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Thanks to your generosity, our Feast of St. Anthony and Day of Giving raised $80,270 from 410 donors—and we’re still counting!

This year’s celebration was especially joyful as we welcomed visitors from across the globe, including World Cup fans proudly cheering for Haiti and Scotland. While they may be rivals on the pitch, they shared the same spirit of hospitality, and community. It was a joyful reminder that even friendly competitors can find common ground.

Your support sustains the ministries of St. Anthony Shrine throughout the year: feeding those who are hungry, accompanying individuals on their recovery journey, providing counseling and compassionate care, supporting dignified burials, and offering a place of prayer and peace in the heart of downtown Boston.

Many hands became one offering on Feast Day. Thank you for being part of this beautiful tradition and for helping extend St. Anthony’s legacy of welcome, compassion, and hope.

The tradition of distributing bread in St. Anthony’s name dates back to the 13th century. One origin story tells of a grieving mother whose drowned child was brought back to life after she prayed to St. Anthony and promised to give bread to the poor equal to her child’s weight.
Since then, giving “St. Anthony’s Bread” has become a cherished act of devotion and charity, honoring St. Anthony’s legacy of compassion. On the Feast of St. Anthony, Franciscans around the world—including at 100 Arch Street—share blessed bread as a reminder to follow his example of generosity and faith.

St. Anthony of Padua, born in 1195 in Portugal, was a contemporary of St. Francis of Assisi and a man of deep faith and compassion. Originally an Augustinian, he was inspired to join the Franciscans after witnessing their courage and devotion. Though illness prevented him from reaching his mission in Morocco, a storm brought him to Sicily, and eventually to Assisi, where he embraced a life of preaching the Gospel with power and humility.

Anthony became known for his stirring sermons, acts of mercy, and unwavering call to justice and love. His life continues to inspire millions—and it is in his spirit that St. Anthony Shrine in Boston, founded in 1947, serves the spiritual and physical needs of all who come through its doors.