With the Feast of St. Anthony being celebrated today, some Goans named after the saint tell NT BUZZ about their faith and the special place he holds in their lives
CHRISTINE MACHADO
NT BUZZ
He is the saint people turn to in panic when they have lost a valuable possession, the confidant of young men and women seeking a life partner, and the intercessor to whom many, especially farmers, pray to for the timely arrival of the monsoons.
A much-revered saint, St. Anthony of Padua inspires unwavering faith among Goans and it is not uncommon to see devotees flocking to roadside shrines, chapels and churches dedicated to him during the trezena and on his feast day, celebrated today, June 13.
Many in Goa are also named after the saint, either in gratitude for favours received or because of family devotion. Names such as Anthony, Antonio, Antonia, Tony, Anton and Antonette are commonly used as first or second names.
“A child’s name is chosen through faith and trust in a saint, with the hope that the saint’s blessings will guide and protect them throughout life,” says Antonio Fernandes from Caranzalem, who was named by his parents out of gratitude for favours they attributed to St. Anthony’s intercession.
“My mother would tell me stories about St. Anthony and the many miracles she experienced in her life. In fact, we had a big frame of St. Anthony in our home back then,” he says. “When I walked to school or sat for an examination, I would pray to St. Anthony and often felt his guidance in my daily life.” Fernandes adds that everything he is today is because of St. Anthony, along with the Blessed Sacrament and the Holy Rosary.
For Anthony Lawrence Fernandes who hails from Carambolim, the saint’s influence can be traced through several chapters of his life. Recounting the story behind how he was named, he reveals that his grandmother lost her second son, Niel, when he was only nine years old.
“When I was born, my ‘nana’ wanted to name me Niel in memory of the son she lost. However, she was a devoted follower of St. Anthony and could not resist naming me Anthony instead. She often said that in the name of St. Anthony, the patron saint of lost things, she had found Niel in me once again,” he says.
In another turn of events, he lost his parents when he was still a baby. Since his grandparents were elderly and found it difficult to care for an infant, they placed him in a boarding school orphanage in Duler. “In what seems like another remarkable connection, the orphanage was also under the patronage of St. Anthony,” he says. “Through every stage of my life, St. Anthony’s presence has remained a quiet thread running through
my story.”
Anthony D’Sa from Vasco was named after the saint since he was born on August 15, the birthday of
St. Anthony of Padua. “I always appreciated that my parents chose Anthony not just because they liked the name but because it had a meaning behind it and came from their devotion to St. Anthony,”
he says.
D’Sa has also experienced what he believes was the saint’s intercession when his first car was stolen from the garage of his home. “We filed a police complaint but as the days passed, I lost hope and began to believe I would never see it again. During that time, my family and I prayed to St. Anthony,” he says.
A month later, to their complete surprise, they spotted the car in an area far from their home. “Recovering it felt nothing short of a miracle. It is one of the strongest personal experiences of faith that I associate with
St. Anthony,” he says.
The ‘Starman of Goa’, Anthony Rodrigues from Agassaim, was also named after the saint because he was born on the feast of St. Anthony.
“My parents had actually chosen the name Pedro for me but because I was born on June 13, I was christened Anthony,” he says, adding that his granddaughter was also born on the same day.
“St. Anthony has helped me in every moment of my life and I keep his statue beside my building,” says Rodrigues. June 13, this year, will also mark the day he begins crafting the stars for which he is widely known across Goa.
Evelyn Martins from Caranzalem, also attests to the power of faith in St. Anthony. “About a month after I was born prematurely, I nearly died. The doctor too had given up hope. But my grandmother prayed to St. Anthony and vowed that if I survived, I would be named after him,”
she shares.
Martins was successfully resuscitated and was later baptised as Evelyn Antonette. “I was baptised at the St. Anthony Church in Siolim,” she says, adding that there have been many instances when the saint has helped the family in recovering lost items.
She recalls one occasion when after her mother’s watch went missing, the family turned to St. Anthony in prayer. Six months later, they found the watch on the front doorstep of their home.
On another occasion, one of Martins’ gold earrings went missing. Years later, when a tree in the garden was cut down, they discovered the missing ornament beneath the soil.
Raia-based Austin Dias also comes from a family who has a deep devotion to St. Anthony. “They always attend the trezena at Khandepar’s St. Anthony’s Chapel (Ponda),” he says. Thus, when he was born two days before the feast day, he was given the second name Anthony. “I make it a point to attend at least one trezena at the chapel. This year, I attended three,” he says, adding that his family also attributes several answered prayers to the saint’s intercession.
Benjamin Monserrate from Marcel also has Antonio as his second name. “My mother had great faith in St. Anthony. She would seek his intercession for major life decisions and in her prayers and she continues to do so today. So when I was born, she included Antonio in my name and started an annual litany at home,” he says, adding that he too shares her faith.
(With inputs from Rachel Shah and Vinika Viswambharan)
