In some Franciscan churches or, in any case, churches particularly associated with Saint Anthony of Padua, on the day of his feast (June 13), it is customary to bless small, simple loaves of bread, which are then distributed to the faithful and consumed as an act of devotion.
The tradition of this practice originates from one of the many miracles of Saint Anthony, involving little Tomasino and his mother. Let us listen to the account of this episode, in the very words of the legend known as the Rigaldina, written toward the end of the thirteenth century by Jean de Rigaud or de Rigault, which recounts events connected with the saint of Padua
The Story of Tomasino’s Miracle
«A twenty-month-old child named Tomasino, whose parents lived near the church of Blessed Anthony in Padua, was carelessly left by his mother beside a container full of water. He began playing childish games in the water and perhaps, seeing his reflection in it and wanting to chase it, fell into the container headfirst, with his feet in the air. Since he was little and unable to free himself, he soon drowned. After a short while, the mother had finished her chores, and seeing the child’s feet protruding from the container in the distance, she rushed over, crying out loudly and weeping, and pulled the little boy out. She found him completely rigid and cold, because he had drowned. At this sight, groaning in anguish, she filled the entire neighborhood with her loud cries. Many people rushed to the scene, including several friars minor together with workers who, at that time, were carrying out certain repairs in the church of Blessed Anthony. When they saw that the child was certainly dead, sharing in the mother’s suffering and tears, they withdrew as though wounded by the sword of sorrow. The mother, however, although anguish tore at her heart, began to reflect on the wondrous miracles of Blessed Anthony and implored his help to bring her dead son back to life. She also made a vow: she would give the poor an amount of grain equal to the child’s weight if Blessed Anthony brought him back to life. From sunset until midnight the child lay dead, while the mother continued without pause to implore the help of Blessed Anthony and repeatedly renew her vow, when - wondrous thing to tell! - the dead child regained life and full health».
From this episode arose a tradition called «pondus pueri» (the child’s weight): parents promised the Saint as much bread as their children weighed, in exchange for his protection.
Over time, the custom of offering bread in exchange for a granted favor became established. The practice, somewhat modified, was institutionalized at the end of the nineteenth century, when interest in social issues and concern for the poor grew.
Perhaps not everyone knows that this miracle gave rise to the «Bread for the Poor Association»: on appointed days, the friars distributed bread; following this tradition, the Caritas Antoniana was later established, dedicated to bringing food, basic necessities, and assistance to the poor throughout the world.
Following Padua’s example, other soup kitchens were established in Italy and abroad. In this way, the «bread of the poor» becomes real bread, capable of alleviating suffering and strengthening hope.
