27). In the words of
the Franciscan motto, the friars wish you that same “Peace
and Good” – Pax et Bonum! |
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