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Lisbon, Portugal: Church of St. Anthony of Padua

 

About Saint Anthony of Padua:

We know him as Saint Anthony of Padua, Italy; however, Anthony was originally from Lisbon, Portugal.

Here in the quaint old city of Lisbon with its steep hills overlooking the Tagus River as it flows out to the Atlantic Ocean you can find the church dedicated to him.

About the Church of Saint Anthony of Padua in Lisbon:

The Church is located in the Alfama region of Lisbon where Saint Anthony grew up. It seems un-changed since those days with its winding cobblestone streets and it is easy to imaging him playing here. An earthquake in 1755 leveled a great portion of the city, but spared the Alfama region due to its Granite base. This is where the wealthy lived and as a result there are many old magnificent buildings in this district.

Needless to say many in Portugal consider him one of their great Saints and the Church of Saint Anthony stands on the site of his birth. The Church is simple but not plain, and has a certain charm about it. There is also a small gift shop and museum next to the church.

It is a tradition for newly married couples to visit here and leave flowers, asking Saint Anthony to bless their marriage. You will find a plaque honoring the visit of Pope John Paul II on May 12, 1982. He stopped to pray here before continuing on to Fatima on May 13 to give thanks to Our Lady whom he credited with saving him from being killed when he was shot exactly one year earlier.

 

Getting there:

Lisbon, of course, has a major international airport. It is easily accessible by train and many Catholic pilgrimages to Fatima either arrive in or depart from Lisbon.

Some tour groups spend some time here and others simply land or take off on their way to various destinations such as Fatima or parts of Spain. Lisbon is also the starting point for some European river cruises (although they are not Catholic in nature).

Address: Rua das Pedras Negras, 1 1100-401 LISBOA Portugal

GPS coordinates: 38° 42′ 36.0324” N, 9° 8′ 0.9528” W

Tel:    +351 218 86 9145               Fax: +351 218 880597

Click here for the official website for the Shrine of Saint Anthony in Lisbon (in Portuguese)

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